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Community paint-along (freehand)


Mako

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Hey folks,

I've heard (many times) that freehand seems really hard and people can't get their heads around it, even with step by step guides. Someone mentioned to me the other night that it takes one specific moment where you look at something and suddenly 'get it', which isn't something that can be explained in an tutorial really.

That gave me an idea, which I thought I'd throw out there and see if people were interested - a freehand-along, where everyone involved could pick a model and a pattern/design they wanted to paint onto it, and as a group could talk about how to go about it and post photos of each stage. Not one person showing others what to do, but everyone doing their own thing and swapping thoughts and encouragement.

The idea is that people would get input on how to approach it from different levels and viewpoints, helping them see how to plan it out and paint it in a way that works for them. Hopefully it would be useful for people in terms of that moment of 'getting it', or to get advice and new ideas, or practice.

The basic process would be for everyone to pick an idea and post up pictures of their model and pattern, and once we have a group ready to go, each week we could talk about how to go about the patterns, which bits people plan to do first/next, post photos of where we got to, and then see everyone's efforts building up week by week. It wouldn't be very heavy in terms of workload (heck I don't have that much free time so it can't go too quickly *wink*).

So, would anyone be interested? Doesn't matter what level you think you are, you just need an idea you want to try! (I'd probably get out my new rasputina, and go for a diamond quilted effect on her coat, for example)

The 'Rules' (vague and flexible as they are)

By 29 September (or do people want longer to prep something), post up an image of your model (ready for freehand) and one of your idea - a pattern, a design, a picture, even a vague doodle is fine, it's just so folks can discuss what to paint when etc. I'll make a thread for the actual thing when it starts, but until then just post them in here.

Every week (on a sunday/monday) we'll be aiming for one step done, and a photo posted to show progress. Plenty of discussion, suggestions, questions and thoughts are encouraged.

When we get to the end, celebrate having done stuff.

That's basically it, it's a fairly loose plan for a fairly relaxed group thing!

The first week is likely to be sketching in (very thin paint, just to lay out the basic shape/position of stuff.

The second, blocking in and solidifying.

From there, its a small step each week, refining and adding more colour or detail as you want until we reach the end (which could vary in terms of time)

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Good to see there's some interest, it was a bit of a wild idea on my part and I wasn't sure anyone would want to do it!

The plan would be that everyone holds to the same pace, and paints one step each week so that people can discuss each stage. (Matt, you might want to keep one of misaki's girls back for sedate pacing! lol)

The single stage of painting each week will hopefully keep it nice and simple for beginners - even fairly complicated looking stuff usually breaks down into a series of simple steps. Rather than working it out alone, folks will be able to pool their thoughts on how to get their next step sorted so they can build up to something they didn't think they could do, while seeing how other stuff also builds up - its like a bunch of interactive tutorials at once with any luck *grin*

The first thing to sort out is the list of who wants in, and what they want to do. People will need the bit of the model they want freehand on painted up, and a picture of the pattern they want to do so everyone can see (that'll probably backfire on me, mine don't always finish with the same plan I started with!). With that in mind, I'm thinking next week will be a good point to begin the actual painting - that way there's time to get models ready and have ideas for patterns (and trawl google, of course).

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Great thread! I love this so much..

I'll have a lot of freehand poncho fun with my Kin, but first:

I was having some ideas today as I primed Leveticus and Alyce and decided to paint them as some characters from my favorite comic book

(a hint: James Cameron is plans to adapt it as a movie after he's done with the Avatar franchise).

As I will be getting the plastic versions I'll paint those as my vision of Leveticus and Rusty and the metallic duo are going to be cosplayers - so I was thinking of making a bit of a freehand metallics on Rustys face and a tiny tattoo on Leves forhead.

It's not much place for detail, so at this point it's just my imagination.

I'll post the results next week.

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The more the merrier!

I've added the rules (laughable to call them that really, given how vague they are) to the first post, for those that wish to see. Basically, we'll get going next sunday/monday (10 days time so people can prep and paint things to use) with a week for sketching out the basic placing.

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I can still toss in my opinions on how to do things in the meantime. Just my models/projects tend to be bigger then the usual,.. so they take a bit more time to get to the same point.

---------- Post added at 07:46 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:45 PM ----------

Though,.. I have a few commission bits to do. I suppose I could try to do something cool on one of those minis, and just not charge for the extra work,..

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I am still a beginner when it comes to painting. (I posted a thread in regards to my Marcus crew being the first minis I had ever painted.) But I wouldn't mind learning a thing or two.... or three or four and give this free handing a try. I have Von Schill and company all primed and ready to go whenever.

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Also another beginner signing up for the paint along here!!

Although quick question: The model I plan to use for this has a cloak. Will I need to get them painted up to the point of the cloak is painted ready for free handing? Or is there a stage of freehanding that means I should leave that whole section just primed and not painted yet?

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So,.. I'll be the first to toss something up here. Here's the model that I'm working with (or part of it at least)

post-8871-13911931051031_thumb.jpg

post-8871-13911931052881_thumb.jpg

And I want to do a cherry tree blossom motif. (maybe not this exact picture, but you get the point).

post-8871-13911931054174_thumb.jpg

I need to do this now, before the whole model is complete. Otherwise, the tail and such will be in the way. Also, I'll need to pull this into the upper torso section for the sake of uniformity. So the technique, will have to be easily duplicated, at some other point in the future.

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