- Sorry as of Dec 2022 im not taking on contract painting at this time.
If you're here then you must be looking for someone to paint your precious miniatures for you - you've come to the right place. From the moment your miniatures arrive with me I will treat them like my own. (no not keep them!!) what I mean is they wont just be chucked in the corner. They will be filed with their order number ready for me to start work on them and once they are being worked on they will be my only priority.
All painting services have standards of painting and I have mine. Unlike some painting services I base my levels on what i personally would be happy to see on the table. Not a massed produced painting line. (If your looking for a mass produced 50 cent paint job this isn't the place for you.) This doesn't mean my prices are expensive, just that I have personal standards that i wont ignore.
I like to work to three standards. The differences are described below with the basic process i use for each. As I said they are of a quality level that I am happy with seeing on a gaming table. After 20 years of working in the war gaming industry my standards are possibly a little higher than others but I don't like to produce a nasty product. My preferred option is advanced quality as its how I like to paint most of my own miniatures for gaming but my basic table quality is neat and tidy and looks good on the table and may be a better option for the cost focused gamer.
Basic table quality. (The gamer's choice)
The miniature (no matter the size) is neatly base coated and then inked and washed in appropriate colours (often a brown or black/brown mix) and then sprayed with a gloss varnish for strength of finish and then sprayed again with a matte varnish to get rid of the nasty shine the gloss varnish has.
Basing (if required) is generally a coat of sand or textured putty painted in a base colour with one highlight and a simple flock mix applied. You can request the advanced basing if you like at extra cost.
This is a great way to get an army on the table quickly. If you decide in the future to spend more to increase the quality level then that's something that can be easily done. I consider it the best quality for the tabletop that can be produced in a short period of time (generally up to 200 28mm models in a week)
- (but my blog pics are a good indication).
Advanced table quality. (It's how i like to paint my table miniatures)
As with basic table quality the miniature (no matter the size) is neatly base coated and then inked and washed in appropriate colours. It's then re-coated with the base colours as a first highlight and then receives at least one more highlight layer with a lighter shade of the base colour. (Skin receives two highlight layers) Finally the model is sprayed with a gloss varnish for strength of finish and then sprayed again with a matte varnish to get rid of the nasty shin the gloss varnish has.
Basing (if required) can be of two standards - either the basic quality above or as a base coat of textured putty painted in a base colour and then highlighted twice. A Flock blend is then applied including static grass, the odd rock and two - three grass tufts. This is all done by hand to make sure the overall look is pleasing to the eye rather than a random mess.
This is how i paint many (if not most) of the models on my blog. I consider it the best quality for the tabletop that can be produced in a reasonable time (generally up to 80 28mm models in a week)
- picture coming soon
Display Quality. (How i like to do my personal character models.)
It essentially is Advanced quality with a minimum of 3 levels of blended highlights on all areas of the model - often 4-5 levels is the norm.
Basing is as the advanced level. On larger based models more rocks, tufts will be used and depending on the base size extra features can be added like fencing or water effects etc.
This is a very time intensive process an i reserve it for only special models in my own forces. You can request whole units or armies to be done in this style but the time and cost may be prohibitive for many people.
- picture coming soon
Resin cast bases.
If you have resin cast bases that you would like to use on your figures im happy to paint those for you. The price will be dependent on how detailed the base is. (we can discuss that at the time you place your order).
I'm happy to paint up bases even if you don't have models for me to paint up to go on them - just ask for pricing.
Shipping costs. (Getting your toys back in your hands)
Shipping is one of those things that's impossible to avoid but no one likes to think about. When it comes to shipping painted models back to you I want to do my best to make sure they arrive in one piece ready to game with!
Over the years I have tried many different ways of shipping figures and found that miniatures even protected in foam can still chip and break. (this is due to the model still being able to move around within its space.) Depending on the model type I pack models in two ways either taping the base of the model to the bottom of the box and filling the space with shredded newspaper (which keeps the package light and is unlikely to scratch the model) or I place the model inside a plastic zip lock bag and get out as much of the air as possible and then fill the box with shredded paper. If several plastic bags bounce against each other a little during the shipping process the plastic surface is unlikely to scratch the model.
For international customers I only want to use tracked shipping. If you're happy to take the chance with untracked shipping then I cant take responsibility for what happens to your miniatures if they never arrive or turn up in a crushed box!
Shipping costs will be variable depending on the size of the package and its weight so ask for a quote at the time of placing your order - i have listed a few basic prices on the pricing page to give you an idea. Shipping prices.
Price Lists.
So if you're still reading this far you must be interested in the prices - Just click on the links below:
15mm scale, 28mm scale
Contact Me.
If you would like to discuss my doing some contract painting for you please contact me.
Thank you for taking the time to check out my page, if you want to know anything from a painting tip for something you have seen on my blog or getting some miniatures painted just get in touch.
Kind regards
Mark (AKA The Colouring Kiwi)
