PDA

View Full Version : How to make 28mm scale portrait paintings



eldargal
10-23-2012, 10:55 PM
This is something I'm really keen on at the moment, making portraits for my Empire Nuln army primarily but also frescos for the walls of building and even icons for 40k Imperial buildings.

First you get a 28mm scale picture frame, you can make your own out of plasticard and greenstuff or whatever if you want, or just buy them. Dollhouse picture frames work perfectly. You will probably want to paint the frame.
http://www.dollhouseminiatures.com/images/frames/jac02gold.jpg

Then you take a piece of art, resize it so it will fit in the picture frame (leave a small border to attach it to the frame, say 1mm on all sides).
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/ce/Albrecht_D%C3%BCrer_084b.jpg/220px-Albrecht_D%C3%BCrer_084b.jpg

Print out the image on a good quality colour printer preferably on whatever paper suits your purposes, I'm not sure what the name of the paper is I use but it gives the finished picture a satin gloss finish. Attach the painting to the frame. Be careful not to get any glue on the surface that will be visible. If you want to be fiddly and non-permanent you could use thin strips of tape to attach the portrait to the frame.
http://www.lounge.belloflostsouls.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=3119&d=1351054504
This is a picture I produced in paint, on account of not being able to photograph mine. But it illustrates the point.

I have around twenty or so pictures I've done like this for various buildings I've made. I also have an idea to adapt it to make stained glass windows by breaking the image up (there used to be a graphics editor program with a stained glass option to do it automatically). And printing it onto clear plastic then sticking it in the window of said structure. It will require a lot more work especially if I want big cathedral arches and whatnot.

The pictures frame comes from here (http://www.dollhouseminiatures.com/Accessories/frame1.htm). 3.90USD. I get mine from a local hobby store that has heaps of dollhouse accessories.

Tzeentch's Dark Agent
10-23-2012, 11:01 PM
You should buy a camera...

eldargal
10-23-2012, 11:02 PM
But then people will want pictures of things and that takes effort.:(

Tzeentch's Dark Agent
10-23-2012, 11:04 PM
But hun, your models sound amazing, we want to see the famed armies of EldarGal. :)
*hug*

White Tiger88
10-24-2012, 12:44 AM
But hun, your models sound amazing, we want to see the famed armies of EldarGal. :)
*hug*

There Invisible to everyone but her though!

Tzeentch's Dark Agent
10-24-2012, 12:53 AM
They're*

Gotthammer
10-24-2012, 05:24 AM
Step1: learn to paint really tiny stuff:

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_qosCgwI9ZNo/S-mzVQjxB3I/AAAAAAAAAc8/YBj7fqq-Q_I/s1600/HHm01.jpg

The wasp on the shin is about 2mm x 2mm across.


Step 2: Extrapolate:

http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r314/Gotthammer/40k/DARB2.jpg


http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_qosCgwI9ZNo/TKid7h5v62I/AAAAAAAAAsw/zjoOFgWJQps/s1600/Lis18.jpg


http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_qosCgwI9ZNo/TKid6M6f3oI/AAAAAAAAAsQ/Z2FMwthMWHU/s1600/Lis22.jpg

eldargal
10-24-2012, 06:18 AM
I spend enough time building and painting ridiculously intricate terrain pieces without freehand painting every portrait and stained glass window.:p

Gotthammer
10-24-2012, 07:46 AM
Pfffft... soft :p

Mind you if I stopped I might finish something one of these days (but who am I kidding?).

eldargal
10-24-2012, 07:49 AM
I do actually freehand things like wanted posters and posters advertising bards visting taverns and whatnot, but for these portraits I wanted things that would recognisably look like they were commissioned by teh greatest artists in the Empire, or great craftsmen of the Imperium or whatever. It's an easy and cheap way of tarting up your terrain.:)w

Gotthammer
10-24-2012, 07:52 AM
I've often found the print resolution unsatisfactory or get too much colour bleed and it's not really something worth investing in a more expensive printer over. Ever have any issues with this?

eldargal
10-24-2012, 07:59 AM
Nope, I can see how it could happen though. Perhaps making a sheet of portraits you want and have them printed at one of those pay to print places (do you have those in Oz? I'd assume yes, seems like they woudl be fairly ubiquitous). I found paper matters more, regular printing paper is acceptable but not excellent. A good quality glossier paper tends to be better, hold the colour nicely.

Gotthammer
10-24-2012, 08:08 AM
Yeah, I'll just stick with freehand, can't be arsed going out and trying to find somewhere that sells nice paper. We do have those printing places, but none anywhere convenient to me.


Also, someone really needs to buy you a digital camera for christmas or something.

eldargal
10-24-2012, 08:13 AM
Whatever works for you is best.:) I just found this way to be quite fast and satisfactory and there was considerable oohing and aahing at my club so I thought I'd post it in case it would be of some use to someone.

Tzeentch's Dark Agent
10-24-2012, 11:06 PM
Ah, gotta love that awesome brain of yours hun. :)

Thanks for this cool little guide.


Also Gott, yeah, I would like to get her one. Whether she uses it is another matter.

Psychosplodge
10-26-2012, 02:38 AM
http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mcgsr5ii621rdpdtzo2_500.jpg
3130

JxKxR
10-27-2012, 11:17 PM
Gotta try this one out.

p.s. She would just sell the camera and buy models.

Tzeentch's Dark Agent
10-28-2012, 01:41 AM
Oh no, she'd take pictures of her frog whilst she's drunk. She does love that frog. :p