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Hey everyone. I just thought i would share my progress as i better my painting skills. And along the way share what I'll learn and the tips that have helped me.

Quick background: A friend a few months ago introduced me to warhammer 40k and instantly enjoyed the game. It wasn't long after that i started purchasing my own army, born of Cadia, the Imperial Guard. But with this came the need to paint the models that made up my force. I couldnt stand looking at gray plastic on the table. So here i am striving to improve my ability to paint them.

So if you want, join me in my progress. Learn from me if youre new, or help me and others learn as well as im always open for improvements. Should be a fun and paint covered time.


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With a friends paint in hand, i began to paint my first guardsman. Dipping my brush into the pot of paint, smearing it on different sections, and off i went. When I finished i was quite proud. It was the first thing i had ever painted. Little did i know i was dong just about everything wrong that was possible, nor did it look as good as i had thought then.

I would show you how bad it was but ive since stripped it. And after many searches online cant find one painted bad enough to use as an example. lol After showing the owner at my LGS, he gave me a couple of tips to try on my next model.

Tip: Thin your paints. Dont use the paint right out of the pot.

Tip: Dont paint so thickly that you cover up all the details of the model. (I will later go back to this in detail)

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With that in mind, i went back and started to paint my second guardsman. What a difference it made! Though still basic in technique. It no longer looked like a blobby mangled human. Even though it looked so much better than my first try, it too was poor by anyone's standards. To this i new i had to improve. So i turned to the internet searching for tutorials and tips and articles on how to paint.

There's really a lot out there if you look hard enough. Some good some bad. But at the time i wasn't confident enough to even try a lot of what I saw. So back to the LGS, i was told to go even thinner on my paints. I was shocked! Thinner?? I already thinned them down, if i go thinner they'll never cover! But i took the advice, sat down and did it. All of a sudden...things began to look smooth. The brush marks started to disappear, the detail of the model itself could be seen through the paint. But this was also the first time I had to do 2 layers to get an even cover(blood red). Since i had done this in the store i walked back over to the owner proud to show him the red clothe. He looked at me and said thats exactly how you should do it. This alone..improved how my models looked immensely.

Tip: THIN YOUR PAINT. I cant stress this enough. As a new painter it may seem like more water is a bad thing, but it isnt. That said you can go too far for painting. People tend to say its the consistency of milk. Its pretty much right on. Also understand that this is something that is learned with experience. The more you paint the easier it is to tell when your paint is too thick or too thin for what it is you're wanting to do. So dont worry if its not right the first time. Add paint or water until you get the right consistency. Also understand that just because the paint doesnt cover in a single coat doesnt mean its too thin. Certain colors cover in less coats than others. It may seem like a nuesence, but when you're done, it just looks so much better.

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As i walked away with a smile on my face, hearing that i had done something right, he stopped me and asked to look at my brushes. Puzzled i showed him. The first thing he said was that I had been dipping my brush into the pot too far. I had no idea how he knew i was, but he pointed to the paint on the metal part of the brush above the bristles. He said to only use the tip of the bristles not get all the paint you can on it.

At the time not understanding what difference it made, i quickly found out( i hadnt listened). A few models in, my brushes began to go bad. The bristles were getting to be unusable to paint with. Great! So off to the store for some new ones. He was right. So lesson learned.

Tip: Dont dip your brush in too far. It will only damage your brush. Here's a great link I found on brush care and the anatomy of a brush. http://miniature-art.tripod.com/paintbrushes/

There's a few things I want to say about that link. Though its true. Starting out you do not need to go out and buy $10+ brushes. They go much higher than that. You do need to get a few different size brushes though for painting different areas. I went to the local craft store and got a $7 set of brushes that had 6 or so differnt kinds. I've made use of all of them but one. And they've held up very well for the number of models i painted with them.

Another couple of things to keep in mind as you paint. Clean your brush often. Every couple of minutes, wash and clean your brush off in water, even i you're still using the same color. This will prevent your tip from drying out and causing any damage over time. This also helps reshape your brush as you paint. Just remember to also change out to fresh water from time to time. Cleaning your brush in dirty water doesnt really clean it.

