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Just picked up the Dark Imperium box set, but before I dive in I'd like to practice some painting techniques and color schemes since I haven't painted in a long time.

That leads me to my questions.. What is the most cost-efficient way to get models to practice on before I dive in to the box set armies.

I've checked eBay, but it seems that prices are still pretty high.

Any suggestions would be welcomed and appreciated.

Thanks!

Practice on paper honestly, make sure to damp the paper first.

Then make folds in the paper and use those folded lines as shadow spots, edge highlighting, etc..

Practice wetting you paints down and getting used to how to do that and how much water is to much.

After you do that for a bit then start on a model.

EDIT: You can use a wasted sprue too

A few other approaches

1) Get some Simple Green (or other chemical paint stripper for models - there's loads of advice on this) and some old cheap metal models. Paint - strip - paint - strip.
You can strip plastics too, but metal is easier and you basically can't go wrong (even if you leave it in the chemical for years* metals will be fine).

2) Get some cheap models and just keep painting them up.

3) Sacrifice a single box of troops for experiments. This assumes you don't paint strip them and has the bonus that you can practice schemes on the actual model adn see how it goes.


In general painting proper models iwll have the bonus on teaching you handling and holding techniques and painting on actual model 3D shapes and to the level of detail you're happy with .


*for most tame paint strippers for models. There are likely some far more aggressive options, though they are not commonly used.

Just scour eBay until you find some old, out-of-date, even incomplete minis. Like starter box stuff from the early 2000's that's incomplete or poorly assembled, etc.

Or hop on facebook and ask around if anyone will ship you a sprue of 5 basic space marines, etc. for cheap.

there are tons of GW 15$ sets that are great for this

 hotsauceman1 wrote:
there are tons of GW 15$ sets that are great for this

I forgot about the start painting sets!


https://www.games-workshop.com/en-US/sm-Paint-Set-Eng-spa-port-latv-rom-2018
https://www.games-workshop.com/en-US/DGuard-Paint-Set-ENG-SPA-PORT-LATV-ROM-2019

You could try your hand on dollar-store toys. There are usually some small, semi-detailed toys you can prime and get a feel with.

Stop worrying and paint miniatures you need for play. It will train muscle memory as you will begin remembering how to paint the details and will put painted models on the table.
Do a test (fully painted) model first.

These are all great replies, thank you for the advice!

the easy to build minis aren't a bad place to start. by time you've done 3 space marines you should have rembered the basics.

 Shadenuat wrote:
Stop worrying and paint miniatures you need for play. It will train muscle memory as you will begin remembering how to paint the details and will put painted models on the table.
Do a test (fully painted) model first.

I second this. Just start painting the Space Marines [or start with the ones you're least excited about]. If it's really bad, you can always strip it later.

Go to a GW store and ask them if freebee marines, sit down and ask them how to paint it. just to wet your feet again.

alternatively, as other say, strip and repaint.

barring that, buy a pack of easy to build Marines, that'll be 3 easy to assmble reivers or intercessors, if you end up liking the paint job on them you can then snag some 40 MM bases and convert some box intercessors into Leuitenants.

 greatbigtree wrote:
You could try your hand on dollar-store toys. There are usually some small, semi-detailed toys you can prime and get a feel with.

Good ol' green army men, $1 for 20-25 of the buggers. Plenty detailed enough for practicing techniques and trying out color combinations. Just keep in mind that a color pattern that looks good on a Marine might look funny on a Tryanid or an Ork, so you're testing the pallete rather than the pattern.

The problem with toys is that the plastic is often hugely different than a normal GW or other hard-plastic model kit.

Get some Bones minis! Human-size ones usually go for $2.99.

I don’t think the material matters all that much once you have primer on it.

Even soft plastic is firm enough to paint. There may not be sharp details, but some basic base coat, wash, dry brush should be posible.

You can get 200 vanilla tac marines for like $.35 on ebay.

Get some cheap plastic kits I use the 3rd party flames of war tanks to practice on plastic soldier company I think also the basic model kits by airfix and revell etc.

I have some really funky looking panzer iv's and an a10 somewhere that were test victims whe learning to airbrush among other things.

These guys?

https://www.games-workshop.com/en-US/Space-Marines?_requestid=6146885

phillv85 wrote:
These guys?

https://www.games-workshop.com/en-US/Space-Marines?_requestid=6146885

Yep. Those and then some 90%+ alcohol which strips paint in no time and no damage to plastic. Paint, if not happy strip, paint, strip. Wanna try new technique? Strip and paint.

I either sacrifice a unit or two for testing.

Or, i make a scheme, then simplify it to the most barebones standard. Paint to the barebones simple standard and then slowly start to expand the scheme.
This is also a good practice for horde armies, where your average cannonfodder unit does not really need to be 1.A perfect due to, well beeing one in many. (altough as a horde player myself i am probably damaged in that regard)

@OP:

Metal models are suitable for this purpose as paint stripping won´t ruin the figurine as it would be the case with plastic minis.

 Strg Alt wrote:
@OP:

Metal models are suitable for this purpose as paint stripping won´t ruin the figurine as it would be the case with plastic minis.

It won't ruin plastic if you do it with proper liquid. Don't use brake fluid or whatever. 90%+ alcohol. Like the ones for portable stove cookers. Soak up few minutes, rub, paint off, plastic same as before.

No need to get metal models for this. Plastic is just as easy. And compared to stuff like brake fluid more safe method as well.

ERJAK wrote:
You can get 200 vanilla tac marines for like $.35 on ebay.

this is hyperbolic, but not by much. The older tactical marines, while smaller than intercessors and other primaris marines, would be the best way to practice, and they are cheap as hell.

Ask around your local groups, and somebody will have some they will likely just give you. If not, put an ad in the swap shop, and somebody will hook you up.

I can check when I get home, but I'm pretty sure I've got some laying around I'd let go if you cover the shipping.

The D&D Models are great starting practice models. good size so easy to do fine details, and roughly 3$ a model.

 Polonius wrote:

ERJAK wrote:
You can get 200 vanilla tac marines for like $.35 on ebay.

this is hyperbolic, but not by much. The older tactical marines, while smaller than intercessors and other primaris marines, would be the best way to practice, and they are cheap as hell.

Ask around your local groups, and somebody will have some they will likely just give you. If not, put an ad in the swap shop, and somebody will hook you up.

I can check when I get home, but I'm pretty sure I've got some laying around I'd let go if you cover the shipping.

Thanks! I would absolutely cover shipping!


Automatically Appended Next Post:

ERJAK wrote:
You can get 200 vanilla tac marines for like $.35 on ebay.

Care to share a link?

 handamputation wrote:
Just picked up the Dark Imperium box set, but before I dive in I'd like to practice some painting techniques and color schemes since I haven't painted in a long time.

That leads me to my questions.. What is the most cost-efficient way to get models to practice on before I dive in to the box set armies.

I've checked eBay, but it seems that prices are still pretty high.

Any suggestions would be welcomed and appreciated.

Thanks!

I dunno, grab some cheap models like reaper bones or one of those monopose 10$ boxsets from GW (They're called like "TACTICAL MARINES" and it's 3 monopose models on a sprue for 10 bucks).

E4M has some super cheap fantasy miniatures you can mess around with without feeling bad about it

https://em4miniatures.com/collections/plastic-fantasy-miniatures