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That sounds like an honest plea. Yes, as long as you're open minded to what people have to say, 90% of what people will tell you will be critique- to help influence you in a positive direction.

Best of luck, start getting those WIP photos rockin'

I would start a blog over in the P&M Blogs subforum so people can track your progress and offer insight. As long as you update it frequently, people will follow it.

Honestly, just paint more and practice. You got a lot to learn, so do I. And that's okay.

AllSeeingSkink wrote:

Rented Tritium wrote:It also makes sense if you already have a full time job and take a commission now and again for some spending cash. It's not like you were actually working those hours.

Yeah, if you really enjoy painting models for other people, and I'm sure some people do, commission painting on the side isn't a bad idea. Though I think some people over estimate how much they like painting other peoples' models given how low it pays. Would you rather be painting someone else's models for a pittance, or just painting your own models, or doing something else completely different with your spare time? I tutor students in my spare time (or used to, back when I had spare time ) firstly because I enjoyed it and secondly it gave me cash on the side, but I don't consider that the same as commission painting it was significantly more cash per hour than even a good commission painter and not a lot of hours either, so I actually had time to spend the cash it earned me.

What happens to me is about once a month one of my friends buys a totally sweet big ole HQ choice or MC or something and has no intention of painting it. Since I'm going to be playing against it, it had better look good. So I offer to paint it for 30 bucks and make a saturday job out of it.

I can't imagine doing more than this without getting MUCH better at painting.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

TyranidPainter wrote:
Wow so many comments, so much advice. I'm realy touched (no I can't spell as many of you already know) that you'd try and help me so much. I'm quite embarrassed about my first few replies now :(. I'm not going to let this minor setback stop my ambitions but maybe I should stick with ebay untill my quality improves. Thank you all for your advice. I will continue to post on here and I'd be greatfull if some of you'd keep an eye on my progress. Obviously I could not ask anyone to dedicate any of their time to help me but it is painfuly clear my painting needs improving so....help....please x x

Awesome!

Take good pictures of your work and post them in this forum and we will help improve your techniques.

TyranidPainter wrote:
Wow so many comments, so much advice. I'm realy touched (no I can't spell as many of you already know) that you'd try and help me so much. I'm quite embarrassed about my first few replies now :(. I'm not going to let this minor setback stop my ambitions but maybe I should stick with ebay untill my quality improves. Thank you all for your advice. I will continue to post on here and I'd be greatfull if some of you'd keep an eye on my progress. Obviously I could not ask anyone to dedicate any of their time to help me but it is painfuly clear my painting needs improving so....help....please x x

If you want to paint Tyranids, try reading/watching these tutorials:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trpHUu0liz8 (GirlPainting's video; pretty standard stuff, all brushwork)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNA3fSqgGKg&list=PL449300393224A594 (One of Les' earlier videos, there is lots of airbrushing in it but he also does all of the carapace and claws with a brush)
http://www.figurepainters.com/tips-tutorials/2011/8/15/painting-a-tyranid-flying-hive-tyrant-golden-demon-winner.html (The part about doing the feathering on the carapace is pretty good... well, the whole thing is good too)
http://www.necrotales.com/necroTutorials/tut_painting_tyranids_01.php (One of my favorites... it shows how to add patterns, similar to ones found in nature, to the carapace and even the skin. It gives them a really awesome and different look)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJha39IUztU & http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-mjrracdCs (BuyPainted's video; mostly airbrush work but still fun to watch)

Rite well I’ve took everyone’s advice into consideration and after making a few alterations this is what I came up with:
-This is a warrior’s carapace in my own personal colour scheme using the feathering techniques Winterdyne told me about

-The following are a Hormagaunt and a Genestealer using all the techniques people advised. I think I may have overdone it on the highlighting :S




What do you guy’s think? Comments, advice and even criticism is highly valued. Thanks  x x

Photography is a big improvement. I can make out the fine details. The white in the top pic is a little too thick. I also have this problem. White needs to be watered down, and built up over many layers. It's a total pain in the ass. Also, you've missed a mold line on the lower left leg. The blue carapace is certainly striking, and I suspect will stand out well from across the table.
I much prefer the green scheme though; I don't think your highlights are too much, the paint looks much smoother than the white. There is a good bit more depth to the range of tones used.
They'll look even better if you base 'em though. Keep it up!

the white skin on the warrior is too 1-dimensional. I know many people that are afraid of using grey because it looks like the GW plastic.... don't be afraid of using grays.

A massive improvement.

