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I've only painted 28mm models. Being much smaller do you find FOW models harder to paint than larger scales? Are they any good tips when painting smaller models?

Thanks guys

Yes and no. When you're painting a 28mm model, you've got a lot of detail to do (clothes, skin, weapons, armor etc etc...) In 15mm, all that detail is still there to an extent. However, in 15mm scale, nothing is as in depth as it would be on a 28mm miniature. I remember why I disliked painting 28mm models so much when I played warhammer, and it was because it took so long to get a decent amount of detail into the mini (basecoat, wash, touch up, highlightx10 and so on). With FoW, you don't need to go that in depth as the models are so much smaller so they're never viewed as carefully. With the American infantry I've been working on for the past week, the painting guide is something like, basecoat, wash, touchup, done. Since the models are smaller theres less detail work to do, meaning you can churn out models at a much faster rate. The flipside to this is that basing FoW is a lot harder than Warhammer or similar IMHO

I may pick up a small blister to try out soon. Thanks for the help.

What makes basing in FOW so different?

With my old 40k stuff, it was all based by gluing sand to base, painting said sand, then washing. I'd add some static grass if I felt fancy. With FoW though, you have to spackle the base to bring it to the same level as the feet of the figures (they're cast with small bases). For example, this is how I tried to base my Sicilian campaign Germans

http://www.flamesofwar.com/Default.aspx?tabid=110&art_id=882&kb_cat_id=29

[quote=orkboy232]With my old 40k stuff, it was all based by gluing sand to base, painting said sand, then washing. I'd add some static grass if I felt fancy. With FoW though, you have to spackle the base to bring it to the same level as the feet of the figures (they're cast with small bases). For example, this is how I tried to base my Sicilian campaign Germans

http://www.flamesofwar.com/Default.aspx?tabid=110&art_id=882&kb_cat_id=29

What the others said. It's easier in that you don't need to go into as much detail as a 28mm figure (if you don't want to), but then it's more the base that provides the eye candy than the actual minis themselves.

For me, GW's Devlan Mud (and whatever it is now) is a godsend. It's the only thing I buy from GW nowadays, because a quick wash with that (watered down a bit) makes an 'ok' paint job look great, especially with the '3 foot rule'.

Now, when I've gotten a bit into my 15mm ACW Confederates, I'll let you know if I still have that opinion, haha!

Oh! And for me, bases are done with Drydex, applied with a busted X-acto knife.

I paint a base of 5 15mm infantry at about the same speed (or maybe slightly less) than I take to do a 28mm infantry figure. It is a lot more fiddly but there is less surface area and you don't need to go into a lot of detail, I don't even bother with highlighting as a couple of washes of watered down ogryn flesh do a decent job at this scale.

My bases are done with ready mixed polyfilla (the stuff in the tubes) which makes a nice textured surface that can be easily manipulated. I then finish it off with the appropriate flock, grass tufts and what ever else I am using for detail.

I see what you mean about basing now. I think I will pick up a few of these to,try painting and if I enjoy it maybe try playing.

Decorative sand is your best friend for FOW bases.Also you do not need Devlan mud,go by some cheap craft piant Brown.I have some that looks identical to Devlan mud.for a usa dollar you get 2 ounces of the stuff.I prefer to use this paint for the overall cost and quanity so i do not waste good paint on painting stands.I tried to other methods before using sand and it was a pain,Sculpting putty and spackle both were horrible compared to the sand.As for a price on the sand i got two pounds for a dollar.

You don't need sand with my method, you just need to find some filler with a coarse grain. It also has the added benefit of making the bases nice and sturdy..

Yeah I agree with Palindrome I use ready mix filler from Wilkinson! 99p a tube and lasts ages.

I super glue the figures down to the base then with an oil paint spatula I mould ready mix between each model so it covers the bases of each figure.
Then I tease up parts of the filler to look uneven.

Then I spray all matt black plasticote, which accepts paints really well.

For Russians I coat everything in Khaki, go back and do boots in black.

Guns in Boltgun metal with calthan brown stocks. Calthan brown belts and straps and pouches.

Bleached bone faces and hands.

Catachan green helmets.

Then I black wash everything, which fills the creases and cracks nicely.

Then I drybrush everything apart from the gun in bleached bone with a very very dry brush. Then Mithryl silver drybrush the gun.

The base is then painted Calthan brown round the edges and patches on the rough ground before flock grass the black.

SpiritOfKantor wrote:Yeah I agree with Palindrome I use ready mix filler from Wilkinson! 99p a tube and lasts ages.

I fill the inside of my Zvesda and Plastic Soldier Company tanks with that stuff to give them weight. I base with sand.

I also recommend Wilkinsons Acrylic paint range for basing. They do a 75ml Burnt Umber (GW Scorched Brown) for about £1.