Something i more recently learned but will put it here about brushes and painting, is having different cleaning water for metal and non-metal paints. Its important to have different brushes for each as well. This prevents you from mixing the metal flakes onto your brushes as you clean them, only to get those flakes somewhere you really do not want them.

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I understand that this is all very basic in what ive suggested but its something i had to learn. Its helped step up my painting ability tremendously from where i was. It has also helped me as I advanced into different painting techniques. This is only the first step with more to come. Next time I'll talk about a few types of painting techniques and what i learned, along with a few things about in which order you paint. Until next time!

I'd actually like to see some of your Guardsmen, these P&M Blogs are always fun.

Some very nice tips there Drifter, I'd like to know how the thinning down works vs black undercoat, I painted neat dark angels green onto black undercoat and what I got was black with a faint green sheen, hence I now undercoat all my orks white now. The highly rated painters who've posted on my blog here said I should water down and work up, but how many layers are we talking about here?

The number of layers depends on what colours you're painting. Sometimes it can be 2 coats, others it could be 4 or 5 to get it nice and even. It's time consuming, but does produce much better results.

The thing is if you're applying paint in thin coats it'll still end up a much thinner layer of paint overall than it would if you paint directly from the pot as you can see where you need to apply more, rather than flooding the area on your first go.

If you're painting like this over black you can, sometimes, also use it to produce more shadows/highlights without needing to add in other colours by simply putting fewer coats onto shadowy areas

Its great to see others posting in here helping! I know there's still a lot to learn.

Stompa: Like transmission said, it may take multiple coats to get even coverage. The good thing is, is it sounds like youre painting with paint that's the right consistency. I know for me, it takes 5+ coats of gore red on my models before its nice an even all the way around.

transmission: I loved that little bit at the end of your post. Ive been wanting to try that myself, to see how it turns out. Normally i get an even basecoat then do my shadows and highlights. I just need to get a few models primed to see how it goes.

In the meantime before i do my next big post. A few tips before you can even start painting.

Tip: When you prime, your primer color should be based off of what your final model will look like. If its going to have a lot of bright colors, then prime white. Darker colors prime black. That said, if you have a bit of both, it may be easier to prime white. Then, basecoat black over the darker areas. Black will always cover better over white than the opposite.

Tip: There's a right and wrong way to prime your models that will make a big difference in the final appearance.

I see a lot of times, models look chalky. To me it totally ruins how the model looks. The reason for this tends to be the distance you hold the spray can from the model. If its too far away, the paint particles dry before reaching the model. When it dries it leaves your model with a chalky texture. Even if its subtle, when you prime at the right distance you will notice a major difference. Also keep in mind to prime in light even coats. The thinner the better!

Here's a great article I found, looking for photos to illustrate my point. http://thepaintingcorps.blogspot.com/2009/05/friday-quick-tip-perfecting-primer.html

Tip: Lighting. Im not talking about painting techniques, im talking about how lit up the area is you paint in. Its important to have proper lighting. It allows you to see everything better, and keeps yours colors truer. Otherwise that sand/dirt base you drybrushed might actually be yellow if you did it when the lights were low. (Yeah I did that! lol)

Tip: When painting your model, its best to have something you mount your model too, and hold that. Because if you hold your model as you paint, your fingers slowly rub the paint off. In the past ive had times where previous areas i painted had rubbed off(after shadows and highlights were painted). It wasnt fun having to go back and redo the entire area.

You can do it any way you'd like, but this i what i happen to do. I grab a paint pot that i know i wont be using, and set my model on top of it. Then with a little scotch tape, and tape the base to the pot. Its simple and works pretty good. I also like the fact i feel like i have a better grip over everything without having to worry about where my fingers are.

It would really help if this thread had pictures to illustrate your tips.

So far ive told you about he very beginnings of how i started painting. And the information Ive mentioned, though basic, is a must to know and understand. Also, please uderstand. What im saying isnt fact. Its not something set in stone you must follow. But if you choose to, it will really help improve your skills and the outcome of your models. I also dont claim to be some great painter. I'm just like you, trying to get better, learning, making mistakes, and learning some more. In the end it can only be a positive thing.



