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Greetings denizens of Dakka, I come to you a lowly scrub looking to try out this hobby and I hope you could help me out with a few things. As a complete newcomer I have no supplies or experience and all I know about wargaming is from binge watching videos on youtube from time to time. I didn't know whether I should split this into two threads, one here in introductions and the other in painting and modelling so please let me know if I should and I'll make the necessary changes.

As I have a fair amount of questions I have broken them down into sections to try and make things a bit cleaner, these being supplies, modelling and painting. Feel free to answer any question you wish, I don't expect anyone to answer multiple and any replies at all are much appreciated. I know the least about painting which will be the final section with the most questions, the others will mainly consist of clarifications.

A little bit of background to frame the questions. My main focus will be on the modelling/painting side of things starting with 40k with playing most likely being limited to skirmish games like kill team as large-scale battles don't appeal to me. Because of this I want to put detail into the models and don't mind spending the time to do so. I've decided to buy a box of tactical marines as my first set as they seem rather accessible compared to more detailed/complex models. I intend to branch out into xenos scum territory fairly early on and possibly other games like Middle Earth down the road. I don't mind paying for quality, but if I can get something similar for a fairly lower price I will.

So without further ado, here we go (TLDR: jump to painting section for questions I'm struggling the most with).

Supplies:
- I was thinking of getting the Essential Citadel Brush Selection kit to start off with (contain M and L basecoating, M shade, S and M layering and an M dry brush as well as an M texture tool for £30)
- Then after painting the marines up the best I can with them, I intend to buy a detail brush from another supplier as I can't justify the cost of GW's. Any suggestions?
- After watching videos from channels such as Tabletop Minions and Teri Litorco I know to make a wet palette to conserve paints and that I should probably get a hobby knife, clippers and a file/sander from a craft store to save on cost.
- Should I buy citadel plastic glue or gorilla glue?
Does this all seem alright or am I off the mark? I am missing anything essential?

Modelling:
- I've heard I should wash a sprue with lukewarm water and fairly liquid before working with the plastic, is this true?
- I'll be buying the killteam core book before putting the miniatures together so I can decide what I want to outfit the squad with beforehand so I don't have to go back and alter the models.

Painting:
Okay, here is where I need the most help, especially with paint choice.
- I want to go with a split colour scheme for the marines with one side being the colour of blood angels as in this video (edge highlight version): "Blood Angels: How to paint a Tactical Space Marine" on Warhammer TV (it says I can't use links on first post) and the other side painted with the cream-like colour of the shoulder pad in this video: "How to Paint: Blood Ravens Chapter Symbol" also on Warhammer TV.
- Would anyone be able to tell me what this cream-like colour is in the paint scheme and what I should use to shade and highlight it with?
- Is there any advice or tutorials for a paint sheme like this where the colours are split down the middle?

I realise this is extremely ambitious for a newcomer but I would rather give it a go, do it badly and learn from it than settle for a scheme which doesn't match how I want the marines to look. Plus, as I said I'm looking to be into the modelling/painting side of things more than the actual playing.
- With this in mind, what paints would you recommend?
- I've heard citadel sprays aren't the best quality so should I undercoat with something else?
- I was thinking of undercoating the marines grey so I can work down to the cream colour of one side and work up to the dark red of the other.
- Would Vallejo paints do the job or should I stick with citadel or a mix of both? I'm definitely going to be getting some nuln oil or "liquid talent" as I think I'm going to be needing all the help I can get .
- Oh, and I know to thin my paints as instructed by Warhammer TV's lord and saviour, Duncan.

If any of you made it this far you have my thanks. Any answers to a single question or clarification would be very helpful. If you have any general advice I'd be happy to hear it as well .

Welcome

I started back up painting just last year, due to boredom really so not new to the scene started back in '96.

But when I decided to start painting again I bought a couple of old models off eBay, then went to the local GW and purchased
an AOS paint set, few pots of paint, I still had a couple of good brushes (roughly 10yr old, the paint I had dried up in that time also)
I still have all the tools but if you look around you'll find them cheap, needle files, pin vice and glue in places like Hobbycraft


Washing of the regular plastic is not needed but wouldn't hurt if you wanted to do it, I only wash and scrub resin kits.

