Your worst painting mistakes?

[Flambeau]

As the title suggests, let's talk blunders

Speaking for myself my worst mistake probably was an involuntary one, back in those days when there was only Airfix and no Internet, and all the available information on Napoleonic uniforms were the books by Funcken and Philip Haythornthwaite, which soon became my "Bible" on Waterloo. And there was this nice picture of a subaltern officer of the 23rd Light Dragoons, in white trousers, Hungarian boots and a sky blue Dolman with white cords, looking way more dashing than the rest of the lot. So much so that Minifigs produced some metal Light dragoons based on Haythornthwaite's description which I promptly bought and painted, even though they were much to big next to the Airfix minis. Alas, as can be seen by consulting the centjours page, it was all an error. They most probably never had a sky blue uniform nor did they wear anything remotely similar at Waterloo, but just the regulation dress common to all the other regiments. Pity.

[Bluefalchion]

My worst painting mistakes usually consist of trying to create a proper looking face but instead ended up with something that looks like a monstrosity or a corpse.

[Emperor]

My worst painting mistakes are trying to paint face and uniform like Sheperd Paine which resulted in destroying many good figures and trying to convert some sets...That is why I don-t like modelars from Belgrade model club...If you don-t make figure have 30 layers of light and shadows they mock you...Now I only paint to be clean and with 1 layer of paint...

[Wiking]

The right and the left arm !
I don`t know what I was thinking in this painting moment.


Or:

I really hate it if a paint shine on the figure.
That is my fault. Just too lazy shaking the bottle.

[Flambeau]

Paint shining on the figures? Ha! You've never seen those days when there were no Citadel or Vallejo colours but only Humbrol and Revell Enamel colours , I've still got a few shiny battalions in my collection all in glossy paint. Nothing to win a competition nowadays, that's for sure.

[Beano Boy]

My worst mistake was using the box art upon the box for guidance. BB

[Kekso]

Not exactly painting but hobby mistake. I'm buying figures like I would live 300 years

[Mr. Andrea]

Spraying protective matte varnish in a humid and cloudy day, it's like covering your minis with dust. All your hours of meticulous paintjob ruined in few seconds. I am still crying for that, and I did it twice, the first time was not enough. Luckily there is a solution: olive oil!

[Emperor]

Not miniature painting but deltiology I found great post card I wanted and aunt gave me plastic bag to put post card into...When I came home and took post card out I found destroyed by some substance that was in a bag...I cried all night because of that post card....

[tullo]

Hi
my mistake is never satisfied and sometimes I screw everything up again because I still rework too much even though it looks good
greeting

[tullo]

for flambeau

[stormy54]

So many mistakes, no research, using the box art and worse, Humbrol enamel paints

[Bluefalchion]

Not coating my Zvezda big box figs with a thin layer of PVA glue prior to priming and then the paint slides off at the faintest touch.

[Susofrick]

Hmm, following the artwork is one mistake. Some would say start painting would count as my biggest . Finishing too fast is another. There are probably a lot. Those high bottles with wash from GW is not very funny when you manage to tip them over everything you have painted.

[Flambeau]

#Kekso,
Yeah, buying more figures than I can paint in a lifetime certainly is one mistake. But aren't they lovely? And then there's the problem with manufacturers vanishing from the market and the one, two, three, four sets you didn't buy when they were available are nowhere to be found? Or sell at 40+ $/€/£ at Ebay? So better buy them as long as they are there, you never know... And the boxes pile up and up and up ...

[Peter]

My worst painting mistake, that will be this set:



I thought I was painting the Rifles, so I followed the paint instructions of the box. When I painted the whole set I wanted to find some more information about this unit. Now at this moment I found out that this unit didn't wear grey trousers but green. Seems that I painted these figures as King's German Legion figures. I made a mistake, but Revell did even more with false information on the box. Since then I double check before painting the figures!

[PhilC]

My worst painting mistake, that will be this set:



I thought I was painting the Rifles, so I followed the paint instructions of the box. When I painted the whole set I wanted to find some more information about this unit. Now at this moment I found out that this unit didn't wear grey trousers but green. Seems that I painted these figures as King's German Legion figures. I made a mistake, but Revell did even more with false information on the box. Since then I double check before painting the figures!

Hum, Peter, you made me doubt a lot, because I've painted some of mine with grey trousers

So, i had a check at http://centjours.mont-saint-jean.com/, and...


Unless there's a mistake on this well documented site, I would say that your worst mistake is to believe you made a mistake !!!
I hope it didn't destroy your life during the 3 past decades

[dutchboyinohio]

My worst mistake? "Painting" figures with permanent markers. I believe it was the Matchbox German infantry set. I think I still have some somewhere. Happened a long, long time ago, not sure what I was thinking.



A close second would be painting with Humbrol enamels, for that sparkly shine

Luckily I know better now, not in the least thanks to this forum

[Ben90]

Friends! We do not make mistakes... just happy little accidents

[MABO]

My worst mistake? "Painting" figures with permanent markers. I believe it was the Matchbox German infantry set. I think I still have some somewhere. Happened a long, long time ago, not sure what I was thinking.



A close second would be painting with Humbrol enamels, for that sparkly shine

Luckily I know better now, not in the least thanks to this forum

Hey, so nice to see you here again, I thought you have gone with the wind! I have done exactly the same. A a young boy I painted my figs with Playmobil markers. And when I came back to 1/72 I also used enamel colours with the same result.

Generally speaking I made mistakes in every new project. To avoid one, I make another. So I like Bens words!