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Ok. So I've painted most of my army with no real regard to steps taken and just read through the "how to paint citadel miniatures" book. And from what I understand the steps are

Undercoat---base coat----wash---drybrush---layer

Just wanting to make sure I have this right for when I strip the models and start again properly with actually making my army "pretty" in mind.

Wash with water , primer, base, wash, then from here can vary some may seal thenpaint layers/ details. I usually wash with water, primer, base coat, shade/wash, drybrush, detial/layers, glaze, details' base ,seal. Then wash and detail if needed. Seal gloss, decals and matte/ gloss finish. Everyone has their own methods.

You have the basic process right, although I would skip the dry brushing.

As your painting skills evolve, dry brushing may become increasingly relegated to the back bench.

You don't want to dry brush everything...its not a necessary step for the majority of models. Dry brushing is useful for painting things like fur cloaks, chainmail, things where you dont have a lot of flat surface and most of the detail is modeled for you. Same with washing actually. You dont need to throw a wash on EVERYTHING. Though certainly more than drybrushing.

There's no consistent step by step/paint by numbers approach to painting. Each model has its own unique set of challenges that it presents and the best painters simply know what techniques to apply and when

 HeraldofDisease wrote:
Ok. So I've painted most of my army with no real regard to steps taken and just read through the "how to paint citadel miniatures" book. And from what I understand the steps are

Undercoat---base coat----wash---drybrush---layer

Just wanting to make sure I have this right for when I strip the models and start again properly with actually making my army "pretty" in mind.

This is just one way to do things. There are LOTS of different ways to paint your minis, and no real "right" way.

These Genestealers I painted today were base > drybrush > wash > drybrush for the majority of the model:


These Ultramarines I finished last week were base > wash > layer > highlight > highlight pretty much everywhere:


This Obliterator was base > wash > drybrush > highlights:


This Commissar was just layers, with maybe a wash here and there for depth:


These are four different processes with different results that all look good. If it looks good, that's all that matters. What do your models look like? Could you post some pictures?

I feel obligated to point out that the 'how to paint citadel miniatures' books and, more importantly, the entire idea that painting can be summed up as Base > Layer > Dry > Wash is a VERY simplistic way at looking at it.

For a beginner it is a good way to get started, but keep in mind that to really get better at painting you have to expand and try new things. Don't try to always follow a guide or step by step, try doing the dry before the wash, then the wash before the dry, then try without the dry at all, ect.

If you're happy with your results, and you didn't feel that a particular stage was difficult, what does it matter how you achieved them?

One day, my son, daughter and I sat down with a miniature each, and we painted them how we liked.
Up to that point I'd never seen pink Night Goblins or Cadians and their painting style is best described as 'enthusiastic', but the kids are happy with their efforts and so am I. Happy painters want to paint again!

There are as many painting techniques as there are painters, and almost every mini painter seems to have an Internet presence detailing exactly how they do things. Nowadays you really can pick and choose how you want to create a particular 'look', but in the end it comes down to you, your mini and your paints.

I've gone back to square 1 recently, as I was really unahppy with my painting.

I stumbled over this youtube channel and have learnt loads of Back to Basics tips and methods.

This Ork skin video is great!

 monders wrote:
I've gone back to square 1 recently, as I was really unahppy with my painting.

I stumbled over this youtube channel and have learnt loads of Back to Basics tips and methods.

This Ork skin video is great!

You're aware "this Youtube channel" is GW's official one, right? Their videos are actually really nice. I hope they continue.

Again, as stated above, tutorials can be invaluable when starting out painting. However, try not to get too hung up on "copying" other painters style. Instead you're better off adapting other styles to suit your own. I never watched a tutorial in my life, and while I don't think I'll ever win a golden demon, other gamers always comment on my minis so they can't be that bad. Lol.

You definitely develop your own style in time. There's no single "right" way of doing things when painting. Whatever works for you and you're happy, keep doing it. If you want to improve something, start experimenting! Its all about baby steps, at least it was for me. For example, I wanted better looking skin on my Cadians, as I wasn't happy with the basic GW "base, wash, layer" process I had been using. So, I started blending my paints and using a buff/bleached bone as the final highlight to get better skin tones. Now, I blend almost every color I use when painting a figure.

Well the wrong way is to have the paint too thick and block out the detail.

But the right way is such a broad spectrum that you'll pretty much figure it out easy.
As for drybrushing, I tend to use it to help with blending and weathering. Bases mostly too.
This was drybrushed a bunch, and the shading done with washes.


Not complete yet, but mixing up paints to drybrush with helped out with the shading on the pink.


OSL as well, drybrushing.


My daemons, I would paint the skin as a drybrush of grey and white first then use washes to glaze it and finally washes with a thin brush to add shading.



