Newbie's Painting, oh no!

[hippieshopper]

I am a complete newbie when it comes to painting stuff... Models, canvas, or anything like that.

That's why I am posting to you guys/gals here. I could really use some help. Now, I don't mind if you just point me in another direction and say "this place has great stuff on that!" because I don't even know where to start.

My buddy, who also got me addicted to this game, has some paint and supplies, so that isn't much of an issue.

My main question(s) is/are:

1. Is this like painting other stuff in that you need primer?

2. Also, on that note, if I have to do that, could I just 'dip' the whole thing in there and let it dry?

3. Is there any "layering" involved, and if so, what order?

[ex. Base coat, detailing, etc...]

4. Do I need to glue them to the bases first?

(I know I actually have to assemble them before anything)

5. I've noticed a lot of people have terrain under their model's feet. How do you do that?

[Twizz666]

Rob Zombie fan, eh? Good. =]

Well, I'll start off with the basics. Yes, Personally I prime all my models. When i first open their packages, I trim off the "flashing", wash them off to remove any mold release that might be left, then when they dry off, I spray prime them. I use black for just about everything, but i know others that use white instead. It's personal preference.

I would refrain from dipping though. I'd be afraid of losing the detail, especially in the faces.

Depending on the colors i choose for the fig, i like to start with base coats, then highlight, then i'll wash the model with black or a darker color. once that is done, i do touch-ups, then blending. *a tip i've found helpful is to start with the eyes, then the face, then the rest of the mini.

I like to have clean bases, so i don't glue my people down until they are painted. Instead i clip a pair of Vice grips to the tab under their feet. this way, i have something to hold on to while i'm painting, instead of rubbing off all the paint trying to get a grip.

As for the bases, the way i do it has become pretty simple for my brother and i to knock out a whole crew's bases in a day or so. Cut a circle out of card stock (the box your crew comes in is perfect) The circle should be the same size as the cutout in the top of the base. Then i use "green stuff" to mold whatever i'm doing for the ground. A hill, Pumpkin patch, cobblestones, whatever. Let that dry. Now take some regular elmers white glue and paint it on everywhere you want grass to be. Put the base into a small cup of sand. Shake off the extra and let it dry again. prime this, and paint it like dirt or if you don't have grass, paint it like stones or streets. However you like. then take a small amount of glue again, water it down a bit this time, and spread it where you want the grass. Use something like this (http://woodlandscenics.woodlandscenics.com/show/category/FineTurf) and apply it to where you have the glue. and SHADAISY! you're done. glue your fig down and you're done. obviously you can add all kinds of things, fences, lamps, bodies. it's all really up to you.

I hope this helps.. it's awful long, and i apologize for that. lol

Most of all, have fun with this.

If you need anything, hit me up. I'm glad to help

[Danyeru]

http://www.how-to-paint-miniatures.com/miniature_painting_basing.html

has some good stuff.

http://minipainting-guild.net/

on the sidebar has some very nice instruction. (a good thing about bases.)

coolminiornot.com

has some great ideas for techniques.

Always remember that you'll build your own style. You'll never be happy with anything you do if you just set up like someone else.

Typically, I do a black prime like Twizz, then basecoats, a simple wash to get the shade I want, then highlights and dry brushing followed by a last wash and fine detail.

I prefer the P3 paints. they're the smoothest if you add a bit of water. The citidel line is also good, but tend to be thicker. I also use nice brushes from Michaels. Mostly $3-6 a brush.

Set up a semi-permanent area to paint. get somewhere comfortable. The familiarity will get you into a groove while you paint. Good lighting is also super super important.

If you ever hit a roadblock while painting, everyone here is incredibly helpful with tips, ideas, and problems.

[Brandubh]

Hi, I'm going to go ahaead and point you at a place to look. Good basic info and laid out in a manner that is understandable.

http://www.paintingclinic.com/MainClinic.dwt.htm

The sections on Highlighting and Shading, and on Paint Blending are very useful to new painters.

Welcome to the painting and good luck

-Patrick

[hippieshopper]

Sounds like good advice, I just have one follow up question.

I've heard wash used a lot. When you say you wash with black, what do you mean?

I like the idea of black primer, it seems more forgiving for my newbie errors. Also my crew is kinda dark and gloomy so it fits. It's not like I am going to paint Killjoy neon pink or construction orange. I was planning on painting the flesh constructs glasses like X-Ray specs though.

