Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

These are the first minis that I constructed and painted, any thoughts on them? Places where I did good, places were I need improvement? If you see signs of bad habits, please point it out to me, I want them to be as good as possible.

(click for larger)

Also, can I get some tips for taking better, clearer pictures? I played around with some settings on the camera, but this is the best I could get.

At first glance the models are really super bright and reflective. Perhaps a wash of devlin mud or badab black to settle them down a bit. If you want then that bright though, I'd at least give them a spray of dullcoat to stop them from being so shiny. As far as painting wise, maybe take individual pictures to show the painting a bit better. They look like they're pretty good tabletop quality though with the different colors you have.

As far as taking pictures goes, hold onto a medium sized cardboard box and line it with white printer paper and place your mini's in there with two or three different light sources sot here are no unnecessary shadows.

I would dirty up the white one those skulls and horns. Perhaps some washes would dull the colors down a little (if you wanted) other than that I like what I see.

Vene, these are in no way shabby.

For a first attempt, they are pretty neat, the fact that you actually went to effort of tidying the bases is shocking for a newby to say the least!

As everyone else will say, the first thing to tryout are some washes.

In general you can use any colour you feel will match the models, but devlin mud or badab black watered down a little and painted over the recesses in these will add some very quick easy shading to them for you.

If you want to move on a step further in painting techniques, you should have a look at some of the highlighting and drybryushing guides available on this site, and see if you would like to try some out

Well done on your chaos marines.

Edit: Infact, here are some helpful articles for you

http://www.dakkadakka.com/wiki/en/Dakka_Modeling_FAQ:_Highlighting
http://www.dakkadakka.com/wiki/en/Painting_for_Dummies_-_by_Ian

You will also find the majority of Dakka users are pretty friendly, if you browse the gallery and see a paint job you really like, or a technique you would like to learn, feel free to message the owner about it!

I blame some of my ability on my girlfriend, who has been doing this for a while. Also, I still need to glue some kitty litter to the bases, make it look like they're in rocky terrain.

She plays Space Marines, so this is what I'm competing with:


She plans on repainting her army to look like the one on the right. At least, sans the gold on the left shoulder pad.

What the hell, a work in progress picture of the terminator lord.

Looks like it is coming on nicely. Without teaching you to suck eggs, I would suggest a wash of some sort (either black or brown to taste) and then further highlighting. That way the creases, folds and raised areas 'pop' a little more rather than looking 1 dimensional. But good stuff so far, keep it up!

Vene this really is exceptional work for a new painter.

Now you have 2 paths to go down.

1: is to keep the style you are using if you want a cartoony luck, all that would be needed is a wash to give it slight depth.

filbert hit the nail on the head with putting on a wash here, either black or brown, to deepen those recesses for you.


2: is to take your technique further and start using highlights, even just edge highlights on this guy would make a massive difference, and add additional light sources to him for you.

You would need to put on a wash regardless, but the stage after that would be your first true highlight. Let us know how you want to proceed with him

Yeah you need to use some washes to darken the 'sheen' that is on your models. The painting is clean but the colors are all really bright. You will be amazed at how much a wash will help.

These are great for beginning work,wish my first painting attempts had been half this good.

As others in the thread have stated,washes and adding some highlights will definitely help pulling everything together,but overall a great start.

Its hard, I know. When I first started(A month ago) Everyone kept telling me washes, washes, washes. I had no idea what they were looking for. Once you get it right though, you know. It just makes your painting look 30x mor realistic and makes it look like you put dozens of hours into each mini. Looks great though!

it's coming along nicely. That lord realy looks great. You may want to darken up those normal marines, though.

Scrazza wrote:it's coming along nicely. That lord realy looks great. You may want to darken up those normal marines, though.

The other marines aren't actually that dark, the flash was distorting the colors and it's not on for the pic I took of the lord.

More paint!

Looking good! I'm relatively new to Painting myself, although I've been lurking in the 40k Universe for some time. You Trump my painting, that's for sure!

