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I have never painted in my life, other than finger paints but thats a different story, and i own the space marines side of Black Reach.

I dont know how to start painting, what all is needed, blah blah blah.

After watching some youtube videos on HOW TO PAINT 40K MODELS ive gotten mixed results, like one for example that states if your going to paint gray plastic models dont worry about spray painting them. is this a good idea?

When your starting painting, 1 what kind of spray paint is used? do you just cover the entire model in the spray paint? whats the difference in painting plastic and metal? what are washes?

Literally speak regular English to me. I dont know how to do any of this but i would LOVE to get into painting.

I want to make a SPACE WOLF army, but with my own custom scheme.

Please and thank you for your help and sorry for the stupid questions.

Ok here's my advice.

Always undercoat your models with some kind of spray paint. I've had great results with Army Painter, but its expensive at 10 bucks a can. Results may vary with cheaper brands of primer. I fully assemble my models, trim them down etc, finish the bases with sand or whatever I want and paint them all at once with white primer.

I apply it from 4 different sides or so to fully coat the model, but I'm careful to not spray it on too heavy as I don't want to gum up the fine details of the model with primer, I just want a good surface for the paint to adhere to. Paints don't adhere well to unprimered models. As for metal vs plastic, there really isn't too much difference if you've got them primed. You always want to trim the mold lines off the model with a hobby knife or a file, and I do this before and after I prime them because it's easy to miss some of the mold lines.

Most colors look best with a white undercoat, but grey is useful too and metallic colors look best painted over black (guns, chainmail etc). I've never tried grey primer so I really can't say if it's better than white. I'd say its personal preference unless there's some specific effect you're going for.

Once you primer your models the number one piece of advice I can give is to always thin your paint. If you just slop paint on thickly right out of the pot, you will obscure the finer details on the model and it looks crappy when it dries. A lot of the citadel line of paints have a waxy luster when they dry and it looks especially bad if its applied too thickly.

The best thinner I've found is isopropyl alcohol/rubbing alcohol, which lowers the viscosity of the paint and lets it dry in thin layers while getting good, even coverage. Water also works but not as well in my experience. You need about a 1:1 ratio of paint to thinner. I use a dropper to get precise amounts from the alcohol bottle, drop it into a bottlecap or something and mix the paint into it with my brush. Sometimes it takes a bit of trial and error to get the ratio just right for the paint, as not all paints are created equally.

Washes are paints that are thinned down even more than the 1:1 ratio. You might have 2-4 drops of thinner to one drop of paint. This lets the paint flow into the cracks and crevices of the model while not covering the raised parts or large surface areas. You want to do this to create the illusion of depth, shadows, dirt, oil etc.

This is really key to getting great looking models and its a fairly easy technique once you get the hang of it. This will require some experimentation on your part but you can achieve some really cool effects with a simple wash. Inks are similar to a wash, but have an inky luster to them when they dry. They're best uses for glazes or other special effects to make a paint stand out a bit more, like an especially glossy shield or piece of armor etc.

As far as paints go, the citadel line is expensive but generally pretty good. The foundational line are what you want to use for the primary colors of your space wolves, like their armor. The foundation line has higher prigment and a really nice finish IMO. I also use a wide variety of other brands of paint, such as vallejo color (good value for the money), testors model master and tamiya color. The testors and tamiya paints are probably more suited to military model kits you wont game with, but they sometimes have a nicer finish and tend to be cheaper. There's no reason you have to use citadel paints for everything and in some cases there are better choices.

Well welcome to the hobby, painting is super fun and it is an awesome feeling to have miniatures you've painted displayed on the table. All you need is some patience and practice. Don't expect to have Games Workshop quality paint jobs at first, but don't get discouraged either. Just remember to thin that paint.

Thanks, this actually helps out alot. Still watching videos and alot of what your saying filled in the empty spaces the videos dont tell you.

Welcome!
Personally I'd suggest using black undercoat. Yes you will get a brighter overall finish to your model but white can be a pain to cover. Washes are paints that are really thinned down, the idea is that the paint only collects in the the folds/joints. Citadel do washes which should work for you. Aim for a tidy finish, forget about trying to get a professional finish. A selection of brushes: 1 for fine detail, 1 for general coverage and 1 muckspreader! For big areas/tanks. Needle files for getting rid of mold lines. 1 very sharp modelling knife for cutting your fingers as well as models. Sprue clippers.

Since ive seen how just using the gray plastic models without spray painting work out, would it be a bad idea to base coat the models with something like CHAOS BLACK then work over that?

Ive watched a full series of how to paint space marines and he just painted over the plastic model without spray painting, and just started off painting them regal blue, end product looked great.

( im going to use my fantasy models as "test dummys" since i dont play fantasy at all, we all bought fantasy models but never started playing so i figured why not )

The problem with the internet tutorials is that everyone thinks they're right. Sometimes they just ain't!

Pop over to Awesomepaintjob on youtube. Les is a gifted painter, and has some really good step by step videos. He also has a few lessons on theory and brush use.