For what Dan said, I have carved a place aside with some decent light and everything. Also, yes, everyone has been so helpful.

Anyways, thanks you guys.

[ddot]

I am a complete newbie when it comes to painting stuff... Models, canvas, or anything like that.

That's why I am posting to you guys/gals here. I could really use some help. Now, I don't mind if you just point me in another direction and say "this place has great stuff on that!" because I don't even know where to start.

My buddy, who also got me addicted to this game, has some paint and supplies, so that isn't much of an issue.

My main question(s) is/are:

1. Is this like painting other stuff in that you need primer?

2. Also, on that note, if I have to do that, could I just 'dip' the whole thing in there and let it dry?

3. Is there any "layering" involved, and if so, what order?

[ex. Base coat, detailing, etc...]

4. Do I need to glue them to the bases first?

(I know I actually have to assemble them before anything)

5. I've noticed a lot of people have terrain under their model's feet. How do you do that?

First off, I've learned some really solid techniques from brushthralls. A lot of their tutorials fall under "advanced" and "expert", but it'll give you something to aim for in your own painting.

1. Priming: I'm about to move towards all-brush-on-all-the-time after some less than thrilling misadventures in priming lately. I'm willing to try the Gesso craze that's been going on in a lot of miniature gaming sites, but I'm really leaning towards Reaper's paint-on primer (9108) at the moment. GW used to make a great paint-on primer, but alas no more. If you feel the need to use spray-on, I recommend a sandable auto primer in grey. Why grey? Black and white primers can make making out some details diffucult. Grey has enough natural shading to make the job easier, for example, differentiating between a belt buckle and the belt it's on.

2. Dip techniques have created some cool accidents, but I avoid the techniques like the plague. For starters, you'll still have to perform basic basecoating 101. Secondly, for all the things these techniques do well, there are a lot of fairly important things it gets horribly wrong. I think it's great if you're playing GW games where you need to do 100-200 miniatures, but for smaller skirmish-style games, you're better off learning good old-fashioned painting .

3. There are so many schools of thought on layering that no one can do a comprehensive evaluation, however, I will give some of the basic favorites.

-1. Darkest-.darker-.dark-.light-.lighter-.lightest

-2. Base- shade 1-shade 2-highlight 1- highlight 2

-3. lightest-lighter-light-dark-darker-darkest (This is mostly a controlled wash technique)

There are variations on these basic themes, I recommend trying them all out at least once.

4. I've begun getting away from this lately. It does make painting at certain angles (mostly from below) easier. While vice grips are a good option, I've done a pin or two on the model and attached it to an extra pin vice collet. (Pin vices are used to drill holes by hand... a good modelling technique if you do a lot of big multi-part models with heavy components. Probabaly won't need it much for Malifaux, but still good gear to have around.) I've seen some contraptions that connct to a model with alligator clips and hold the model at various angles. You CAN paint models while they're glued onto their bases (say, you wanted to play with a model) and get good results, but the non-attached models are working pretty good for me at the moment.

5. Basing a model is a technique that more or less deserves its own thread(s). One good basic material for basing is cork. It crumbles up for a nice rocky texture, or makes rocky outcrops . Be sure to get a good prime coat on it as it can be somewhat absorptive.

My tips:

Look for cool models outside of your gaming range to paint as practice models for testing out new techniques. If you fail, you fail, and no one ever need know about it. If you fail epically on your favorite Master, well, either everyone knows or you'll waste valuable time stripping paint primer and sealer off your beloved models. Most gaming stores will have some sort of collection of models available. I'd rather get two non-used models for $7 to try out a new technique than a $7 game-use model.

As far as paints go, expose yourself to at least two paint lines for a good compare-contrast. As for myself, I'm going

to try Reaper's paints before committing myself to going back to Vallejo's paints. I've used Vallejo and gotten nothing but good-to-gorgeous results. Then I switched to the P3 line. Very good paints, they use a liquid pigment and are very smooth. A little too smooth for my tastes. But that's just me, and I've been using them almost exclusively for over a year now. (I still use some Vallejo metallics at the moment.) I started off with the GW paints, and I do have a few good things to say about them. As far as their standard paint sets, i avoid them. However, their inks are pretty good and their line of washes is noteworthy. I don't think that they're perfect, but really good results can be had with a bit of practice. (PS Avoid their primers like the plague.) And yes, all this is yet more reason to get a small collection of practice minis.

