Ian would mount unpainted figures onto old plastic bottle tops ( you can guess what the 2 plastic 2 litre bottles contained before they were emptied !! LOL) - it is easier to handle a figure and paint the legs / feet when temporarily fixed to a bottle top

Another tip - Ian also used to put cavalry figures onto large 3 -4 inch nails and stand them to dry in wooden boards that had been specially drilled by him.

A very old tip ( courtesy of Kev D.) - toothpaste used to come in metal tubes - they made great flexible metal sheets that could be moulded into standards and other flags.

Hope these are useful ideas -

gaye


black[size=medium][b]

I contacted Ian to ask if he would write a painting guide for Wargames Illustrated, of course Ian was delighted to help others paint better - and also get some free exposure :D
The following is a measure of Ians enthusiasm.

"Hi Darren, good show? Did you have a good look at my stuff on Alec's
stand?

Thanks for talking to Duncan. At present my collection is very small! As
I have bitten the bullet and have sold off what I considered to be
gaming standard figures and started all over again to build a truly
showcase Napoleonic collection painted to the highest spec. (in my style
at least!) A big project which I will fit in around painting clients'
commissions and other figures for sale.

So, from scratch, I have now about 30 completed figures ( some of which
Alec has for a short while)

I would be happy to do a painting article for the mag. concentrating
more on how to do the job rather than wholly on what to use for the job.
I guess with step by step pictures. Maybe an article on painting faces
in the various scales..... 28mm, 15mm and 6mm."

The following is an excerpt from one of many emails exchanged with Ian.

"Hi Darren, Good to hear from you. I can't remember what I used on the
dwarf, but now I use GW metallics, as they are, or mixing them. Often I
use Brazen Brass and then Burnished Gold..... I think, the labels have
gone from use!!

This is the easy route - straight from the pot, but of course you can
get all sorts by mixing them like any other colour.

Sometimes I use ink washes.

Here is a picture of Assyrians using BB and BG as above.

These are matt varnished along with the rest of the figure, some, I
think Kev D. for example gloss the metal parts - I am undecided!"

Courtesy of Redzed
there is no magic to what I do. I use GW metallics. Start with Brazen Brass, then Burnished Gold and finally Silver. Build these up in the "usual" layering fashion like any other colour.
Sometimes glossed, sometimes not.