Dear All,
I have decided that the easiest way to make information and pictures
available to you all is through a blog, rather than the rather clunky
Yahoo Groups.
So for this I have started my blog at http://shrimproll.blogspot.com/.
There are a couple of posts, and I will move all useful content from
here over to there sometime soon. After a suitable period of time I
will close down this Yahoo Group, so please use the blog as the main
place to look for updates.
Once again, thank you all for your interest in my painting!
Kind regards
Martin
Martin –
I have a quick question for you: How do you varnish your figures/bases
and what products do you use to do it?
Any information that you would like to share would be greatly
appreciated. Thanks!
- Jeff
Martin –
You had mentioned in this group's description that you would be
posting pictures of recent work. I'm sure that I speak for many of us
when I say that I would like to know if you have been painting
recently and, if so, see photos of what you are working on.
Even if you don't have any pictures, I am still interested to hear
about your recent work and/or any tips you would like to share (i.e.
your technique for painting such smooth coated horses, etc.).
I am having a great time painting up my Bicorne ECW figures using my
newly purchased Foundry paints. Your face painting tips were spot on
and my painting looks much better because of it. Thank you again for
sharing your technique.
- Jeff in San Diego
Hi Jeff,
Many thanks for your kind comments!
I use the following method for painting faces:
Black prime
Two thin coats of Foundry Spearshaft brown mid tone
all over the face
- note unlike other painters I do not leave black
holes for eyes, I find that makes them too stark.
Having a mid brown gives a more realistic effect.
Then the basic 3 stages of Foundry Flesh, the key is
the mid-tone, it should pick out all the major
features. I do not like to leave too much dark lining,
I prefer a nice smooth finish, hence the importance of
the mid-tone.
Eyes are added at the end using Foundry base sand
light - white is too bright, a single brush stroke
should get a nice almond shape, then a dot of dark
brown or blue to the top of the almond shape. Any
mistakes can be tidied up with the flesh mid tone.
Lips are Foundry Wine stain red shade, highlighted
with Foundry flesh shade.
Martin –
Here follows your answer to me regarding your technique for painting
faces. Although I have not made the jump to the Foundry system yet
(ordering next week), I used my Vallejo equivalencies (Orange Brown
1:1 Old Rose is spot on for Foundry's Flesh Shade) and was thrilled
with the result! The faces on my Bicorne ECW figures look better
than ever! The mascara effect that plagued my figures is completely
gone. Thank you very much for your sage advice.
The edge that my superiorly painted forces will give me over my
opponent may well win the day on some closely contested battle!
- Jeff
Hi Jeff,
Many thanks for your kind comments!
I use the following method for painting faces:
Black prime
Two thin coats of Foundry Spearshaft brown mid tone all over the
face - note unlike other painters I do not leave black holes for
eyes, I find that makes them too stark. Having a mid brown gives a
more realistic effect.
Then the basic 3 stages of Foundry Flesh, the key is the mid-tone,
it should pick out all the major features. I do not like to leave
too much dark lining, I prefer a nice smooth finish, hence the
importance of the mid-tone.
Eyes are added at the end using Foundry base sand light - white is
too bright, a single brush stroke should get a nice almond shape,
then a dot of dark brown or blue to the top of the almond shape. Any
mistakes can be tidied up with the flesh mid tone.
Lips are Foundry Wine stain red shade, highlighted with Foundry
flesh shade.
Hope that is enough for now! When I (eventually) move this site over
to a fully functioning (and accessible) site I intend to post more
detailed (with images) guides to various aspects of painting.
And as a final tip, see Spencer Keen's website -
www.spencerkeen.com - for a really good face painting guide (though
I would take umbrage with the black holes!).
Regards
Martin
Martin,
I am a huge fan of your work and I recently had the pleasure of
viewing some Bicorne ECW personalities that you had painted in
person. After seeing them I felt compelled to drop you a line. I
could not find your email address anywhere, so I hope that this is
an appropriate forum for my questions.
When I was examining the two stands, I was particularly drawn to the
faces that you painted… it looked like you use a four tone process
to achieve the remarkable finished product.
I would be curious to hear about what colors you use when you
painted them and any other morsels of information on technique or
color placement that you would like to share.
Thanks for your time and the great pictures posted on this group
site!
- Jeff San Diego, CA
Dear Spencer,
Many thanks for your query.
This is how I paint chainmail:
1- Black undercoat - usually GW Chaos Black spray
2- I then mix a very dark combination of GW Bolt gun metal and Chaos
Black which goes liberally over the required area, don't worry too
much about getting it in between the raised chain links.