If feasible, try to dedicate an hour or so every day. Practice practice practice. The muscle memory alone will make things easier for you. And most of all, have fun doing it. Cool paintjobs are their own reward. Plus well-painted models tend to perform better than unpainted models.

[hippieshopper]

Sounds good, I'll try to show some pics of my work when I get around to it if I am not completely embarrassed of them =P

[Danyeru]

Sounds like good advice, I just have one follow up question.

I've heard wash used a lot. When you say you wash with black, what do you mean?

What I call a wash is a small amount of paint that's quite diluted with water or a paint medium. I think it ties colors together more so than blending can, and a very light black wash in conjunction with highlights can bring out some serious detail.

Also, if you're priming black, and want to have a part of your model black, don't forget to paint it. Bare primer on a model will have it look unfinished.

Happy painting. :]

[Twizz666]

Plus well-painted models tend to perform better than unpainted models.

This is very true... in the worst way. haha. I've never even done well in a match with unpainted minis...

Also, ddot mentioned Vajello metallic paints... apparently they are the best out there. I have one from P3 and it's... less than desirable. I do like their regular paints though.

also, this is where i first started to learn how to make cool bases. Look around on this site, they have a ton of stuff, from easy stuff to waaay over complicated

www.terrainthralls.com/Tutorials folder/Bases/Bases.html

EDIT: well, apparently you'll have to copy and past the whole link, because it decided it wasn't all the same one...

I hate computers. lol

Edited August 17, 2010 by Twizz666

[WookieeGunner]

The one other thing I would recommend, is don't skimp on brushes. Until you have your basic skillndown, just remember Red Sable. There are different levels out there, but for now any of them should be ok. They will be a little more expensive then the artificial ones, but worth it in the short run.

And I second the comment on Grey primers.

[ddot]

Also, ddot mentioned Vajello metallic paints... apparently they are the best out there. I have one from P3 and it's... less than desirable. I do like their regular paints though.

I don't know about Vallejo's metals being the best, but I get really good results with them. A lot of people swear by GW's metallics and I have to admit that as long as you keep the pots sealed, they're pretty good. Never tried the P3 metallics, but if they're anything like the colors, I'll pass.

I second the post about quality brushes. I started off with GW's brushes, which were good, but not great. I've tried everything from $4.00 value-pack brushes from Wal-Mart (they do have their uses- mixing, transferring paint from mixing well to pallete; fine detail work isn't one of them) to a $12 red sable 10/0 I bought at Michael's arts and craft store (after 2 years of care, it's still usable.) And if you're going to spend this kind of cash on brushes, spring for the brush care as well. A good brush cleaner and some brush soap should do it.

[Gongsun]

Hey, I'm kind of in the same boat as you, just started a few weeks ago, so take any advice I give with a grain of salt.

Definitely look in Acrylic Gesso, especially if you're in an area where spray priming is difficult due to weather conditions. I picked up some Liquitex Grey gesso and my local craft store, and you get a huge amount of it for pretty cheap. The cool part about it is it actually shrinks on your miniature, and really seems to get into all the detailed areas without covering it up too much. Some people recommend thinning it, but I've found with mine that thinning it tends to make you lose some coverage, so I assume it varies based on brand/color.

http://www.how-to-paint-miniatures.com/ This guy has some really good advice, as long as you ignore the part about him suggesting to use craft paint. Another good tip I've tried to pick up is too "Paint in the order you would get dressed", as in you should paint the lower, harder to reach areas first. For example, if you paint the eyes before you paint the face, who cares if you mess up and get paint on the face?

I'd also suggest trying to keep your starting equipment kind of middle-of-the-line, quality-wise. I admit, I was tempted to buy a ton of paint and kolinsky sable brushes at first, but as with any hobby, you don't want to spend a huge amount of money at first only to find you end up not being as interested as you first thought. That said, don't go for the really cheap stuff either, because having sub-standard equipment really kills your enthusiasm while just starting out. Think of it like playing an instrument; you don't want to start off buying a $2,000 masterpiece, but you also don't want to learn on a $40 toy either.

