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.

Hi, I'm currently having a major problem with my painting and was wondering if I could ask for some help and tips.

I've been in my final year at uni this year and beforehand I was an moderately good painter not excellent but not totally rubbish either, I haven't really painted anything since before September and now when I have sat down and want to work on my armies again now uni is out the way I'm finding painting really difficult after such a long hiatus from it. I've been trying to paint a few guardsmen up so I can nail a color scheme down and work on them sparingly until I get the extra 200 quid to purchase the rest of the army and every model I have painted just looks wrong its as if I have forgotten all of the techniques that used to be second nature to me. Same thing when they to paint up a few high elves they just look wrong or not good enough considering what I know.

Is there any helpful hints anyone has in regards to easing someone back into painting that's not painted regularly for the past few years? Am I better off just starting from scratch a re learning everything.

Please Dakka I need your help!

When i was away for 6 months i made a "fun project" to get back into it.

I simply converted a model that took most aspects into account. (metals, light sources from wargear, stone, reflections, shadows etc etc)
took me days to get it done, but after finishing it painting standard models was great

just find something that you will find very challenging to paint, once thats done you should be able to get back into it pretty easily.

Well when I stopped painting for about 6 months, I sat down aand concentrated like my life depended on it and took more time in the world to do just one model.

I found doing that, I quickly remembered techniques to get the detail i wanted etc.

So what I would suggest is to get a spare model you dont want, sit down paint it in set colour, maybe from the GW website, just to get back onyour feet, and really take your time, as if it were going to a Golden deamon contest !

Hope that helps
Wolf

Id say paint SLOW and plan ahead. Before I bought all me Orks, shoot I hadnt painted a mini in close to 6 years. I went slow and it just came back to me.

1) write down recipes and techniques you find good as you use them (helps when you step away from a project or even the hobby for some time)... I know.. a little late for this.

2) give your muscle memory time to come back. Painting requires the small muscles that control the hand and wrist. Like any muscle I find I have more trouble painting even if I take a couple weeks off. So painting an hour or so for every day for a week or 2 will get you back in the swing. (goes with the "take your time" suggestion).

3) research some new techniques and start over. Always fun.

Good luck.

I agree with Wolf, take your time, and when you encounter a problem, then you can think it through and find a way to fix it. You may even find a new technique to play with!

I got back into mini painting after nearly a decade by starting off with an "interesting" model, like JD suggested. Something you find really exciting and fun is pretty motivating, and take it slow.

Your answer!

jgemrich wrote:2) give your muscle memory time to come back. Painting requires the small muscles that control the hand and wrist. Like any muscle I find I have more trouble painting even if I take a couple weeks off. So painting an hour or so for every day for a week or 2 will get you back in the swing. (goes with the "take your time" suggestion).

3) research some new techniques and start over. Always fun.

Good luck.

Correct on both accounts of forgetting techniques and getting your skill back.

Muscle memory. Takes some heavy paint sessions to get it back. It's not a single complex model (usually the more expensive ones. yikes!) but rather repetition. Get your hand use to the brush movements again.

Read through some tutorials and something is bound to jog your memory.

Got back into painting recently after a very busy time of it painted a AOBR warboss for my Ork army like they say take it easy plan ahead for the colour scheme and above all have fun dont think of it as a chore cause you'll not want to do anymore if you do.

Thanks guys for the words of encouragement.

Right well i'm all set, the model i have chosen is Bel'akor The Dark Master, I have 2 that are the Daemon Princes for my Lash Army and I love the model so its a win win situation.

The one I am going to be painting I will be giving him purple skin and basic metal armor nothing too fancy just to 'dip my toes in' so to speak.

I'll report on the progress later and thanks again.

As an aside heres a quick color recipe i'm going to use.

Basecoat.

Skin: Royal Purple Vallejo (Its basically Imperial Purple
Armor: Boltgun
Wing Membrane: Chaos Black

Next:

Skin: Liche Purple
Armour: Chainmail
Wing Membrane: Adeptus Battlegrey Drybrush

Wash Babab Black


Highlight:

Skin: Liche + Bleachbone 50/50 then 70/30
Armour: Chainmail + Mithril 50/50 then Pure Mithril
Wing membrane: light Drybrush of codex grey