I Can't Paint

[need4swede]

I can hardly stay in-between the lines in most coloring books made for children.

How can someone like me end up owning resin figures, without risking having my collection looking like a morgue?

Is there a list of talented painters based on region that I can contact? If there isn't - then shouldn't there be?

Very new to this aspect of collecting and would like to hear from those of you who, like me, don't paint your own figures. How do you go about it?

Cheers

[paintingdinos]

Depending on where you are in the world, there are some sellers who offer resin models already painted and others who offer painting services when you buy models through them.

Dan's Dinosaurs offer's the later:
https://stores.dansdinosaurs.com/

Urzeitshop has already painted models:
https://www.urzeitshop.de/gb/

[SidB]

@need4swede , I'll add a couple of points to the above, that are personal observations. I can and do basic paint touch-ups, but I use the services of a hobbyist friend who does remarkable work with Warhammer/40,000K figures. He upgrades /re-paints my dinos, as needed, for a very modest fee. He lives down the road in Toronto, so there's no shipping fees. it would be great if you knew or could find a solid local person.

On the other hand, if you check the appropriate threads on the DTF, you'll see some fabulous work done by either members or professionals, like the famous Martin Garratt. There is another category, namely talented amateurs who do this type of work for a fee. You'll see that these experiences sometimes have less than pleasant outcomes, without naming any names. It really is a matter of caveat emptor. Reputation counts for a lot and the best guide for future performance is typically past performance.

[ceratopsian]

I have had many models built and painted by Martin Garratt. (I'm in the UK, so that's easy in geographical/import duty terms.)  I've also had excellent experiences with Ben Van Steenberge, who is in Belgium and now works full time as a model artist.  The only subject at school I was bad at was art - so I certainly wasn't going to be building and painting my own resins!  If you use Facebook, you can track down Ben and see lots of his work.

[need4swede]

Thanks for chipping in guys - much appreciated.

Seems like you gotta "know a guy" to make this a viable option.
Does anyone have a list of reputable painters? We have a list of reputable sculptors, so the former seems like something that should exist - yet I can't find much.
Might just have to be something I put together myself, but wasn't sure if I was alone in this.

I live near California's Bay Area, so I'm sure there's someone local to me who dabbles in this stuff. Was just curious if anyone knew where a good place would be to start looking - apart from shouting in a FB group.

[paintingdinos]

You could also check out places like Fiverr. Plenty of freelance artists take model commissions there. If you're worried about how reputable they are, just go with an artist that has lots of reviews that are all positive. Painting dinosaur models is a pretty niche hobby, so you'll probably look for people who are (like SidB alluded to) painting Warhammer or gaming minis.

Edit;
Also wanted to add, sometimes people have bad experiences hiring so-called amateurs, and sometimes they don't. The beloved and famous painters in our community aren't going to be around forever. I get that it can be hard to trust someone you don't know with your expensive resin kit, but literally no one is ever going to develop that reputation or trust until someone actually takes the first step and hires them.

[RobinGoodfellow]

As a resin models collector without painting skills,  just my two cents into the discussion.
My very first experience with an old DTF member with an amateur painting service was a disaster.
I was worried about spending too much money on a pro-service and so I ended up spending twice as much: I lost all my money and I lost my model (and she disappeared from the Forum..).
Resin kits are expensive: stay away from amateurs (not to mention all things related to money and payment).
A resin kit need to be assembled by the artist and proper skills are required (to fill gaps, adding glass eyes, cleaning the final model, maybe drill it for a stand, adding ferns or elements over the base to complete the "diorama-effect", etc..).
No improvisation for that: you need someone with experience.
And painting a miniature is totally different from applying colours to a large animal.
Not to mention the most dangerous part of all: the shipping process of a large and fragile resin model fully assembled ( Nanmu negatively teachs on that..).
In my opinion, a professional is the only way: maybe expensive but safer.
I'm from Europe so I know artists like Martin Garratt, Vitali Klatt, Ben Van Steenberg, Michael Kampa.
At USA I know that Shane Foulkes has a first class painting service (but usually he's very busy with work).
There are very talented asian artist as well.
 
As I said, just my two cents.

Regards



..some examples :

Martin Garratt


Vitali Klatt


Michael Kampa


BVS:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.126631982796439&type=3

Shane Foulkes


M-See

[ceratopsian]

A professional will also know if a metal rod needs to be inserted into the leg of a resin model that is sculpted in a striking pose with not much contact with the ground.  You don't want it breaking after a few months/years.  Martin has inserted rods into a couple of resins I've ordered.

[paintingdinos]

I think there's a certain degree of assumptions being made here.

I started painting minis before I painted larger resin kits and I know how to clean up models, putty, insert rods for stability (pewter models are notoriously heavy and many need extra support), etc. Most mini painters who have been doing it for any length of time know how to do these things.