And, in my opinion, the most important part about starting painting is: Get miniatures you think look cool! I also suggest making a promise to yourself not to ever strip the first miniature you paint. Even though I only started very recently, I have a witchling stalker that I can look at and already see how I've improved since painting him. He's really a good tool for when I'm feeling discouraged, or thinking to myself "Why did I decide to pick this up again?"

[hippieshopper]

Sounds like awesome advice.

Now I just need to look up how to do this washing thing...

[ddot]

Washing... there are several ways to do it. In effect, dipping is very much a wash technique. Basically, washing is any technique that uses gravity and texture to do the painting for you.

How dark are your washes?

How thin are your washes?

How much are you slathering on?

This is another reason to do a lot of practice. Taking a thinned-down paint and overloading a basecoating brush is different from precision washing with a 5/0 brush.

In practical terms, I try to limit the amount of washes I do nowadays. Ironic, as I have some good-looking Legion (Hordes) stuff that is mostly washed and detailed. Washes accomplish certain things very well. Basic shading on organics (skin, hair, fur, scales) is a good example. Dulling down metallics is another. Other uses, not so much.

Another good use (this is a bit more advanced) is to do a wash to tie together your layering/blending - on darker and cooler colors (blues, violets, greys, blacks). For warmer and brighter colors (yellows, reds, lighter greens) you'll be using a glaze, which is a bit more precise but somewhat similar in that it uses a very thin paint and/or ink mix to be layered over top your layers/blends, but is quite more precisely laid down.

I saw washes as a time-saving technique, but in the end, when you factor in drying time, it takes just as long as your typical layering techniques. In the end the layering techniques work better, especially when you use a wash/glaze as a finishing step at the very end. I can't say it enough: Experiment and practice.

[hippieshopper]

I just want my Nico and friends to look nice. I've heard washing with a dark color makes everything look better. I don't know if that's true, but honestly if I can get away with not doing it, I will. I have enough to learn that IS essential, and I am hoping that it's optional.

Besides, my friend didn't have the stuff I thought he did.

For zombie painting...Ressers, Nico, and people like that. What kind of paints would you suggest for such a thing?

Or should I be selecting a paint for other things than what I want to paint and themes?

Also I understand what washing is...but what is the process. If I were to sit down and follow someone's instructions on how to do it, what would I be doing?

Edited August 19, 2010 by hippieshopper

[the good doctor]

http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/content/article.jsp?categoryId=400027&pIndex=1&aId=1300012&start=2

i used this guide as a rough example to get my resser zombies painted. i changed the purple for a blue instead but otherwise followed the idea in the article.

http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/content/article.jsp?catId=&categoryId=&section=&pIndex=1&aId=10500004a&start=2

this one for the plauguebearer might be usefull. wouldn't advise GW paints tho. I prefer to use vallejo but use whatever you feel more comfortable with.

The best advice i can give to anyone new to painting would be lots of thin layers of paint over one thick layer. the thinner the layers the smoother the transition of colours.

I also try new colour schemes on bits of sprue or any unwanted models to help me judge how it will look on the model.

[hippieshopper]

I feel pretty dumb right now.

So, a wash is basically ink or a very thin coat of paint...

[nilus]

yep, is generally a thinned out paint. The goal is a color that seeps into all the crevices of a model without sticking to the top of it. Basically making all the cracks and crevices look darker. It helps to make your model really pop

You should do some youtube searches for how to paint minis. A lot of them have some really good advice and sometimes seeing what people mean by blending and shading is much easier then reading it.

[hippieshopper]

Yeah, since posting that I found a guy who made a tutorial using Warhammer stuff.

It's all good now, I just need to buy some zombie colors.

I'll talk to some folks at the game store today.

[nilus]

Yeah, since posting that I found a guy who made a tutorial using Warhammer stuff.

It's all good now, I just need to buy some zombie colors.

I'll talk to some folks at the game store today.

Check out if your FLGS ever do painting classes too. Most GW stores do(although you have to paint there minis). But its worth the investment to pick up something cheap there and learn some techniques.

[AntiZombie]

They usually give free painting clinics at :::gasp!!::: Games workshop stores

your local henchman can help too ( though I don't know who's in Washington) but just so you know, a good basecoat Of colors and painting in the lines does wonders for a mini. Then as you get better you can go back and add techniques.

[hippieshopper]

Yeah, I talked to him. He got voted as our henchman today.