Keep up the good work, mate!

And... I don't mean to sound like a broken record, but you should really pick up some Washes to experiment with. Just buy Gryphonne Sepia and Badab Black, and maybe Devlan Mad. It's amazing what difference they make, take it from me. I got mine a few days ago, and they're fantastic!

I have a flesh wash I've been playing around with a little bit, but it hasn't quite had the results I'd like. At least, not with the red, it looks good for the suspiciously scrotal looking sack on his trophy rack.

wash no wash

your models are fine,and your gifriends are too

keep up the good work,if your happy with your models then the personal goal is already made.

love the bright colors onthe chaos,it gets old seeing the same things all the time

your army is fresh,no grime,no weathering,so its up to you to use washs,id say keep those chaos bright

31

31rls31 wrote:love the bright colors onthe chaos,it gets old seeing the same things all the time

Honestly, that was a big part of the color scheme, I get bored with existing schemes and styles. I mean, these are some of the scariest beings in the galaxy fueled by the warp, why not make them a bit more lively?

If they are the scariest beings in the galaxy fueled by the warp... Wouldnt they be dark?

They would be incomprehensibly light and dark. At once. Not some areas light, and others dark. Everythings light and dark. And warpy.

Back on topic... I like em. It is a nice change of pace from the dark, haunting bad guys of the galaxy (even if that's exactly how I'm painting mine...).

Torch wrote:If they are the scariest beings in the galaxy fueled by the warp... Wouldnt they be dark?

Why? I don't see why everything should be colour coded for your convenience. They're powerful and vibrant and filled with energy, why not go with brighter colors? I know this is just one of the Chaos Gods, but look at Tzeentch, what about him is dark?

Are you painting over bare plastic, or do my eyes deceive me?

Brother SRM wrote:Are you painting over bare plastic, or do my eyes deceive me?

I base coat with space wolves grey.

Okay, you had me worried there for a moment. Just keep in mind that a basecoat of paint on the plastic isn't as good as actual primer. Primer sticks to plastic better than paint does, and paint sticks to primer really, really well. If I were you I'd pick up a can of grey Krylon spray primer and use that instead. Once you start getting to metal models you absolutely NEED real primer, as paint will just rub and flake off.

Very nice work Vene.

With that in mind, before you take everyone's advice and start sloshing Devlin Mud on everything, paint up a "test model" and slosh that.

Good job you have done there , looking at these models just made me wonder what this colour scheme would turn out with the use of some Armypainter quickshade.

Neat job !

So far I've seen some good advice here, especially from Ifalna (who's quite the painter, with a similar but more advanced technique to you). Only advice I'm going to give is to repeat what others have said: with a careful wash of Devlan Mud, those first CSM you posted would be finished.

The termi lord is looking nice and dark already, so I'm not sure what you did to him but it's looking good. I'm inclined to say that with basic shading these models would already be better than 60% of EVERYTHING else out there, and if you got the hang of "edging" (painting fine highlights just onto the very edges of raised surfaces) you'd be right up there with the best table-top painters.

Keep up the great work and welcome to dakka.

A work in progress picture because I am pleased with the sword's color.

paint some more and then you paint some more. try to work whit some inks to get some more levels to the minis. for a new be you are doing good man.

try and look at some color theory, so you get a feel on how colors work to one and other.

keep it up

The Bloody Handed God wrote:At first glance the models are really super bright and reflective. Perhaps a wash of devlin mud or badab black to settle them down a bit. If you want then that bright though, I'd at least give them a spray of dullcoat to stop them from being so shiny. As far as painting wise, maybe take individual pictures to show the painting a bit better. They look like they're pretty good tabletop quality though with the different colors you have.

It's like looking at space marine pride.


but..I can't deny they're more individual and neater than my first attempt so well done. Heed Khaine's advice.. he speaks words of wisdom..surprising coming from such an overrated 'war' god.