Actually that's the lazy way I do skin too. I'll base it, wash it then do a light drybrush of the base colour add a thinned wash then a very light drybrush of white.



Basically there's a large amount of techniques out there, how you use them will determine how good they are to you. However it's not to say it's wrong not to use techniques you don't like either. All that counts is that you are happy with the finished product and if you want to improve then work a little harder at it every model. Set yourself challenges and new techniques you'd like to try and give it a shot. But, don't overload yourself by trying too much at once either, little steps at a time and you'll surprise yourself when you look back at the models you've done before.

n0t_u is correct - the only "right" thing you should always do is thin your paints!

 AngularDeath wrote:
n0t_u is correct - the only "right" thing you should always do is thin your paints!

Unless using them to drybrush

Sorry couldn't resist!

that leads me into another question actually on the topic of "Dry paints" I JUST opened a dry paint I bought Reyzas Rust if I remember correctly. Instead of the powder like substance it looked like in the how to paint book it looked more like a gel. it was REALLY thick. Is that just a fluke in the proccess of making it or did I somehow mess up and un opened bottle? lol

I haven't tried the dry paints.

So in the first post you said that you had most of your army already painted.

You probably picked up a feel for the paint and the brush in doing so.

Are there things that you would do differently, are there things that worked for you?

The "how to paint" book is no substitute for just doing it.

This is your thing and the only right way is the way that works for you.

The only advice I would give is to watch the consistancy of your paint and don't buy everything GW tries to sell you.

 HeraldofDisease wrote:
that leads me into another question actually on the topic of "Dry paints" I JUST opened a dry paint I bought Reyzas Rust if I remember correctly. Instead of the powder like substance it looked like in the how to paint book it looked more like a gel. it was REALLY thick. Is that just a fluke in the proccess of making it or did I somehow mess up and un opened bottle? lol

 Brother SRM wrote:

 monders wrote:
I've gone back to square 1 recently, as I was really unahppy with my painting.

I stumbled over this youtube channel and have learnt loads of Back to Basics tips and methods.

...

You're aware "this Youtube channel" is GW's official one, right? Their videos are actually really nice. I hope they continue.

I am yeah, I just didn't think to mention it!

Agreed. It's really well shot, well explained and the lack of advanced techniques really appeals to me.

"Remember, it's always better to use a few thin coats than one thick coat" is the new Hail Mary.

edited for formatting silliness. TWICE.

 HeraldofDisease wrote:
that leads me into another question actually on the topic of "Dry paints" I JUST opened a dry paint I bought Reyzas Rust if I remember correctly. Instead of the powder like substance it looked like in the how to paint book it looked more like a gel. it was REALLY thick. Is that just a fluke in the proccess of making it or did I somehow mess up and un opened bottle? lol

The 'drybrush' paints are supposed to be gel-like, the idea is that it doesn't soak into the bristles of your brush like a regular paint and so require wiping clean before you drybrush with it.
Because you take out less paint from the container, you'll need to wipe off less (if any at all) and because it's such a thick consistency it shouldn't run into places you don't want it to.

When I use drybrush paints I just stroke the bristles across the surface of the paint, and then once across a tissue to remove any excess, before using it.
If I don't transfer enough paint to the mini this time round I just repeat the process - it's far easier to add more paint that to take off any excess.

So yeah, I don't think there's anything wrong with the paint, it's just that you're unfamiliar with it.
Before you commit yourself to using it on a finished mini I recommend testing it on something textured - the edges or surface of a base would do.

 Chrissy_J wrote:

 HeraldofDisease wrote:
that leads me into another question actually on the topic of "Dry paints" I JUST opened a dry paint I bought Reyzas Rust if I remember correctly. Instead of the powder like substance it looked like in the how to paint book it looked more like a gel. it was REALLY thick. Is that just a fluke in the proccess of making it or did I somehow mess up and un opened bottle? lol

The 'drybrush' paints are supposed to be gel-like, the idea is that it doesn't soak into the bristles of your brush like a regular paint and so require wiping clean before you drybrush with it.
Because you take out less paint from the container, you'll need to wipe off less (if any at all) and because it's such a thick consistency it shouldn't run into places you don't want it to.

When I use drybrush paints I just stroke the bristles across the surface of the paint, and then once across a tissue to remove any excess, before using it.
If I don't transfer enough paint to the mini this time round I just repeat the process - it's far easier to add more paint that to take off any excess.

So yeah, I don't think there's anything wrong with the paint, it's just that you're unfamiliar with it.
Before you commit yourself to using it on a finished mini I recommend testing it on something textured - the edges or surface of a base would do.

ah. ok. thanks for clarifying that. in the book it looked like a powder. lol. had me VERY confused.