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Hello Dakka Dakka,

I am a painting novice in the game and I have no idea how I should paint my models. I have painted a majority of my models for my own personal chapter of Space Marines. I now have my Dark Vengeance models and I want to paint them with a good quality and GW paints. What are the very basics for painting and I also need to know basic brush care and maintenance.

Thank you guys very much.

DiRTWaL

Quite a lot is trial and error i find, things like consistency of paint are really a personal preference, some like to paint with almost water and pigment, some like thicker heavier paint. i would suggest in this instance that youtube is your friend.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDPWYLvlcsA

also regarding brushes
http://www.jacksonsart.com/images/product/AMS3.JPG
is a really good product but just cleaning brushes with water and making sure you leave them in a nice shape that you would like to see them when you return is pretty much all you need.

A pretty good place to start is http://howtopaintminiatures.com/
It's very informative and easy to follow at any skill level.

Painting them to a good quality with gw paints? LOL haha i kid. Best thing I could say to use with gw paints is a medium... screw water, :3 paint doesnt loose any coverage, and is super smooth jut what I do but than again I thin VMA :3

Go out and buy a metal mini -- you'll need the forgiveness only acetone can provide for what I'm about to tell you.

Prime with rattle-can gloss red spraypaint (you're playing BA, right? Oh, Dark Angels? Same deal.) Then slop the thickest acrylic paint on that you can possibly find, without thinning, and try to wet-blend everything on the model. If you're so inclined, try your hand at making your own wash with that really thick paint and just slather it over the mini like it's a dirty puppy. Then finish with a frosted varnish, 'cause that's what they had at the craft store and you didn't know any better.

Congrats, you've just ruined your first mini. Now you can stop worrying about being awful at painting, 'cause nothing you'll ever do will be THIS bad. When you feel you're good enough to repaint the mini, soak it in acetone and brush it with a toothbrush and start over.

If you're going to stick with GW paints and brushes, then I would recommend you go ahead and purchase GW's "How to paint miniatures" book and DVD. Personally, I have no actual GW paints left in my collection. The two Citadel Paints I have left are from the old line made by Coat D'Arms. They must be nearly 20 years old and still usable. My paints are Vallejo or Army Painter. I like the dropper bottles. One word of advice: If you're a novice to painting, you are not going to get 'Eavy Metal quality of painting out of your efforts. It just won't happen. Don't let that dissuade you from doing your best. Get some decent quality brushes for detail work, you can use cheap/old brushes for basecoating.