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Me and my friend started into some of the models from noob kit. This basecoat lookin ok?

There are three things you generally want out of a basecoat: Solid coverage, preservation of texture/detail, and a smooth finish. If you have all three in decent measure, you're good to go.

As for this guy, the paint may be a little thicker than is ideal. I'm not really familiar with the sculpt, though, so the detail on the model itself may just be a bit soft (I could also be mistaking camera blur for infilled detail). Either way, it's perfectly serviceable. I do see a few minor slips of the brush here and there, but they can be cleaned up easily during subsequent painting.

For basecoating, how much does brushstroke matter? I've looked at soo many tutorials and they talk like brushtroke direction is hawt but my buddy was at all angles. Solid coverage means just get it on there? Assuming you got some fresh paint what water:paint ratio are you using out of the bottle?

I've learned the game is paper,scissors, rock.. I just want to paint awesome stuff that makes peeps drool.

 Rismonite wrote:
For basecoating, how much does brushstroke matter? I've looked at soo many tutorials and they talk like brushtroke direction is hawt but my buddy was at all angles. Solid coverage means just get it on there? Assuming you got some fresh paint what water:paint ratio are you using out of the bottle?

I've learned the game is paper,scissors, rock.. I just want to paint awesome stuff that makes peeps drool.

Ok, I am currently "average" (I hope) with my paintng skills, but I think solid coverage just means an uniform coat that does not leave gaps to see the primr or any colour under them, still being light enough not to obscure details of the sculpt, so it soes not really matter the direction of brush stroks, sincthey should not be seen in any way.

For water to paint ratio it may vary, depending on the starting consistency of paint itself, but I heard as a starting point, just not to reiterate the "milk consistency" thing, that - using gw colours - for base coat an average thinning is about 1:1, and for layering about 2:1 water:paint. If your in doubt, a bit more water/thinner never hurts, the worst you'll need would be another coat :-)

For me, I don't find brushstroke direction really matters until you start blending. I brush in whatever direction gives me the most stability and control.

If you are worrying about brushstrokes on your basecoat, your paint is probably too thick.

By "solid coverage," I meant two things, really: That the entire surface meant to be painted has been painted and that the color is even across that entire surface (i.e. not splotchy, no missed spots). When thinning paints to avoid leaving raised brush strokes and filling in detail, this usually means applying two or more coats (usually more, but it depends on the pigmentation strength and density of the paint, as well as the underlying color).

As for thinning ratio, it depends. I rarely go as thin as 1:1 for basecoating, as I find that I can generally still get a smooth application with a mixture that contains more paint that water. Thinning further than necessary just makes more work for you, since less dense pigment means more coats to achieve equivalent opacity. I find "until it flows smoothly off the brush" a more useful general guideline than "the consistency of milk."

I don't find the direction of your brush strokes to matter, much, as sufficiently thin paint is self-leveling. Like reps0l, I paint from whichever angle is easiest, changing stroke directions at will. I also agree that it's safer to thin too much and have to apply an extra coat than to thin too little and end up having to live with clogged detail and/or visible brush strokes or strip the mini and start over.

Paint looks a little thick but everything else seems okay as far as I can tell from the two pics posted. Try watering down the paints a bit more with water/medium until they are a milky consistency. You'll get the feeling for how thinned you want it once you see how they all work on the mini.