 Eggs wrote:
Photography is a big improvement. I can make out the fine details. The white in the top pic is a little too thick. I also have this problem. White needs to be watered down, and built up over many layers. It's a total pain in the ass. Also, you've missed a mold line on the lower left leg. The blue carapace is certainly striking, and I suspect will stand out well from across the table.
I much prefer the green scheme though; I don't think your highlights are too much, the paint looks much smoother than the white. There is a good bit more depth to the range of tones used.
They'll look even better if you base 'em though. Keep it up!

Thanks, I used my fathers camera for these. Well I nicked it. I doubt he'd let me borrow it for this. He's a typical biker and doesn't take me seriously on this -.-. I'm fed up of trying to make him proud though. Anyway other than the primer I didn't use any white on the first pic. Do you mean the fortress grey on the carapase? Also as soon as I can afford base paints I will base it. Also I don't own a file yet so I can't get rid off the mold lines :(. Any ideas of how I can do it cheap? Thanks x x


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tomcat31 wrote:
A massive improvement.

Err, I didn't use any white. That's deneb stone :S. Perhaps I should've used the pics taken without the flash x x

Your paint is still a little thick, but you're definitely doing the right things with said paint.

Rite, now for the ultimate question. Going with the last few pics as references only and keeping my old priceing method....would any of you consider commissioning me? Obviously I'm not asking for your money (not yet anyway lol), I just wonderd if they are at that standard yet x x

Still no. Sorry. Although not because of your quality.
My reasons are
1. I'm a chaos player
2. I enjoy painting my own minis.
3. I can paint to a similar standard.

You are getting there though and your attitude has also improved massively.
As for removing mould lines. I use a scalpel blade and scrape them away gently. The blades are a couple of pounds for 10 from most art suppliers.

tomcat31 wrote:
Still no. Sorry. Although not because of your quality.
My reasons are
1. I'm a chaos player
2. I enjoy painting my own minis.
3. I can paint to a similar standard.

You are getting there though and your attitude has also improved massively.
As for removing mould lines. I use a scalpel blade and scrape them away gently. The blades are a couple of pounds for 10 from most art suppliers.

Ah thank you. I do appologise again for my former attitude. I am genuinly rather embarrassed about it. That's a side of me I thought I got rid off. Oh well, at least I'm back to being the old happy, wappy chappy now eh lol. Rite well I hope that third reason is only a temporary thing. I intend to continue improving the quality of my models untill I can make a career out of it........so no time soon then XD. I'll be sure to shop around for those scalpels, thanks. Oh and if you wouldn't mind I'd love to see your models. Could you post a link to them pwease :3 x x

Just click on my name then go to my gallery. I'm not sure how to post links. There's an example below. Although some of my older stuff is embarrassing now. Lol.

tomcat31 wrote:
Just click on my name then go to my gallery. I'm not sure how to post links. There's an example below. Although some of my older stuff is embarrassing now. Lol.

Oh my goodness! I hope you don't do commissions 'cos I can't compete to that :0. Mind you, I can't paint humanoids anyway. Bloody well done pal x x

Picking up a scalpel or hobby knife (if you want it to cost twice as much) is an essential buy. from scraping off mold lines to removing excess flash, it will save you time and detail.

Your carapace looks great, I would recommend getting into two brush blending for your transitions. Its a PITA to learn but looks amazing once you get the hang of it (and some day I will!).

Also if your looking at expanding into commission work where you will be painting armies at a single go I would seriously look at getting an airbrush.

 darefsky wrote:
Your carapace looks great, I would recommend getting into two brush blending for your transitions. Its a PITA to learn but looks amazing once you get the hang of it (and some day I will!).

Also if your looking at expanding into commission work where you will be painting armies at a single go I would seriously look at getting an airbrush.

Thanks, I'm considering getting an airbrush but that's quite expensive. Any idea where I can get a cheap yet efficiant one (excuse my spelling)?
Also what's two brush blending x x

TyranidPainter wrote:

 darefsky wrote:
Your carapace looks great, I would recommend getting into two brush blending for your transitions. Its a PITA to learn but looks amazing once you get the hang of it (and some day I will!).

Also if your looking at expanding into commission work where you will be painting armies at a single go I would seriously look at getting an airbrush.

Thanks, I'm considering getting an airbrush but that's quite expensive. Any idea where I can get a cheap yet efficiant one (excuse my spelling)?
Also what's two brush blending x x

Two brush blending is a technique used for extremely smooth transitions between two colors and for highlighting, when done right its creates seamless transitions between colors. For example the white to the blue on your carapace.

