Elessarion Posted January 11, 2014 Report Share Posted January 11, 2014 Hi all. I picked up a paintbrush for the first time in March last year after a friend of mine got me interested in Malifaux. After a bit of practice on a few old metal minis, I painted my first crew, which was Leveticus. The results were....mixed to say the least lol! Yeah these weren't all great! But I carried on and then I think the next few got a little better....---------- Post added at 12:30 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:26 AM ---------- So after learning a few lessons on painting the first few Malifaux minis, I decided to keep practicing: I was definitely more pleased with the aboms than with the waifs. My only excuse was I'd only just discovered inkwash and got a little over excited with it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daddy4count Posted January 11, 2014 Report Share Posted January 11, 2014 Coming along great! The improvements are quite apparent... and the more you practice the more they will show. Some people don't like washes... I love them. They make up for most of my lacking talent with a brush, LOL I still have trouble with certain techniques... and I've been painting minis for a few years now. All I can say is keep at it and keep pushing yourself... the more you do it, and the more new techniques you try to master, the better and more complete a painter you'll become. With a start like this you can't go wrong! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike3838 Posted January 11, 2014 Report Share Posted January 11, 2014 I'll second that, the improvement is clear and those abominations are looking nice. A tip for using that brown wash - try using a palette (an old white bathroom tile works great) and mix the wash on there with some water, about 50/50, rather than straight from the pot. The thinner wash won't pool/blotch quite as much and you'll get a smoother finish. Then a second coat of the thin wash applied selectively into the recesses will make the shadows bolder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elessarion Posted January 11, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 11, 2014 @daddy4count I love washes! They're not called Liquid Talent for nothing lol. @Mike3838 That's definitely one of the lessons I learnt after the first batch of minis. I got myself a cheap little palette and I use that for watering down washes. They do certainly look better with a bit of water, rather than straight from the bottle. Another first, I entered a mini in a painting contest for a small LGS near me. They ran a contest for minis painted with the new Citadel technical paints. So I entered this: Not sure it'll win, but the response seems to have been positive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nemissary Posted January 11, 2014 Report Share Posted January 11, 2014 Looking great. The contest mini is very nice. I like the technical paints from GW except the blood. I mix my own blood from Tamiya clear red with splotches of partially mixed in Vallejo smoke and it makes varying levels of red and dark red for splashes of blood and drying, sticky blood. A thing I do with washes (because I love using them too) is after the wash is dry, I come back with the original colors and highlight over the wash. It is a simple and fast step and makes the wash really work better IMO. Keep it up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RagingRodian Posted January 12, 2014 Report Share Posted January 12, 2014 They look way better than the first miniatures that I painted. You are already off to a great start! There is nothing wrong with using washes, they are a valuable tool in your tool box. I will also sometimes go back over the wash again with paint. The big recommendation I would give for diluting washes is use an acrylic medium in place of water- GW Lahmian Medium is actually really good for this if you can stomach the inflated price tag. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elessarion Posted January 12, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 12, 2014 So a couple more pics of random Outcast minis: I'm not wild about the paint job on Hamelin, but he was the most complicated mini in terms of detail I'd attempted up until this point. I'm happy with how the Gunslinger turned out and I'm also quite pleased with Sue and Miss Demeanour, they don't look quite as shiny in person as they do in the picture! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nemissary Posted January 13, 2014 Report Share Posted January 13, 2014 Killjoy looks great and I'm jealous that you have the Alt. Convict Gunslinger Model. Hamelin would be sorted out fine of you went back and re-highlighted his face and then sprayed a Matte finish on him in my opinion. Keep it up! The convict gunslinger thug is one of may favorite models ( I think I say that about all Wyrd minis.....) You did a good job on his jeans. The blue is just right and shaded/dirtied up well enough. The tanned look to his skin works fine with the shirtless-trash feel he has going on. The rest of the models just need a highlight on the skin tones and I think that would really take them up to another level. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
i_was_like_you Posted January 13, 2014 Report Share Posted January 13, 2014 They look great. Keep up the good work. The only problem I see is that you did, indeed, mount the mercenary minion version Hamelin on his first edition 50mm base, but he's moving down to just the Master version of himself, which this model is allowed to represent, but on a 30mm base, instead. However, if his second edition Avatar stays as a 50mm base, then you should be able to use him in that capacity. [And as the stat cards for the Avatars are going to be in the Arsenal Packs, last I heard, getting the proper card for him should not be an issue.] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elessarion Posted January 13, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 13, 2014 Actually I managed to pick up a Hamelin crew recently via the medium of Ebay, so I also have the 30mm version ready to use when he is done in Beta I like the idea of using the 50mm minion version as the Avatar though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zFiend Posted January 14, 2014 Report Share Posted January 14, 2014 Well done on the Killjoy! Also you have really done a nice job on Convict's pants! