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Hey guys, I'm Alex a 14 year old who got into this hobby about a year and a bit ago. I've always been an avid painter and for the last few months been really trying to up my game in this field. With this said I would love to join this little club with some of you painting giants. As I've seen everyone else do it I'll post screenshots of a before and after of my progress.

Before


After


Sorry guys for the bad image quality(my computer's camera isn't very good) but I hope I can contribute to this.

@Knightley: That's an impressive tale of the tape. You certainly have come a long way... and it's been a joy watching you do it!

@TCC: Your images didn't come through... might want to give it another go.

Well if you will have me I'll join in as well

I painted miniatures as a hobby way back when I was a kid but don't have any of them anymore to show thank goodness I came back into the hobby back in March 2011 when I wanted a break from computer games and fancied doing something a bit more creative.

This is one of my first minis from that period



And then we fast forward to yesterday with Batwoman



I enjoy painting anything and everything

Since we're talking styles and approaches to painting, thought I'd stick these guys in here, they pretty much embody all the elements I talked about on the last page.


More individual shots in my blog and showcase thread. Particularly relevant to this thread and discussion of technique is the guy in bone armour carrying the knife, he was painted over a light sand/ivory drybrush using entirely washes, much in the same way I approached the metals on the others but applied to a whole mini. It's as close as I get to painting over a white basecoat, I will play with the technique some more though as it gives a very desaturated look that suits this kind of sneaky, grimy model.

The other thing about these is their origin; these are actually Infinity minis repurposed for 40k use, Quite a nice example, I think, of how a few small conversions and the right paintjob can totally transform a mini. The idea was inspired somewhat by Bebop's Mantis Warrior over the page that I thought was distinctly Infinity-esque style, I thought I'd have a go at reversing that and grimdarking up some Infinity models.

I'm Littletower, and I'd say I'm more a builder than a painter, but I do - glacially - put a brush onto a model every once in a while. Having more to learn than to offer, I'll join in anyway if I may

Old vs new:

Guardsman Challenge (eve 2014):



2016 so far:





I have progressed, and I'm happy to see my photographing has improved since, too!

Still a lot to go, and this seems to be the right place to learn from!

Jah, I'm going to have to give shading metals with colours a go. I've only ever used black and brown.

 bebopdrums2424 wrote:
@ Dr H: Enamels??? Now I'm really fascinated. Why enamels?

I've always used them, I know how to handle them, I have a large collection of them, and didn't / don't fancy changing to Acrylics and learning a new paint system.

They have their advantages and disadvantages when compared to Acrylics. Some things are more difficult, but there are some things that can be done with them that can't be done with Acrylics.

Not an informed decision, just that they are what I'm used to (as I said, I've be building Airfix for 25+ years).

Good to see lots of interest. Welcome and well done everyone.

WOw. I'm shocked to see so much interest!! Right ON! Welcome to the new guys ::waves:: loving all the new stuff and fantastic pics.

@ Nodri Epic pics man, can't put up a post like that and not tell us about it. Airbrushing on the power shields?

@Dr H. What can enamels do that acrylics can't? If you can be more specific.

@Paradigm: Lovely models. Reminds of weetys approach as well? Also if you guys haven't seen this guys blog, I think it's some of the coolest stuff around
http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/612907.page

And finally...here's a little snap of what I'm currently working on. The rest of the wips are in my pm and blog and I'll be giving more concise talk about what I actually have done when I post a final shot.



Happy painting guys! Feel free to post your current projects too!

Fantastic idea Bebop - defintely in As we're doing mini-intros and seeing the thens and nows......

Most of my stuff from when I used to paint is sadly lost due to moves between countries, leaving hobby for about 12 years and so on. I just got back in about a year and a half ago when I found a single store over here in Korea that carries GW stuff. Much happier albeit poorer since

Last tine I was home in Ireland I did find a box which had some of what I then considered my best paintjobs. Painted these about (rough guess) 15 years ago I think....2000/1 I reckon...



Fast forward to Autumn/winter 2014 and the first stuff I did after getting back in to painting....



And finally where I am now......



I paint just for fun not really for gaming....that's probably why I take an absolute age to finish anything ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
Youtube is a gem for finding loads tuts on different techniques and so on but Dakka (and obv the folks therein) have been the biggest help and source of inspiration and advice. I have yet to find someone here (on the P&M side of things) who WONT share their experience, tips, methods etc for the benefit of others. It's excellent and something for all to be really proud of. Great stuff folks and thanks

Your work never ceases to amaze me Jan... just lovely.

Too kind Gits Still have a lot of stuff I need to learn. Skin......defintely need to work more on skin!

You inspirational swines...

EDC

Well, count me in guys! I'll get pics up to compare as soon as I get the internet on at home :-) I'm imagining this to be as if we're all just having a drink together somewhere chatting about paint!

Januine, I have to say your mad larkin is one of the biggest inspirations for me lately, along with the work of some of the other luminaries gathered here. I recommend everyone check out jan's p&m to see how he did that stained glass. Super cool idea and awesome execution.

