http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/8.page JForum - http://www.jforum.net 40k, and I painted some of my miniatures. I was wondering if anyone could give me constructive feedback or suggestions to improve my painting, I've attached a picture of my first four Dark Angels (from the Dark Vengeance kit).

What do you guys think? ]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/504162/5232683.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/504162/5232683.page GMT http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/504162/5232701.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/504162/5232701.page GMT DA looks better without much highlights. I'd base it too, but I don't have materials for that yet. Expensive, it is.]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/504162/5232974.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/504162/5232974.page GMT
Very nice start but I think you need to crank up the contrast a bit. If you don't want to add highlights, how about deepening the shadows? You can take either a thin brush with a black wash, or a black illustrators pen (Micron .05... costs about $6) and darken everywhere there is a seam on the armor... for example where the border of the shoulder pad meets the face of the shoulder pad. That will give you some nice contrast and de-facto highlights without actually having to do the highlights.

You can also highlight the non-green areas... the red for example. Make a thin light red/pinkish color and put it on a fine brush. Not too much! Then with the side of the brush, gently rub the edges you want to put the highlights on... the corners of the red parts of the bolters for example. This will make things pop a bit and once you get the hang of it, you can add very thin, delicate highlights in no time at all.

Best of luck!
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Check out my gallery and let me know if you have anymore questions.]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/504162/5233029.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/504162/5233029.page GMT http://www.joann.com/martha-stewart-white-texture-effect-paint-4-ounces/zprd_11386588a/

an exaple on one of my wolves


]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/504162/5233484.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/504162/5233484.page GMT http://www.dickblick.com/products/golden-pumice-gel-mediums/

This is what I use for basing, similar to the one linked above. Coarse Pumice Gel plus a little torn up cork board, base coat dark gray and dry brushed light, then watered down brown pigment of some sort and you get this:



Snow was PVA glue mixed with ordinary baking soda, so that was super cheap. Easy too, minimal effort and you can get some pretty decent results.]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/504162/5233547.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/504162/5233547.page GMT

Those are looking good. I don't know if you've been thinning your paints or not, but you might want to try that to give your minis a smoother finish. And I'll echo what others have said above - washes work wonders for bringing out small details and giving depth.

As for basing, I use glue, sand, wire, some plastic plants I bought for a few dollars at a variety store and a little bit of green stuff (two-part air drying putty). Basing doesn't have to be expensive if you're creative about it.]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/504162/5235214.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/504162/5235214.page GMT http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/504162/5235449.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/504162/5235449.page GMT
As far as watering down my paints, no I've been using them straight from the vial. It's really a problem with the white I've found though, the Dark Angels emblem usually turns out like ass and takes me an hour or so of reapplying white and then green to get it to look the way it does now. How big of a difference does it make?]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/504162/5235540.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/504162/5235540.page GMT http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/504162/5235753.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/504162/5235753.page GMT http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/504162/5235775.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/504162/5235775.page GMT http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/504162/5238155.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/504162/5238155.page GMT