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They are such cool models, both in combat and aesthetics. but they look painful to paint. any tips on how to do their uniform?

http://store.us.games-workshop.com/storefront/store.us?do=List_Models&code=305906&orignav=300931&ParentID=259360&GameNav=10

These minis are in two halves.

Legs and torso. It maybe easier to paint the torso seperately from the legs (much like painting riders on bikes or cavalry seperate to the bike/steed) then glue them together.

With regard to the criss cross patterns and check you can use either a very fine pencil to draw the square shapes onto your base coat then paint over it, or you can use graphic markers.

Very few people can paint such small patterns totally free hand, and theres no dishonour or cheating in marking out the shape faintly as a guide beforehand then painting over.

 

Also, I'm sure if you wait a few weeks you'll have articles posted on the website/in WD giving you exactly the advice you're looking for.

I think I saw a painting guide for the Harlequins in the newest WD.

I'm thinking I'll paint mine in a Neuromanceresque fashion.  Chrome face masks, but the bodies will be painted a mix of black leather and digital style camoflage using contrasting colors.

This might give you some Idea of what I'm trying to accomplish.  Lots of neon, disorienting.  i think they will likely be the most chalenging figures I've ever painted.

Good idea Samwise.

I was going to try the black/white style like they showed in the recent WD.

The White Dwarf article was horrible/awful.

"Draw diamonds and fill them in" or some other trashy advice. I don't know, I
saw that line and stopped reading. Maybe it has more to say.

I'm appreciative of the discussion of good contrasting colors in the article, though.

Posted By malfred on 04/11/2007 7:36 AM
The White Dwarf article was horrible/awful.

"Draw diamonds and fill them in" or some other trashy advice. I don't know, I
saw that line and stopped reading. Maybe it has more to say.

I'm appreciative of the discussion of good contrasting colors in the article, though.

Yep welcome to the nightmare that is WD painting *ahem* masterclasses....

They are a joke compared to the articles written a few years back. Even more reasons for me to not buy this mag. I only ever read it when it came free as a GW staff member.

 

I have to disagree
back in the day when Mike McVey was painting the harlies, they were giving the same advice
(that's how I originally learned to do checkerboards)
it came in really handy
I found drawing the pattern a few times on paper and then trying on the model worked really well

i love painting. i love challenges. however these models really intimidate me. i shudder at the thought of those diamonds.

Deitpike, what do you use for drawing on the actual models? Do you prime them white and then just use a sharp (or mechanical) pencil?

Diamonds are just like squares, but tilted at 45 degrees...okay, sometimes they're slightly squished but similar principals.

When I'm penciling designs on my models, I like to use a 0.3 mm mechanical pencil while applying light pressure. If the lines aren't dark enough I'll go over it multiple times until I see what I like. Be careful as sometimes the lead can get an edge that will cut your paint if you press too hard. A regular #2 pencil can be used but I think it's more of a hassle to keep it sharp.

Personaly my thinking: the clown colors are for when they perform in front of an eldar audience. On the battlefield im thinking of doing one color suits. Might just do highly shaded black like little ninjas running around.

i might paint mine like pirates and have a pirates theme for my eldar army, could be fun. anything to avoid those blasted diamonds.

Quoth the White Dwarf:

"Paint on fine lines to make a diamond grid."

I can't paint crooked lines, much less straight ones.

I still have some Pilot .3 B mechanical pencils & leads.
other than that, Furious seems to have described perfectly how to draw the diamonds.
I actually usually prime black still. But I think the biggest part of making your diamonds and patterns "perfect" is repeatedly drawing them to scale first, almost like learning through repetition. the final product will show the aditional practice.

Posted By deitpike on 04/11/2007 11:07 AM
I have to disagree
back in the day when Mike McVey was painting the harlies, they were giving the same advice
(that's how I originally learned to do checkerboards)
it came in really handy
I found drawing the pattern a few times on paper and then trying on the model worked really well

Hi Deitpike

I wasn't talking specifically about the diamond techniques for the harlies, but the overall quality of WD painting masterclass articles in general compared to 3 years ago or so.

Then you had articles that showed you a high quality mini, its different stages, close ups of areas of detail, exact paint mix ratios (that actually worked), and really helpful advice and tips.

WD arguement was that it cost them too much to pay Heavy Metal painters  for these articles (that they of course wrote themselves) that took a lot of time and effort etc. Which quite frankly is nonsense. The real issue is they want to keep Heavy Metal painters faceless and not give them the credit and attention they deserve. I think they are scared of the Pro painter celeb (apparently Tammy Haye caused them problems in this way).

All we get now is a single standard catalogue picture, a stupid circle of colour that shows you very basically what shades they used, and less than a paragraph of description. "I painted this Ultramarine Blue and highlighted with a mix of Ultramarine blue and Skull white...."

It really is a sad state of affairs. I also don't agree with the appealing to the lowest possible denominator arguement either. Sure not all of us can paint and we all had to start somewhere, but why not have different articles to help people through varying stages of their painting experience rather than bland and unispired tosh thats only helpful to 12 year old kids? The old masterclasses gave people something to strive towards and aspire to and really genuinely helped a wider audience.

Beginners got to see the elements involved in high standard mini painting, intermediates got to see the colours for different levels of shading and highlights, and advanced people got to see the ratios for colour blends that they might not have ever used otherwise.

WD 327 (US) happens to have a pretty nice article on painting Sammael. It's a lot better than anything else I've seen in WD for a while now.

I'm planning of having diamonds that disintegrate into swirling, digital ish patterns and back into diamonds in other parts of the model again. And really go crazy with the colour and individuality.

Posted By migsula on 04/12/2007 3:01 AM
I'm planning of having diamonds that disintegrate into swirling, digital ish patterns and back into diamonds in other parts of the model again. And really go crazy with the colour and individuality.

Man I'm looking forward to seeing that, sounds amazing!

Posted By migsula on 04/12/2007 3:01 AM
I'm planning of having diamonds that disintegrate into swirling, digital ish patterns and back into diamonds in other parts of the model again. And really go crazy with the colour and individuality.

Sometimes I hate you.

It's like manhate, except when it's manlove.