Traveling Painting Kits???

[Grumb]

In another thread, the idea was raised regarding assembling a traveling painting kit. I\'ve been on the road a lot the last few months, and haven\'t been home to paint. airhead suggested I consider assembling a portable traveling painting kit I can take on the road with me.

I think is a capital idea, but the question comes up what exeactly does that look like. It would have to be small, easily fit in carry-on luggage, and get past airport security.

Anybody out there have any expereince with this or have any suggestions what the kit would look like? Assume that the minis are pre-prepped so no knives or files are needed, probably pre-primed as well. What would you include in your travelling mini painter\'s tool kit?

Cheers,
Grumb

 

[Dragonsreach]

Grumb:
What a question!

Firstly let\'s start by setting some parameters.

How long do you envision that you\'ll be away?
How many minis will you take with you?
What paints will you use?

All of these will determine how big a kit you\'ll need.
Let\'s start with the essentials.:-
Brushes. Whatever you carry the kit in it will have to be large enough for your brushes. (That\'s a no brainer really)
Paints. Out of preference I\'d take Vallejo for two reasons. Screw top bottles and smaller footprint.
Mini(s) I\'ve managed to get hold of some scrap ABS piping which is 35mm in diameter. This is great for packing minis for travelling.
Pallete. You can use an old and empty CD case.
Water. Any plastic cup. And you can buy Evian almost everywhere.
Tissues: I\'d recommend the recycled ones from Starbucks they last longer and have fewer fibres. Plus you pick them up when you get a coffee.

I know one of the girls who frequents my local GW store carries all her painting kit ina small makeup case 8x5x5. But any good Art store or Hobby centre should have enough ideas for the means to carry your kit.

I hope this helps.

 

[Astonia]

And let\'s not forget lights. I\'d buy one of those small reading lamps that you attach to the book. Maybe not the best light, but small enough to bring on the trip, and better than just the lighting from a lamp in the ceiling. Another lightsource is of course that small lamp that you strap around your head, sort of a flashlight...um, I don\'t know the name in english, but I know someone did send one to IPM during the hurricanes.

 

[minimaker]

Hi,

I don\'t have a travelling paint kit and just use a pen box for my brushes and a couple of boxes for my paints.
I have seen other people use small fishing/tool boxes for that. As to lamps, Over here in Europe I often see this Ikea light:
http://shorterlink.com/?SS37RD
Another lamp I\'ve seen from time to time is the folding diamond lamp here: http://www.kingsleynorth.com/skshop/products.php?catID=475

I do have a travelling sculpting kit though. It\'s this pouch:
http://shorterlink.com/?PTLEX5
and a box for whatever else I want to take:
http://shorterlink.com/?MFQ2AK

How do you carry WIP figures around? For sculpting I do this:
http://shorterlink.com/?Y6V764
It works for painting too.

 

[t_haye2]

When i\'m doing shows or giving workshops, i take most of my paints, my palettes, brushes, lamp,glue basing material etc with me, it fits neatly in a GW mini case, with the lamp being carried seperately in it\'s original box. As for airport security, i stick the case in my luggag,e and take the lamp through customs as handluggage. Ofcourse I onlt travel in the Uk/europe, where your pots won\'t explode in the plain due to air pressure, but in any case I tape the lids of the inks etc shut with masking tape, to make sure.

This isn\'t travelling light by a long shot, but it works for me....

 

[airhead]

Grumb, most hotels have a table with a chair with a lamp over it. The lamp usually has about a 25 watt bulb in it. I got to carrying a 75 watt bulb so I could get some work done in the room when I was on the road.

Keep the original cardboard box and pack it with the carryon in the undies and it generally makes it fine. A small halogen desk lamp may be a better option.

Since 9/11, we have had very different opinions on what can be carried on depending on what airport, and even what person gets you. My fly rods are a prime example. Sometimes they are fine as carryon, other places make me check them. Once had to check mine and watch another person in a different line go through with their tube.

Which brings me to the minis themselves. You will get some GIT that thinks that the little pointy swords are \"dangerous\" (like fingernail clippers) and make you check or chuck your minis. As you said earliier, files and xactos are a given as being a no-no.

My thoughts on cases:
I like the makeup case idea, I have seen a few cheap metal cases that come with enough war paint to cover my little girls. Usually right before Christmas. Lots of pockest and holders. Fold open where you can see stuff. Plus a mirror to help with the poor motel lighthing.

