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So, I finally got around to painting! And I'm practicing my painting on the Dark Angels from the Dark Vengeance set that I got over a year ago and I expected to run into problems since it is my first time painting... but, I think I can identify what my problems are, I just don't know how to improve

Anyway, here was my marine after cutting down mould lines with a hobby knife:



Then, after priming. I didn't try and prime in the nooks and cranies because I read it was better to leave a little bit of plastic than to go into all the corners with the spray, etc. - it didn't seem to have any averse effect on the paint sticking...



This is the basecoat after 3 layers with Caliban Green (3 because of the white - if I was doing it again I'd go for grey I think)



As you can see its pretty blotchy and uneven. I did thin my paints down, to as close as a 1:1 ratio as I could estimate, but I still found it was uneven. The problem is more apparent after washing with Nuln Oil:



It actually looks like its been highlighted already :/ Anyway, when I did move onto the highlights (with Warpstone Glow and Moot Green for the extreme/edge highlights) I really noticed that I had a big problem with brush control, especially around the shoulder pads:



And, this caused serious problems when it came to painting the red parts...



So I thiiiink my main problem is brush control, like I said. Although I'm not sure! Any advice on improving would be appreciated, thanks!!!

For your first mini, that's pretty good.

Some general tips, looking at the pic:

Brush control will come with time and practice, so don't be put off by that. Paint a few more minis and it'll become second nature. In general, though, you want to be using long strokes rather than short ones, and thinning your paints will help a lot.

I think the highlight placement is very good and looks natural, but I'd use a slightly darker tone than you have done, at least for the first layer (you can then put a smaller amount of the lighter one over the top and create a good effect.). That said, some people do prefer extreme highlights, so it might just be preference. Also, a dark green or black wash can darken areas if they end up too bright for your taste.

On the red areas, mostly the Bolter, I think you might have started with too light a colour, which is why it looks a little flat. If you start with a darker colour then highlighting up is easier. A dark wash might also remedy the problem. Also, on the bolter, the ridge along the top is generally painted as metallic, as it's not part of the casing. This again would help contrast and prevent it from looking too bright.

I'd also pick out the left shoulder pad detail in white, again it helps contrast.

All in all, though, very good work, especially for a first attempt. Keep at it, and you'll soon be putting out very good minis.

What size brush are you using for edging? i use an army painter fine detail brush, but use the edge not the tip so you are applying the paint perpendicular to the surface.

I often leave the armour last as Ill need to reapply base coat colour to cover any mistakes and then work up the highlights.

Also i usually apply my highlights in thinner coats than that 2:1 water:paint

in 5 steps

green tip of brush
green:light green tip of brush
light green edge of brush
light green:lighter green edge
lighter green edge

with more mixes in between straight colours for hq models etc.

hope that makes sense?

Consider changing to black primer instead of grey. It will help the coloration and shading of the dark green armor. I use white basecoats for bright colors (like Imperial Fists). A green that dark would go better with black, I think. If you really want it to go fast, pick up a bottle of GW's Caliban Green spray and go to town (after priming the model).

Also, if you're thinning your paints, consider going to a large brush when doing the basecoat. Don't worry about slopping paint onto the base or the bolter at these early stages--you just want a good, even coat over the model. I've found myself using the GW drybrush to basecoat marines with lately.

You might also want to go for a drybrush to initially highlight (it's much easier than trying to line those in, and works very nicely for the midtones).

For the bolter, maybe start with Khorne Red and then move up to Mephiston as a layer, leaving the darker red in the recesses?

Another trick people do (especially on pushfits like these models) is to not glue in the bolter until both are painted. It gives you freer access to the chest (so you don't have to worry about screwing up the bolter).

Could you give a few pics from around 2-3 ft away (or arm's length)? Close-up photos tend to reveal each and every tiny "issue" that aren't noticeable from the tabletop.

The only way I managed to get base color nice and even was to use airbrush. I can do it with a traditional pantbrush now, but only after painting 92 gaunt carapaces. So patience, patience, training and then some more patience Or spray paint as LoH says.

Oh, and trick I like is to use wash on my gaunts just after base color. Seen it used on Marines, too (my 2 flatmates are marines ). It seems to help with defining lines, and it also covers flaws in recesses, where it's hardest to put base paint with brush.

@Paradigm

Thanks very much!! And I appreciate your tips, thanks. Have kept them in mind for future painting esp. with the slightly darker greens, etc. I think I'll start mixing up rather than just flat layer colours. As for the red - I snapped those pics while it was still drying, so it looks a lot lighter than it does now, especially after washing it with Nuln Oil - I'll put up some pics when its done!

Anyway, thanks over all, I appreciate the support

@optometris

The entire thing is painted with a standard size GW brush from their starter set. I think that gave me a few problems - both with detail work, and for basecoating, so today I bought a couple of brushes, a kind of large (for minis lol) brush for basecoating & a detail brush for highlights. They're cheap off-brand 99p brushes, but I think they'll do for practice/learning until I know what I'm doing and can put a good brush to work. Anyway, I like that idea about doing the armour last! I think that'd help me a lot.

As for thinner paints... I felt like my paints were already too thin and were running a lot when I was applying. Like I'd apply the brush and there'd just be drops of watery goop coming off and it'd spread uneven, so I'd add more paint to make it thicker. Idk if I'm doing something wrong when I'm thinning them

Anyway yeah, I understand, thanks

@LoH

Yeah, I bought a large brush today. I think you're right. Like I said, I was using a standard brush to basecoat and I felt like I had a hard time getting all the strokes to give the same amount of paint... Hopefully the bigger brush will help. As for the drybrush highlight, yeah! I've heard that it's better to start highlighting with drybrush techniques before you move on to layering properly, actually. I did get the feeling I was trying to run before I'd even learned how to walk many times while painting ><

And yeah, I'll upload a few later. I'm mostly trying to paint to learn to paint, though, not to learn to play (I'm more of a painter anyway)

edit: just finished up the metal parts & the aqualia, here's it from about a foot away:



@Molot

Hahaha, okay, I get you I like that, "patience or spraypaint"

And yeah, I washed my marine with nuln oil after the basecoat in the above pics :3

Anyway, thanks everyone from replying so quickly & with so much advice!

Don't know if there is a local GW store or if policies are consistent, but in my local GW store there is "intro-painting" - one simple figure for free (usually marine, something from Fantasy Battle, and something from Hobbit) and you paint it in shop, with help of employee. I never got my free one to waste, but indeed my first elf girl was painted mostly at the shop. Internet is good, etc, etc, but sometimes you just need a human eye and that was a pretty OK way to get it.