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Recently I've been taken to task about painting large numbers of figures in a minmum amount of time. In
fact a member of the FoW Independent Yahoo Group wrote and questioned the integrity and quality of my
painting and statements. Ok...here's how to break the back of the Russian Painting Boogey-Man :<) Click
here or on the links to your left to see the results. This works...no bull-@#$!

                       Step 2: Prime Your Figures White
I know FoW extolls the virtue of black priming. It sucks for infantry if you're using
Minwax Stain. Black Priming is the hard way. Don't do it or you'll waste time.
I use Rustoleum White Metal Primer. Use whatever....it has worked for 20
years...why change now?

Step 3: Block Paint All Basic Colors Machine Gun Style
I use Vallejo Paint only and thin it down a little from the squeeze bottle. I paint all the uniform, all the
belts, all the flesh, all the helmets and then all the boots. No reason to waste time.
Use the Flames of War Soviet Paint Set Guide to do it right consistently
I recommend a set of WW2 movies(Longest Day, Bridge too Far or B-Sci Fi (1950s)to keep your
personal morale up whilst painting. Paint quickly and get er' done!

Step 4: Minwax and Flat Spray The Figures
Get some Minwax Polyshades from your local Ace Hardware. I use Royal Walnut Satin. I'm sure people
have other colors they think work better but this works every damned time without failures.
Get a #4 cheap flat brush and brush(not dip-that's stupid) Minwax on the figures. Set em aside to dry.
In Tejas during the summer, they'll dry in 12-18 hours. Spray the figures with Flat Spray when they're
done. They're sealed and ready to deliver! Ahh....Beer Time!

Step 4: Base the Unit And Play It
Get some Elmer's Carpenter's Wood Putty from Home Depot or Lowe's. Don't know where you
foreigners will get it. I guess y'all have home fixit up stores in Swaziland. :<)
Spread it on the FoW base. I use a thin spatula my wife got me at a ceramic show. I also use an X-Acto
knife for those small spaces.
Paint the base with a thinned mixture of your favorite acrylic paint. I use and have used for over 20+
years Howard Hues Equine Brown. It dries lighter than it goes on and the Wood Putty dries rock hard.
Sprinkle Woodland Scenics Burnt Grass (been doing that for 20+ years too way before FoW came
around) and thump the bottom of the base to get the excess out. Some folks spray yet another coat of
Flat to set the flock. I don't have time for that when I'm in "get 'er done" mode.
Let the figures air dry and go play. They're ready in about 20 minutes in the summer and about 60
minutes in a humid or lower temp.
Texas is a natural curing oven in the summer so your local meteorology may make a difference. You'll
have to figure that part out.

Check the Gallery out and see if I'm full of crap about getting mass quantities out with great results. No
crap figures on my museum quality tables....

Postscript
This process is nothing new nor is it anything more than just organizing, painting and taking the time to
do things right the first time. I've painted like this for years and won't change. My collection is collector's
quality and consistent over time. It doesn't take a lot of brain cells to do this technique...just get up and
walk around once in a while and be prepared to spend several hours in the process.

I don't view painting as a chore and will spend the time necessary to get things done. I'm also not a troll,
have a very satisfying professional and personal life, been married 30 years to the same person and for
all practical purposes am a relatively semi-normal ex-rugby player/fat wargamer.

If you're ever in the Dallas, Texas, U.S.A area, drop me a line. You're more than welcome at the Rat
Palace III.....
Steve Miller

Step 1: Clean and Glue ALL Figures to Bases BEFORE painting.
If you're painting Strelkovy Company Box sets, it takes just as long to do it right the first time as it does
to paint and then glue them onto bases. Don't waste time doing things twice.