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This is only my second mini so I would like some advice and what I did right, wrong or screwed up please!

second mini holy hell man its bloody brilliant, the highlighting is pretty tight. maybe do the ribbing in the armor joints but thats just personal taste tbh, great work

This is seriously solid for your second mini!

There isn't even much I could say in terms of critique. I think as you paint more, you'll get generally tighter in general, and develop a personal style. Seriously, this is really good.

I don't want to sound like a tool, but this is a Librarian, not a Chaplain. It's only a matter of time before someone far less polite than I points this out, so I don't mind being the first.

This is an amazing model! I can't believe this is your second only model! I wasn't painting like this till at least after a battleforce and a tac marine squad


Anyway for the critique I can only say that it is a fabulous therefore the only thing I can say is I'd try wash a little more Devlan Mud (or a similar wash) into the weapon. Then again I don't know if this is me,the photo or the painting. If I could paint like you on my second model I'd be in the 'Eavy metal team by now

Thanks, Space Marine Librarian!! My bad. I have always painted historical 90-120mm figures in the past and always in oils with some acrylic work. Painting mini's was something I wanted to do to break out of a rut but I am really enjoying the challenge of this painting style. I have already bought a few more kits and am hard at work on them now. Thanks for the kind words and critiques. I really appreciate them

Just a little nitpick, but Librarian's tabards are yellow. Otherwise, nice model!

Er? Did you say 2nd! WOW! I've done hundreds and i'd be well happy with that!

You've set the bar very high for yourself! We will be watching!

Very good looking model.

Wow. Just wow. I don't have any minis and I don't have any painting experience but when I do start I hope my minis look at least half as good. Seriously good work.

coolyo294 wrote:Just a little nitpick, but Librarian's tabards are yellow. Otherwise, nice model!

Ok, not to sound stupid but whats a tabard? This whole warhammer thing is really new to me. I saw the model and wanted to paint it!

His tabard is his cloth between his legs also sometimes reffered to as a loincloth

sooo, you asked for constructive criticism.

The Staff head looks at bit lumpy (could be pic)
so maybe several thin layers of paint to get a smooth finish.

The loincloth looks like a solid red (could be the pic) so start with a deep burgundy and work up to a thin light red.

The outstretched hands highlights are too thick (wide, not paint thickness)

The face is nice but again paint thickness, start with tanned flesh and work up from there.

overall well done though

jcichon wrote:I have always painted historical 90-120mm figures in the past and always in oils with some acrylic work.

Sneaky, sneaky! And here we were, thinking this was your second model ever.

Well, you've obviously been able to translate the shared general principles. As I'm sure you're finding out, there's a surprisingly wide gap between the common methods and mediums used by the wargaming and historical modeling crowds. In transitioning from oils to acrylics, I think you'll find that paint consistency plays a much more important role, as it controls flow and opacity in an already quite fluid medium, and that traditional blending is a bit more finicky with acrylics, which tend to dry rather quickly. It's still perfectly possible, but it's not the only method to achieve smooth color transitions - the relative translucency of thinned acrylic colors will really open up a lot of smooth and subtle effects when you start using that feature to your advantage (e.g. glazes and layering). I'm sure you're familiar with washes and filters, but play around with paint consistency a bit more and I think you'll find yourself incorporating similar effects more extensively into your regular painting tasks, not just using them as separate, overall effects. With the generally over the top style of 40k, I think you'll also find a much greater use for more "theatrical" effects, like stark (by military modeling standards, at least) black-lining and color modulation.

Nice job, especially on the text and the palm of the extended hand.

If I had to point out anything that doesn't look absolutely up to snuff, it would be the yellow bits on the force weapon arm. They look a little too bright, and not very crisp, but that might just be a problem with camera focus, since I think that arm is much closer to the camera.

All in all, a nice model.

Oadie, thansk for the comments. 40k is a whole world different than 120mm kits!!! I actually like these more than the historical stuff! Jimsolo, I agree, the yellow was badly done! It's hard painting so small. My space marine cpt I am working on now is turning out a lot better. Thanks for the advice guys!

jcichon wrote:It's hard painting so small.

Then stick with GW. There are plenty of true-scale (as opposed to these heroic-scale models, with their oversized gear and expanded extremities) 28mm models that have as much or more surface detail (Corvus Belli's Infinity range, many of Reaper's offerings, etc.) than than these guys. I'm almost afraid to touch a brush to my Infinity models, considering how difficult it can be to paint a comparatively simple Ork or Space Marine. One fine day...

Oadie, I think I will. Thanks for the info on Infinity! THose are great kits!! I think I will be ordering a few this week!! Really nice stuff!! ANy other suggestions on kits??

I thought the painting was really well done, didn't know about librarians having to have yellow tabbards, never heard that before. I just realized something though and that is that the red "loincloth is actually the lower half of the tabbard or robe and should be the same colour as the bit of cloth above the waist.
About the model and these may be construed as personal preferences, I think the base would be better if a darker colour was used as the "soil" under the grass appears too light.
The cable on the arm that is sticking out ends on the other side of the bracket that holds it to the gauntlet, you've painted the end the same colour as the bracket.
As someone else pointed out , the ribbed joins of the armour could do with some highlighting such as giving them a slightly metallic finish, they are part of the armour afterall.