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elessarion Posted January 16, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 16, 2014 Thank you all for the kind words and the painting tips! So next up on the painting table were the Gremlins. I started with the larger models as I was a bit daunted about painting the teeny little gremlins themselves: The base for McTavish was also my attempt at building my own base for a mini - it came out really well! I've not really done much in the way of conversions or scratch building yet but I'll get there. Lenny was a blast to paint! Got a chance to practice my shading/highlighting a little (I've got better at it since this mini was done) and he's just such a loveable big lug. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elessarion Posted January 16, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 16, 2014 Thank you all for the kind words and the painting tips! So next up on the painting table were the Gremlins. I started with the larger models as I was a bit daunted about painting the teeny little gremlins themselves: The base for McTavish was also my attempt at building my own base for a mini - it came out really well! I've not really done much in the way of conversions or scratch building yet but I'll get there. Lenny was a blast to paint! Got a chance to practice my shading/highlighting a little (I've got better at it since this mini was done) and he's just such a loveable big lug. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pierowmaniac Posted January 17, 2014 Report Share Posted January 17, 2014 Really good to see your painting is coming along. You can really tell how you are improving with each model. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pierowmaniac Posted January 17, 2014 Report Share Posted January 17, 2014 Really good to see your painting is coming along. You can really tell how you are improving with each model. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cyenobite Posted January 17, 2014 Report Share Posted January 17, 2014 Just adding on and agreeing with other's who are pointing out, how with each post you can see improvement! Good Job! My two cent comment... maybe it's just due to the camera flash, but they appear glossy... have you considered a dullcoat finish (either by brush or spray)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cyenobite Posted January 17, 2014 Report Share Posted January 17, 2014 Just adding on and agreeing with other's who are pointing out, how with each post you can see improvement! Good Job! My two cent comment... maybe it's just due to the camera flash, but they appear glossy... have you considered a dullcoat finish (either by brush or spray)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elessarion Posted January 17, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 17, 2014 Yeah I do use a Matt varnish (Humbrol Matt Cote brush on) and for some reason one batch of minis I did towards the end of the pot came out a bit shiny. They don't look that bad in person, the camera flash does make them look a lot worse than they are. Since I started a new pot of varnish (I live in a small flat with no garden so it has to be a brush on) this problem has gone away. I can only think either I didn't shake the old varnish well enough or it went a bit funny as it got near the end of the pot. But thank you again for the kind words - it means a lot for someone who's really new to this hobby to hear that they are getting better! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elessarion Posted January 17, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 17, 2014 Yeah I do use a Matt varnish (Humbrol Matt Cote brush on) and for some reason one batch of minis I did towards the end of the pot came out a bit shiny. They don't look that bad in person, the camera flash does make them look a lot worse than they are. Since I started a new pot of varnish (I live in a small flat with no garden so it has to be a brush on) this problem has gone away. I can only think either I didn't shake the old varnish well enough or it went a bit funny as it got near the end of the pot. But thank you again for the kind words - it means a lot for someone who's really new to this hobby to hear that they are getting better! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elessarion Posted January 20, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 20, 2014 Eeeeee I just found out I won second place in my LGS painting contest with my Lazarus mini! I'm so stoked Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daddy4count Posted January 20, 2014 Report Share Posted January 20, 2014 Eeeeee I just found out I won second place in my LGS painting contest with my Lazarus mini! I'm so stoked That's awesome!! Well done! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ModollerMorgan Posted January 22, 2014 Report Share Posted January 22, 2014 Congrats on 2nd place, its nice to have proof that you do good work huh? hope to see more in the future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elessarion Posted January 22, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 22, 2014 Thanks guys! I'm picking up my prize at the weekend - a £10 voucher to spend in our LGS. I think buying more paint is in order! A couple more random piggie models! For Gracie, I had a go using the new Technical Paints again, to make the metal dirty, old and rusty. I get the feeling Gremlins are not too fussy about keeping stuff looking nice. The Warpig was another very early mini I painted. I figured that these would not be the nice, happy, pink piggies you see in picture books, so I went for a more brownish colour on the skin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daddy4count Posted January 22, 2014 Report Share Posted January 22, 2014 Great job! When I look at those I hear Nine Inch Nails in my head... "Hey pig piggy pig pig pig..." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elessarion Posted January 25, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 25, 2014 Hee hee hee I never thought of the NiN song. Might have to make it a theme song for So'mer Speaking of So'mer: I absolutely cannot take credit for the paint job on this guy - I bought him on EBay along with the rest of the crew. I've tried (rather unsuccessfully) to match my painting to this standard. One day.... So the Bayou Gremlins were the smallest minis I had painted up until that point and they kind of make me cringe a bit now, I can see so many things I can do better. But I'm leaving them as they are - it's kind of fun in a way to compare later models and see how I got better as I learned new techniques Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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