free your painting
If you haven’t caught wind of my freehand skull on the wing of a Xiphon interceptor, well I hope you scroll down and have yourself a look! This piece started as a request from AK Interactive to do a freehand tutorial on an aircraft miniature. They were taking a look at my previous illustrations on my various Titanicus models and wanted something similar in their upcoming publication. What an honour it is and even if it doesn’t make it to the final publication, I wanted to both share the work as well as offer my students of the Pro Palette a tutorial that can help guide them to illustrate their own.
Freehand painting to me is pretty much painting in its absolute form. You use the sculpture as a blank canvas and its up to you to create everything from the outlines, shapes, and the subject matter. Not using or in limited depending on where the illustrate is placed, the shape of the sculpt and working it into the piece. The more complex the illustration along with the placement, the harder it gets. But at the very same time, the more rewarding it can be. In this sort of subject we as painters can really push your own expression in the models. From skulls, to chevrons, sawtooth patterns, and even chinese characters. It’s a chance to put a little more of yourself in your work and separate a model which many others own and make it your own.
So whats some good tips on painting freehand? Well if you want a place to start here are a few things to help get a jump start!
Find a simple illustration of an icon either online or in an army book from games workshop. Particularly in the same range as your subject. This could be the chapter symbol, an eyeball, skull etc. Make it simple and to make it easier, don’t grab something geometric and symetrical. Those subjects are tougher to make clean and can be discouraging on your first freehand painting as getting the shapes to perfectly align will draw more of the attention away from what you need to progress and succeed.
Copy that illustration to the best of your ability! It’s an excellent way to learn and get a win under your belt. Just dont be wack and claim the illustration and your own original works. Be humble if anyone asks and use it as a **learning exercise.
Start on a flat armour panel and on a black background. This is the most forgiving canvas and it doesn’t need to actually be on a miniature per say. It could be on a small cut sheet of plastic card! Personally I love to paint these designs on the panels of titans from Adeptus Titanicus. Those have great open panels with a nice trim boarder like a picture frame, and hell if you like how it turns out its easy enough to glue the finished design right on your finished titan.
Pick up a pencil and draw. Freehand painting is essentially doing an illustration. There is no outline, volume, sculpture to follow unlike painting our miniatures various details. Better illustrations especially if you want to more into more original works is very helpful to both sketch out your ideas, and coordinating shapes into something readable. I am not the worlds greatest illustrator by far, but drawing in my notebook does help me gain confidence when i take a sketch onto the model.
Have fun and enjoy the process. Doing these little illustrations are a great way to get a quick win under a short amount of time. You can do a complete painting in even as little under 30min (size and detail depended), as we are only doing a small flat painting compared to a 360 sculpture that has x10 more surface area. A little practice weekly will go a long way and before you know it, you will have a tiny art gallary collection of freehand titan panels, space marine shoulder pads, and shields on your desk! Maybe you can make a little wargear rack and model it like an armoury showcase or a little fireplace to share your artwork in your display case. (Hell I love that idea and I just made that up now lol).
Concluding this little Desk update. I hope this illustration inspires you to try your hand at your own skull or whatever you fancy! Keeping you posted if this tutorial makes it to publication and as always I appreciate your support through the Pro Palette, liking my works, comments and sharing. It’s your love and actions that has helped me thus far in my professional miniature journey and being enabled to create this content for you to enjoy.
Much love and happy painting.
**My first skull I copied the tutorial by Richard Grey on his Patreon! I even gave him full credits, tagged him in my work; and it was the first time I started to talk to him about painting which I continue to this day as a friend in the community :)
