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Okay, my first shot at one of the Ork Boy bosses! I'm still really rusty when it comes to painting, so tips are very welcome~

Not to state the obvious, but better pictures would be helpful. I think your camera's good, but try either a black, white, or gray background with no wood grain around (it always gives a brown-ish sheen to whatever you're photographing). Natural light is the best, but florescent light works too.

I wouldn't say your painting was rusty; he's looking very good so far. As Eledamris mentioned though, the darkness of the photo isn't making the painting ever so clear.

the colours seem to be neat, the detail isn't, as far as I can see, being drowned out by very thick paint. Carry on with the good work

Changed the lighting up a bit, and what does dakka recommend to thin paints? I've got some folks saying water, and others say to use the dun dun duuun paint thinner?

Just water is fine (unless it's really hard), though many like a drop of flow-improver too when thinning alot to keep the seperation in check. For a smooth basecoat you should only need enough water to break the tension so it flows smoothly and levels out on the pallete. Uber-thinning is only needed when layering, glazing and juicing. More important is how little you have on the brush when painting.

Pure white backdrops are usually a bad idea, as you cam will compensate for the reflected light and you will get a very dark foreground image. Using a black one is easier to get good results, and you should experiment with different colours and observe how they affect the hues. A non-reflective cloth is good place to start instead of printed paper and what not.

There's no need to use thinner unless you're working with enamels or oils. Standard craft and model acrylics thin just fine with water for normal use, but as Orki said, you won't want to thin them much. Flow aid is optional, but if you want your pigment spread thin without it ceasing to function as paint, you'll need to add some acrylic matte medium to the mix.

Doesn't look like you're having too much trouble with paint thickness, though. Still, it's good to know.

As for this particular model, I still can't get a good sense of the skin from these pics, but it's looking pretty good, generally. You've got enough variation in the metals to keep it interesting without falling into the "overly busy patchwork" trap. The fur collar is looking a bit flat, though. I'd suggest a black wash, followed by a drybrush of your current color. That should really help make the texture pop. Best of luck improving your camera-fu! I know mine is pretty weak...

Ah, thanks for the tips guys, fur is not my forte

The pics really don't do it justice, I'm just a really bad photographer