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Stupid question mates:-

What's your workflow when you paint minis? So fat this is mine (Dark Angels as a reference/example):

1. Undercoat
2. Layer of Caliban Green
3. Details (vents, pouches, grenades, shoulder pads, etc.)
4. Dark Washing (nuln oil or agrax)
5. Minor retouching to re-brighten up certain areas

Is there a better workflow (I'm sure there is!). I read that many wash the mini after the layer is done - before the put in the details. Is this true? Is this a good idea?

Thanks for all your feedback thus far!

Dom

Skin out - which would be the way you're doing it.

With a steady hand you can really do any order except for paint then prime, ha!

Like above, typically skin outwards, or recesses outwards. You can jumble a few things around, just start with primer and end with washes/highlights.

for me i like to do it like this

base coat target area - skin or armor
do a middle layer on target area
wash
base coat another target area
middle
wash
build up to high lights on previous area
wash
build up to high lights on other area
wash

re-high light ect.

For my Daemonettes it goes:
1. Foundation for base and model construction
2. Prime
3. Base coat flesh with codex grey
4. Base coat pink and purple areas with lich purple
5. Add first few layers of VGC squid pink to pink areas
6. Lightly drybrush purple areas with VGC squid pink
7. Glaze entirely with purple wash
8. Blending highlight flesh with grey again
9. Glaze flesh
10. Final blending highlights with grey for flesh
11. Light glaze to tie colour back in
12. Layer VGC squid pink back on pink areas
13. 1:1 white to squid pink layer
14. 1:1 white to previous mix layer
15. 1:1 white to previous mix highlight
16. Use previous mixes to highlight purple
17. Glaze purple areas
18. Base metal areas with tin bitz
19. Layer dwarf bronze
20. Highlight shining gold
21. Black areas and eyes painted with black ink, being careful with it here makes it more or less highlight itself with its coverage. Washes would be too weak and require multiple passes
22. Paint teeth white
23. Wash teeth with badab black
24. Highlight teeth again with white
25. Gloss varnish to eyes
26. Flock base
27. Squad marking on back of base rim


Pretty much you're going about it the right way and it will change depending on specific models. You need to look at it and think of how it should flow as you paint it and how you can minimise any mistakes. Also how easy it could be ti fix up any slips. Obviously it'd be easier to paint a shield and then a small skull on it that the skull and trying to paint around it without accidentally getting paint on it.

I am working on several large squads of noise marines and the process is very difficult. I am trying to give them a non-uniform appearance while maintaining a believable paint scheme.

I will post pics of the whole force in the future, but they all look kind of like this:



Here's the process:

1) Undercoat

2) Break out the basic colors so you don't have to make decisions while painting the model for this guy, it's blue-gray for all the metal, a reddish brown for the yellows, a flesh pink for the pink parts, and a more bluish-brown for the flesh areas.

3) Paint up the yellows through stages. Using an example from a Heavy Metal Masterclass, working through several layers on each.

4) Paint up the metals through stages. I like my silver to have a blue-steel look, I start by making it look very blue, then add chainmail, then add mithril silver.

4) Paint up the pinkish areas by starting with a wash, then adding emperor's children, then adding some white.

5) Paint up the reds on the gun. You can't see it in this photo, but there's actually a lot of detail on the red barrel that goes through 3 layers.

6) Repeat similar steps for flesh areas.

7) Detail the flames using chaos black.

8) Add some extreme highlights.

i don't think there are any strict rules, or even a "best way" to paint...
the trick is actually finding your own "right" approach...
that's the hard part, as there are so many ways to approach painting, so many techniques of applying the paint that can be used...

some people paint a fully assembled mini, on the base...
i could never happily do that...
it's minis in pieces, with pins in each part, mounted in exacto handles, or pin vice handles...

some people like to glaze, others wet blend...
some blend with one brush, and others with two...

personally, i like layering, but in a way to make it look like a nice blend...
why not just blend, instead of doing 20 layers???
maybe i'm a masochist, i don't know, i just do what feels natural...

some people like to paint each color, or section, completely, and then move on to the next...
someone has already said skin outward, which is a general rule i have always heard, and rarely follow...
for me, i like to basecoat everything, like a sketch, to see how all of the colors work together, and then carry on just working with whichever color feels inspiring that day...

i only work with what feels right on the day, that way nothing feels forced...
i feel free to experiment and push boundaries, because i don't follow any set rules of painting...
just let it flow, have fun, and try any crazy idea you get in your head...

cheers
jah

Pretty much the only 'right way is the following:
Undercoat > Base Coat > The rest of it.

Other than that, whatever works for you.
Painting can be a long, tedious project, especially with 'base troops' (that are the same model over and over!), so whatever feels right/natural apart from the basic rule above.

