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For me, it's that thinned paints also means lighter brush strokes. For the longest time I kept dribbling watery paint all over the place and couldn't figure out why. I only painted alone, so all my knowledge came from online and no one seemed to mention that you need to just lightly touch with the tip, not really 'brush' outright as I'd been doing with thicker paint straight from the bottle. I was baffled as to how thinned paints were so awesome until I tried using very light strokes with only minimal contact, and it was night and day.

What's some stuff that everyone takes for granted that you only discovered later?

The use of inks, and thinning paints. My biggest frustration when I began was how my paint jobs didn't look so great compared to other people's. Then I friggin' went in to GW and basically told them I'm not leaving until I can paint half-decently.

Spent all day there, like 8 hours, and at the end of the day I acquired all the knowledge I needed about inks, layering, thinning paints, drybrushing, highlighting, damn! All these techniques changed my confidence and renewed my enthusiasm for the hobby, big time! They didn't mind my long stay that day and incessant questions, I bought a lot of new paints and inks, they were happy to tutor me.

That buying more stuff while you have unbuilt/unpainted models already is not a good idea... hell, i'd have been happy if I was warned that I would pour all my disposable income into miniatures games...

chaos0xomega wrote:
That buying more stuff while you have unbuilt/unpainted models already is not a good idea... hell, i'd have been happy if I was warned that I would pour all my disposable income into miniatures games...

This...don't bite off more than you can chew. It takes a very long time to build and paint when you have a job, wife and family.

skycapt44 wrote:
This...don't bite off more than you can chew. It takes a very long time to build and paint when you have a job, wife and family.

I find this statement to be very true. I tend to plan my next hobby projects at a much greater clip than I could ever execute them. Young children are relentless in their demands for your time. Diaper yourself, brats!

Also, I have spare internet browser time at my job, but I can't paint without the boss catching on to me.

Magnetize. You might think that your war gear is the ultimate configuration, but the rules and codex change. A small investment at the start will do wonders for the longevity of your models.

I wish someone would have told me to wait until my balls dropped..
Wait, what was the question again?

For me I think layering is one of the things I missed from the start but picked it up myself not too far into the hobby.

chaos0xomega wrote:
That buying more stuff while you have unbuilt/unpainted models already is not a good idea... hell, i'd have been happy if I was warned that I would pour all my disposable income into miniatures games...

I have two Russes sitting in shrink wrap still... x.x

It's been years but my biggest regret is still, the first time I went to my local gaming store, buying a big ass tube of official GW PVA glue, getting home, and realizing that I had just paid $15 for a $2 tube of Elmer's Glue.

Yeah I can help you with your army!300 figure's later where is Waldo and why am I the only one building someonelses army

Mold lines.

 Evertras wrote:

chaos0xomega wrote:
That buying more stuff while you have unbuilt/unpainted models already is not a good idea... hell, i'd have been happy if I was warned that I would pour all my disposable income into miniatures games...

I have two Russes sitting in shrink wrap still... x.x

Thats it? Over 200 Kroot, 3 broadsides, 20 dark reapers, 5 fire dragons, avenger strike fighter, 90 hormagaunts, 3 lictors, 3 tyrant guard, 6 bloodcrushers, 15 seekers, 3 plague drones, 10 bloodletters, 3 burning chariots of tzeentch, skull cannon of khorne, 15 shadow specters, 200 gnoblars, 18 ogre bulls, 12 ironguts, 4 mournfangs, ironblaster, etc. etc. etc. and thats just the 40K/Fantasy stuff that I can actually remember.

"Do not buy any GW glue."
Seriously, I feel like I've had to re-glue various body parts on all my orks atleast twice....

To not ignore the painting and modelling aspects of the hobby...

I just put the models together ASAP when I got them and never painted them.

Now I've learned the joys that come with finishing a paintjob and the how fun modelling is.

I'm currently highlighting/basing 50 Night lords (I'm on the 16th) and am moments away from finishing my Chaos Terminator Sorceror!

