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Hey all,

I'm both new to 40K and wargaming in general, having far too little spare time as it is, but I decided to jump in with the DV set. I've got the lot of models assembled and primed and had my first go at painting today. I went with a generic DA marine to start, as I thought it would be the easiest to replace if I royally mucked it up. I'm pleasantly surprised with the result, but I'd like to know where I could push it farther. Any criticism or suggestions for improvement would be much appreciated!

That's your first model? If so, great job for a first time model. You have highlighting, nice steady details, some weathering around the feet, and you've even based it with some nice rubble.

For a first model, that's fan-freaking-tastic, good sir.

Things you can improve on:

1) A light green wash/glaze over the armor to smooth the color transitions.
2) Drill out the barrel of the gun with a pin vise.
3) Add things to the base to break up the gray/black. A bit of dried old grass, a skull, a broken bit of machinery, etc.
4) Highlight the gun and the tactical marking (the double headed arrow on the shoulderpad) with a lighter red and then hit the tips with even another shade lighter. Wash it all with a very thin red wash after.
5) A small drop of grey wash between the wings and sword of the chapter symbol. To give it some depth.

Very nice job. In addition to what Clsaac said, rim the base in brown or black. Personal preference, but I think it will help frame your figure.

Great suggestions, thanks! I'll tweak this one and apply the same to the rest of the squad.

I wanted to jazz up the base a little more, but I don't have much in the way of supplies right now (the paints are cheap craft acrylics). Once the painting was done, though, the model didn't look quite right on the plain black base. I combed through the forums here and saw the suggestion of using kitty litter for gravel, so I mixed that with some hastily chopped sprue bits, sealed it, and dry brushed it. Tomorrow I'll try to hit the local hobby shop and see what they've got to break up the monotony.

That is an amazing mini, especially with cheap craft paints! The only things I can see it needing are a wash and to be sealed with a matte varnish. Cheap paints won't last as long, so you'll need to protect it. Paint ranges from GW, Vallejo, and P3 are of better quality (GW's maybe not so much now, but still better than craft paint) and will resist chipping a little more.

 Deunstephe wrote:
That is an amazing mini, especially with cheap craft paints! The only things I can see it needing are a wash and to be sealed with a matte varnish. Cheap paints won't last as long, so you'll need to protect it. Paint ranges from GW, Vallejo, and P3 are of better quality (GW's maybe not so much now, but still better than craft paint) and will resist chipping a little more.

Thanks! I've noticed this already, while working on the Terminator model. High points where I was manipulating the model started to rub off to the primer level. I picked up some spray varnish today and am going to give it a shot. Here's the first Terminator, so far (I couldn't get as decent a focus on this, for some reason):

Nvision wrote:
Thanks! I've noticed this already, while working on the Terminator model. High points where I was manipulating the model started to rub off to the primer level. I picked up some spray varnish today and am going to give it a shot. Here's the first Terminator, so far (I couldn't get as decent a focus on this, for some reason):

Nice work on the terminator. The basing is very good.

As mentioned previously, you might want to paint the rim of the base. Most due to it adds a nice visual look to the models.

As for the paint rubbing off: Acrylic paints will do that, and cheap craft store versions even moreso. The best way to avoid that is try not to handle the model itself while painting. There are several ways to do this, but the easiest way is to either tack/glue/tape the bottom of the base to a large cork, empty paint bottle, end of a wooden dowel rod, or something similar. Hold the model by that, and don't touch it unless you have to.

If you paint in separate pieces, you can pin an old paperclip into the joint hole of the model and then push it into a cork, or a drilled hole in a rod or old paint bottle. A little PVA or super glue (not much, you want to be able to snap it out later) to hold the straightened paperclip to the item.

that's really impressive work for your first go 'round... you sure you haven't done this before? an easy way to avoid mucking up the paint job while you work is to attach the mini to something else you can hold onto: pin it to a cork, temporarily glue it to a piece of sprue, blue-tac the base to the top of a paint pot, etc. even with good quality paints, you don't want to be handling the model during painting. esp if the model's made of metal... rubs the paint right off.

Edit: bah, CIsaac beat me to it :p

That Terminator looks absolutely awesome! I am in awe of your basing skills!

The whole model looks fantastic, I would say leave the rim of the base as it is, it adds to the overall effect.

You have inspired me to go back and add way more texture to my own minis bases. Keep up the good work!

