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So I want to get in to 40k as all the models look great and it seems like a blast to play, however there is something that always makes my stomach churn and a cold sweat to appear on my brow when I think of playing, it's the painting.
My fear is not messing up the odd marines or small units since those are cheap to replace but it's the elites I worry about.

I really want to get a thousand sons army going as I love their look and lore however all the elites such as Magnus look so complex to paint that I will know I will mess up and waste £80.
I also don't want to build them and play for awhile but make painting them 1000x harder.

So please give me advice or tell me how I am acting like a total idiot.

All replies are appreciated

Absolute worst case sereniro:



Give it a bath and try again.

Its normal.

For me i think its best to start small and inexpensive.

If you for example are unhappy with your paint job on a basic figure, there is just no way you will be happy on a more complex figure.

For Magnus it could be a good idea that just start with painting some basic rubric marines until you are happy with them, and then try some red skin on some tzaangor etc.

Just going in blind is never a good idea and you will never feel and shouldnt feel confident doing so!

Most of us have gone through this at some point. I myself always balked at the larger models because I was afraid I'd get them wrong, so I worked on smaller stuff until I was reasonably competent at painting those things. I bought the new (at the time) Khorne Bloodthirster and built it and played with it unpainted for a while. I knew at the time that I could not do that model justice, so I waited to paint it. A little over a year later, I finally decided I was ready to tackle it, and I did and I'm really happy with the results. The model gets compliments when I use it in games, meaning I'm not the only one who's happy with how it turned out. I know I wouldn't have done nearly as well if I had painted it when I first built it. The moral of the story is to start small, practice your technique, and then work your way up to the bigger and more challenging stuff. You can do it!

Also, seek advice from the experts if you need to. There are tons of videos on YouTube, plus painting and modelling articles and forums (like these ones on Dakka) all over the Internet with experienced painters willing to share their techniques and tricks. You're bound to learn a thing or two!

Above all, practice, practice, practice!

The Warhammer TV channel on YouTube is an absolutely terrific resource, and while others prefer different brands the Citadel Paints from GW are perfectly good and are (obviously) used in videos uploaded by Warhammer TV so you'll be able to follow along. Basics like a couple of quality brushes and some kind of pallet (so you can thin paints) are essential.

Videos on there go into good detail of how to paint specific parts, or schemes, as well as techniques. I really would advise you check them out. There has never been a better time to start painting thanks to the level of resource available to you.

Definitely avoid the big models just now though. Both to save your wallet and to save you being unhappy and bailing on the hobby before you've really began. Start small, and work up. Keep practicing and keep learning. Be patient and accept your first model won't look like the box art.

Everyone who can paint has had to take time and patience and practice to get there - and you will too. Just stick with it. Be prepared to put that time in and you will improve. Just be sure you do listen to the advice you find and practice it properly. Especially when it comes to thinning paints - as Duncan famously will endlessly remind you if you decide to watch the Warhammer TV tutorials.

Don't try to perfect your painting, first learn how to paint something to a decent standard. Once you learn that all of your models will look good and you can then try out more complicated things.

To paint something to a good standard you only need to learn 3 things:
-Thin your paints to get smooth coats
-Wash the recesses
-Edge highlight all the sharp edges

An army painted like this will always look impresive, even if the individual models are not.

Painting and cooking has a lot in common. If you are a master chief, make something you like. If you are starting out you could throw something in a pot and hope, but it is better to follow a reciepe.

SQRT-2 had the best advice! There is really no worst case scenario, many painters will paint up a model and then strip it and repaint it another scheme. It's part of the evolution of painting.

DanceofSlaanesh is right too, start small. If you are thinking Thousand Suns you can start pretty small on any of those. Once you get better on the small stuff then start an Elite to make sure it's a better quality (Assuming you got better with time!). Some people will contract out their Elites or bigger units just so they stand out on the table. This is only a good idea if you have the money but not the time. At the beginning try and see what you like. Buying the paints and supplies will cost ya a bit in the end, but take care of it and you can use it for a while.

Some great advice you guys have given, this community is usually great for advice on almost anything paint wise, and always so many good youtube tutorials.

Great Advice here, and don't be afraid to just dig in on something! You can only learn and get better if you try!

Don't expect your first models to look to the quality you see on the website

You will slowly get better

And surprisingly quickly you'll.have stuff you're proud of
For example
This was my first ork

And about 3 days. Of painting and learning techniques from warhammer TV I painted my central.model.my warboss, and it looks great

Thanks guys, feeling a lot more confident now.

Make sure to.update us on how it goes

If you ever feel less than confident just search for"pro painted" on ebay...you will realise just how professional your paintjobs really are!

Always better painted. Period.

If you have enough brush control to "keep between the lines" and toss on a wash, everyone except jerkoffs will be PSYCHED to see your painted Magnus!

You'll only get better by doing, with painting. Watch videos, lots of videos and get some brushes wet.

Always better painted. Agreed.

Also...you'll never ever magically become a good painter without painting. So start painting. Use every trick and cheat you can find, but paint.

Like anything else, don't expect to have amazing works of art day 1.

And to be perfectly honest, even trying to paint puts you ahead of probably 60% of players right off the bat.

Have fun, paint what and how you want, and don't worry if it's not perfect. You can always come back and touch them up, or start over via purple power.

And the honest truth is: Odds are no one but you will ever judge your paint job poorly, because, again, many players never even bother trying.

And don't try to hold yourself to reddit's 'look at my first ever painted mini' posts that are golden demon quality. Just have fun, and as long as you don't have Parkinson's, it'll be fine.

the tips are great only problem I have now my hands aren't the steadiest but I will learn to deal with it and hopefully update you guys when I get around to making my army

You can stabilize your hands against your work surface to relieve basically all shaking. Get your hands in a stable and comfortable position, relax them, and leave them there. Then just rotate the model to paint at different angles, instead of moving your hands around.

When it comes to painting big, fancy models, it helps to have a plan in mind of what effects you would like to achieve, then practice each one individually on some suitable test models. For example, you could try to nail down your skin tones, then the armor highlighting etc. When you feel comfortable with each technique you're ready to combine them all on the big guy.

I figured out that if you can just "keep between the lines" as 4zero6 puts it the right washes will make even the most elementary paint jobs look pretty good. I know. I'm not very good and I'm happy with my models.