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Made in gb
Adolescent Youth with Potential




Northumberland

Hey guys, just a quick one. I'm a newbie in the middle of finalising my list of things to purchase to start assembling and painting over the christmas hols. My intention is not to be stingey on cost but also don't want to throw away money either. In other words I want to make sure I've got all the tools to do a good job and make my models look really good. However I don't want to accidentally buy all the most expensive of the tools etc. So if you've got a tool on my list that's cheap somewhere and same quality then I'd be very pleased to hear about that to drop the costs a little. If I've missed something off my list that is an important tool in your opinion, then I'm happy to add it to my list and spend that little bit more. This is to paint a start collecting set of space marines in the dark angels theme. So a tactical squad, captain and dreadnought. Starting with the tactical squad and moving onto the dreadnought and captain once I've got some experience under my belt. I already own the 8th edition wahammer 40K book and the dark angels codex, so this is purely about the models. I already own a selection of brushes I picked up for a couple of quid. My list so far is as follows:

Start collecting space marines box plus the dark angels upgrades naturally
Selection of paints taken from some vids of guys who paint great dark angels on youtube
Army Painter Primer - Angel Green Rattle can
W40K Essentials set - contains some paints, cutters and plastic glue
Model drill
X-acto knife
Pallette pad
Astrogranite base stuff
Citadel's munitorum varnish rattle can

Thoughts? Questions? Things I haven't considered?

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2018/12/12 15:03:01


 
   
Made in fi
Dipping With Wood Stain





Looks pretty comprehensive. Some thoughts:

-I would however think about whether the 40k Essentials set is worth it. If you think you need all the paints, then sure, but if not (at first glance it doesn't seem to have a lot of DA colors), it would be better to buy paints, glue and clippers separately. The brush in the set is gak, and the cutters and glue are nothing special.

-If you're using the AP primer as a basecoat, get a pot of the same color for brushing as well, to fix any mistakes (and spray doesn't cover all nooks and crannies anyway). If you intend on painting over the primer with something else, get a can of automotive primer, they're cheaper.

-Rather than pallette pad, I'd look into making your own wet pallette.

-If you want to cut costs, sand and PVA glue work fine for basing. Astrogranite is probably a faster way though.

My P&M log here on Dakka [WIP and finished work]
My blog on Wordpress [Finished work] 
   
Made in us
Stealthy Warhound Titan Princeps






Before you start painting, consider if you want to use GW colors or not. I swear by Vallejo paints instead of GW, because I really like their eyedropper bottles over the GW stuff. You can squeeze out a bit into a pallate, thin it as much as you want, and it doesn't dry out the tub while you're working. They also last much longer without drying out, I took a 7 year break from the hobby and came back, all my GW pots were dried out, the Vallejo half of them were still good.
   
Made in us
Adolescent Youth with Potential





First off welcome to the hobby and I'm glad to have another comrade in the first legion. As for your list, the list is okay but there are a few suggestions I can make. Instead of Citadel's munitorum varnish, you can save a few bucks and get probably better quality with Testor's dullcote. You don't really need a pallette pad, you can make do with a bathroom tile or even make your own wet palette for cheap, there are plenty of tutorials online for that kind of stuff and it helps with painting.

The WH40k essentials set is something I would advise against, if it's the one I'm thinking of then most of the paints won't really help you and they're also these really tiny pots that don't amount to much, you're better off just buying some super glue or plastic cement and the clippers separately and then use whatever money you saved to get more paints. I personally use Tamiya extra thin cement and Bob Smith Insta-Cure+ Medium Thick CA Super Glue but most brands will service you just fine.


The GW texture base are good but are kind of pricey for the amount you get, you could base your minis using sand and PVA glue and then paint over it in a gray color followed by a wash or, if you want to use a texture paste, Vallejo has a great line of different colored texture paste. It is a bit more expensive but that is because they come in larger tubs and thus more economical.

The forums has a ton of resources on suggested tools and materials.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2018/12/12 16:02:36


   
Made in gb
Thane of Dol Guldur





Bodt

Sounds good for a start. One tip from me is can off the specific modelling primers. Get a standard primer from a hardware store. It will save many pennies through your hobby journey. Same with if you're buying greenstuff. You can get a lot more for your money if you look around online rather than going to gw. Never buy basing sand or stones. They're usually free if you look on the floor. And don't buy gw varnish! Find a better quality matte. I use humbrol enamel matte in a rattle can


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Basically I don't buy any modelling stuff from GW except paint and the odd forge world powder. Even then I get most of my regular colours (red, black, white, khaki, brown) and most of my metallics from vallejo. They do a leather and metal set which is very good. You get 12 paints; 6 various browns, khakis and flesh tones, and 6 metallics.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2018/12/12 16:14:34


Heresy World Eaters/Emperors Children

Instagram: nagrakali_love_songs 
   
Made in gb
Decrepit Dakkanaut




UK

A few thoughts:

1) GW tools are good solid quality tools that are overpriced. You can get the same quality for cheaper and some things really stand out - eg GW clippers are something like £20 a set, whereas a nice set of yellow handle clippers from any model shop would be probably a quarter of that price. So just be aware GW marks them up more so.