If these are your first few models ever painted Im off to ebay all my paints and kits and snap my paint brushes....

Hats off to you.
You have to have some kind of experience painting / modeling as your technique is far to sound for a newbie !

You'll hear people say this over and over, but drill the barrels with a small pin vice. You can see it on your terminator where the storm bolter muzzle is just plain gun metal, whereas a drilled barrel would look black. It's a small detail, that doesn't take that long to do and really is noticable even at the tabletop level.

Heheh, I actually went and painted the bases black this afternoon! My initial idea was to use the same dry brush techniques on the terrain and base, so it would kind of look like a cored section of ground. I'll do a side-by-side comparison with the next Terminator and see which I really prefer.

Thanks again for the comments and suggestions, and I'm glad you like the work thus far. I'm an illustrator by trade, so I'm used to handling brushes and paints, but this is my first foray into working in three dimensions (and so very, very small). I've yet to play an actual game, but if it's as half as fun as it's been getting the models prepared I truly fear for what little free time I have... I shall definitely see if the local hobby shop has a pin vice in stock. The bolter ends are the only bits I'm currently unhappy with.

It's really late, so the light isn't great, but here's the tactical sgt.:

Lol whats the catch? xD do you have some type of art background or something? if not your are quiet talented right there mate great stuff!!

I honestly think you need finer basing material. I recommend a cheap source to be spent coffee grinds, and, if it's fine enough, a lot of spent tea will also be just as good.

Definitely some of the best first models i have seen. keep up the good work.

That is a great job for a first model!

IMO the white is a bit white. I would paint the white parts a pale grey and highlight them true white. However it is well above "tabletop" even so.

I disagree about painting the rim of the base but that is an aesthetic choice. I like it the way it is.

Chaos marines traditionally have black rims. The rim inspection is often the only way to tell a Chaos marine from a loyalist.

Quite excellent

Jesus it took me close to six months to learn to paint inside the lines and the point of washing lol, you're well on track to doing far better as time goes on man. Thanks for sharing

If you're an illustrator by trade then I can see how you're so good at this right off the bat! What's been said will be repeated however: drill those barrels and use some shades/washes, they'll add so much definition to your minis. Mind my asking what brush types and sizes you use?

In reference to playing the actual game, 6th edition is somewhat broken but if your FLGS has some 40k players you could try asking them about it.

I wish my 500th model even looked as good as your first. Well done.

I'm going to hunt down a pin vise today. I need to retake the pics for the tactical sergeant, as his robes aren't actually that white

Here's the test model for the Ravenwing. Frehanding on the company marking was...interesting.

I think he'll fall off his bike one handing a plasma gun instead of a pistol! Looks great like the others, but his base needs a black/brown rim. You could go with 2nd edition GW and rim his base bright green, but I think that'd look a little crazy for 6th ed.

EDIT: It looks like you need to paint the light on the bike, in between the bolters. Do you have any pics of the console in between the handlebars? I bet it looks good.

I can safely say that even though I have been painting for the last 2 years, you are already better than me! Painting the sides of your bases can drastically improve the look of any model, whether you are painting them a plain colour, or to look like a section has been cut out the ground. Keep up the grand work

The free handing came out well.

As far as the paint rubbing off, you don't have only varnish at the end. If you get one area looking right or a specific layer you can go ahead and spray a thin layer down to help protect it.

Though paint will have a harder time sticking to gloss, so matte tends to be the winner.

For basing material, go to your local playground and appropriate a pail full of sand. Spread it out and let it dry thoroughly and then sift it though a standard kitchen colander. This will separate out all of the big chunks.

Sometimes if you don't soap or wash the bare plastic before you start painting, the mold-release grease can give the water-based paint a poor adhesion and it might rub off easier. I always soak and sponge my sprues in dish-soap and then rinse them good. A good primer coat is also for adhesion as well as coloring.

Also if you use some acrylic fluid medium or other acrylic based medium (future floor polish) when you thin your paints, it will create a tougher overall layer of paint. Thinning paint with too much water tends to make it weak-strength and chalky for me. I use Golden artist materials to make the painting medium. (flow agent, retarder, water, maybe GAC 100?)

Anyway, the minis look really good. Nice work.

You might try edging your bases with the darkest color of the base, dark gray in this case. I really like the concrete dust effect you have on everything and the variances in color that are on the bases.