Painting miniatures is also not that different from painting larger models, most of the principals are the same. What it comes down to almost entirely is your painting style and preference. If you only like painting metal and armor, then so be it, but I got my start on fantasy models and did not feel any different painting a large Sean Cooper model than I did a GW gryphon or whatever.

Again, new people HAVE to enter the hobby at some point. Otherwise you'll have to look outside of it for talented painters in other hobbies willing to do the work for you... don't let both options seem so unthinkable to you. They are both there and not the boogeyman they are being made out to be so long as you are smart about it.

[ceratopsian]

Some good points. Martin also has a fine line in painting fantasy models.

[need4swede]

Very interesting points being made - thank you for your meaningful additions to the discussion.

This all seems like a really weird part of the hobby; there doesn't seem to be any conformed way of going about it.
I reached out to Dan's Dinosaurs and he kindly informed me of a finishing service they provide; this is more in line with what I was curious about.

Someone who wants to get involved in acquiring kits is pretty much left with having to find all the information out on their own. Does anyone have a page / list of recommended painters / sculptors that provide these services based on region? If I'm in Western USA, and I'm order a figure from the U.K., I would love to have a list of artists in the U.K. that the community has had experiences with that I could confidently ship my model out to.

Does such a list / service exist, or is everyone pretty much left to themselves to seek this information out?

Thanks!

[RobinGoodfellow]

I really don't think that a full list of painters/artist was ever made..
Usually resin models are created to be painted by the buyer.
There are (few) Facebook groups talking about that.
If collecting toy dinosaurs is a not so common hobby, collecting resins is a niche.

P.s. I used Dan's Dinosaurs in the past as a painting service and I did not have problems at all (they sent kits to Martin Garratt in UK)


@paintingdinos  :  please don't take what I wrote personally because it's not.
Probably you're a very good painter and assembler.
  I was talking in a more generic way; and I had bad experiences with amateurs in the past (not with you, of course).
  That's why I'm suggesting to a "newbie" to use a pro service.
  Or someone that's well known, with a public portfolio (or a web page) and with positive feedbacks from clients.
   It's just for safety.
   Regards

[Lanthanotus]

What one can`t, he/she can still learn.....

if you allow, I`d just throw in that you might buy a few cheap figures (though possibly within a style range you like) and try to paint them yourself, wash and dry brush included. There`s a lot of videos on Youtube that show the different techniques (for example forum member Kayakasaurus has a big channel there and shows his art step by step) and you might wonder how fast one can improve his/her skills once tried seriously. And even those cheap figures of mediocore sculpt can be greatly improved with the right paint application (example images, not mine)




PS. I should add that I am aware that these particular two models are not necessarily cheap to come by, they are just example in my opinion for mediocore sculpts, a dollar shop will probably have lots of smaller figures to choose from.

[paintingdinos]

@RobinGoodfellow Understood, I realize it wasn't personal but appreciate you saying either way.

My concern is with with the finite availability of trusted artists in the community. Its always the same 3-4 names that come up, and those artists are very talented, dependable, and beloved here for a good reason. But Robin, it was from your thread I remember reading a couple of years back about the health issues Martin Garratt was dealing with, forcing him to limit his work. Maybe that situation has improved (I hope it has, for his own happiness and well-being), but its a reminder that there are painfully few artists in this hobby who are recommended and trusted.

Thus my suggestion is to look outside the community. At least as far as trust goes, there are plenty of established, reliable artists in other hobbies that might be willing to work on dinosaur kits if you ask.

Maybe starting a thread here akin to the Feedback Thread but specifically for commissioned work would be something worth considering. I doubt it would get much traction, and there have been "trusted" members who made bad choices in the past. But there's no harm in having it for people interested, and makes searching for input on that service easier than going through the massive current thread.

There will always be some sort of risk, I think. People like Martin (who are model painters professionally) are very rare, and many are not easy to access. For Mr. Garratt specifically, I would love to have a model painted by him, but I just don't trust international shipping enough to risk it (and that's in no way a judgment on him, simply the troubles of the shipping process itself). I'm sure I'm not alone in that feeling.

[dyno77]

same here ,but i was never any good at painting or drawing,but i did repaint some old schleich figures in monotone grey...thats all i can do without ruining the figure...just paint it 1 color and it looks ok...

[Creature]

So this is a slightly old thread, but aside from good word-of-mouth recommendations, I'd suggest taking a look at dinosaur model painters on Instagram. I follow a number of artists who sculpt and/or paint, and some might not be as well-known or well-established as the big names, but I'm sure they could provide references if they regularly take commissions. If you start a search with #dinosaurfigure you can see what posts catch your eye, and then see who they follow that you might also like, or if any of the more established names follow/collaborate with them to help establish their credibilty.


