painting 1/35 scale horses

[Howard of Effingham]

i use mostly humbrol enamel colors, btw but would like some suggestions as to
techniques for painting horses so that it looks fairly real.

unsure how to go about it see. 

trevor

[NARSES2]

Howard horses are a bugger if you want them to look realistic. I've never painted any larger then 25/30mm wargaming scale but have seen loads of articles on painting larger ones.

The concencus appears to be to use oil paints as you get that sheen that horses seem to have. I've seen a technic where the paint was allowed to partialy dry before drawing a small sponge over the surface which removes some of the paint from the raised areas and thus provides hilights and shadows, similar to dry brushing.

Would suggest you have a browse through the military modelling mags and the Osprey modelling series as they do a "how to paint figures" book which I think incs a section on horses.

Chris

[philp]

Shep Paine has a pretty good chapter in his Miniatures book.

Google the topic and you get a bunch of stuff.
how to paint horse miniature

[Howard of Effingham]

thank you chris and thank-you phil. 

the osprey books can wait until SMW2012 and the google links when i have the time.

you comments have given me a few ideas as to experimenting with the uses of the paints
i already have.

[Radish]

I quite often use a drybrushing almost scrubbing technique.

So for a dark brown horse, I'll prime in black, and then drybrush in very dark brown, and progressively lighter shades, until I get the desired effect. A bit of detail painting using thin washes is good. Keep it subtle.
For a white horse I'll prime in grey then drybrush....leaves enough shadows to create texture and interest. Again, detail painting using washes.

I always use Acrylics....used to be Tamiya, now mostly Games Worksop. I've used Acrylics for about 30+ years.

[NARSES2]

I always use Acrylics....used to be Tamiya, now mostly Games Worksop. I've used Acrylics for about 30+ years.

I dread to think what you'd be like on enamels  

[Radish]

Messy 

[Howard of Effingham]

thanks terry. 

i shall give that one a try with my enamels. i use cake baking cases to mix/thin down paint in very successfully
and have done so for years. some adaptation is called for.

btw, with one of your coventry displayed models at the weekend now being on the IPMS ireland website
could they withstand a visit from you if they ever had a rocky horror show or such like in dublin, cork or
elsewhere?

[Radish]

Yes, knew from a message posted on Facebook.
And Rocky Horror does Ireland....Belfast at least.
Did 36 shows on the last tour, but still have plenty of options on the mainland to investigate....I fancy going back up North again....not done Rocky up there for a while....Newcastle, Sunderland, Darlington etc....2013, here we come

[Dizzyfugu]

Years ago when I painted Citadel Miniatures I also did some horses/ponies. Enamels work fine, and I was able to create a nice "fur" effect when I used a clean and almost dry brush on the lightly dried paint from front to back. Needed good timing, though.

[Mossie]

Trev, I've recently picked up the Osprey volume on Modelling Scale Figures and Chris is right, it has a section on painting horses.  I'll dig it out for you.