There are tons of tutorials and videos on the Youtube about it.

Handcannon explains it really well here.

http://handcannononline.com/blog/2011/04/18/tutorial-basics-%E2%80%93-smooth-it-over-two-brush-blending/

As to cheap + airbrushing...... yea that's not gonna happen, but you could always do small commissions and save up to buy a decent setup. Also think of it this way. If it cuts the time of painting a model from 4 hours to 2 hours you are making twice as much per model......

Lol. Not a chance I'd do commission work. I just don't have the time, I work 60+ hours a week , have 2 step kids and a wife.
Between all this and painting my own army, I also have about 250 orks left to paint for my stepson.
Oh and thanks for the props.

Well that was a fun read. Here's what you need to do most of all.

The bases. Oh dear lord the bases.

Here's a simple method;
- Water slightly some PVA glue. Spread over the base.
- Dip the model in modelling sand.
- When dry, heavily wash the sand with a brown wash.
- When dry, drybrush the sand using a standard mid-tone grey.

You'll end up with a simple sunbleached pebble /appearance that does very nicely for minimal time spent. You can embellish it easily with some pre-formed grass tufts that can be found easily on the web, or by dabbing a little more pva on, and applying static grass.

Please sort the bases. You really cannot expect to be regularly paid for unbased minis, and it's such an easy job to do simply. There are also many types of resin bases out there that are cheap, easy paintjobs, and look excellent.

After that, just bear in what people here have said, for goodness sake don't get snippy and defensive with people, or deny what they're telling you. No one has lied to you here, rather they've simply given you some difficult truths to deal with.

Feel free to look at my website for another example of a currently operating commission business. I specialise in tabletop standard work.

Glad i held out on posting until now.
Pics really are a huge improvement to start with.

Something as simple as getting a better source of lighting really does make a huge change to a model.

A few things.

1: Basing - Ravens above me has covered this one.
Its something that people are expected to do with commissions unless stated otherwise.

2: Drilling barrels - Again, this one is pretty common as it adds an instant level of detail to a model.

3: Painting isnt bad, but you need to thin it out a bit more, more so with the base colours as a thick base coat effects any paint you apply ontop of it.
Your better off doing 2-3 coats of thin paint instead of 1 thicker one.
White will generally need to be 4-5 thin coats if you want a clean white.

4: Cleaning models is essential again, as mould lines and bits of sprue really do ruin a good model.
Ive allways fell into this one as ive cleaned a model, then realised that the better lighting in the pic will show up a bit ive missed, meaning i clean it and re-paint that part.
Its a real bitch, but it happens.

5: blobs of paint - The 1st pic of that hormagaunt shows a blue blob on the right talon hand (claw, paw?) that matches the colour of the tongue.
You will need to make sure things like this are cleaned up.


To be honest, i'd hold back on commission work for a while.
Simply crack into the painting on a variety of models and post them here.
This will help to get advice and also to build a portfolio of your work to date.
Also, when picking models, look for ones you can showw off when painting.
Bland models dont look great.
Basic troops really dont show a good level, and it really is hard to make them stand out (more so in fantasy where models rank into big units)

Any chance you get to try out shading, edging, feathering, source lighting etc, go for it.
You really want to keep pushing yourself as much as you can.



For a good start, try this:



Just a basic eldar farseer.
Its plastic, so just needs mould lines trimmed and no worry about finecast issues.
Its only £12.
The base is decorated to start with, so its an instant hit for people.

This models gives you the chance to show off a bit, with a glow from the blade lighting up the cloak area.
The cloak can be blended or have freehand work done on it.
There is plenty of detail to really add depth to it.
There are also alot of solid lines to edge highlight.

Overall its a nice model you can use as a showpiece as there are enough elements to it that you can really make it stand out.

Oh, and best of luck aswell, its a long road, but its worth it in the end.

..[edit] nevermind

TyranidPainter wrote:
Rite, now for the ultimate question. Going with the last few pics as references only and keeping my old priceing method....would any of you consider commissioning me?

Sorry, but no. You're still not up to the level that I can do on even basic infantry, and few people are going to commission work that isn't significantly above what they can do themselves. You've figured out better photography methods but you still have to do a lot of work on basing, mold line removal, better shading (plates aren't bad, flesh is way too flat), etc. Your latest models aren't bad and I'd gladly play against them, I just wouldn't pay for them.

