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In my quest to start painting ( and maybe getting good at it ) and after my first priming problems, I hit the next little snafu: Shields. Please note that my current goal is a decent tabletop quality, as I don't think I'm capable of too fine details as of right now.

So here are a bunch of pics of my current experiments, as I don't really know what to aim for right now. Also, the skeletons are supposed to be a raggedy bunch, so different designs all over.

My best design imho. Silver with color drybrushed.


Eeeeh, need tips on making it better. Maybe has potential.


Terrible. Looks like plastic. Help?


Group photo


So, what do you guys have for me ( other than "lol crappy job dude" pretty please )?

I think it would really help if you put a solid base color on. It looks like both colors are either drybrushed or thinly applied. In some cases you might just have to wait a bit and put on a second coat of the solid, to get rid of streaks or the black primer showing through, and then drybrush the highlights you're going for.

If you want to keep that black in the background of the shield then keep doing that, OR you could pick up some armor wash, or nuln oil, something black and ink or wash. And then hit it with the solid colors, put your wash on top of that so it adds some darkness to it, then drybrush the top layer.

Other than that, as you keep experimenting with your color schemes and how you want to paint shields, you'll eventually find the method and the colors that work for you man!

Hmmmm I will try a few of your suggestions, starting with the black ink on the solid colored shield. Maybe it will get the plastic look off?

It will probably help a bit, like I said, a good solid base color without stuff showing through can help a lot as well, then when you ink and drybrush it won't look muddled. Be sure not to apply too much wash thoough! That can leave behind lines from where the edge of the wash was thicker etc etc.

Use a flat black primer and work from there. Using dark colors as the base and building on that with lighter. Dry brushing is your best buddy when starting out.

Just a note, the muddy look is probably caused by a brown wash I applied too thick ( example picture 2 ) [Vallejo Umber Shade Wash].

Anyway, thanks a ton for the advice so far, every comment is always welcome. Will start experimenting some more