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Hey guys, here is my first painted model in 15+ years. C&C welcome and appreciated . My biggest self critique is I need to work on my lines and highlighting. Plus figure out a better skin tone.


http://imgur.com/hYtmiOh

http://imgur.com/FuGacdJ


http://imgur.com/xvKwldf

I like it quite a bit, its very good for reemission into the hobby.

the highlighting needs some work, the colour is a bit stark and its not close enough to the base shade so it looks very off, the lines aren't perfect but nobodies are, and especially with so little practice they look fine.

I actually really like the skin tone, I think it looks awesome.

Very good work, and I am excited to see your work pop up on this forum more often!
~Mikey

That is very impressive all things considered and a great start, you really shouldn't be such a harsh critic of yourself

I think it's a great start. Just try to be a bit neater (will happen with practice anyway) on your highlighting.

Just keep doing what you're doing

Good start!

My suggestions are to add some of unit color (blue/Deathskulls) to the Shoota, and touch the spikes on the helmet with steel or silver to make them stand out more. I think the skin looks pretty good.

Thanks for sharing!

A very nice first model.

Personally I do think you've somehow hit just the wrong amount of blue - I would remove some from the helmet or add some somewhere else.

That looks awesome for a first mini - God I wish mine'd looked that good! lol

As for any constructive critque: we are own harshest critics! Edge highlighting is very very hard. One thing you can do, if it still bugs you is go back over it with your base blue colour (that pretty medium blue you have) and 'straighten' up the lighter blue.

I don't know what brushes you have, but while practice is very important, so is a good brush imo - it helps a lot, especially with edge highlighting imo. I wouldn't say run out and immediately buy a set of good brushes but a Windsor & Newton series 7, size 0 is really really good for this particular use. And wouldn't be a bad brush at all to have in your arsenal

Also, a couple things to help your model pop a bit, if you want: I might, as mentioned elsewhere, paint the spikes on the helmet metal. All of them not just the tall one. Then I might also do a couple 'scratches' of leadbelcher, with a small silver highlight on the top, to give it a bit of worn look. You can also use a bit of nuln oil maybe over the whole helm to give it a dingier look, which may be more fitting with an Ork. Up to you of course!

one other thing - I might go back over the laces on the back of his pants with a little offwhite, or zandri dust highlight. Or bone or any lighter brown really. If it's too stark when it's dry, hit it with (again) a nuln oil wash (just a little bit, use the tip of a small brush rather than like swamping the area with your wash brush).

And last thing - which is something I love - one of the painters here (sorry I can't recall his name off the top of my head atm) explained how he painted toofs! He used brown as an underlayer in the whole area, and then painted the teeth per the usual bone method. I'm not saying your teeth are bad!! They're great! but you'd be really surprised how much that brown helps the whole thing blend in and then helps you pick the teeth out. I've been in love with this method since I started using it, it's awesome

And anyway, just in case I sound too critical, don't take it as negative! Just trying to pass on tips and tricks I've learned and honestly that mini is freakin awesome especially for someone just getting back into the hobby!

Have fun and happy painting!