There is no "absolute good way" in painting minis.

I generally start with the most messy steps, but other than that it really depends on the models and colors I use.

Some people apply the base color on each area, before adding shadings and/or highlights. I prefer to paint each color from start to begining before switching to the next one. That's just a matter of personnal tastes.


Looking at WIP pictures in modelling topics like the P&M blogs here on dakka is really interesting to see how people concretely build up their color schemes, in what order.

I paint by Guardsmen like this...

1: Prime.
2: Basecoat amour & cloth
3: Basecoat skin
4: Highlight armour & cloth
5: Touchup any areas that need it
6: Details (pouches, flasks, imperial eagles, etc.)
7: Highlight skin & and paint eyes.
8: Give everything an approriate wash.
9: Final touchups.

1) Prime/basecoat
2) Base colurs and main trim colours
3) Wash/ink appropriate colours
4) Retouch and add in finer details

steelcult wrote:
Skin out - which would be the way you're doing it.

so if you have a guardsman or a spacemarine without his helmet you will start by painting his face?

i generally paint the larger surfaces of one color first... lets say darkangels, i would paint the basecoat, highlight it, then move on to smaller details that have the same color and paint those at once and then move on again...
then again i use a airbrush which makes my painting a lot faster anyway

How I paint my Ultras:

Spray prime white.
Basecoat ultramarine blue
Paint belt, guns, metal bits, backpack vents, black
Paint chest eagle, random skulls, grey (sarges get gold)
drybrush all grey/black with silver (sometimes the grey gets a black wash)
Paint any cables deadly nightshade
Paint any wires green/red/yellow depending on mood and how many there are.
Paint eyes, frag grenades, lenses with a metallic green (frags get a green wash as well)
Paint any pouches/holsters bestial brown
Purity seals are done with a beige paint (bleached bone?) and a red for the wax part.
Touch up my sloppy paint job.
Apply a blue wash to the model, covering the blue base, eyes, and cables.
Paint base black.

I work to the same framework with each model.

I only paint up three infantry models at a time (or one large model). I also work on one area until it is complete including highlight. starting with the largest area moving through to the smallest.

Details such as jewels, bag's, satchels, ribbons are the last to be done usually finally ending with the eyes.

I then touch up and base the model.

This method works for me, I don't know why but it does. I stick to it religiously, to deviate would bring me to my knee's.

For my nurlge marines:

1.) prime black
2.) 3 main colors ( Off white, green, and dark silver)
3.) Paint the base dark brown
4.) For any growths or daemon flesh start with dark green, drybrush a lighter green and highlight with a pale green
5.) add splotches of dark green on the base as well as paint the water green.
6.) Drybrush the dirt on the base with a lighter brown and the grass with a lighter green.
7.) For bone or horns start with dark brown layer light brown and off white.
8.) for Rust Start with dark brown add in more and more orange for each additional layer.
9.) highlight the metal with silver
10.) Wash the whole model with a dark green
11.) Wash the recesses with brown.
12.) For the eyes (and other glowing things) Start with purple, add in pink for the second layer, and white for the third.

Definitely varies from person to person. Actually, I change it up from mini to mini, on occasion. Sometimes I'll do one step at a time, moving through all the colors (all major areas basecoated, all washed, all highlighted), when normally I'd paint each feature (or more general type, like "all skin" or "all leather straps") fully before moving on to the next.

I would say, at least, that there are some common sense guidelines, if not rules. Painting "inside out" (recessed areas before extremities) and doing messy steps like drybrushing early on just make sense. Sure, you don't have to stick to them, but it's easier if you do. Other "tricks" are just time-savers, like basecoating multiple features, even those of different colors, that will receive the same wash, so you can save time by applying it all at once.

depends on the models I guess..

1: airbrush primer
2: airbrush 1st zenithal @ 45 degrees
3: airbrush final zenithal @ 90 degrees
4: loosely paint all the details their respected colors
5: Gloss coat
6: oil wash
7: clean up oil wash with spirits
8: detail highlights
9: wash highlights and details with the GW glazes or washes
10: dull coat x 2

I'm not too handy with a brush so I use my airbrush for the big stuff

Wow! Thanks for all the feedback. My small brain is trying to process this as I type this.

The reason for me asking this question is that a recently finished another 5 Unforgiven. I painted them 'mass', as in 5 at once. I think this was a mistake as I quickly lost focus and the overall quality of my paint job was reduced.

I suppose a fixed workflow would work wonders.

I do things backwards, cloth, metal and such first, then skin last. I just like it that way. Also it creates less mess and as I spend the most time on the skin, i don't want to mess up the detail work by accidentally getting another color on top of it. Skin is my favorite thing to paint by the way.

