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-Loki- wrote:I'm breaking a rule and not pinning mine. I've never been good at getting pinned limbs to line up properly. I can live with re-glueing and cleaning up occasionally. Some of the arms have been so thing I don't think I could even actually pin them.

Consider using an extremely tiny bit of epoxy putty (I use Billy Mays's Mighty Putty!). I've found that even a small ball of epoxy as well as superglue ends up strong enough to hold up even a miniature on high heels.

Yes I would definitely second that, I've used that method for practically all of my models.

I did that to attach the helmets to my infinity models. Just a dot of green stuff and super glue got the heads fixed on quickly. I did it because i didn't want to deform the green stuff helmet casts while drilling them. If you want a better look click on the link in my signature.

Biggest issue I'm having is models leaning on their guns, like the Fiday with Boarding Shotgun, Muyib with Spitfire and Al Hawwa sniper.

The Muyib with Spitfire isn't too bad, but the Fiday with Boarding shotgun ends up with about 0.5mm space between the base and the butt of the gun. The Al Hawwa is worse - there's a good 2mm clearance between the base and the sack the gun is leaning on.

It this a common issue? I can solve it easily with a wad of green stuff, but it seems like a strange oversight. Then again, these are the same guys that cast the Odalesque with Boarding Shotgun so you can't position it at all without cutting half of the right boob off.

Yes, that Odalisque is a famous (infamous?) miniature, I think the general consensus by most people was to file down her right chest a bit to get the gun to fit.

Shame as I think they are lovely looking models, and I love their special rules where special perfume pheremones overwhelm foes in close combat (really!)

I had that problem with the heights of feet. I was able to bend most of them back and i made one more prominent and modeled the mini walking down some stairs.

If you can't fix the models so they match up properly then you could add some terrain to the base like i did with the steps? Again, pictures are in the blog if you need a reference.

Yeah, I'm thinking of adding green stuff under the Al Hawwas rifle and the Fidays shotgun. Not much, just enough to attach them to the base.

You might be better off using some rubble or something to make it look natural.

I'll be basing them as desert, so I'll be building up sand around that anyway.

Ah cool, looking forward to seeing them.

Owing to the fact that I'm an exceedingly slow painter, I'm trying yet another 'define it with washes' style. I'm going for the default Haqq look Corvus Belli do, just dirtier. Here's another test model - I'm actually happy with it post wash. I just need to do some layering and some highlights.



Something I'm planning on doing is making a 200pt list for another faction primarily to use as a way to get friends into the game, something for them to use in a game without needing to buy a team themselves. Most likely Nomads, because the Custodiers are gorgeous.

Looking good man.

Nomads are great, obviously they have some great looking models but they have particularly cool fluff which makes them stand out for me.

I actually spent all afternoon plugging away at that model. Quite happy with the results, bar the back of the legs, which I can't think of how to improve.

You did a great job on him, well done man! If you aren't happy with the backs of his legs how about giving them a very light drybrush of whatever colour you used before the wash?

Nicely done! Your detailing came out fantasticly

Really nice job, the model really shows a lot of the detail!

Still needs a lot of work. The browns still need layering, the fatigues need their final Bleached Bone highlight, and I still need to do the metals and the hair.

My most irritating problems are fixing the back of the legs (though I think I know how I'll do it - painting them jack bone then highlighting the areas done with Jack Bone now should fix them) and the eyes.

Because I can't do eyes.

I know there's a way to 'cheat' and put a white dot on the outer side and innder side of the eyeball, which looks decent without actually painting the eye, but I have the most unsteady hands ever, and when I go to do something as small as an eye, I get really shakey hands.

I've found one alternative to getting really fine detail like irises, pupils or even eye glints done is using a hard point to dot the paint - something like a sewing needle (which end you need will vary) - rather than a brush. This can make it a lot easier to get the paint right where you want it.

But I do suggest persevering. Getting eyes "sorted" is very confidence inspiring, as improvements to painting a focal area like the face have a very dramatic effect overall.

I should note that the last time I painted skin was on a Daemonhunter about 10 years ago and that did not include the face. The last time I put effort into a face was... I think Fabius Bile in 2nd edition 40k?

So considering I haven't really painted a face in what, 15 years? I'm pretty happy with what I did there. I just wish I could do eyes. I even have trouble just doing plain yellow eyes on my Tyranids.

Rather than a dot of white at either side of the eyeball I prefer a line of white, then a dot of black in the middle.

I find it a lot easier to make the eyes look like they are pointing in the same direction this way

I don't do eyes.
I can't focus on the detail long enough and at arms' reach, few people can see it anyway.

Same here, for the most part.

I just do the best I can on the face with paints and washes:



I might try out some 'eye work' on Infinity models though!

Rather than using white, try a bright grey, like Fortress Grey or Astronomicon Grey.

I usually do a little streak of black, then try to get the grey in between that, then finish it with the pupil, wherever that's going to be looking.

I'll try and find something with eyes on it and post it up...

