I've often had to travel as a member of the National Guard and over the years I've developed a system for ensuring a quality painting experience for where I'm going.
The first step is to identify what I'm capable of painting during the time frame I'm traveling and what exactly it is that I'm going to paint. This time I will be gone for 14 days total. Here is a selection of what I'm going to work on while I'm gone. Thor Steinhammer, Bloody Bradigan and Madrak Ironhide, World Ender.
You might be saying that this is an eclectic set of figures and on the surface you are quite correct. We have an armored dwarf, a brawling human pirate, and a big tough troll. The things we are looking for are what similar colors do they have that will make for a small amount of paints that I need to bring. Metals are a good start, each model has some area that I would use traditional metal tones. So I need to bring my metals. I use GW colors so I will be taking Boltgun Metal, Chainmail, Mithril Silver and Badab Black wash. Also, 2 of the figures I have will have a pinkish skin tone so I take the things I use for that, Dwarf Flesh, Skull White for progression and Flesh Wash. But that doesn't cover our erstwhile troll does it? But it does as Madrak is an albino troll so I can start with the Skull White, the Badab Black wash i used for the metals and I should add some grey tones to help with building up his skin tone. From there it is just figuring out what I want to work on while I'm gone as I do not think I will finish up all three figures to completion but I do bring a pot of 'Ardcoat just in case I do. Now I just put them in this handy foam paint carrier from Sabol.
The next thing I need is a workspace. That's why I bought a traditional painters pallete. This not only give me an easy to transport workspace but an area to mix my paints. It's flat and easy to throw in one of the outer pockets on a suitcase along with my brushes.
Most hotels will have cups of some sort to use to hold my water to thin down my paints. Heres an example of a cheap disposable one that they will replace every day.
Now I'm ready to start painting! Hope these little tips will help you all and enjoy painting on the go.
