WW2 Germans - Stalingrad: Ultra-fast painting

[nikharwood]

Right - ultra-fast paint job for these, replicating some tricks I used years ago to do my 40k Ash Wastes Imperial Guard army 

From black undercoat, heavy overbrush Charred Brown:










Overbrush infantry figures & bases with Beasty Brown:








Total elapsed time = 15 minutes

[nikharwood]

Then - everything stippled White using sponge:










Wash everything - very thin Cold Grey & detail wash - very thin Field Grey (Green/Grey); flesh painted Elf Fleshtone:
















Total elapsed time = 45 minutes

[Blaker]

Once again Nik, WOW   

[nikharwood]

Decals added - wash detail very thin White; weapon detail Cold Grey:






'Magic' Wash - everything:




















Total elapsed time = 65 minutes

[nikharwood]

Snow mix onto bases:






















Total elapsed time = 90 minutes  

On-table:


More on-table pics here: http://www.pendrakenforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=3844.0

[Blaker]

A whole hour + do to these beauties     Great job Nik!

Okay a few questions:

Did you glue minis to bases then do the terrain?

What did you use for the ground cover, sand, spackle?

What snow did you use?

Where did you get the cool decals?

Wish there wasnt this big hole filled with lots of water between us, I would like to visit and watch you work one day.  Maybe you could do a live film of you painting an army.

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

OH I GIVE UP!












nice one

(In the same time I've picked, destemmed and crushed 12 kilos of grapes from my vines for Maisin Denham 2011, not bad for Bedfordshire UK!)

[Blaker]

       meee   tooo 

[Leon]

Right, I officially could not have even cast the bleeding figures in that amount of time...   

[nikharwood]

Told you I was gonna do these fast  

Okay a few questions:

Did you glue minis to bases then do the terrain?

What did you use for the ground cover, sand, spackle?

What snow did you use?

Where did you get the cool decals?

Right:
- yes all minis glued to bases before texturing
- texture on bases for these was a mix of PVA: filler / spackle: sand: water at about 4: 3: 2: 1 ratio
- snow is a mix: PVA: Woodlands Scenics Snow: water at about 4: 4: 2 ratio - brushed, shoved, poked & cajoled onto bases & then while it's still wet, it gets another dusting of snow from a height...leave to dry...
- decals are from Perrin [the tank crosses] which I've had for ever - but Pendraken's got some too [here: http://pendraken.co.uk/PNDC2-p5505/ ] and the swastika flags are Pendraken too [here: http://pendraken.co.uk/PNDC3-p5506/ ]

Maybe you could do a live film of you painting an army.

I have thought about that - trouble is that, although these only took 90 minutes in total, with kids, dogs, horses, some marking etc that 90 minutes was spread from about 7.30am to 8pm!

OH I GIVE UP!
nice one

(In the same time I've picked, destemmed and crushed 12 kilos of grapes from my vines for Maisin Denham 2011, not bad for Bedfordshire UK!)

Speed-painting is almost entirely a mindset & confidence thing - with some basic tips to cut corners...which reminds me, I was going to write something about that...

And Maison Denham eh? Like the sound of that

Right, I officially could not have even cast the bleeding figures in that amount of time...    

[Steve J]

Impressive as always Nik. I agree that the mindset thing is very important as it is no use trying to paint anything unless you are in the right frame of mind.

[T13A]

Nic

Really nice! I'm sure you must have some sort of TARDIS over in Dunster.

Cheers Paul

[Luddite]

Masterful work as ever Nik, espically as a lesson in speed painting.

However, and i hesitate to swim against the praising tide  , but for me, the white stippling technique doesn't work that well. 
Also i've not yet seen a 'snow base' done well.  I'm not sure they work, especially full snow like yours here.
That said, for tabletop-standard super-fast painting this is pretty much an object lesson for us all!   
As Leon says, he can't cast the stuff this fast  !!!

My churlish niggles are just personal preferences though, and i no way meant to detract from the usual, sickeningly justified (bitterly envious?  Me?!), awestruck worship of the masterworks you consistently churn out.     Hehe...

[Raider4]

OH I GIVE UP!

Heh, I know what you mean.

These should probably say to everyone "Hey, look how simple this is!". I just end up thinking "Oh what's the ****ing point. I'll never get stuff to look this good in a week. And this bloke does it in under two hours  ".

To Nik - these are brilliant. Really. They look really, really good.

Cheers, Martyn
--

[nikharwood]

Nic

Really nice! I'm sure you must have some sort of TARDIS over in Dunster.

Cheers Paul

If only...as long as it came with Amy Pond  

However, and i hesitate to swim against the praising tide  , but for me, the white stippling technique doesn't work that well.  
Also i've not yet seen a 'snow base' done well.  I'm not sure they work, especially full snow like yours here.

No worries mate - these are heavily stylized and won't be to everyone's taste...I'm looking at them and thinking that maybe I should have painted them 'properly' - but I did want to make them look old & cold & grainy as well as getting them battle-ready superfast as Real Life is frantic at the moment...

As for the snow, I think it looked better before I sprinkled extra into the top of the wet mix...

These should probably say to everyone "Hey, look how simple this is!". I just end up thinking "Oh what's the ****ing point. I'll never get stuff to look this good in a week. And this bloke does it in under two hours  ".

To Nik - these are brilliant. Really. They look really, really good.

Cheers, Martyn
--

Thanks Martyn - I hope you look at them again & think that it can be this simple!