I use a relatively flat brush for this next stage which is a little
like dry brushing, but what I do is use Bolt gun metal straight from
the pot, nice and thick. Load up the brush and wipe off as per usual
for dry brushing but then drag one way, usually against a grain if you
can find one. For chainmail this is usually top - bottom (ie where the
light is coming from) but never across the figure as this tends to
give too much coverage of the highlights.
3- Repeat on the extreme highlights with Foundy Spearpoint.
For chainmail I find intermediate shades tend to blend too much
without effect.
For plate armour I would recommend intermediate shades.
I like Bolt gun metal as it is usually quite thick and gives good
coverage. I use the same method for Musket barrels, as I like the
contrast between the dark basecoat and the extreme highlights.
By the way, was looking at the Front Rank French Naps on your site the
other day, absolutely superb. I will soon be delving back into that
period for my own collection. Watch this space!
Kind regards
Martin
Hi Martin
I've been looking at your gallery and admiring your figures. Would
you mind telling me how you paint the silver armour on your Roman
figures?
They look great!
Spencer
www.spencerkeen.com
Dear All,
I have added a new gallery to martin robson painting. This contains
some of the excellent figures painted by my brother.
Though I will not be taking on commissions until further notice, his
Raven Painting service is open for business!
Please email him at the address provided on the welcome page if you
are interested.
I have been snowed under with work recently, but am making some
progress on Bicorne, Calpe and Gripping Beast figures. Pictures will
be forthcoming soon.
Many thanks for your continued support.
Kind regards
Martin
Dear All,
I have added two new images to martinrobsonpainting. They are from
the rather excellent figures produced by Peter Fitzgerald at Calpe
Miniatures.
They depict regiments from the Neumark and Kurmark provinces.
Enjoy viewing!
Kindest regards
Martin
Dear All,
I have posted some new images at MartinRobsonPainting:
ECW - four of the new excellent Bicorne personalities, King Charles
I, Sir Jacob Astley, Sir Charles Lucas and Sir William Waller
Napoleonic – a sneak preview of a 3 regiment Brigade of superb Calpe
Landwehr Cavalry
Odds and Ends – three Heresy figures
Much more to follow in June!
Thank you for your continued interest.
Martin
Dear All,
I have added various pictures to the site:
Perry Miniatures Samurai in Dave Thomas folder
Roman Command in the Foundry Folder
New folder - WWII containing six Artizan WWII Germans in Camo Smocks
New folder - For Sale
I have two ECW Bicorne Miniatures vignettes for sale:
Prince Rupert of the Rhine, Boye and ADC Price £50
Lord Ralph Hopton and ADC Price £50
UK p&p will be 10% for Special Delivery
They are offered on a first come first served basis, please email me
at martinrobson9@... if you are interested.
In Progress:
At the moment I am working on Calpe Prussian Landwehr Cavalry, more
ECW from Bicorne and Renegade plus some Heresy miniatures.
Thank you for your continued support.
Kindest regards
Martin Robson
Dear All,
At last I have placed some new images on the site.
In the ECW folder - Bicorne Dragoons and Sir Ralph Hopton.
In the Foundry Folder - Romans and Spanish Javelinmen.
More will be added over the next week or so including the much
anticipated Artizan Germans and from Bicorne, Prince Rupert of the
Rhine and his dog Boy!
Many thanks for your continued support.
Martin Robson
Dear All,
I would like to thank you all for your continued interest in Martin
Robson Painting. As some of you already know I had to lay down my
brushes for a while to finish off a writing project, well the book
is now finished so I am back painting.
Currently I am working on Bicorne/Renegade ECW, Artizan WWII
Germans, Calpe Prussian Landwehr, plus the odd figure or two here
and there.
I must offer my apologies for the photos on the site, I know several
of you have expressed an interest in viewing my work up close. I
lost a lot of images when my old hard drive packed in and those I
rescued from my old site are mainly thumbnails, the exception being
the Calpe Landwehr. I now have a large number of figures ready for
imaging so will be adding new pictures over the next few days.
Once again, thank you for your interest. It has been a frustrating
few months for me, but I hope you will continue to support my figure
painting attempts.
Kindest regards
Martin
Why are all the pictures so small making it hard to make out the quality and
detail? The only pictures somewhat large enough to see are in the "Calpe
Prussians" folder, but the other three folders have very, very small pictures.
I know the site says 25/28mm figures, but would you do 20mm figures and if so
what is the price per figure?
Trevor Horton
http://www.mini-hq.com
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