At the end of my post i mentioned getting a compliment that i was painting at the right consistency of paint. With that in mind, and many guardsmen only primed, i set off to paint my army. At the time I had about 40 cadian shock troops, and as a new painter is was a daunting task. But there are a few things that can help speed things along and not go insane either.

Tip: When you have many models to paint, dont paint them one at a time, do it in sets. You paint like an assembly line painting each step on all the models before going onto the next one. This speeds up your process immensely. One thing to keep in mind though, when you have many of the same model to paint, is to do a test model first. Paint the model from start to finish. When you do this, you can see the mistakes you've made, and correct them when youre painting as a group. Generally you will find that changing the order of the steps in which youve painted will save yourself cleanup work. So when youre talking about 10 models at a time this can be a big time saver.

Originally i painted all my guardsmen clothing before anything else. This came back to bite me because when painting the faces, the helmets got paint on them. Simple things like this, if i had test painted a model at the time, would have saved me a lot of hassle. But we all make mistakes, and we learn from them to only better ourselves.



After I had done this, they sat like this for some time, models only painted. Game after game i used them. t started to really bu me seeing bare bsases and since my army was groing, un painted models. So i finally said it was time to start again. It was at this time i started to truly enjoying painting. Because now i was on a mission to become a better painter.

My first step? I wanted to learn how to base models. I had been eying the rack of base material at the LGS for weeks. But never felt like it was worth the money. SO i shy'd away and put it off for another day(many times lol). Then i stumbled across a few articles that gave me the motivation to go out and do it. So i did!

http://thepaintingcorps.blogspot.com/search/label/Basing

The cork and tile articles really got me in the mood to try it out. They looked so cool. And the painting seemed really easy! I was ready. Though i didnt have tile or cork, i did have on thing we all do. And thats sand and rocks. So my first step? I went outside in search of base material. I knew about what i wanted, and that was different grades of sand, and variations of small rocks. I didnt have to walk any further than my driveway to hit the motherload! Fine sand and rocks o all sizes were right at my finger tips. So bag in hand i grabbed everything i thought would work. After 5 minutes i had enough material for a few hundred bases!

Tip: It must be sand and stone. It cannot be dirt, as its organic and will break down. To recreate dirt fine grades of sand will do. And dont be afraid, grab all shapes and sizes of rocks and stone and sand. The variations of it all will make your bases more unique.

This happens to be my opinion, so i dont expect people to agree with me on this. Im really glad that i chose to find my own materials. Not only because i saved myself a lot of money, but because my bases will never look like anyone elses. That is to say, anyone who buys ballast, slate, and rocks and the like...its all uniform. So even if you mix tubs the material inside is still going to be uniform. Mine arent. I think that adds so much to them, and i appreciate them more because of it.


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I was really apprehensive to try and do any sort of basing with my models. It seemed like a daunting and time consuming task. But im going to show you how simple it really is. Then you'l kick yourself in the foot for not doing it sooner.

What you'll need:
- Base material - have in a bowl(found outside or purchased it doesnt matter. if you buy it, buy a few different kind)
- White glue and water (Elmers glue or something similar. You know, that stuff you use to eat as a kid. Or covered your hands in and then peeled it off as it dried. It was cool wasnt it?!)
- A cheap brush that you dont mind getting ruined (though it doesnt have to, you can simply clean it well)
- small container to mix and store the glue ( i use the plastic cups used for jello shots They also work great for mixing and storing paint with lids)
- Bases with or without models (you can always practice)
---If you plan on painting as well---
- A large brush
- Black paint
- Colors you wish to have your bases(at least three colors. shadow, midtone, and highlight)
- Hair dryer (this will speed up the drying time of the glue, and also when you wash the base in black. Major time saver here!)

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Step 1: In a small container pour in a small amount of water and then add in your glue. With cheap brush in hand, mix this up. The consistency i found to be best, is that when applied on the base, the glue should still appear to be white. If its cloudy or milk like, its too thin. Also, when its then it tends to puddle instead of stay on the base where you put it. This wont let your material stick well once the glue dries, and when you paint it will tend to fall off.