Fishing tackle boxes or artbin boxes. Most are not designed for the size of the bottles we use. Sometimes you get lucky and they can stand up, but more offten than not, you have to lay them down in the trays and waste lots of space. Flight inspectors are suspicious of tackle boxes anyway as they expect knives and hooks.

Plastic cups and water from the sink are generally available at most of the hotels I stay at (cheap).

Fill some empty bottles with your magic mix (retarder, flow improver, etc.) so you don\'t have any large bottles to deal with. You also might want a bottle of dish soap to add a drop to your brush cleaning water. Plus I carry a small plastic case of brush soap.

A piece of ceramic tile ($0.49 for a good one) is a nice pallet if you are not a wet pallet guy. A glad sandwich tub, ocello or super sponge and some parchment will get you a sealable wet pallet. Just don\'t count on leaving paints on your wet pallet and being able to use them after the next flight.

Lastly, sealer:
Some small containters of brush-on varnish - no aerosal. I like Testor\'s Dul-Coat and Gloss Coat, but have not tried the Vallejo.

 

[TAB Studio]

As a pallett a buddy taught me that aluminum foil is very good. I was thinking while reading this thread dangerous yes but... could a old school silverware holder work them you could put paint brush etc then roll and go.
example link
or hardcase but flat for transport I have been thinking of carring these at the store Rook makes them I have a promo size it is neat

or thisThe Rook CMG Endura with Combination Lock is designed to safely contain from twenty to thirty collectible miniature game figurines with its single tray of Pick & Pluck foam inside. Crafted of .22 gauge durable cold-rolled steel, the Rook CMG Endura features a nickel-plated handle, two drawbolt latches, and combination lock making it easy to transport and secure for storing valuables.


Hope this is of help

 

[airhead]

Tab, I have a fabric brush holder that I got a Michaels. One of the brush manufactureres name on it. I use it to carry my brushes that I use for painting class (cheapos). The big thing is to keep the plastic covers over your brushes or when you fold over the top, you bend the bristles, before you roll it up.

 

[leopardpixie]

Ever think of using a womans make up case?? I ues one to store my paints, files drills, etc. Very easy to pack up and go when needed. and they are not double stacked. so when you open the top and swing out the top half you have a nice selection to work with.


i\'d post a pic but darn camera wont connect to the computer again

 

[finn17]

How about this?

There is a UK firm called \'FiguresinComfort\' who have been mentioned on the forums before. I have kust bought a load of foam trays from them and I am really pleased with the quality.

They sell a foam tray that is specially designed for paint pots:

They recommend using it with their plastic box which you can find here:

http://www.figuresincomfort.co.uk/skirmish_box.htm

If you bought a bigger case you could have several trays and include your precious pre-prepped figures as well

 

[TAB Studio]

Airhead, no wonder your work is better and better quickly....your going to class I think that sounds great and yes, you would need to cover the suckers.

 

[Grumb]

Wow

Thanks everyone!!! What a great response, wasn\'t sure what I would get when I threw this out there. I like the makeup case idea, or my other thought was that I have several spare shaving travel bags with lots of little pockets, etc.

dropper bottles would make the most sense. I don\'t want to even think about trying to carry GW pots with me. I can never get the darn things to seal properly once openned anyway. The Reaper pots would probably be OK as well.

I\'ve seen the soft brush holders that airhead mentioned. I\'ll look for one next time I go by Michael\'s.

I\'m going to ponder the mini transport a little more. Many of your suggestions are good, but a little too bulky. I really want a very small kit to carry in my carry on luggage. I\'d probably only take one or two minis with me on any given trip.

It will be interesting to see if security gives me any trouble about the brushes...


Now the next question for all of you is this:

Lets say you can only carry 15 pots of paint with you in this travel kit. What do you take?

My thoughts:
1. Skull White
2. Chaos Black
3. Snakeskin Leather
4. Pale flesh
5. Dark flesh
6. Dragon Red
7. Dragon Blue
8. ? Green
9. ? Yellow
10. Mithril Silver
11. Bright Gold
12. Smoke
13.
14.
15.

Let\'s hear it folks, what do you think?

Cheers,
Grumb

 

[airhead]

All depends on what you are painting.

Look at VMP\'s, they come in kits:

Equestrian (horses)
Flesh
Goblin
Wizard
etc.

So if you was doing a wizard, you would pack a different set of paints than you would if you were doing orcs. Unless you are one of the limited pallet guys and only pack 3 primaries, black & white.

