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This is my first completed Space Marine for my custom chapter. He is a member of the 2nd Tactical Squad of the 2nd Battle Company of the Storm Legion.

I would appreciate constructive criticism, as I am very new to the hobby. I know I need to work on brush control, my freehanded insignia came out messier than I would have liked. Is there enough color contrast in the armor?

I am unhappy with the way his bolter looks, if anyone has suggestions to improve the look of the weapons of his Battle Brothers, please let me know. Thanks for looking!

aside from the self confessed brush control there isn't too much that I can criticize, perhaps water your paint down a bit, it seems to be a tad bit too thick atm, otherwise very good attempt, like the base, and the free hand is much better than I can do =)

Reds and yellows are among the hardest colours to get to cover well. The red on the bolter gun looks patchy - another layer of watered down red should neaten it up a bit. Also, I'd recommend painting the Aquila (Eagle) on the bolter a lighter colour, to contrast better with the dark gun itself.

As you said, better brush control would be better, to get more consistent lines for the highlights, and better freehand. Multiple, watered down layers get a smoother, more consistent coat of paint, and helps you to build up to highlights more so they look more natural.

All in all, a very good model for a first Marine. Congratulations =)


Edit: A little tip for brush control: Try and hold the brush further away from the brushes. This way, the movement in your hand equates to a smaller amount of movement at the brush tip, meaning slips and shakes matter less, and you're free to give a longer sweeping motion resulting in smoother lines.

I like the yellow man! You turned boring space marines into sexy bitches
You may want to consider going over a few spots such as the gun and stuff, because the paint is a little light there.

Much better than the first model i painted. Seems like you're on the right track!

Holy gak @ the base O.o

Looks pretty good for a start, be sure to post some pictures of the rest of them when they're done.

Very nice. I would clean up the highlights on the blue areas. Also the base looks great, however that is going to be kind of laborous to do for an entire army. You might want to work on trying to tone it down, while keeping the feel the same.

Believe it or not, the base is wicked easy. Two pieces of cork board ripped into a vague circle, topped with a piece of fine grain sandpaper. Prime black and dry brush. Learned it from GirlPainting: http://www.youtube.com/user/GirlPainting (I can't remember the exact video, sorry. She's got lots of great stuff).

I guess I didn't really express what I was trying to say. Scenic bases such as that are really cool, but they get unwieldy for table top pieces. Plus, since it looks to be like an inch or two tall, you may get people calling you out on modeling for advantage.

PraetorDave wrote:Plus, since it looks to be like an inch or two tall, you may get people calling you out on modeling for advantage.

Conversely, he may end up getting shot in the face a lot more frequently, since those walls all suddenly seem shorter than they used to be.

oadie wrote:

PraetorDave wrote:Plus, since it looks to be like an inch or two tall, you may get people calling you out on modeling for advantage.

Conversely, he may end up getting shot in the face a lot more frequently, since those walls all suddenly seem shorter than they used to be.

Agreed. Id see a extra tall base on basic infantry as more of a problem than an advantage. Cover is what keeps infantry alive, and being taller than the cover isnt a help.

I see your points about base height. Do you think it would be serviceable if I only used one layer of cork instead of two, or would that still be too tall?

Not bad, but like dwfait said about reds and yellows they can be difficult. Do yourself a favor and go with black for the bolter instead of red.

Nice work!

Looks great for your first marine. Congrats.

Raatcharch wrote:I see your points about base height. Do you think it would be serviceable if I only used one layer of cork instead of two, or would that still be too tall?

One level should be good. That way you can still make it look good, without giving your marines platform shoes.

If you could find some 25mm discs then you could mount one layer of cork board directly onto those. As the cork is higher than the standard base anyway it wouldn't pose a problem ruleswise.
As for your bolter, paint the red bits white first then red. For a bit of contrast on the backpack, maybe paint the front of those two round things that are between the spring looking things red.