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.

Hello all !

So yeah, I just started painting a little while ago and while I don't think it's that bad, I would love advices about what needs improvement.
The lighting wasn't optimal so here's how it goes. I'll take pictures in daylight next time. Or with a better setting.

Out of hundreds of minis, here's the 4 painted models I own haha
Every comments welcomed =)

No real advice because I'm not very good myself.

They look pretty decent for a beginner though.

Quick question about the Imperial Guard is his armour and clothing the same colour? Or is it just the lighting?

Just the lighting. The armor is a dark grey and the clothing are black with highlights of blue. I will try to get better lighting next time.

I can see it now I am looking for it just hard to see with the lighting.

Im much the same out of everything I own this is all I have painted.



I'm not even sure if I would consider a single one of them finished.

The way you were talking i was expecting something very different. I think they look great for your first miniatures!

Good:
It looks like you've got thinning your paints under control, you are getting a nice coat of paint on the model without blocking up details with paint gunk. That's something that some painters take a long time to get the hang of.

You've also got good brush control, the paint work is very neat and tidy. You've not splodged paint over the lines and that's something that some painters never seem to master.

Could Improve:
It's not paint related but being diligent with flash removal can make a huge difference to the finished look of a model. Looks like you've mad e a good start but i can see the odd bit that could use tidied, you might want to look into that for future models.

I think your models are great tabletop quality but if you are wanting to go above tabletop levels then i'd suggest not using washes as your last coat. I love washes but they are most effective if you use them after your base coat but before highlighting. What you wan to achieve is:
Base > Shade > Highlight
Your base colour is your standard to work from, the more levels of shading you apply the more depth you achieve. Washes are a great way to get these depths. After you apply them you should go to your highlights and bring that base colour up to show where the light is bouncing off of the piece.
If you are going to do your highlighting before washing that's called dipping and can turn up some really cool results. If you want to do things that way then go in quite heavy with your highlights and colours because they are going to drop a lot after the wash/dip.

Have you tried drybrushing yet? If you aren't interested in painstakingly highlighting your minis then drybrushing can get a nice effect very quickly and adds some texture too.


I've got links to some video tutorials, pm me if you would like a look. Some of it is quite basic but it's good to see it laid out in front of you.

I hope that helped, i'm no expert but those are the things that seemed clear enough to me to comment on. Your doing a great job so far!

@ carlos13th :

Your doing good so far =) Keep up the good work

@ Casey's Law :

Thanks for the infos =)
Sometimes the wash is the last coat, sometimes not =P I still need to figure out what I prefer.
I did used drybrushing, but it's not heavy drybrushing and the lighting does not do justice to the real colors =(



Thanks again for the comments !

You colorwork is solid, and looks good with the use of the washes. But your models look... fuzzy? Are you using a Matte Varnish of some kind to finish the models when you're done? If it's not that then you might just need to add a bit of water to your paints when you're painting to smooth em' out a little bit.

Those are a helluva lot better than the first four models I did. Watching a couple YouTube videos on painting technique and perusing the forums a bit will help you start making good models into great models.

And we're always around for help.

I am not using any varnish no.
Could it be the lighting =P ?
What do you mean fuzzy ? =P
So thinning paints with water would make the surfaces smoother ?
If so, how do I know what ratio of paint/water is good ?

Thin paints is the way to go. I normally put a couple of brush-loads onto a palette, then dip (don't swirl) my brush in clean water and lift water to paint and mix it in. This is normally enough to thin it a little. You get good coverage, it doesn't destroy smaller details and leaves no brush marks in the paint!
Do this with a base colour, then a wash, then a highlight or drybrush, but these are seriously good, especially for a beginner!

Keep up the good work mate!

Fuzzy as in I can see the texture of the paint on the models. It's mainly on your metals, so it may be that you were layering on the metallics a bit thick and they were drying as you did so. But if you look at the ork in particular you can see the little speckles along his skin and across his back.

As to thinning the paint, that is the hardest thing I can think of to teach. Adding a bit of water to the paint each time you go to get more paint on your brush is a good way to get smoother paint on the model, eliminating brush strokes and helping to blend things better. The problem is finding that perfect consistency.

What I usually recommend is each time you go to get more paint, you dab the tip of your brush in your water, then spin the brush in the paint on your pallet to thin the paint out a little, then go to painting.

It sounds sort of weird, but it keeps your paint from drying out on you, and helps keep things smooth. It's not a big deal on orks. But on Marines, Guardsman, and soon Infinity Models, it can make a big difference. If you look at my Haqqislam, I use the Foundation paints a lot because they have really high pigment (and I like the colors), but after going over the model once in whatever color I'm using as my brightest color, I do a final, more watered down coat to smooth things out and get rid of any brush strokes. On bright, low coverage colors like Oranges, Reds, Yellows, and Whites, you may have to do a few coats before you get a nice bright final layer. There are some tricks of course, usually with Foundation and other high-pigment paints, and a lot of them are pretty easy.

