Hello, can you help?

[count_zero99uk]

Hi all,

Im trying to get better at painting (arnt we all)

So far ive done about 100 10mm, 50 20mm and 20 28mm models.

Im happy with how my 10mm and 20mm turn out for the table simply as there are so many of them. I tend to do one base coat, one wash and a highlight and there good to go.

This method is not so good for 28mm's.

I would be grateful if you could have a quick look at these, and im sorry there not Wyrd, if thats a prob let me know. And tell me what you think and what areas to concentrate on first.

These are links to photobuckt albums

http://s94.photobucket.com/albums/l116/count_zero99uk/40K/

http://s94.photobucket.com/albums/l116/count_zero99uk/SOTR/

And here is the mini im most pleased with

And the albulm of the progress shots on him

http://s94.photobucket.com/albums/l116/count_zero99uk/Practice%20Painting/

I do hope its all ok to post.

Take care

Brian.

[candiedwhiskey]

Try a higher contrast with your colors and perhaps a second highlight that is applied very sparingly. Also try edge-highlighting (read this article), and keeping crevasses where two surfaces meet (like a shirt sleeve against an arm) dark as this will help separate the two areas.

[DAGabriel]

Yes, massive voodoo is one of the best sources.

Never the less 1st thing is: dilute your paints!

For getting better there are some preconditions. Think about your aims!

Do you want well painted minis for the table?

Than it is training this basic methods from the link above.

Take some minis and practice dry brushing. Heavy dry brushing, medium and slight dry brushing, how does it look, where do i use it. The aim isn`t to perfect the mini, but practice the technique.

Than take these minis and experiment with washes.

First experiments with f.e. badab black and devlan mud, diluted, 1, 2 and 3 washes. But experiment with colors, try red and blue shadows on green and so on.

With dry brushing and some washes you can quickly paint untidy minis, f.e. skaven.

The other methods like zenithal lighting, OSL, layering, NMM, glazing are second stage. Look at minis from Jens here, or, if you like to be frustrated, from Eric J.

Search for step by steps, try and retry.

Problem is, i have seen painters get high class in a year, some need much much longer. I haven`t managed it in 15 years.

[harbinger]

and dont be so critical of yourself. Nothing wrong with having the desire to get better, but also dont panic as thats plenty good enough quality for table top.

Most importantly dont get in the habit of overly comparing yourself to others on the forums. There is a few people on here, whos painting skill will make you vehemently despise the very air they breathe.. make you have midnight fantasies of shoving their corpse through a wood chipper over a pond full of starving piranhas..... err I mean that will make you feel a tadbit jealous.

[count_zero99uk]

I just tend to get way too self critical at times. Sometimes to the point of inaction.

Are people ok posting non wyrd minis up? As i try to get better?

[CapnJen]

When I have to paint loads of minis quickly for gaming ie. do not care about shading/highlighting/details, I do the following:

1. Undercoat black

2. Base colours

3. Brown ink the entire mini, Black ink the metals

4. Either dry brush original colours back over the mini or re-apply base colours selectively depending on what kind of sculpt it is. You want for there to still be noticeable inking in the crevices to create the illusion of shading from 3 feet away.

The MOST IMPORTANT thing, in my honest opinion, when painting large armies is to select a good combination of colours (not how well you paint them). When looking at large forces from 3 feet away you're not going to be critiquing the paint job (especially since it's all mostly inked ;p). Your eyes are immediately drawn to fully painted forces with coherent colour schemes and will be hurt if they're staring at colours that don't go together.

It's been a lonnnggg time since I've studied arts but you should consult a colour wheel if you're unsure with colours. Generally you want to firstly aim to have a mini painted with complimentary colours. You can also select contrasting colours to generate interest but you have to be selective with how much of each colour you use otherwise your paintjob becomes an eyesore (eg. purple and yellow).

Looking at your dwarf, your painting is incredibly neat and this is fantastic. I like how you've added the eyes. I would say that you need more ink and more drybrushing for the beard. I also would not have picked that shade of blue for the dwarf's tunic. The sky blue clashes with the other earthy tones on the dwarf. Also, a clean base goes a long way with minis. After I paint a mini, I paint the borders of the base in black.

Ink and drybrushing are an army painter's friends!

[ispep]

I just tend to get way too self critical at times. Sometimes to the point of inaction.

Are people ok posting non wyrd minis up? As i try to get better?

Long before Wyrd ever made a miniature, these boards were populated with painters painting things. As long as you aren't using other miniatures to belittle Wyrd's product, I doubt anyone will mind seeing other stuff.