Prime, base coat, carapace, muscley bits and joints, eyes and teeth, wash.
Tervigons and anything with a biosack gets different attention.

I found a straighforward tutorial on painting Space Marines which suggests:-

1. Primer
2. Layer
3. Overall (lighter) wash - Avoid spooling of said wash
4. Darker wash in recesses
5. Highlighting
6. Details

This sound reasonably easy to do, but if your details are not well done, wouldn't touch-ups ruin the multiple washes?

My basic rule is "in to out, down to up".

Basically, you're not going to want to paint surfaces that you're going to be holding on to until the very end. As such, I generally wait to paint shoulderpads and guns, and start with torsos and legs, neither of which are likely to come into finger contact.

No point painting something in a place where the paint is just going to rub off by holding the model to paint the rest of it.

 Ailaros wrote:
My basic rule is "in to out, down to up".

Basically, you're not going to want to paint surfaces that you're going to be holding on to until the very end. As such, I generally wait to paint shoulderpads and guns, and start with torsos and legs, neither of which are likely to come into finger contact.

No point painting something in a place where the paint is just going to rub off by holding the model to paint the rest of it.

That is always GREAT ADVICE. Thanks mate!

I solve the holding onto the painting surface issue by using blue tac and a bottle cap to hold the mini while painting.

Your best bet is really to find what works for you and go with it. Painting isn't something that is done right or wrong - it is just done. If a certain method of painting or pattern to things doesn't make sense to you...it will be awkward and slow you down.

For me - each model is handled a little differently. If there is a lot of skin - that gets handled first. Mainly because I prefer to do skin tones with an airbrush. If most the model is one color, I'll do that first. If a figure has a significant amount of metallic paint in one color or another - I'll do that first.

Generally speaking I block in all the colors first before I move onto details and shading. This lets me see if a color scheme or concept will work - it sort of gives me the cartoon representation of the figure. After that - it is details and decals/freehand. Finally shading, highlights and finishing touches where needed.

In the end though, each figure is painted a bit different from the last depending on specific aspects which are unique to that color. It might be because of a color choice which is a pain to work with (yellow figures) or a type of paint which needs to be handled differently from regular acrylics (Alclad II metallics) or sometimes just to try a new technique.

When you are starting out, try things as many different ways as possible and eventually you will subconsciously choose the way which works best for you without ever even having to think about it.

 Sean_OBrien wrote:
Your best bet is really to find what works for you and go with it. Painting isn't something that is done right or wrong - it is just done. If a certain method of painting or pattern to things doesn't make sense to you...it will be awkward and slow you down.

For me - each model is handled a little differently. If there is a lot of skin - that gets handled first. Mainly because I prefer to do skin tones with an airbrush. If most the model is one color, I'll do that first. If a figure has a significant amount of metallic paint in one color or another - I'll do that first.

Generally speaking I block in all the colors first before I move onto details and shading. This lets me see if a color scheme or concept will work - it sort of gives me the cartoon representation of the figure. After that - it is details and decals/freehand. Finally shading, highlights and finishing touches where needed.

In the end though, each figure is painted a bit different from the last depending on specific aspects which are unique to that color. It might be because of a color choice which is a pain to work with (yellow figures) or a type of paint which needs to be handled differently from regular acrylics (Alclad II metallics) or sometimes just to try a new technique.

When you are starting out, try things as many different ways as possible and eventually you will subconsciously choose the way which works best for you without ever even having to think about it.

This is great advice. Thanks Sean!

I clean the minis of flash and such first
Prime
skin tone wash
1st skin highlight
2nd skin highlight
(if its an HQ or Nob, 3rd highlight lol)
then blacks as well as undercoat for metals
then metal
rusting
details
base

Im always learning and adding steps. I just watched the GW painting tutorial last week so Ive added drybrushing and highlighting over washes.

I used to....

1) Prime
2) Bases, dark (Boltgun Metal) to light (Light Browns and Grays)
3) Lighter base layers (Runefang to Whites)
4) Wash
5) Highlight

Now I am doing....

1) Prime
2) Dark bases
3) Wash
4) Drybrush
5) Lighter base/highlights

ha when reading all of these you guys made my paints seem so elementry.

heres how i do it.

1 prime it
2 add coat of red
3 add coat of red
4 add coat of red
5 add black
6 wash black
7 enjoy your guy from 2-4 feet away like you will on the game table.

I'm making a list, and checking in twice...

...on the layers, wash and highlighting on specific parts of my Unforgiven. Now I have to figure out the best order of things... hmmm....

I got a silly question I hope someone can answer for me!

When I paint Dark Angels, AFTER the Primer, would it make sense to paint the shoulder pad insignias first? Or do I layer it green first?