SuperTrev Posted April 16, 2017 Report Share Posted April 16, 2017 Hey guys, I painted my very first mini today! I see everyone else's stuff and I feel like I'm pretty awful but I think I'll get better. Hope you like it and I'd defiantly appreciate any pointers! 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burnin' Coal Posted April 16, 2017 Report Share Posted April 16, 2017 Congratulations - very nice blending - for a first mini that's a lot more than impressive...keep them coming 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperTrev Posted April 16, 2017 Author Report Share Posted April 16, 2017 Thank you! I really want to get better. I think I'll paint Pandora next, maybe I'll post her as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burnin' Coal Posted April 16, 2017 Report Share Posted April 16, 2017 1 minute ago, SuperTrev said: Thank you! I really want to get better. I think I'll paint Pandora next, maybe I'll post her as well. You're welcome- definitely post her ! I can only speak for myself but my own experience has been that even a little paint time but often sees me making progress as opposed to periods where I have gone quiet and then come back with a painting binge...at the end of that period I have almost got back to the standard where I left off...I look forward to your next figures 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H4ml3t Posted April 16, 2017 Report Share Posted April 16, 2017 Good job. If you haven't already, look up washes and dry brushing. There are many different kinds of techniques and such but those two help a great variety of situations. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nikodemus Posted April 17, 2017 Report Share Posted April 17, 2017 That dress is really good for your first outing. Keep painting. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperTrev Posted April 17, 2017 Author Report Share Posted April 17, 2017 Thank you! I know the skin and hair need work, it's just really hard for me to work with such small details, I don't know how you guys do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nikodemus Posted April 17, 2017 Report Share Posted April 17, 2017 Lot of it comes down to tools and technique I suggest you look up 'shading' (= adding dark colour where shadows would go) and 'highlighting' (= adding light colour where light would go). There's different techniques and products for achieving both but what they all do is give the figure a more 3d look, especially when viewed from gaming distance. You really need to exaggerate your shadows and highlights when there's several feet between your eye and the figure. You already did some of this with the dress, which is why I complimented it specifically. One really easy way to shade is to use "washes". Brutally simplified, they're thin mixes of paint and medium(s) that try to pool in to sculpted details of the model, like between Cassandra's facial features and strands of hair. Citadel calls these shades, Army Painter has Quickshade Inks/Washes depending on whether you buy their old or new logo bottles, Vallejo has washes and actual inks which are a bit different but can do the same thing, most brands should have some kind of wash product. Then there's different mediums you can mix with your paints for DIY washes, if you're that way inclined. I don't always use washes, but they're a quick 'n easy way to get things done. I find skin really easy to paint, though I only aim for "tabletop/good enough" quality. I vary specific colours from time to time but start with your base skintone, wash it all with brown (most manufacturers have a red-brown "flesh" wash, though any brown will do and have a different effect) and then highlight to a level I'm happy with by mixing original skintone with a lighter colour (I suggest an off-white for this). Likewise with hair, I usually paint it a colour I like, give it a wash to catch those tiny details and just paint on a few thin streaks of highlight. Don't stress too much about being 100% precise with these highlights. As a figure Cassandra has very small head, thus very small hair details, no-one's going to see those at gaming distance. What you might see is the illusion of depth you painted by having varied darker and lighter shades of colour on her hair. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maulwurfmann Posted April 17, 2017 Report Share Posted April 17, 2017 For your first mini it is really really impressive. Just for hair and skin. Most people would paint skin first with the bright tone and than darken it with various dark tones or shades. Personally i prefer building up skin from something dark like GW Dark flesh up to elf flesh. First base colour with dark flesh than doing the eyes so i can always repair around the eye with dark flesh and then brighten it up to nearly white for caucasian skin tone. Hair is a different thing because it would have a light reflection on it. Look at all the commercials for hair color. The hair on the package has that reflections where you really go into the white but not loosing the base tone. Thats what you aim for For beginning just darken the hair a little bit and try to workout some reflections on the vertex? Sorry if my english isn´t the best. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dstrout Posted September 17, 2017 Report Share Posted September 17, 2017 Very nice - far better than my first 20 or so, so keep it up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JBugman Posted February 16, 2018 Report Share Posted February 16, 2018 Very nice indeed. Neatly painted with solid technique. Thinking back to my first painted mini when I was, like, thirteen. Yours is much better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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