Thanks for everything guys !
Constructive comments are always appreciated =)

Just need to master thinning my paints in time for the contest =P

It takes a good bit of practice. Eventually you'll figure it out and it'll be second nature, trust me.

When I was first learning how to paint, I drybrushed everything. I was playing Nids, so it worked pretty well.

Then I got a job working for the compnay, and drybrushing everything wouldn't cut it anymore. The thing is, I didn't learn crap from the way they explained how to paint. I sat down, watched other people, stared at already painted models, and read a little bit... and slowly things started to take shape and make sense.

You'll get in a groove for sure.

I'm not expecting much from my painting right now =P

I know it will get better with time. Well, I hope so =)


Thanks again !

Not bad at all! Leaps and bounds beyond where I was when I started. Only thing I see which could be improved is the edge-highlighting. They look a little plain right now. You may also want to experiment layering and mixing your colors to bring up the tones.

Overall they're very good for your first models. However, on your BA there is serious pooling and streaking from your wash (can't tell if it's black or devlan mud). If you wash the entire model, you really need to dry bush or layer your base coat color back on afterwards, but stay away from the areas you want shaded. This will not only cover the pools and streaks in the areas you don't want them, but it will give the figure more depth by creating distinct shadow and mid tone colors. Edge highlighting afterwards will really make it pop.

Von Skyfury wrote:So thinning paints with water would make the surfaces smoother ?
If so, how do I know what ratio of paint/water is good ?

Always always always thin your paints! Just put a blob of paint on your palette (which doesn't have to be a fancy artists accessory, it could just be a bit of cardboard) and then add a bit of water and mix the two. You want to aim for about the consistency of milk - not thick like the paints straight out of the pot, and not quite as thin as water... but close!

It will take three or four coats of most colours to get a solid finish with thinned paints, but the end result is much better

Thanks a lot ! Very appreciated =)

Kaldor wrote:

Von Skyfury wrote:So thinning paints with water would make the surfaces smoother ?
If so, how do I know what ratio of paint/water is good ?

Always always always thin your paints! Just put a blob of paint on your palette (which doesn't have to be a fancy artists accessory, it could just be a bit of cardboard) and then add a bit of water and mix the two. You want to aim for about the consistency of milk - not thick like the paints straight out of the pot, and not quite as thin as water... but close!

It will take three or four coats of most colours to get a solid finish with thinned paints, but the end result is much better

Agreed, but try not to use cardboard. It will soak up the water in the paint and dry them out super fast. It can also leech stuff out of the cardboard. Try and get yourself a bit of ceramic tile to work on. Most people have one or twelve left over from bathroom projects, but a trip to Home Depot or any other warehouse store can net you a good sized tile (I like 8x6's) for like... two bucks.

White is obviously the best, but offwhite is alright too, anything where you can clearly see what you're mixing. If it has a nice glaze over it, it'll make it easier to clean the paint off of if and whatnot. And if you break it... go spend another couple o' bucks.

Thanks for the advices !
I got a nice white ceramic tile so I'll give thinning a try this weekend =)
I'll also try more highlighting... will see how it comes up.

Hey guys !

Here's an update !
I tried thinning my paints using a ceramic tile...it works great =D
I'm just not experienced enough right now to try multiple layers to get specific tones.
Some colors are sooo much easier to use now =)

I gave edge highlighting a try... I think it worked just fine for a first try =)
Just gotta do more to get better now.

Here's an other Blood Angel tactical marine.
Pardon the quality of the shots =(
I was a bit in a hurry.
Tell me what you think !
And there's even an extra ! =P

Oh yeah, that is definitely a step in the right direction. Glad to see you're taking the advice to heart.

Remember that edge highlighting and the like can be applied to metals and the like too. The bolter of the marine looks good with the wash, but it's a big chunk of metal that could use some breaking up. You could paint the upper half of the bolter the color of the armor, or black, or some other color, and it'll break up the block of silver a bit and add a lot to the model.

Thanks a lot for the advices ! =D
Much appreciated

Thin down you paints with alittle water so they roll on smoother for the secondary coats like detailing and layering. Also I'm pretty sure you're not using really fine detail brushes. If you get some, make sure you keep them clean with cleaner like Pink Soup. Your painting will improve within moments considering you have better tools.

For the Most part, you're doing pretty well so far. Keep it up.

Use a black wash on the metal.

I did wash the metal (if my memory is right)
might not look like it on the picture =P

I'll have to check that at home.

You definitely washed the metal, I can tell in the picture. It really makes the bolter's form pop out.

What I was saying now was that you might need to do some more to it to further break up the block of silver that commands the center of the model.

My answer was directed at Drew14's advising to use a wash =P
Thanks Chem, I will definitely try what you suggested earlier =)

Instead of the tile you should try a wet pallet, in your pics it looks like your paints were starting to dry before you got it to the mini.

Google wet pallet and you will see they are easy to make and you will never not use one once you try it.

Plus you will save money in paint as you don't waste hardly as much with a WP. I still have some abaddon black on mine from about a week ago and i bet i could give it a quick stir and it would be ready to go.