2) I can't say what you should or shouldn't have, each person finds what works for them and their style. I can say what are my most common tools and items that I reach for every time without hesitation that you might find of help:

a) Scalpel. I use an older GW one that had a nice chunky handle, but any good scalpel on the market would do. I like them for their sharp point, fine blade and ease of holding - a lot of larger knife blades are good general hobby tools, but I find their blades too thick and chunky for working into tiny parts of models when removing mould lines. A scalpel gets in nearly anywhere and is a great all round tool.

Swann and Morton make a lot of top grade scalpels and blades and are basically the market leader in the UK. Their non sterile blades are cheap to buy (you don't need sterile for model work).
A Swann Morton ACM No 2 Handle with No 2 blade would be a good starting point, though they've a range of blades and handle types to suit.

b) Clippers - a nice set of solid clippers with a small pair of blades to cut with. Great for removing bits from sprue.

c) A 900 Grit half round needle file. I love this thing! More durable and long lasting than sandpaper and emeryboards and gets into a lot of sight spaces. I've only found one place that stocks/makes these
https://www.eternaltools.com/files-burnishers/small-diamond-files
The half round gives you a curved space for corners and curved areas, a thin tip for fine areas and a flat side for smoother surfaces. Whilst a blade can clean up a lot, esp on plastic, this tool helps out a lot too. Being a diamond file it will cut in any direction of movement so you can work it into tight spots where you might only have one angle of motion to clean away a mould line.

d) A regular rubber. This is exclusively for the diamond files as plastic and pewter metals clog up files very quickly, esp fine ones. To clean a diamond file the only method I've found reference too is to use a rubber and simply use the file on the rubber to clean out the gunk. It works well too, makes a fair bit of mess, but it cleans the file out great.
You'll easily feel when a file is clogged as it will feel really smooth and won't cut so easily; it can also take on a more "polished shiny" look to its surface.

e) A cone headed black Clayshaper/colourshaper. This is for greenstuff work and a black cone head is my most used.
These tools let you smooth over any greenstuff area to give a smooth flush finish on the surface. They are fantastic and I'm surprised GW hasn't got their own line in their tool selection as I consider them almost essential for GS work. Even just for helping fill in little gaps. White are softest, then grey then black and a cone black is the one I used the most - though if you get into model work a set of 5 varied shapes in each colour isn't too much investment for long lasting tools (just keep them away from any types of glue).

f) Greenstuff. Marines are a pretty solid plastic kit and many plastic kits don't need any work, but if you do get a gap or need some work greenstuff is there to help. Ebay has loads of store selling rolls of it for far less than GW's markup.

g) Standard greenstuff tool - GW has this on show and its the one with a blade one end and a small smoothing surface at the other. Although if you look on ebay a "set of clay tools" can give you that tool plus a load of others for not much cost.
Whilst the clay shaper mentioned earlier is a solid finishing tool, metal tools are good for crafting and moving greenstuff around and getting it into slots/gaps/holes etc...

You can probably leave off the greenstuff and associated tools for the tac marines, but keep it in mind as you get more into model work.

h) Pinvice - tac marines shouldn't need any pinning so chances are you might not need this as yet. Like the greenstuff tools though its a solid investment for any hobbyist. Either for letting you drill into models to put pins in to strengthen joints and bonding areas; or drilling out slots for magnets or conversion work. A good solid all round tool well worth in the bag, but, liks I said, might not be much use for just a box of marines unless you're going down a magnetic path.

A Blog in Miniature

3D Printing, hobbying and model fun! 
   
Made in ca
Speed Drybrushing





t.dot

Welcome to the hobby! I'm sure you'll find it as rewarding as we all do, and much further down the road, be sure to never think back on how much money you've spent on the hobby.

Ever.

So, hobby tool kit. You're going to need to build models; that means you need a good set of clippers, a hobbying knife, and some glue. Bare basics.

Clippers
Spoiler:
For clippers, I actually really like GW's clippers. They cut plastic and finecast very cleanly, and are built very well. Price point is a touch high, but this is one of the few tools I think you get what you pay for.

Citadel Fine Detail Cutters

If you want to spend just a little more, look into Xuron's. At or just a bit more than GW, but fantastic quality and high durability, with a specific design that gives a very clean cut.

Xuron Plastic Clippers

I would recommend, however, that you invest in a separate set of clippers to cut metal. Not specifically just pewter models, GW doesn't do those anymore. But if you're going to be doing any pinning, you don't want to ruin your clippers by using them to clip metal paperclips. Really, any cheapo clippers that can clip thru metal will do.