GW spray was good, no idea now as I use AP colour spray one of which is uniform grey.
I have a mix of paint, majority citadel, some AP droppers and a few AV game air droppers, citadel pots are expensive and do not last
Because of their design (flip top lids) the paints from AV are good but require a good mix before they work as they like to separate.
The inks/ washes are great, they really make the models pop and can assist the novice painter

I bought the AP mega brush set (so much cheaper than GW), as using a detail brush for everything is not great, one brush I would suggest is the GW M shade it’s a godsend for Applying shades and also removing excess that has pooled up

Ell wrote: Because of this I want to put detail into the models and don't mind spending the time to do so. I've decided to buy a box of tactical marines as my first set as they seem rather accessible compared to more detailed/complex models.

Sounds like a good idea, but remember that you won't get any better at painting complex models by painting easy models. Obviously don't go out buying an expensive imperial knight to start with, but don't be afraid to push yourself. It's the only way to learn. IMO, you should try practicing glazing and layering on space marines, as they have some great smooth surfaces to experiment with.

Ell wrote:- I was thinking of getting the Essential Citadel Brush Selection kit to start off with (contain M and L basecoating, M shade, S and M layering and an M dry brush as well as an M texture tool for £30)

The whole purpose of a drybrush is to get ruined by being caked with dry paint, so it's pointless to pay that price for them. Get some super cheapo junk brushes at your hobby store for drybushing, and that will be all that you need. Throw them away when they are ruined, and replace them afterwards with brushes of the same dirt cheap price.
GW tools are usually there as a convenience item, and are pretty much identical in quality to the cheaper army painter brushes.
I would recommend picking up army painter brushes as your first brushes for the heavy work, as they are quite good (they also come in sets that are cheaper than citadel).
Master's brush cleaner is what most people use to wash their brushes, so go with that for your cleaning needs.

This video can show you how to keep a good brush point: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9RHiaBLtGw

Make sure to also keep the covers that come with the brushes, as you can put them back on to protect them when not painting.

Ell wrote:Then after painting the marines up the best I can with them, I intend to buy a detail brush from another supplier as I can't justify the cost of GW's. Any suggestions?

I would recommend the Army Painter brushes if you are still looking for good quality, as they are great for what they offer and are identical to citadel brushes, but cheaper. I would recommend getting them in sets, as it's better value.

Ell wrote:After watching videos from channels such as Tabletop Minions and Teri Litorco I know to make a wet palette to conserve paints and that I should probably get a hobby knife, clippers and a file/sander from a craft store to save on cost.

That's perfectly fine. I did the same thing

Ell wrote:- Should I buy citadel plastic glue or gorilla glue?

Neither. For plastic, use Tamiya extra thin cement OR Revel contacta professional glue. Be careful, because it sets quickly!

For metal, any type of super strong glue that you see in those dispensable...uh... I forget the term. Basically they are those glues in mini toothpaste packets that you get in packs for cheap with words like "super bond" and "strong hold". You know what I mean. Those are what you want to use for metal, and I haven't noticed a difference in price. Pick whatever is available to you.

Ell wrote:Does this all seem alright or am I off the mark? I am missing anything essential?

You could pick up a pin vise for drilling into metal miniatures in case you need to pin anything, but I doubt you'll need it for GW stuff. It's more for those big metal units, like you see in Infinity. Still, it's a valuable tool in a painter's arsenal.
Also, pick up some methylated spirits to strip your miniatures. This allows you to buy stuff off of ebay for practice (or just to save money). Most people on this site will recommend dettol antiseptic, castrol superclean, or simple green for stripping - This is bad advice.
Meths is significantly cheaper, and it will work in less than an hour vs other products. It's fine with plastic and metal, too. Not sure about resin, so be careful with that. It won't destroy detail unless you leave stuff in it for a week apparently, but I have plastic miniatures sitting in some methylated spirits right now for like their fourth or fifth day, and they're fine. Make sure to use your common sense with vapours by using an old toothbrush and doing your stripping deeds in a well-ventilated room, of course.
This video explains more on why to use methylated spirits: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7SsWOYMialA

Ell wrote:I've heard I should wash a sprue with lukewarm water and fairly liquid before working with the plastic, is this true?