Paradigm, thanks for sharing your knowledge on the topic of blood, I'm eager to try it out for myself. I also appreciate your last photo post, I had wondered on several occasions how you achieved that wonderfully muted tone.

May I ?


As you'll see, I'm naturally talented at painting. My first army was an Ultramarines force. I had like 4000 points painted.
See the attention to details. Note the fine color transitions. Appreciate shadings and highlights. Witness how delicate the freehands are...





Ok... when I see where I started, I guess everyone can do a decent paintjob if he wants.



I learned a lot from the forums. I think that what makes my paint noticeable (Gits, Bebop, Januine etc correct me if I'm wrong ^^ ) is the colors I use, and the work on textures. Painting mainly characters or skirmish miniatures also helps.
As a comparison, this is one of my latest models.

I'm Mym, 31-year old Swede with way too little time and way too itchy wallet... Started in 2013. Paint at a glacial pace and will probably never finish an army ever. I feel like i can paint a decent tabletop but I really want to progress beyond basic layering to do some blending and glazing. I never feel like I have time to work on a model for a long time though with my queue... Although my new airbrush will probably help me a lot with speed on certain types of models. Some of the first models I painted three years ago:





And here are some (actually almost all) I've painted this year, the dark elf sorceress conversion is a WIP still:

So, most of you probably already know what a wet palette is and why they are awesome. In case anyone doesn't, I thought I would post a quick "how to".



Also, here is an insanely in-depth video about how/why to make a wet palette...

I'm following this. I'd love to upload some of my stuff but I've realised I haven't really improved at all, even though I've been painting for 2 years. Any advice?

 Matthew wrote:
I'm following this. I'd love to upload some of my stuff but I've realised I haven't really improved at all, even though I've been painting for 2 years. Any advice?

First off, having seen the stuff you've regularly entered into the challenges, there is a definite improvement, though as was mentioned on the last page, it's very easy to put down your own work even though to everyone else it looks fine, it's a side-effect of the fact you're staring at these things for hours while you paint them, and can't really unsee anything that you notice while doing that.

That said, the best way to get better is pick a 'thing', and keep practising that thing until you're good at it. This could be faces, metallics, smooth cloth or weathered armour, just find an area you're not happy with and work on it until you are. Part of this will come with practice, but you should also be looking up tutorials and examples and really breaking them down, tweaking the methods on show.... I appreciate this is probably a little vague, but there's no substitute for practice, study and aspiration!

Is there anything particular you want tips on? If you have a specific request, I'm sure someone in here can offer more relevant advice.

I'd love tips on how to get past the "meh" on sticking point model.
You know you want to do it, but you've blocked it all in, and done a few details, and now the whole thing is a snoozefest mentally.

Yeah, Para' took the words right out of my mouth.
Once you have "painting within the lines" down, try something new (I try and do this with each new miniature I work on).
Working on a mini' which has a lot of exposed skin? Use that as an excuse to work on skin tones.
Building a piece of terrain that calls out for a small hut? Make that wood as "pretty" as you can. (there just so happens to be a tutorial for a wooden hut in my sig' )

As said, look up tutorials etc. and if you find someone doing something with their models that you wished you could on your's, ask them how it was done.

Then practice, practice, practice, and don't be discouraged by your first attempts; no one gets it right first time.

jah-joshua wrote:@Dr. H: that dugout is a work of beauty
one day i will get the time to build a base like that...

Forgot to comment on this last time. Thanks Jah.

bebopdrums2424 wrote:@Dr H. What can enamels do that acrylics can't? If you can be more specific.

I'll try, but not having a great deal of experience with Acrylics means I can't be too specific.
The differences come from the different bases: The majority of Acrylics are water based, and Enamels are petroleum/oil based.
First, this means that Enamels don't have as strong a surface tension as water does. They will spread out easier, making the covering of a large area quicker and easier.

They also seem to have better coverage in terms of the pigment. I often see complaints about trying to get one colour over another, and I don't seem to have quite as hard a time about it.
However, this can work the other way, with Acrylics working well with Zenthial (sp?) highlighting. I've not got this to work all that well with Enamels.

I've been told that painting fine details is much harder with Enamels than Acrylics. Maybe I have been making things hard for myself, but it's not impossible to do fine detail. This may be related to the above surface tension comment as that would hold water-based paint together better.

Enamels tend to have longer drying times. This means a few things are different:
Paint drying on your pallet? Not for a long time with Enamels, and a drop of White Spirit brings it right back again.

Made a slip of one colour onto another?
If you notice it quickly with Acrylics, you can remove it with a damp brush.
How about an hour later? Two? You can still "erase" Enamels with white spirit hours later, even though it's touch dry.

However, I do have to wait longer to do a second coat, and if I get too vigorous I could remove the lower layer by accident.

Blending is also supposed to be easier with Enamels as they stay "wetter" on the model for longer.

And washes / glazes are good with Enamels due to the long drying times and lower surface tension (without the need for detergent or flow-aids or drying retarder).