Step 2: With your cheap brush, spread the glue on the base, getting as close to the model as you can. It only takes a few seconds to do.

Step 3: Take your newly glue smeared base, and dip it right into your bowl of sand and rocks. Rotate the model around as you, moving the model back and forth as its buried beneath your material. Then simply take it out and set it aside.

Repeat steps 2 and 3 until you're done. What I will do is have a hairdryer running, and after im done with step 3, i put it under the hairdryer. I do this until I am finished. After a few times you'll get into the rhythm of it, and it goes quickly

Step 4: With the glue dry, tap your bases onto a paper plate or box to collect anything that falls off. And get ready to start painting!

Step 5: Youre now going to create a black wash. Take your chaos black, and add water to it until its like skim or fat free milk. And then, using a large brush, apply the wash to your base. The paint should flow easily onto the base and into the material. Its okay if it doesnt turn your base completely black, as long as it is very dark then it is fine. Be sure to mix a lot of this wash up!

Its time to pull that hair dryer out again because these need to be totally dry before you start to drybrush. Once they are, its time to really see the magic in all this.

Just a note. This is actually how i learned the proper way to drybrush. Because it really shows you just how little paint you need on your brush for this to work. Keep in mind that when you drybrush, you do not thin your paint at all, and your brush must by dry! Water is bad here.

Step 6: With your darkest shade of paint, get some on your brush. Wipe it off until you can barely tell there's any paint coming off. Then give a good drybrushing to all of your bases. When you're done, go a shade lighter and repeat. Do this will all the shades you plan on using.

For me and my models i did 7 shades(its up to you how many you do). I just mixed my colors(black, gray, white) as i went in each step. Also, by the time youre done doing each layer, your bases will be dry and you can go on to the next shade. On the last 2 shades of paint i used, i drybrushed 2 layers of them on before moving to the lighter color. This is just something i felt i needed to make them look better. Its not set in stone how many layers you do or what colors you use. Go until youre happy with it!

If you dont think youre getting enough paint on, go back to your paint, get it on your brush, wipe it off again and continue. I noticed that i could do 3 bases before needing more paint(with so little it dries quickly)

Also, with each successive drybrush layer, you use less pressure with the brush onto your base. Otherwise youre covering up all your other layers. Remember that!


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I think thats enough for one night! Enjoy! There's a lot more to share that ive learned and still am every day. Until then good luck with basing your models and I hope im help to at least someone out there. Its all worth it then.

Another method to base models is placing a small amount of plasticard on the sole of the feet (which lets the model stand on top of the rubble instead of trying to plough through it) and when the model is glued to the base get pva glue (wood glue) and just put a little bit of water so your able to control the movement and spread it all over the desired area, dip the model into your base materials and shake the excess of the model, after the pva glue has dried you can either get a few spots that you may have missed or increase the thickness of the texture. then get very watered down pva glue and spread it all over the base (this seals the rubble/sand so the paint can stick to it better and also gives a stronger bond) wait untill it dries and spray your models base coat and your done. (sorry for the bad wording)

the technique is longer but (imo) gives great rewarding results, sorry to add more wall'o'text to your blog but i thought with all the tips i could add some of my limited knowledge.

I want to see your improvements man! post some of your guard, it sounds like improving! post post!

I really like that idea of applying glue on top of your basing material after it has set. Im going to try that next time!

The karskin sergeant is my latest guard endeavor, but right now im doing an Ork Nob. Got it off a friend to give me the chance to practicing on something im not use to. Though its not perfect, I learned a lot about blending/feathering that I'll share once this blog is caught up.

Since a few people asked i'll post some of my guard. On the left was about the 4th "generation" that I painted. To the right is the newer style with a much better paint job. This time there's actually shadows, highlights, and detail work. All of which was left out of the "older" guard.

For some reason the lighting is really playing havoc on the sergeant(looks really odd in the pic). Im going to build a light box to get better photos. Just a note, in a previous post i mentioned primer causing a dusty look. These models are good examples(of poor prime job), though im not sure how noticeable it in in the picture.