Glue
Spoiler:
For glue, I recommend Tamiya plastic cement for all your plastic pieces.

Tamiya Plastic Cement

For anything else (like when you pin, magnets, resin, etc.) any form of CA (cyanoacrylate) glue. I like Bob Smith Industries, but that's mostly because they're convenient and I've been using them for so long, I know what I'm getting. They come in a variety of viscosities, from super thin to super thick, which is nice.

Bob Smith CA Super Glue

Not a must, but a recommend. If you use super glue, consider also investing in some accelerant, which will help to cure super glue virtually instantly. Be warned, it is highly cancerous, so never spray. Twist the top and use the internal nozzle to dab.

Bob Smith Accelerator


Hobby Knife
Spoiler:
Exacto blades. Any arts and crafts or office store will have them, and you can buy packs of replacement blades.

Exacto Handle

Replacement Blades


Cutting Board
Spoiler:
Any cutting board, really. The goal is to protect your workspace and make it easy to clean, so I recommend getting a board as large as you can to fit your work area. I use a Fiskar's grey self-healing mat, but they're all basically the same. Pick a color and brand with a price that fits your budget.

Fiskar's Cutting Mat


Primers
Spoiler:
Never buy GW. Ever. Waste of money. If you can find it, Krylon Flat Matte primers are phenomenal for their price point, and they come in a variety of colors (you just want Flat Black though). I don't know if they'll have it where you're located, but something equivalent.

Krylon Camouflage Ultra-Flat Black Primer

If you invest in an airbrush down the road, consider Vallejo Surface Primer. It's much more efficient at price point compared to an aerosol can, and you can prime year round in controlled conditions (I live in Canada, where it's winter half the year, which makes priming with a rattle can difficult for many months at a time).

Vallejo Surface Primer (Black)


Brushes
Spoiler:
Never buy GW. Ever. For the price point, you're better off investing in better quality brands. I would recommend anything with Kolinsky Sable for bristles (synthetic or otherwise doesn't matter). The brands I prefer are Winsor & Newton 7 Series, Raphael 8404's, and I've been road testing the Artis Opus brushes at the moment as well. Yes, they will be pricier, but the investment is worth it.

Winsor & Newton 7 Series - Miniature Brushes

Raphael 8404's, Size 2 (search around for other sizes, I use 0, 1, and 2 most often)

Artis Opus

The lifetime of your brushes will depend on how frequently you paint and how well you maintain them. I usually replace main painting brushes (size 1 and 2) every year.
My 00 and 0 brushes which are only for fine detail work (freehand, eyes, etc.), I've been using the same ones for over 5 years now and they're still perfect. Speaking of maintaining, invest in this:

Masters Brush Cleaner

I've been using the same brick for a year now (cleaning after every session, and I basically paint every day) and I probably have years left of use.


Paints
Spoiler:
Use what you want, and whatever works for you. I'm slowly cycling out my GW paints (most of what I have is legacy stuff for old projects I'm finishing up) and replacing them with drop-top bottles (Scale75 and Vallejo) because I hate flip tops. I still use GW washes.


Varnish
Spoiler:
Your mileage will vary based on the finish you want. I love GW's Purity Seal; it's durable with just the right amount of matte finish for my tastes. Many of my other friends prefer Testor's Dullcote, but I find that's too matte. Pick one and try it; the only real way to know what you'll like or not will come down to your personal experience and preference.


Decals
Spoiler:
If you plan on using transfers/decals, apply them properly. Apply a coat of gloss varnish to the area you plan on applying the decal (I use Vallejo Gloss Varnish) first. Apply the decal, and then if you want, use some sort of Decal Set (I use Testor's) if you want to properly seat the decal. Gloss Varnish the decal again, and then varnish the entire model however you like.

Testor's Decal Set


Sculpting/Gap Filling
Spoiler:
If you buy Green Stuff, look for bulk rolls like what Gale Force 9 sells.

GF9 Green Stuff

For gap filling, never use GW's Liquid Green Stuff. The cap is terrible and will dry out the bottle too quickly. Use Vallejo Plastic Putty instead.

Vallejo Plastic Putty

For tools, invest in a set of dental tools or carving tools. Don't buy GW.

Just an example of a set of tools you can get

This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 2018/12/12 21:45:41


   
Made in us
Contagious Dreadnought of Nurgle






Forget the Citadel Hobby Essentials Kit and Munitorum Varnish Spray. The Hobby Essentials kit is one of the most overpriced scams in hobby history and the Munitorum Varnish has a history of clouding.

I recommend getting decent hobby tools separately, you don't need anything fancy and you REALLY don't need anything with the name "Citadel" on it. Just a basic pair of straight clippers, an exacto knife and cutting mat. Strongly consider buying or making a wet palette because it really makes painting much more convenient and saves a lot of paint.

If you want a starter set of paints go for an Army Painter or Vallejo basic paint set, it's simply a much better value than GW paint sets in terms of dollars per ml of paint for the same quality.

