Is digital painting in online stores okay

[GalakStarscraper]

Okay ... somebody figure out how Hasslefree is doing their washed figures and let me know ... I'll work on it.

Tom

[Deathwing]

Actually, it wouldn't surprise me if they wash then spray the 'bare' figures, but whatever method they use works for me.

Woody ... okay curious of opinion here.

If a company had an item digitally painted because of speed and sales but then always showed a washed image of some type as well next to it ... would that be a better solution for companies to try to maximize sales while at the same time generate better sales?

I'm interested in this as I will be honest that finding good and timely painters is very difficult. I either find good but not timely or timely and not good. So I am curious if you always had both digital and black wash if that would be acceptable?

Tom

I don't think digital is 'unacceptable', it just doesn't work for me. But a good picture of the basic figure alongside the painted/digital pic could only help IMO, I see no reason to not cast the net as far as possible, particularly if it's easily doable. I think for example that the hasslefree dwarf 'combi' pic above is a better showcase for the mini than the painted pics would be alone.

@ Norse. The more I look at the hasslefree pics, the more I think the minis may have a light airbrush. Hmmm... might just dig it out next weekend and have a play, I've got some vallejo modelair aluminium kicking around, I wonder....

[robsoma]

Maybe you could just have the digital painted image without the gaming base? Then have the actual washed metal mini alongside? So it's more promo art than 'painted' mini?
I can see both sides. Some minis from impact friends have bought and I've been more interested in getting the minis when I have seen the metals compaired to the images on the site.

[Urb]

Looks like a light ink wash to me. Bluish black, probably a 25 to 1 mix with something to break surface tension. Maybe even as simple as a drop of dish soap. Maybe lightly burnished with a cotton polishing pad afterwards. Very lightly. My guess anyways.

[GalakStarscraper]

Looks like a light ink wash to me. Bluish black, probably a 25 to 1 mix with something to break surface tension. Maybe even as simple as a drop of dish soap. Maybe lightly burnished with a cotton polishing pad afterwards. Very lightly. My guess anyways.

Is bluish black wash a product I can buy? Or is it a mix of blue and black washes and if so from what company would I get them?

And forgive the idiot statement ... anyone got a link to this "cotton polishing pad" since I've not used one so I would be buying the right thing.

Dish soap I understood ... Dawn okay?

Tom

[Pug]

cotton pad....probably on of those female type thingy ...things!

[Virral]

How about just undercoating the mini and then either drybrushing or washing? Wouldn't that make details stand out better?

I'm curious as to how Franarcilla does his, those look like dark green drybrushed with light green... and you have absolutely no problem seeing the detail.

Personally I think a digital photo side by side with a properly prepared unpainted mini would be ideal, in terms of showing the mini off AND getting stuff out there in a reasonable time frame.

[GalakStarscraper]

Maybe lightly burnished with a cotton polishing pad afterwards.

These?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 0721217995

[Urb]

Maybe lightly burnished with a cotton polishing pad afterwards.

These?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 0721217995

right something like that. I think any ink would do. I don't have any black or blue ink but I'll give it a try with brown ink tonight. Shouldn't take long at all.

[Darkson]

http://arbbl.webs.com/apps/photos/photo ... d=38721072

White spray, black wash (crappy photo! ).

[Buggrit]

Having been a long term FOD type and having read on numerous occassions the way Hasslefree prep their mini's for photos I believe (unless they've changed their technique) that Sally gives them a coat of shoe polish and then buffs them, removing the majority of the polish and leaving it only in the recesses thus showing off the detail of the bare metal figures.

[Norse]

that would make sense...

[GalakStarscraper]

I'll have to try that ... thank you.

Tom

[Steam Ball]

Hasselfree use shoe polish, IIRC, it was explained somewhere in their site or forum. Franarcilla uses printers ink (by disolving magazine black pages, or so I read time ago) over the green (which is not pure Kneadatite, or so I read time ago, again). Custom washes over white primer are also a good way to show detail.

[Jani74]

Answering to the original question: we are buying them unpainted, so I don't see any difference if they are painted with any technique or not. Main thing is that the image is big enough to see the details and stuff.