While Wyrd is about Malifaux, Wyrd models, and soon to be Puppet Wars, it is also at its heart a hobby and painting place.

[Magno]

1. Get a wet pallet

2. Dilute your paints. Start off at 50-50 ratios, dilute more when you want to move onto washes, juices, dark lining and glazes.

3. Get two good lights with white or daylight bulbs. Try and fix one above and over your shoulder.

4. Practice different brush strokes; perpendicular, light sweeps, etc.

Don't get frustrated, the best moments of learning your own style is.often through mistakes, its a great way to discover.

[count_zero99uk]

Thanks for all the good advice ill try and get some stuff posted as and when i get it done. At the moment my table is covered with bits of paper for my terrain board. But i should be able to fit in some cleaning and undercoating today.

@CapnJen - That tends to be how i do my 20mm and 10mm. I was wanting to raise my game slightly with 28mm. I thought that undercoating white would be better for colourful models. I read an interesting article about undercoating white black washing it and then drybrushing it white, so you still have the shading in the deeps, this sounded like the best of both worlds and was what i was going to try with my minis. Have you or anyone had any experience with this method?

Cheers again all for you time and kind words

Take care

Brian.

[DAGabriel]

Yes, i sometimes did that method and sometimes, if i am too lazy and i get undercoated second hand minis, i use it still. It is nice cause you get the shading and you see details as well as missed casting faults.

Undercoating black and than spraying white from a 45 degree angle from above is more en vogue and gives you a pretty good idea for the zenithal lighting.

[CapnJen]

For some reason I misread your entire post as wanting to paint lots of models faster >.<. I was clearly not awake yesterday, apologies!

But yes, I have read about that method. I tried it a few times but you could say that I lean more towards lazier/cheating sorts of methods. I won't even mix paints if I don't have to. The less times I have to come back to a model, the more sane I can remain . I guess it depends on just how well you want your mini to come out at the end of it all and what you're happy with that determines the steps and processes you adopt.

Being slightly more awake now, I would definitely have to chime in with others and say that you need to thin your paints. As you go to start highlighting, a thick base coat ruins the finish of the mini (I am totally guilty of this because I get very lazy ;p). Someone gave me awesome advice ages ago regarding highlighting and it went something along the lines of 'Once you think you've finished highlighting, do it again'...and well, in my case, it's so very true. I can see my own highlighting from 10cm away but when you put the mini on the table, the more indepth your highlighting is, the nicer it is from farther away.

Come back and show us your next batch of painted minis . Can't wait to see what you've been up to.

[Magno]

Thanks for all the good advice ill try and get some stuff posted as and when i get it done. At the moment my table is covered with bits of paper for my terrain board. But i should be able to fit in some cleaning and undercoating today.

@CapnJen - That tends to be how i do my 20mm and 10mm. I was wanting to raise my game slightly with 28mm. I thought that undercoating white would be better for colourful models. I read an interesting article about undercoating white black washing it and then drybrushing it white, so you still have the shading in the deeps, this sounded like the best of both worlds and was what i was going to try with my minis. Have you or anyone had any experience with this method?

Don't bother. You can just prime in black, then prime with white from above in delicate bursts to create a faux zenithal highlight that allows you to see where the highlights should be. It takes a little practice. Too little white and it doesn't help, too much and it could form a "cracked earth" layer.

Alternatively, you can do the white zenithal primer after you've base coated and then use a series of glazes to smooth things out. This is how the painter(s) for HellDorado do theres. If you're at GenCon, I recommend checking those models out to see what "speed painting" can achieve.

The best method IMO is using an airbrush to prime your models. Canned aerosol is REALLY finicky especially in humid areas. I use an airbrush to prime my models now and to do the dual prime technique is a snap now, although I typically use the just white.

[count_zero99uk]

Hi again,

@Magno - ive read about that zenithal technique unfort i cant use spraycans and i cant afford an airbrush

@CapnJen - If you look at my post on white gesso theres a pick of my current batch, they turned out ok

Thanks all take care.

[dsmiles]

My latest trick: I bought a magnifier lamp that uses a bright white CFL bulb. I don't know how I got by without it for the past 24 years.

Also, I use a gray primer. It works out pretty well for both bright colors and dark colors. Also, when doing metallics, I've found that having P3 Armour Wash and a wash of Boltgun Metal on hand to do the shading/antiquing is a must.

Admittedly, I'm still having trouble with flesh tones, but I think I'm close to a solution on those.