I don't feel the same way about the sculpture before it is primed. Until then, it is just a pile of metal bits that need to be fitted together; or plastic components ready to be assembled like a three-dimensional jigsaw puzzle. There are hobbyists who delight in this step -- who love to transform what the original sculptor did into a personalized piece of art.
I'm not one of those. Assembling miniatures is a choir for me. My fingers are clumsy and often end up with as much glue on the tips as on the model in question. I love the idea of converting the models, but am only able to do very simple tasks -- swapping weapons, adding occasional personal touches -- with my skills. Once I have the miniature together, it still doesn't inspire much in me. At this point, it is just a hunk of shiny metal or grey plastic (or both). It's been assembled, cleaned of "flash" (leftover hunks of metal from the molding process) and lines, but it isn't ready yet.
Priming is really a simple task. You add a coat of black or white spray paint that makes 1) makes it easier for the paint to stick to the model and 2) provides an important starting point. A black undercoat will leave you with a darker model, but is great for painting metal effects. With white, the colors "pop" out more and light colors are easier to apply (though enough layers can make anything work).
Still, it is here that the model truly comes alive to me. For the first time, I can sense the shape and individual sections of the model. I start thinking about color schemes and what effects to try and how I hope it fits in with its "friends." Even when it's just black, I can see how the light hits different parts of the miniature, which may dictate choices later on.
Even after these years, my painting skills aren't good enough to pull all of this off. Some of this is patience -- I like having the projects started and done and will often get impatient before the task is finished. This is especially true when doing blocks of troops. Painting 20 dwarf warriors who have the same basic elements (armor, axe, shield, clothing, bits of skin on the hand and the face, and a big, big beard) gets old quite quickly, meaning that I rush and end up with sloppy work that needs to be corrected later.
Still, at its best, painting gets me into a zen-like space. As each layer of thinned-down paint is applied, the model's personality emerges. I find that the sometimes oh-so-tiny details just pop out (like a tuft a hair hiding at the helmet line of the aforementioned dwarfs). Often, I will find that hours have passed as I've put together a complete unit, ready to do its imaginary battles.
As of late, I've preferred working with larger models or smaller units. A new game, Warmachine (and its near-relative Hordes) specializes in smaller units and giant hulking constructs (Warjacks) that provide plenty of space to work. I also finally got around to painting a character called the Nightbringer for Warhammer 40,000. It's a large model (it towers over nearly anything the game can dish out) and has wonderful, flowing lines. I painted it over an afternoon, applying layers of paint between other tasks. It was a nearly perfect way to work -- one I hope to continue. Well, once the remaining projects (I'm down to three -- those dwarfs, a collection of fantasy goblins and some reinforcements for the Eldar -- the space elves of the 40K universe -- along with a few misc items) are done. So, back to the stunties for now.
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