But, they do smell. Quite strongly. As does white spirit (mineral spirits I believe it's also called), but odourless varieties are available.
However, I keep my white spirit in a jar, with a lid, so the smell (and spillages) are not really a problem.
I also keep a window open.

Interestingly, and I don't know why I started doing this, but I dilute my paints using the white spirit from my brush-washing jar. All the pigment tends to quickly sink to the bottom and causes me no problems (metallics and all). Try doing that with your dirty water.

That's all I can think of at the moment. Not better, just different.

Edit:
And harder wearing. Enamels get stronger the longer they are left. This is why old Enamel coated models are so hard to strip.

And cheaper, on the whole.
GW: £2.55 for 12ml (worst case, I know others are cheaper)
Humbrol Enamel: £1.70 for 14ml


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Buttery Commissar wrote:
I'd love tips on how to get past the "meh" on sticking point model.
You know you want to do it, but you've blocked it all in, and done a few details, and now the whole thing is a snoozefest mentally.

I don't tend to get this, but maybe it's a matter of attitude to why you are painting the model:
If you are just trying to get the model done to fit the rest of an army and on to the table, I can see that getting boring.
However, if you are trying to make this model the best model you have ever painted, then you are more motivated to get it done. (see: trying new things above)

This is how I try to work on my models: The last one was great an' all, but the next / current one will be better.

One thing I've realised is that even though I'm doing edge highlights, I've never had a proper brush for it. I bought a really tiny brush a few weeks ago and wow does it make a difference. Everything looks so much better, and I'm sad I didn't buy it earlier, since I'm sure I lost a painting competition because of how thick my highlights were.

I'll try to finish a marine and post it, I'd love to hear some constructive criticism.

Bebop's comment earlier about liking to paint with "thinner and thinner paint" led me to wondering about thinning preferences. What do you use to thin your paints? Preferred additives? Ratios? Do you ever paint "out of the pot"? How thin do you like your paint for different situations?

I use flow aid and water (1:10) and an equal amount of matte medium for most applications, thinning the paint to near water consistency. I tend to use matte medium and distilled water (1:1) for highlights, and thin to a much lesser degree. For washes, all of which I mix myself, I use my standard flow aid/water & matte medium with a very small amount of paint or a couple of drops of black ink.

I have had terrible results painting with unthinned paints, with the exception of citadel shades, of which I only have one. It's the only citadel paint I have in fact. Other than that I have a pot of p3 (skin color) and all of the rest of my paint is cheap apple barrel craft paint. Having started painting only a few months ago, I was starting from scratch with minimal knowledge, on a relatively tight budget and these limitations obviously effect my available color choices and wash/glaze options. Also, because of this, I'm not sure that my current dilution practices will translate to other, higher quality paints.

Well I have felt that I have gotten much better myself. Though I still consider myself a middle of the road painter

my first mini was a raven guard th/ss terminator



and my most recently completed model(s) were my mor deythan once again raven guard anyone see a trend?



But for actually colorful miniatures it was my chaos knight which I feel is one of my best

Hey minus! love that glittery skin effect on the swordswoman. Very sci-fi alien looking.

Well, as I said, I only started painting miniatures about 4 months ago, but I thought I'd go ahead and show you guys where I'm at currently. Then you'll all understand why I'm so eager to learn from the rest of you

These are the very first things I painted, they're actually lined up in the order I painted them, from left to right.

And here is what I've done since.

Steep learning curve there Tom!

Very nice improvement Tom! As per your comment regarding thinning paint. I only use water. I have found that retarding mediums create a somewhat waxy feel in terms of brush to model and also sometimes spread the pigments out more than I want or have the control of. I use clean water and lots of it, and generally I use clear water from a separate recipticle. Also note, that while I don't really use metallics, if I do, my mixing and washing and cleaning is done with a separate cup for metallics water because the flakes end up mixing in to other mixes if you aren't careful. Im going to do a brief tut coming up on using many thin coats to gain super bright colors.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
ALso lovely work Ustrello And Mym. It's fantastic to see everyone's progress. Mym I love that eldar punk model with the sword. Great color choices there!
Little Tower: Fantastic efforts as well ! I remember when you painted that guardsmen for the painting comp!! Great job guys!!

I can ditto Bebop, (woot) I only use water, got about 4 or 5 pots on the go at once. Keep a clear one with a pipette for adding water to thin paint. Been keeping metalics seperate for years, and been told to not use good brushes on metallics as it clogs up the bristles and ruins the tip.

See I kinda know something, not very good at it, but I know something! (double woot)

And yes I just wooted.......sad muppet.

Wait sorry guys didn't know my images didn't come through until now. I've already contacted an admin to hopefully solve it ,man this isn't exactly the best start though eh?

Here's a cracking wee app that I totally rec/mnd

http://products.scriblab.de/paintmyminis/

It's for iOS so can put it on ipad or iPhone. I use it on the iPad as it's easier to see. Use it to save your paint methods, recipes and so on. Also can use as a shopping list for paints running low on. All the major brands' paint lines are available to download into your database for free. I've found it to be so handy. No more lost forgotten paint recipes