Not too sure, but it's more out of habit rather than necessity. You see, you need to wash resin before using it because of the release agent, and so people must also apply this logic to plastic. In all honesty, it will depend on who is making what plastic molds, but it isn't really necessary for plastic.
I don't wash my plastic, if that helps. No need to, and I've even primed metal miniatures second-hand without any issue. But, you must ABSOLUTELY wash resin.

Ell wrote:Would anyone be able to tell me what this cream-like colour is in the paint scheme and what I should use to shade and highlight it with?

There are numerous ways to shading and highlighting. The first thing you learn in miniature painting is that many different painters have different painting styles. Some people completely throw away washes, going for a dark colour, mid colour, and light colour in layers. Others will just slap on a basecoat, wash, and then just call it a day. The reason I am telling you this is because a wash is basically just a watery paint that settles in the recesses of a basecoat to give it a "shade colour" underneath, so don't worry about what specific colour is underneath. Just keep the mid tone in mind, and what colours you would personally use to shade and highlight it.
The cream colour is most likely rakarth flesh, with layering of pallid wych flesh. That's what my citadel mobile app is telling me when it comes to parchment, so it must apply to the shoulder pads too

Ell wrote:- Is there any advice or tutorials for a paint sheme like this where the colours are split down the middle?

Duncan has one, I believe. Sorry I can't be more specific :(

Ell wrote:I realise this is extremely ambitious for a newcomer but I would rather give it a go, do it badly and learn from it than settle for a scheme which doesn't match how I want the marines to look. Plus, as I said I'm looking to be into the modelling/painting side of things more than the actual playing.

I salute you. You have a great attitude, and that attitude will take you far in your painting. Feel free to post more if you ever need help, as everyone here is happy to lend a bit of advice.

Ell wrote:- With this in mind, what paints would you recommend?

Vallejo Model Colour, hands down. Wide variety of colours, and it's cheaper than citadel (yet it has more ml and it's identical, if not superior quality). As I write this, Citadel has actually added another price increase to their paints, which is yet another reason to ignore citadel. The paint is great, but the price isn't for what it offers.

Ell wrote:- I've heard citadel sprays aren't the best quality so should I undercoat with something else?

I use Vallejo polyurethane black surface primer. You can brush it on by hand quite liberally, and it will shrink onto the miniature. When it comes to spray primers, I don't have the patience to use them properly, but here is a basic video outlining on how to use any spray primer on miniatures: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCenxgOW-fs

Ell wrote:- I was thinking of undercoating the marines grey so I can work down to the cream colour of one side and work up to the dark red of the other.

You personal preference, respectively. I prefer a black undercoat as I go from dark to light, but you do you.

Ell wrote:- Would Vallejo paints do the job or should I stick with citadel or a mix of both? I'm definitely going to be getting some nuln oil or "liquid talent" as I think I'm going to be needing all the help I can get .

Vallejo will do A-okay, so just find the substitutes or mix the colours you need. If you have any favourites from the citadel range, by all means, include them!
Don't get nuln oil, though, as you can use Army Painter Dark Tone Ink, which is cheaper and comes in larger quantities. It's also identical.

Ell wrote:-Oh, and I know to thin my paints as instructed by Warhammer TV's lord and saviour, Duncan.

Thinning paints is only half the battle. Duncan is good, but if you want to expand your knowledge, here are some very helpful Youtubers to follow for guidance: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL10C32CB2CD611E84
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtysRnFm_YLNPapiT_NstZ4_oWg5trFRC
https://www.youtube.com/user/SDubist

Welcome to Dakka, good luck in your adventures in to this hobby.

Hi,

Welcome to Dakka

Hello and welcome!

On the brush front, I'd recommend checking out the Rosemary & Co series 33 brushes. I have size 2, 1, and 0 and don't really need anything else. They're excellent quality and great value for money.