@chromedog: It is true that such details aren't usually visible from normal eye-to-tabletop distances, but when you've only got a few models to do, they're not monotonous near-clones of each other and they're such sumptuously detailed pieces like Infinity's range, it is an excuse to apply more effort.

This is part of the reason why my games of choice include Inquisitor (at both 28mm and 54mm) and Infinity, even though I don't get to play either that often - I can spend the extra time.

Eyes are quite the challenge to be sure. Painting some infinity, I've challenged myself to do it. What works for me is to first paint the face whatever tone you want then apply a wash. Then I take a darker wash, usually devlan mud and apply it to the eyes.

Next I use a very thin application of an off-white color, not pure white as I've found it to be a little too intense. You need a fine, high quality brush to get good results and it's tricky. If I don't get the proportion of the eyes right, I correct it with just a tad more devlan mud.

Next Ive been actually coloring the eyes with blue or something, but this really isn't necessary as mentioned before, these details aren't really visible unless under close scrutiny.

You can actually "cheat" at this point with a very fine tipped art pen. I use micron 0.1 Sakura ink pens, and it's a little easier to get a black dot with this to finish the eyes, instead of a brush.

MarcoSkoll wrote:@chromedog: It is true that such details aren't usually visible from normal eye-to-tabletop distances, but when you've only got a few models to do, they're not monotonous near-clones of each other and they're such sumptuously detailed pieces like Infinity's range, it is an excuse to apply more effort.

Pretty much this. My two other armies are Tyranids and Vampire Counts, both horde armies. I need to cut corners if I want to have a painted army some time in the next century. Infinity however, I have a 'complete' list sitting on my desk of 10 guys. So I'm pushing myself to try a but harder.

The first stone has been cast:

Request an infinity subforum.... http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/0/439381.page#4082500

-Loki- wrote:

MarcoSkoll wrote:@chromedog: It is true that such details aren't usually visible from normal eye-to-tabletop distances, but when you've only got a few models to do, they're not monotonous near-clones of each other and they're such sumptuously detailed pieces like Infinity's range, it is an excuse to apply more effort.

Pretty much this. My two other armies are Tyranids and Vampire Counts, both horde armies. I need to cut corners if I want to have a painted army some time in the next century. Infinity however, I have a 'complete' list sitting on my desk of 10 guys. So I'm pushing myself to try a but harder.

Yes I'm trying to do the same - my last army was an Infantry Horde IG list, which I'm sure you can imagine was less than enthralling even with short-cuts and batch painting! It's nice painting a mini knowing that I never have to do that style sculpt again, and can put lots of effort into it.

The first stone has been cast:

Great idea mate, already signed

So, that Ghulam is done. Or as done as it's going to get. Eyes suck, I fixed up the back of the pants, and realized I liked the browns how they were without adding some layering to them.

MarcoSkoll wrote:@chromedog: It is true that such details aren't usually visible from normal eye-to-tabletop distances, but when you've only got a few models to do, they're not monotonous near-clones of each other and they're such sumptuously detailed pieces like Infinity's range, it is an excuse to apply more effort.

This is part of the reason why my games of choice include Inquisitor (at both 28mm and 54mm) and Infinity, even though I don't get to play either that often - I can spend the extra time.

@Marko: It's mainly NOT a "not visible from such distances" it's a NOT VISIBLE TO ME at painting distance. This has two root causes:

1. Eyesight. I CANNOT focus on something that small (28mm mini eyes) at less than 75 or so cm (arms' reach). Who paints at arms' reach? The error magnification at that range makes it impossible (the slightest wrong move is amplified) - I might as well paint with my eyes closed. Which leads me to:
2. I have nerve damage in my left (painting) hand. It causes tremors and makes the painting of 28mm eyes IMPOSSIBLE. I could paint them, but then they would look all BESM/Kawaii (or permanently surprised) and I would have to dispose of them in a fire (I loathe Big Eyes Small Mouth anime in all its forms - and furries).

So it's not a question of me not applying myself. It's one of diminishing returns. I could try harder, but it makes no positive difference. A man's got to know his limitations - and mine include not being able to paint insignificant detail at 28mm. You might (and probably are different. Bully for you. I can't get better (over 25 years of trying has shown me the truth of the adage: Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.) hence I don't bother.

Now, 54mm is a different piscatorial vessel (kettle of fish). The eyes are around 4x the area. THESE are visible to me at painting distance (30-40cm) AND in FOCUS. They are large enough that the tremors don't have as noticeable an effect on them. These get painted - not well enough to compete in painting competitions, but well enough for me (they're my mandollies, after all, and ONLY my opinion counts on them as only I have to like them. I don't paint for other people's appreciation. It's a selfish thing for me alone.).

My inquisitor models sit on a shelf in a cupboard though, having not been played with in around 8 years - and unlikely to ever again be played with. Nobody around here WANTS to play the game and I don't want to play Necroquisitor. I've given up on the whole 40k schtick. I'm not selling them and should I tire of them, I'll melt them down.