Watch those!

You might find he uses paint ranges other than GW. That's fine, it's all the same stuff. That said though, don't go for bargain basement paint. You'll get bargain basement finishes. Popular makes are Vallejo, Reaper, P3 and Citadel.

Once you've got your paint, the model needs to be primed. Acrylic paint forms something akin to a plastic layer. It has pigments that provide the colour, binder that creates the coating, and a medium that carries the other 2 parts and evaporates to give you your coat of paint.

This plastic layer needs to grip onto something, or it's just going to rub off. WHat it needs is primer. Primers are designed to bond to metal and plastic in a way that regular acrylics cannot. They are important! Again, try not to go for bargain bin primer. You get what you pay for. That doesn't mean go expensive, but it does mean sticking to recommended brands.

I assume you know how to spray - if you don't there's plenty of tutorials! Anything that looks bizarre is generally not something you should be trying though. Just spray it on in thin coats.

Next up - Paint job. To begin with, just experiment with the paint. Paint it from the pot onto a surface and see how it behaves. It dries quickly. As it dries, it forms a skin. If you try to push the paint around when it's starting to dry, you end up with a nasty rough almost lumpy finish. Try it on some card and see.

To avoid this, we meed to thin the paint. Just a little. Everyone says the consistency of milk is the best. Pretty vague huh? Again, have a play with getting the paint and water amounts correct. See how the paint reacts at different thicknesses. The more diluted it is, the thinner the layers and the smoother they are, but too dluted and the paint will go everywhere. Nightmare! You will get a feel for knowing how thick the paint needs to be.

We dilute with water, as the paints are water based acrylic. There are other products out there for thinning, but they can be played with further down the line.

For the time being, that's it. Just concentrate on keeping it neat. Try not to load up your brush too much, or paint will go everywhere, again, just experiment.

after that, go paint one up and post it here and we can offer a few more tips!

Remember, no one ever went pro overnight.

I normally just use cheap mat black spray paint and only give each models a light spray dry brush with bolt gun met then use a very watered down colour of your choice and build up the colour from there. I have had some pretty cool results doing this for my DoC army they have a metalic green look to them rather than the solid green of dark angels. Its all dependant on the colours you will be using, as you said you want a space wolf type army so i dont know what effect the painting over bolt gun met with a light colour would be like.

gloomygrim wrote:
I normally just use cheap mat black spray paint and only give each models a light spray dry brush with bolt gun met then use a very watered down colour of your choice and build up the colour from there. I have had some pretty cool results doing this for my DoC army they have a metalic green look to them rather than the solid green of dark angels. Its all dependant on the colours you will be using, as you said you want a space wolf type army so i dont know what effect the painting over bolt gun met with a light colour would be like.

What i mean is i will be playing SW but the color scheme will be my own. not like what the codex shows the models as. but a personal look.

Slipknotsomeone wrote:

gloomygrim wrote:
I normally just use cheap mat black spray paint and only give each models a light spray dry brush with bolt gun met then use a very watered down colour of your choice and build up the colour from there. I have had some pretty cool results doing this for my DoC army they have a metalic green look to them rather than the solid green of dark angels. Its all dependant on the colours you will be using, as you said you want a space wolf type army so i dont know what effect the painting over bolt gun met with a light colour would be like.

What i mean is i will be playing SW but the color scheme will be my own. not like what the codex shows the models as. but a personal look.

Any ideas in mind? We may be able to offer some advice as to paints and technique.

I would also strongly advise that you use a primer coat, even on plastic models.

One thing to note though, is that spray painting models isn't as easy as it looks. There are a few things you need to be aware of.

1.) Not too far, not too close.
If you go too close, the paint will build up and run and it will obscure your details. If you go to far, the paint will dry in midair and you'll get a rough texture on your model from the droplets.

The second issue is worse than the first. With a thick coat, you may lose details, but you'll still have an even surface to paint on. Once you get that textured finish from spraying too far, it's really hard to get it to look right from there.

2.) Not too fast, not too slow
You want an even motion back and forth, and you want to spray in bursts. If you go too fast, you won't get much coverage with each pass and you'll end up doing more passes than needed.

If you go too slow, the paint will build up and run and obscure details and look really thick on the model.

3.) You need good lighting
Trust me on this. After the paint dries on your first coat, you want to make sure that your coverage is even and smooth. Without good lighting, you'll miss spots that you won't find out about until you're halfway through painting.

4.) Even with all this, you'll get it wrong
It took me about 12 cans of spray paint to get the technique down and made every single mistake that I've warned you against. Most disappointingly, my Warboss got that textured finish from spraying too far away.

Other than that, the best advice I can give you is to dive in and try it out. Be aware that your first few models may not look great, but that's ok. They're stepping stones to getting better.

For this reason, I would paint some of your regular units first. Once you've gotten better, then start on your special units, like your Captain or your Dreadnought.

I did the same thing you did. I watched videos and read tutorials for a solid month before my models arrived in the mail and then again for 3 weeks while waiting for my paints.