Not writing down my process.

Me: that turned out great!
<three weeks later>
Me: now how did I do that again??

Brillow80 wrote:
Not writing down my process.

Me: that turned out great!
<three weeks later>
Me: now how did I do that again??

So much this. Even now, I know I should, yet I still don't.

Brillow80 wrote:
Not writing down my process.

Me: that turned out great!
<three weeks later>
Me: now how did I do that again??

LOL I burned myself once with this, and got a pad to start recording my processes. I keep it in my paint box, can't tell you how many times it's saved my ass.

few things already been mentioned; not biting off more than you can chew. < this! I have 3 armies; orks, dark angels and skaven, all half painted, and with models still to be built.

And yet often cant help myself shopping for what is next.

Been eyeing up the FW ork Trucks with enclosed cab, and the half track one. Despite having a Mega dread, deff dread, 3 killa kans, squad of nobz, warbozz, burna boys, 20 deathwing termies, 10 ravenwing bikes, 2 landspeeders, 20-30 tactical marines, and a bunch of special chars to paint, Aswell as a landraider crusader and a predator still to build.
I clearly do not need those ork trucks to add to the list of to do...Ive got months and months of painting before I really need to be thinking about buying more figures... .... but those trucks are naice!

Another thing is the mold lines, careful removal of mold lines is something that often gets missed out by a beginner, and makes such a huge difference to the models overall look once painted.

Some one mentioned not buying GW glue. Too true! GW plastic glue especially; it does not 'weld' the 2 surfaces together as you would expect from poly cement. Im not sure why it doesnt, it is supposed to! Literally any other brand of poly cement will work a million times more effectively than the citadel stuff. And their superglue is a ripoff; its no better or worse than the cheapest Cyano-Acrylate glue you can find - many even come with a superior applicator for less £££

Lots of terrain is necessary for interesting games. Even if it's just stacks of books and cardboard boxes on the dining room table. Even if you think it might place you at a slight disadvantage.

Start with better paints.

Do not pick a cheap craft paint as the base color for your biggest army....

I would have killed for someone to tell me that the way to drill a hole for a standard flying base into a model was a 5/64" drill bit, not with sprue cutters...my poor tau...

Thin. Your. Paints.

Brown ink = liquid skill.

Also, a lighter basecoat may not be as grimdark, but you see small details much better. Small structures like buttons, badges and suchlike can be painted much more easily when you actually see them and don't have to assume them to be somewhere in that black on black, shadowed are somewhere between the armor and the shoota in front of it...

That painting basic eyes on humans starts with painting the socket black/dark then putting two white dots in the corners of the eye.
Not white sockets then a pinpoint pupil in black.
It's one of those insideout things that doesn't seem logical until you've tried it.

 Alex Kolodotschko wrote:
That painting basic eyes on humans starts with painting the socket black/dark then putting two white dots in the corners of the eye.
Not white sockets then a pinpoint pupil in black.
It's one of those insideout things that doesn't seem logical until you've tried it.

Not the method I use for quick (and good) eyes - there's a better way but that's probably for a different thread.

Similarly though, there are a lot of tricks I've learned over the years (like don't blend the highlight, blend in the shade*) that would have changed how I developed technique as a painter.

*: In most circumstances this saves a lot of time and effort.

 Eldarain wrote:
Mold lines.

^ THIS !!!!! ^

Make sure your regiments are based so they can form ranks without jamming into one another.

And on that note, make unit fillers.
Less bits to move around and a good look to most armies for little extra effort.

A Tyrannofex is NOT a good first MC to buy.

Painting wise, really thinning down paints is important, especially with the citadel's Im using.

this is going to cost alot of money...no seriously....a LOT of money....buget acordingly.....and don't mass buy.....paint as you go....take the time to learn the techniques, it's worth it in the end as they will look cool.....conversions are good but plan them, don't get halfway through and realise you've cut off something important....double check the instructions during assembly....putting turret mounts on backwards/upside down and gluing them is not conductive to appearance......