With the caveat that I've never commissioned anyone, here's a few artists whose style I enjoy.
Ansley McDaniel They take commissions for both paint and sculpture.
JBA82 I have no idea what their real name is or if they sell any of their repaints, but they have some really pretty stuff.
Cesar Gomez Cesar's work is so colorful. The tlatolophus pair he's currently working on are awesome. I think he takes commissions, but his profile isn't explicit about it.
Jed Taylor I think Jed is somewhere in Canada. He seems to be doing more flatwork/digital painting than sculpture lately, but he does take commissions.
Saoul Rodrigues Saoulo is in Brazil, so that's probably not a convenient option even if he does take commissions. I just like his work.
Sarah Whelan-Devan I love Sarah's work. I'm still sad I didn't manage to get a copy of Rose before she sold out. Based in Canada.
Dinosaur Dungeon Jay is also Canadian. I'm starting to see a pattern here.    Another artist who I think takes commissions, but doesn't explicitly say so in his profile.


As for the suggestion by @paintingdinos to explore artists outside the dinosaur hobby, I can definitely say there are some amazing painters in the model horse resin world. I know there are are few who have done dinosaurs, even if they're not the main focus. It's late so names are escaping me at the moment, but I'll see if I can remember who. And yes, a dinosaur is very different from a horse, but the level of detail and realism that some of our top artists achieve is unbelievable. And everyone knows dinosaurs are awesome, so I'm sure at least a couple would be willing to add some variety to their lineup.

[need4swede]

So this is a slightly old thread, but aside from good word-of-mouth recommendations, I'd suggest taking a look at dinosaur model painters on Instagram. I follow a number of artists who sculpt and/or paint, and some might not be as well-known or well-established as the big names, but I'm sure they could provide references if they regularly take commissions. If you start a search with #dinosaurfigure you can see what posts catch your eye, and then see who they follow that you might also like, or if any of the more established names follow/collaborate with them to help establish their credibilty.


With the caveat that I've never commissioned anyone, here's a few artists whose style I enjoy.
Ansley McDaniel They take commissions for both paint and sculpture.
JBA82 I have no idea what their real name is or if they sell any of their repaints, but they have some really pretty stuff.
Cesar Gomez Cesar's work is so colorful. The tlatolophus pair he's currently working on are awesome. I think he takes commissions, but his profile isn't explicit about it.
Jed Taylor I think Jed is somewhere in Canada. He seems to be doing more flatwork/digital painting than sculpture lately, but he does take commissions.
Saoul Rodrigues Saoulo is in Brazil, so that's probably not a convenient option even if he does take commissions. I just like his work.
Sarah Whelan-Devan I love Sarah's work. I'm still sad I didn't manage to get a copy of Rose before she sold out. Based in Canada.
Dinosaur Dungeon Jay is also Canadian. I'm starting to see a pattern here.    Another artist who I think takes commissions, but doesn't explicitly say so in his profile.


As for the suggestion by @paintingdinos to explore artists outside the dinosaur hobby, I can definitely say there are some amazing painters in the model horse resin world. I know there are are few who have done dinosaurs, even if they're not the main focus. It's late so names are escaping me at the moment, but I'll see if I can remember who. And yes, a dinosaur is very different from a horse, but the level of detail and realism that some of our top artists achieve is unbelievable. And everyone knows dinosaurs are awesome, so I'm sure at least a couple would be willing to add some variety to their lineup.

This is wonderful and exactly the sort of thing I was looking for. Thank you for sharing!

[Creature]

You're welcome! I was initially reluctant to try Instagram, because I prefer conversation-based platforms like forums and Discord, but after being there for a couple of years, it's helped me discover a ton of talented artists that I'm glad I get to follow.

[need4swede]

What one can`t, he/she can still learn.....

if you allow, I`d just throw in that you might buy a few cheap figures (though possibly within a style range you like) and try to paint them yourself, wash and dry brush included.

So I gave this a shot!

I bought this figure for under $2 at my local Walmart

Here's how it looked originally:



Here's my repaint attempt:



Here's the finished figure, alongside the model that inspired its paint scheme:



Overall, I'm pretty happy with the effort - came out better than I thought! This was my first attempt at a repaint, and I don't really have decent equipment to work with (just some acrylic paint from Hobby Lobby and some cheap brushes)

But I'm sure, over time, it's a skill that will develop. But I don't really see myself rivaling the talent on display by some of the artists mentioned in this thread - but still, it's a fun project to do with these cheaper figures. When working with a resin kit that I've spent hundreds of dollars into, I think I'll stick with letting the pros handle it 

[JohannesB]

I think through your effort you made that figure able to blend in very well with the other 'high profile' ones in your display, so my compliments. I like it