 
   
Made in us
Powerful Phoenix Lord





Here's a quick bit I did on my blog:

http://myminiaturemischief.blogspot.com/2016/06/getting-started-tools.html

And another on GW tools:

http://myminiaturemischief.blogspot.com/2017/07/hobby-tips-hobby-tools.html

I'd stress the second post more than even the first - as a general rule, never ever buy hobby tools from Games Workshop. While it's convenient they're at the same store as the models you're buying, they're more or less grossly overpriced (as is anything that's rebranded and sold under another name).

I'd also suggest avoiding Army Painter paints, while I would endorse their spray primers and other tools (they make "okay" hobby tools). Their basic paints are very sub-par compared to GW or Vallejo, or Reaper, etc. Army Painter have a very mixed bag of quality and in my experience will make starting the hobby much more frustrating than is necessary. When in doubt, start with Vallejo - the largest, most reasonably priced range(s) for paint, and generally available everywhere online, and even some stores locally.

GW makes good paint, but it's a bit pricey and their bottles suck - flat out.
   
Made in gb
Rampaging Reaver Titan Princeps





Earlobe deep in doo doo

Wilko's for tools and my best tip for anybody is BRUSH ON SUPERGLUE it's far far better than any other kind. You don't stick to anybody. If your using diy primers make sure to get the kind with a Matt finish. The Works is also an excellent place to go for painting and sculpting accessories.

My personal essentials for modelling are;
A Knife-small one snap-off blades are fine and the cheap buget ones work great. I use a larger stanly knife for heavy duty work
Files-Some good small files for mould line removal. Needle file type of thing.
Brush on Glues-both Liquid Poly and Super Glue brand doesn't bother me but I prefer the brush on stuff.
PVA Glue- For basing cheap stuff never branded. Craft shops are easier bottles but I needed a large amount for plastering and use the rest for hobby.

For painting;
2 Jars-1 for Water and 1 to keep brushes stored neatly upright.
Brushes-The works produce an excellent line of medium quality brushes.
Paints-Buy them for your scheme don't be afraid to mix them. Also use brands readily available locally. Boyes stocks Vallejo if ones available nearby. Craft Acrylics have their uses for scenery.
Inks-I personally use a lot of these for shade and done painting esy simple way to finish a model. Some suggest floor wax I havent tried this.
Washes-Easily mixed using water and liquid soap.

For basing I use model railway flock and ballast cheap and effective.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2018/12/12 22:11:38


"But me no buts! Our comrades get hurt. Our friends die. Falkenburg is a knight who swore an oath to serve the church and to defend the weak. He'd be the first to tell you to stop puling and start planning. Because what we are doing-at risk to ourselves-is what we have sworn to do. The West relies on us. It is a risk we take with pride. It is an oath we honour. Even when some soft southern burgher mutters about us, we know the reason he sleeps soft and comfortable, why his wife is able to complain about the price of cabbages as her most serious problem and why his children dare to throw dung and yell "Knot" when we pass. It's because we are what we are. For all our faults we stand for law and light.
Von Gherens This Rough Magic Lackey, Flint & Freer
Mekagorkalicious -Monkeytroll
2017 Model Count-71
 
   
Made in gb
Adolescent Youth with Potential




Northumberland

Thank you all for all these great detailed replies. So much food for thought I've been going over things and made a few changes.

Will now ditch the essentials set and buy clippers separately. Was thinking this simple set of clippers would do the trick. https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0036L5HHG/ref=psdc_1938981031_t4_B003BVDJDU Cheap but it seems like it'll be fine for cutting fairly soft plastic cleanly.

Scalpel or knife I was going to go for this https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0006NAU6U/?coliid=I31N6UOKNADEOK&colid=25LKSP5OIGVNT&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

I think I'll go for the Tamiya plastic cement for the glue since it also seems to be a good brush on glue and isn't ridiculously expensive.

Cutting board https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B072J3ZTH4/?coliid=I2QPSZIT2ZQDM2&colid=25LKSP5OIGVNT&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it This should be big enough for now. If I'm putting together massive items later then I think I'll upgrade as and when.

Primer it looks like I should stick with the Army painter rattle can. I've had some saying their spray paint is fine and others saying it's too expensive, but the alternative I was offered was twice the price in my country.

I will invest a bit more in the diamond file recommended by Overread because that'll be key for everything and it's only about £8 including delivery.

The vallejo plastic putty looks like a nice cheap addition for any little fixes I may need to do. So I'll get that too.

