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 again Dakka!

Today I got in a ton of Nice models I've been looking forward to painting for a while, and I'm looking to do a really good job on them, going for as good a display quality as I can.... but I seem to have psyched myself out. I've done all the cleaning, assembly and prep work, but I can't even bring myself to prime them for fear of messing it all up.

Any advice on helping me get back into the swing of things?

You don't know you'll mess them up unless you do. Patience and practice will help a lot. Also I suppose if you do mess up some of them you can always strip off the paint then try again.

I'm in the same boat you are, slowing working my way to painting them, still working on assembly right now, have a ton of models. I would suggust getting some garbage models that you could practice on. Ones you don't mind having to strip if need be, and that are the same type of army you plan to paint. That why you won't feel bad if you mess up, and not destroying your good ones.

That is what I plan on doing myself, hopefully should help you out. If you don't have any garbage models, just get a few off Ebay.

Take 5 models and set them aside for "testing".

Mark this models as expendable and have at it and then take what you learned and apply to your first real batch of models.

If you screw the paint up.. You can always strip it and start again.. Dive in and have as much fun as possible.. Maybe dont use that experimental technique you just learned unless you have it down, but slap some paint on it and smile.. if all else fails think like a ork, " 'ome red 'aint make it all 'etter"

Just go for it. I have painted all my figures 5 times over since I am never happy with it. I have improved tons since I started and I wouldn't have improved without just painting.

UnCool Villain wrote:Just go for it. I have painted all my figures 5 times over since I am never happy with it. I have improved tons since I started and I wouldn't have improved without just painting.

+1 to this.

I have squads in armies that I look at and if I could be bothered (and have on a few occassions) to would strip and repaint, just because my quality of painting while I was doing that army has improved.

Best way to paint and get rid of those nerves, is to just paint.

This may sound harsh but here it is;

Sack up, dude.

Start painting, and realize the following;

1. Your work will not be 'Eavy Metal. That takes years of dedication, practice and talent (and I have neither )

2. Nothing you do is irreversible. You can always strip your models and start over.

The best path to take is to just jump straight in, painting models you won't mind being slightly ashamed of after a few months of practice. I'm a bit upset at how badly I modelled my first box of marines (their poses are all copies of the AoBR models) but now I know better and what to do next time.
The best way to improve painting is practice, practice, practice, until the hand movements come easily. Looking at tutorials and how-to guides also help a little, but they pale in comparison to practice.

buy an airbrush because of the extreme thin application of paint you can never mess up...
its not easy to learn but if you keep trying you will figure it out

Most people will suck at painting at the beginning. just like most people will suck at drawing when they first held a pencil.

Just keep at it. I'm an art tutor now (so long, freelancing!) and what I always tell my students is that painting and drawing are skills, not talents. Talents, you are born with. Skills, you acquire them through practice. How can you have the necessary experience when you avoid the experience altogether? It is better to suck at first and get better later than to suck forever because you are afraid of sucking.

Just do it. Don't think! FEEEEEEEEEL.

Paint something metal first. Metal is easier to strip down if you mess up, so it'll be less of a loss! Keep painting and stripping until you find something that works for you.

Prime some of the unused parts on your sprues and do some test painting on them.

Practice makes perfect, I've been painting for just under a year now, I'm happy with how I paint, but it took a lot of attempts and researching techniques to know how to paint properly

Just give it a go