 

[draddogette]

traveling & painting

Although you\'re already talking about paint colors now, I thought I\'d chime in about traveling with your supplies. I brought my paints & supplies with me as carry-ons(sans knives & other potential stabbies) to Origins this summer. I had no trouble getting there, but coming back home was a different story. First they ALMOST wouldn\'t let me through security with my paints, because no one there didn\'t understand that acrylic was waterbased and not full of explosives. A shift-personnel change prompted the new guy to recognize some of my bottles as some paints her wife uses. Whew! But then, a plastic clamp/vise was confiscated because it was, and I quote \"A tool.\" So if you do travel by plane alot, I\'d suggest stowing it in your luggage.

 

[finn17]

I saw him/her first!!

Welcome to the forums draddogette

Crumbs! I don\'t want to have to spell that too often...

Grumb, I can\'t see the point of your question???

The sort of list you are suggesting is what a questing painter might take if they didn\'t know what sort of quarry they were gonna end up with.

If I were going to all this hassle, and taking pre-prepped minis as you suggested, I\'d know exactly what paints to take as the colour scheme would already have been worked out..

 

[draddogette]

travelling & painting

Thank you for the welcome Fin17!
I thought I\'d also share 2 solutions that I thought were just awesome:
I have to take my paints everywhere with me as I paint at home and at work (I\'m freelancing right now) and since I\'m a starving freelancer, I have only 1 of each paint, so I\'m carrying around 30 or so pounds of paint & supplies. What I use THE MOST is this handy dandy carrier from Plaid: http://www.plaidonline.com/productDetail.asp?itemID=79013&productName=Creative+Gear%99&Cat1ID=&Cat2ID=&Cat3ID=&brandID=&keywords=&New=False&Closeout=False&page=1
(hopefully this link will work)
I can get 2 each of the short pots & vallejo paints in each paint pocket, my brushes are protected, there\'s a separate pocket I put extra minis in while I\'m waiting for work stuff to get approved, and a bigger pouch for the square tile I use as my pallet. I can fold it up, carry it over my shoulder or stow it confidently in a bag (which I did at GenCon after learning my lesson at Origins). I can hang it off a door, off the desk, lay it on my lap to keep the spilt paint from getting on me (yeah, it happened...more than once)
The other fabulous way I\'ve seen paints stored for travel is so simple, so elegant, I\'ve started to do this as well: gallon ziploc bags with a piece of cardboard cut to fit. I saw Jennifer Haley do this with her Vallejos & Vallejo-type bottles at GenCon. This even works with GW & Reaper short pots. I\'ve started the transition to the ziplocks last night (still keeping my Plaid Creative Gear Bag though)...They take up less room in my bag, than my previous setup. These baggies also will allow you to take more paints, because I have a problem of thinking of a paint scheme, then changing my mind when I do finally start working on it. So there\'s my run-on-and-on-and-on about traveling and paints.

 

[Grumb]

Thanks everybody, except Finn...

@draddogette - first of all, welcome to the forums! That\'s a really nice looking case. I\'ll have to see if I can find one like that!

@Finn, you\'re a pain in the arse.... you\'re right, but you\'re still a pain in the arse... lol

Cheers,
Grumb

 

[draddogette]

paints & travel

Those cases are getting harder to find now, but I saw on the site you can order it straight from Plaid, and $15 is about what I paid for mine. But if you prefer the thrill of the hunt, I found mine @ Michaels.

 

[Grumb]

Michaels, my home away from home...

@draddogette;

Thanks, I\'ll head on over to Michaels tomorrow.
Good to know I can order it if they don\'t have any in stock.

Cheers,
Grumb

 

[Jeff Hofmann]

I\'d customize whatever paints you are bringing to whatever minis you are taking with you. If you\'re doing orcs, you might need a lot of shades of green and can skip the flesh colors. If you\'re doing necrons, take more metalics....ect.

AVOID INKS....frankly my experinces transporting GW red ink convinced me that they are liquid evil.

How are you going to transport them after painting but before varnishing? I don\'t care for paint on varnishes, and my minis always have a little rub-off if I store them before varnishing.....of course some of the cases are MUCH more protective than what I use.

On a similar note, if you\'re going to be painting in a much drier/hotter climate than what you\'re used to, try bringing some disposable plastic leftover bins. You can put a little ice in one, another one on top for a wet pallette or to hold your paint pots in.