I'm probably going to stick with the astrogranite for the moment despite what some guys have said about how you don't get a huge amount for your money. It's only £3.50ish so I'll go with that for now and reexamine if I'm starting to do bigger projects that require much more gear. For the moment I think keeping things simple is better and try not to change everything. Similar with the guys suggesting vallejo paints. As all my vids i've bookmarked for painting are using GW paints, I feel as someone trying to find his feet I should stick to what is shown and not try find vallejo equivalents and start mixing them to try and approximate what's on the vids. Try to keep it reasonably simple and just get building and painting, even if it costs an extra £10. (I'm also reasonably sure you guys have saved me that much already from the changes I've made.)

I'm sure I can find a spare tile in the garage to use as a paint palette.

Which brings me to my questions point. I don't really understand the "greenstuff" points people have been making, but at the same time it isn't appearing among the essentials blogs and advice I've been getting here. I think I'm going to leave that for now so I don't overwhelm myself. There's plenty of stuff here that's new to me as it is, you know? Is this a reasonable view or have I missed something important due to my noobishness?

Secondly I haven't really had much feedback on the varnish. I've had lots of folks telling me about avoiding citadel branded stuff and to ditch the rattle can varnish I cited. In previous post I asked about primer and varnish and got lots of advice on primers, very little on varnish beyond pretty general stuff about "go for a satin or semi-gloss varnish." This is great, but I'd really like to know what product is recommended by you guys. As I don't own an airbrush and won't be getting one until I've done a fair bit on the hobby, I'd prefer either your old rattle can varnish that worked well in your opinion or what you're currently using that you're pleased with? I've looked into testors dullcote but that looks like a matte finish which might be a bit much for Dark Angels. They're already quite dull/dark colours. I can't find testors doing a satin or semigloss in a rattle can, it's all paint on stuff and I've been strongly advised by a number of people that brush on varnish is a no-no because it will leave streaks and can end up looking awful. This question is less of a specific answer and more of a cry for help

All other thoughts are also very very welcome! Thanks again guys.
   
Made in gb
Thane of Dol Guldur





Bodt

Regardless of your colours you want a matte varnish. Gloss looks awful and photographs terribly. Physically you want your colours as flat as possible. This is because you will be painting the depth into them with highlights and shading.

For primer just go to a hardware shop and buy a can of rustoleum grey primer. Seriously. It's 2 or 3 quid cheaper than the cheapest army painter I can find.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Astrogranite is a decent basing product to be fair. To apply it you want a small knife blade or modelling spatula type headed tool.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2018/12/13 16:56:36


Heresy World Eaters/Emperors Children

Instagram: nagrakali_love_songs 
   
Made in us
Stealthy Warhound Titan Princeps






 queen_annes_revenge wrote:
Regardless of your colours you want a matte varnish. Gloss looks awful and photographs terribly. Physically you want your colours as flat as possible. This is because you will be painting the depth into them with highlights and shading.

For primer just go to a hardware shop and buy a can of rustoleum grey primer. Seriously. It's 2 or 3 quid cheaper than the cheapest army painter I can find.


I really like Vallejo's Satin varnish... it's a semi-gloss, but when airbrushed onto a model it just gives it a really good finish IMO. Been using it in my imperial guard, you can see the results here: https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/images-18602-60200_Imperial%20Guard.html

Not sure how it would look if brushed on, but if applied properly I'd imagine it should look similar.
   
Made in gb
Adolescent Youth with Potential




Northumberland

 Horst wrote:
 queen_annes_revenge wrote:
Regardless of your colours you want a matte varnish. Gloss looks awful and photographs terribly. Physically you want your colours as flat as possible. This is because you will be painting the depth into them with highlights and shading.

For primer just go to a hardware shop and buy a can of rustoleum grey primer. Seriously. It's 2 or 3 quid cheaper than the cheapest army painter I can find.


I really like Vallejo's Satin varnish... it's a semi-gloss, but when airbrushed onto a model it just gives it a really good finish IMO. Been using it in my imperial guard, you can see the results here: https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/images-18602-60200_Imperial%20Guard.html

Not sure how it would look if brushed on, but if applied properly I'd imagine it should look similar.


I've had a few people talk about the satin varnish but they all said not to use brush-on varnish. When you say "applied properly" what would that be?
   
Made in us
Stealthy Warhound Titan Princeps






DarkNightwing47 wrote:
 Horst wrote:
 queen_annes_revenge wrote:
Regardless of your colours you want a matte varnish. Gloss looks awful and photographs terribly. Physically you want your colours as flat as possible. This is because you will be painting the depth into them with highlights and shading.

For primer just go to a hardware shop and buy a can of rustoleum grey primer. Seriously. It's 2 or 3 quid cheaper than the cheapest army painter I can find.


I really like Vallejo's Satin varnish... it's a semi-gloss, but when airbrushed onto a model it just gives it a really good finish IMO. Been using it in my imperial guard, you can see the results here: https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/images-18602-60200_Imperial%20Guard.html

Not sure how it would look if brushed on, but if applied properly I'd imagine it should look similar.


I've had a few people talk about the satin varnish but they all said not to use brush-on varnish. When you say "applied properly" what would that be?