Once I got them, I just started painting. You'll figure all this out as you go, so don't worry about it and just enjoy it.

Remember, there are no stupid questions ... however, there are many bad examples.

Don't feel bad about asking questions, we all started somewhere.

I always prime my figures, whether they are plastic or metal. All of the gaming companies sell primer, but I've found that regular auto primer or even the Rustoleum/Krylon camo colors work very well.

Black is probably the most popular primer color followed closely by white. I like to find something a little darker than my intended base color, so I've used camo dark green, camo khaki and browns, black and white, light and dark greys, etc. Lots of colors to choose from and less expensive than your hobby brands.

If you have the money, you might want to break out a couple of test figures and try out different primer colors and see what works best with your planned scheme.

For the record, I use Ace primer, but that's just because I shop there. Any spray primer should work fine as long as it's specifically listed as primer.

And I chose white because the store doesn't have any black.

I use a cheap $1.97 grey primer spray from wal-mart. It's been decent if you follow the following steps.

#1 KEEP the spray more than 4 inches and LESS than 7 inches for the sweet spot where it goes on evenly.

#2 Shake the can every 30 seconds or this stuff clumps up good.

#3 Once no more paint comes out quit trying to shake it and get more out. You'll get a little, but it is prone to clumping on the model. For $2 a can you can't beat it.

I only use the spray primer on tanks though. For model figures I use a blend of Medium Gesso mixed with Air brush paint and thinned with a little water. It is Da Bomb, when it come to getting into all the cracks and crevices of a SW model.

You can find Gesso at any hobby or art store. It is expensive at $18 a bottle, but one bottle will cover over 100-150 models and then some.

Just remember, that this is your first rodeo. You arent going to get results like some of the professionals, but as you go you will pick up techinques that work for you and some that dont. My step by step is as follows :

Assemble the model. Use clippers to remove the components from the sprue. Use a sharp hobby knife to remove and mold lines & flash from the model. On plastic models you can use some super glue (or plastic glue if you have it) to put the model together. Some people paint all the componenets and then assemble, some people assemble the model completely before painting. Do whatever works for you. Painting then assembling will allow you to get into all the recess with a paint brush much easier, while assembling and painting will create a stronger glue bond to your model.

Prime - There are all kinds of primers out there, and everyone will tell you that what they use is best. I personally use either the citadel primer or armypainter. They are expensive, but I havent had any problems out of them yet. As for the color of primer, well that is up to you. I have found that the color I prime with is a direct result of what color my models will be. If it is a bright color (yellow / bright green / etc) then I will prime white. If it is a darker blue or purple then I will prime black, if it is something neutral like a brown then I will prime grey. You can also get an armypainter sprayprimer that is colored to pretty much whatever you want. On my Tyranids they are mostly bone colored, so I prime them in bone colored armypainter primer. Saves me alot of time. When actualy priming the model, make sure that you do it in a well ventilted area. Also if you are priming outside, make sure that it isnt extremely hot, extremely cold, or that there isnt alot of moisture in the air. These conditions can cause disasterous effects on the spray finish. You dont want to hold the can right up on the models, or the paint will go on too thick and obscure your details, but if you hold the can too far away it makes it difficult to get a good even coverage of paint. I try to hold the can about 1 - 1.5 feet away from the models. When spraying make sure to move the can in a fluid motion, and dont let the spray just sit there and hit the same model in the same area for a long period of time. Let the primer fully dry before painting your model.

Paint - This is where you just have to experiment. Get some good paints (citadel, vallejo, reaper) as they are specificaly made for miniature painting. As you paint you will naturaly see what consistency you like to paint with. Keep a water bottle with a dropper close by, so that you can put a couple drops in the paint pots at a time until you reach a consistence you like. Once you find what you like to work with, you should know roughly how many drops of water you need to add to a new pot of paint in order to get the consistency you like. At first I would just focus on getting the colors from the brush to the model. As you go you will develop brush control, allowing you do manipulate the brush better. A good easy approach to painting models is to lay down a basecoat of color. Drybrush the model with a highlight color, and then wash the model with a shade color. This will give you shading in the recesses, and highlights on the raised portions. You can find all sorts of tutorials on the web for how to drybrush, so I wont go into that here.

Baseing - get creative. Use some watered down PVA (elmers) glue and apply it to the base. Dip the base in sand and let it dry. After it dries you can put a basecota of paint directly on the sand. I usualy basecoat, then heavy drybrush a highlight, and then lightly drybrush another highlight. The you can go back and put some little spots of glue and add rocks, or grass, or whatever. Only limitation is your imagination.

After it is all done you can either put a protective coat of varnish on your odel to protect the paintjob, or you can leave it base. Its up to you. Personaly I dont, simply because I have not once seen the need to varnish the miniatures, but some people swear by it.

As you go you will develop your own style of painting, and you will better be able to utilize the various tutorials around the web. The main thing is that you enjoy what you do, and always strive to make the next mini better than the last.