Also, don't be so eager to get paid. Instead of rushing to get into commissions as fast as possible and with the least effort possible you need to focus on improving your painting skills. Get to the point where you can paint to a 7/8 out of 10 standard and do it quickly, and then think about asking for jobs. When you ask questions like this it seems like you're less concerned about quality than about going straight to payment.

TyranidPainter wrote:
Also I don't own a file yet so I can't get rid off the mold lines

Just use a knife. Hold the blade perpendicular to the surface and scrape it along the mold line. You're not cutting anything, just using the blade as a stiff edge to wear away the softer plastic.

Perhaps I should've used the pics taken without the flash x x

Never use the standard built-in flash to take pictures of models. It gives you really harsh glare and ruins colors, always use natural light or a light box. Use a longer exposure time and a tripod if you have to, it's much better to use dim light and a 30 second exposure time than to wash everything out with the flash.

(Really you should rarely use the flash for anything.)

You can use the standard flash, no problem. Just keep layering tissue paper onto it until you ge the volume of light you want. It's what I've done. Fancy flash that you attach to camera.... Bounce the light off the ceiling

Tyranid Painter,

I want to give you some advice that i think you will help you out a TON. I didnt see anyone else mention this, but - i really sincerely want you to try this. This is in essence a K.I.S.S. method

I want you to pick out three basic miniatures that have a predominant base color (predominant = thats the main color, that you see most of. Chaos marine = black. eldar = blue. whatever). Then go to hobby lobby or a hobby store and go to spray paints and pick out those three colors in spray paint, or as close to the color as you can. If its a common color, its a good investment.

1) Now spray paint those colors onto your models. Your goal here to is to put on as light and thin of a coat as possible to preserve the mico-detail, while still applying a solid layer of color.

2) Now paint on your secondary and additional colors. These are the "second" most predominant colors (secondary colors - white for ultramarine. brass for chaos marine. Whatever is the second most obviously occuring color.
The exact same bolded principle that is in step 1 applies here as well. Your goal here to is to put on as light and thin of a coat as possible to preserve the mico-detail, while still applying a solid layer of color.

3) Paint in accessory colors and small details. Be prepared to spend 50% of your paint time in this step. This is all the nitty gritty details. This can take a lot of time

4) Now here is where your magic happens, and where you earn your money, and will take your miniatures from where they are - to the next level!. You need to learn WASHES. Some call it magic wash. Some use Future Floor Polish. Some use inks. And believe it or not i use MINWAX floor wood stain and it is freaking awesome. I dip models in it, and blot the excess with q tip. Now the drawback with minwax is it takes a few days to dry, but in meantime i do other steps. . . We could write 100 pages about the washes that people use. Research and read about these- and above all EXPERIMENT. Experimentation is king.

5) Highlighting. To hightlight a color, take the color of item your painting, and just add a little white, and paint the most raised areas or edges of the item with that color. This step takes a miniature from blah, to great and is where you will make your money.

6) Basing. Every miniature you ever paint should have a nice base! Coat the stop with elmers glue, sprinkle fine sand on it. paint it dark brown. drybrush light brown. static grass. paint edges a nice green, etc....


Above all, my best advice is - just accept that miniatures painting takes years and years of work to become proficient in. But its an enjoyable journey - and a great outlet for you to grow and develop as an artist, and a person. Dont take peoples criticism too hard, dont let it hurt you, let it start a fire within you to better yourself and advance your skills. Keep on paintin' ![i]

Well I've just sold that Wolflord on ebay for £4 :(. Ah well, I wasn't using it anymore so it's still a bonus x x

With the feathering; thinner paint. You want the stroke to be very translucent at the start, and strong at the end (edge).

You need a lot of practice before you start doing commissions, especially at 10 GBP per model, which is very high for tabletop quality. I used to do better work for a third the price, and people would still try to talk me down to something cheaper. When showing off models, in addition to photographing them well, make an effort to make them look as good as possible. Trim mold lines, drill barrels, properly base them, and get some real solid paintwork in there with shading, layers, highlighting, and whatever other tricks you can pull off. Looking at the Wolf Lord on the first page, there's no shading or highlighting to speak of on him. It's just block colors, fairly thickly applied, with some drybrushing on the hair. If I saw the models you've posted across the table from me, I would happily play against them though.

I'm planning on selling a fully painted to the standard of the hormagaunt at the top of this page, magnatized carnifex. Creating it will cost me approx £36. What are the chances of me making a profit? I know people have been saying I need practice before doing commissions but to practice I need the models and the paints and to get the models and the paints I need money :(. If only could keep a job........or get one in the first place. I blame Cammeron x x