I'd give it a shot very watered down (like 50/50 varnish to water), and give it multiple coats, to prevent brush strokes from appearing.

* edit - Worst case scenario, a bottle of it is like $3.50, so you're not out much if you don't like it.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2018/12/13 17:37:09


 
   
Made in gb
Furious Fire Dragon





Midlands, UK

DarkNightwing47 wrote:
Thank you all for all these great detailed replies. So much food for thought I've been going over things and made a few changes.

Will now ditch the essentials set and buy clippers separately. Was thinking this simple set of clippers would do the trick. https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0036L5HHG/ref=psdc_1938981031_t4_B003BVDJDU Cheap but it seems like it'll be fine for cutting fairly soft plastic cleanly.

Scalpel or knife I was going to go for this https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0006NAU6U/?coliid=I31N6UOKNADEOK&colid=25LKSP5OIGVNT&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

I think I'll go for the Tamiya plastic cement for the glue since it also seems to be a good brush on glue and isn't ridiculously expensive.

Cutting board https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B072J3ZTH4/?coliid=I2QPSZIT2ZQDM2&colid=25LKSP5OIGVNT&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it This should be big enough for now. If I'm putting together massive items later then I think I'll upgrade as and when.

These seem fine to me.

DarkNightwing47 wrote:
Primer it looks like I should stick with the Army painter rattle can. I've had some saying their spray paint is fine and others saying it's too expensive, but the alternative I was offered was twice the price in my country.


The Army Painter sprays are pretty useful for getting a basecoat down quickly. If you're going for it I'd definitely recommend picking up a pot of the regular Army Painter Angel Green - one of the biggest advantages of their spray cans is that the colour matches exactly to the colour of the regular paint bottles so you can easily touch up the spray finish with the exact same colour. It's not perfect though, because the Army Painter paint range is a bit hit-and-miss in terms of coverage so you might need a few coats with the brush to get it good and opaque.

As for alternatives, honestly I've found the best way to prime miniatures is to use auto primers that you can get at your local hardware store. I normally use grey Autotek from Boyes, quite a few other UK folks use Halfords own brand. They're normally quite a bit cheaper than primers marketed at wargamers and you can be pretty sure that you're buying an actual primer. Sometimes I'm not sure whether the ones marketed at wargamers are actually primers or just coloured spraypaints with the word 'primer' printed on the can. So I always start with an auto primer even if I then go on to use one of the Army Painter sprays on top for a colour basecoat.

DarkNightwing47 wrote:
I will invest a bit more in the diamond file recommended by Overread because that'll be key for everything and it's only about £8 including delivery.

Sounds good - a good file is always useful.

DarkNightwing47 wrote:
The vallejo plastic putty looks like a nice cheap addition for any little fixes I may need to do. So I'll get that too.

It is very useful indeed - much easier than mixing up some modelling putty if you've got a small gap to fill, and dries pretty quick too.

DarkNightwing47 wrote:
I'm probably going to stick with the astrogranite for the moment despite what some guys have said about how you don't get a huge amount for your money. It's only £3.50ish so I'll go with that for now and reexamine if I'm starting to do bigger projects that require much more gear. For the moment I think keeping things simple is better and try not to change everything. Similar with the guys suggesting vallejo paints. As all my vids i've bookmarked for painting are using GW paints, I feel as someone trying to find his feet I should stick to what is shown and not try find vallejo equivalents and start mixing them to try and approximate what's on the vids. Try to keep it reasonably simple and just get building and painting, even if it costs an extra £10. (I'm also reasonably sure you guys have saved me that much already from the changes I've made.)

I'm sure I can find a spare tile in the garage to use as a paint palette.


That's cool, and totally fine. Loads of people use the GW textures. I've never used them myself because I consider them a ripoff compared to the alternatives. I'm fond of the AK Interactive Diorama series textures, which are great, cost about double what the GW ones do - but you get 250ml instead of 24ml in the GW pots!

Similarly there's nothing wrong with buying Citadel paints, but it's good to be aware of the positives and negatives before going in. As you've identified, it makes it much easier to follow 'official' tutorials and such, and you can buy them in the GW store. To me the downsides are that they're expensive and that the pots are terrible. In comparison, Vallejo and other brands use dropper bottles which preserve the paint for a long time and they're great for squeezing out just the right amount of paint onto your palette. The citadel paints you need to transfer the paint from pot to palette with a brush, and the lids tend to gunk up, not seal properly and then the whole pot dries out. So just be aware of that and try to make sure the lids stay clean and keep closing tight. Also it's a bit of a stretch to expect you'll have to mix colours to get close to GW shades - most of the major paint manufacturers have such a wide range of colours that you'll fairly easily be able to buy a colour that's pretty close to any colour in another manufacturer's range.

Anyway, once you get going it's always good to try other manufacturers, mix and match, experiment and find out what you like.

If you can, a wet palette is preferable to something like a tile. They help to keep the paint moist and stop them from drying out on the palette - but that can easily come later. I'm sure many of us painted for years without one.

DarkNightwing47 wrote:
Which brings me to my questions point. I don't really understand the "greenstuff" points people have been making, but at the same time it isn't appearing among the essentials blogs and advice I've been getting here. I think I'm going to leave that for now so I don't overwhelm myself. There's plenty of stuff here that's new to me as it is, you know? Is this a reasonable view or have I missed something important due to my noobishness?

It's a type of modelling putty that's used a lot by Warhammer players - usually to fill in gaps in models (which the Plastic putty will do for), or when converting models where there are bigger gaps to fill in or parts need to be sculpted from scratch. You'll be fine without any to start with.

DarkNightwing47 wrote:
Secondly I haven't really had much feedback on the varnish. I've had lots of folks telling me about avoiding citadel branded stuff and to ditch the rattle can varnish I cited. In previous post I asked about primer and varnish and got lots of advice on primers, very little on varnish beyond pretty general stuff about "go for a satin or semi-gloss varnish." This is great, but I'd really like to know what product is recommended by you guys. As I don't own an airbrush and won't be getting one until I've done a fair bit on the hobby, I'd prefer either your old rattle can varnish that worked well in your opinion or what you're currently using that you're pleased with? I've looked into testors dullcote but that looks like a matte finish which might be a bit much for Dark Angels. They're already quite dull/dark colours. I can't find testors doing a satin or semigloss in a rattle can, it's all paint on stuff and I've been strongly advised by a number of people that brush on varnish is a no-no because it will leave streaks and can end up looking awful. This question is less of a specific answer and more of a cry for help

I think varnishes are one of those things where everybody has different experiences with different brands. I haven't used the Munitorum, but as far as I know it has a better reputation than the old Purity Seal that it replaced. So far I've used Army Painter Anti-Shine Matt Varnish, but I'm not totally impressed and I'm open to changing. Personally I'd always go matte because I would want any shine or highlight on the model to be the ones that I've deliberately painted onto it, not because of a glossy finish - but the best kind of finish for you will largely depend on the painting style that you develop.

   
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Bodt

As I said earlier, humbrol rattle can enamel varnish is my go to. They are easy to get in the UK. You can get satin too. Spray a couple of even coats and you're good. You can get acrylic versions too, but if you don't allow good drying time between costs you get frost, so I always just go enamel.

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You'll need them both...




This message was edited 5 times. Last update was at 2018/12/14 06:13:31


"I learned the hard way that if you take a stand on any issue, no matter how insignificant, people will line up around the block to kick your ass over it." Jesse "the mind" Ventura. 
   
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Adolescent Youth with Potential




Northumberland

Additional changes, I'm going to go for a hycote grey primer rattle can which will save a couple more pounds. Additionally I've found humbrol enamel satin varnish rattle can. (From the vids I've watched online, gloss is too much, but matte is simply too dull imho. Some agree and some swear by matte so I'm going to make my call and see how things go.)

Special thanks to Bellerophon for going through everything in all that detail. I've taken on board and I'll just grab the wet pallette pad since it's less than £5 anyway rather than using a tile as previously suggested. If it's a mistake, it's a mistake and I'll alter at a later date.

I'm also going to ditch the astrogranite and go with a pot of the AK interactive terrain concrete and see how that works out.

I think that's me done. I'll finalise and order things tomorrow probably. Thanks again everyone!

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2018/12/14 17:29:15


 
   
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Contagious Dreadnought of Nurgle






Trust me, you won't see getting a wet pallette as a mistake!

 
   
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Thane of Dol Guldur





Bodt

Ak interactive concrete is good but difficult to apply to small bases. It's more for dioramas. You'll need to apply something first and put it over the top, as it won't really look right on a sml round base on its own. You'd probably find astrogranite better for smaller bases. The concrete is also very light, but looks good if you put mossy green washes over it.

Varnish doesn't affect the dullness or brightness of the colours, it's about the level of shine. Satin is OK for if you're painting to tabletop standard, but painting to compete requires matte as the models will be scrutinised under bright light and any superficial shine can negatively impact how they're viewed. Obviously I don't know your painting standard, but you'll probably find if you progress with your painting to advanced techniques, that a matte will make them look much better.

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Furious Fire Dragon





Midlands, UK

 queen_annes_revenge wrote:
Ak interactive concrete is good but difficult to apply to small bases. It's more for dioramas. You'll need to apply something first and put it over the top, as it won't really look right on a sml round base on its own. You'd probably find astrogranite better for smaller bases. The concrete is also very light, but looks good if you put mossy green washes over it.


I'll admit I haven't tried that one but I find the earth type ones and the crackle effects work great on miniature bases.

Anyway, DarkNightwing47, it's all about experimenting and finding what works for you for your application. It's easy for us to throw around recommendations about the stuff we like, but there's lots of good hobby materials out there and everybody's got their favourites.

   
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Los Angeles, CA, USA

The only thing I would change from your revised list is the cutters. The ones you have listed don't have a flat side to allow you to get close to a part and the rounded nose will make things difficult for you. Look for "flush cutters" and life will be much easier for you.

Second, the Army Painter spray is, in my opinion, terrible. On your side of the pond, Halford's flat black primer seems to be well regarded. GW and Army Painter are just overpriced and rebranded cans of someone else's product. In those two cases, sub standard product. Just buy it direct from the source and get something better.
   
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Regular Dakkanaut





Lots of good specific advice on here. I will be more general. You aren't really starting the Warhammer 40K hobby, you are starting the art hobby. The most important thing with art is to have fun. Do not worry about results right away. It takes time. Enjoy the meditative zen of bringing a hunk of plastic to life.

Play with your paints and don't be afraid to fail. Acrylic paint comes off pretty easily. Pay attention to your brushes, how paint flows off them, the shape and coverage the brush lays down, how the paint behaves - does it stick or run, "gloop" up, etc. Some paints or brushes or tools you will love. Some you will hate. It's the process of discovering your specific style.

I have been painting/drawing/sculpting for close to 40 years and doing minis for the last 3 and my work is nowhere even close to many people you see on here.
   
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Xeno-Hating Inquisitorial Excruciator




London

DarkNightwing47 wrote:
I already own a selection of brushes I picked up for a couple of quid.


This is concerning ... Not sure if you picked up on it or not, but DV8's suggestion Re. brushes is VERY GOOD ...
   
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Perturbed Blood Angel Tactical Marine





London

I recommend getting Winsor & Newton Series 7 brushes (Kolinsky Sable edition, do not go for the Miniature one as they got really short hair). Best of the whole lot and if you look after them they will last you years.
   
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Furious Fire Dragon





Midlands, UK

On brushes, this is another area where you'll get quite a few different opinions. There are really good painters who quite happily buy cheap synthetic brushes, and there are others who will only use top quality kolinsky like the aforementioned W&N.

I find personally that a mix of both types works well. There are plenty of techniques that you might want to use that will be hard on your brushes - even just painting quick basecoats where accuracy isn't important. In those cases it can be good to use a cheap synthetic brush so that you don't damage something nicer. The downside of the cheap brushes is that they get damaged quickly and easily, and often splay or hook at the tip.

A good sable or kolinsky brush will be more expensive and you'll want to avoid the rough techniques, but if you treat it well it will last for ages and keep a great point, which is ideal for accuracy and detail. There are also some more cost-effective options available than those already listed. For example, Rosemary & Co Series 33 have a good reputation and are considerably cheaper than W&N. I keep meaning to try them but I haven't got around to it yet. I'm a big fan of Broken Toad, but they've been having supply issues recently.

   
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Thane of Dol Guldur





Bodt

Yeah I have a series 7 4/0 but it's like the holy grail.. I hardly ever use it for fear. I tend to get pro arte prolene brushes and absolutely hammer them. I use them even when the tips start to hook. I actually find hooked tips useful for some details, and got 3 GD finalist pins painted with just 2 and 4 0 Pro artes with hooked tips which I rode until they died. Point being, brushes need to be half decent but it's more down to operator skill really.

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I've done the majority of my painting with cheapo synthetic brushes and only moved to Sable in the last couple of months. You can paint pretty much anything with cheap brushes, they just won't last as long or keep their tip as long. The big difference is in paint working times on the brush and how much paint the brush can hold - a nice size 0 sable hair brush is going to be much better at painting detail than a 20/0 synthetic brush because it has more space to hold paint, meaning it won't dry out in the brush as quickly and will maintain its consistency which is what allows you to make smooth, controlled strokes. If you're working with a synthetic or a smaller brush you just have to clean it out and grab fresh paint more often.

 
   
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Adolescent Youth with Potential




Northumberland

 War Drone wrote:
DarkNightwing47 wrote:
I already own a selection of brushes I picked up for a couple of quid.


This is concerning ... Not sure if you picked up on it or not, but DV8's suggestion Re. brushes is VERY GOOD ...


I did note it. I've taken quite some time to go through all the advice in this thread and DV8's was some of the most detailed and specific advice. I've already bought the cheap brushes and they don't look terrible quality but I doubt they're on par with what some of the seasoned pros here would expect from a brush. But I've also come across vids from literal painting "pros" the guys who make a living out of it and the opinion I've seen was that cheap brushes have their place and if you're just starting out, just get some cheap brushes for now. So that's why I never really asked on that one and I'm reading the remaining comments thinking "I really should just make my order and get started, mistakes be damned I will have to learn from them like everybody else."

That said, given how guys who've been doing this for years can end up with opposite opinions on here, I feel confident that I'm not taking any major risks at this point.
   
 
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