Ok. So I'm new to painting. My first unpainted pieced will be arriving today in the mail.
I will be using my wife's acrylic paints, and do realize i will need to thin it.
What are some things that you know no but should've known then when you first started?
Good reference material. Tips. Advice. etc..
Thanks.
Use good brushes. This is the advice people who ask me for it dismiss the most, and yet it is what I so dearly wish someone had told me when I started painting more than anything else. Good brushes make it easier to paint. If you're a new person, the easier time you have it, the more you'll stick with it and get better.
Shell out for one good, size 2 round, high quality kolinsky sable brush. I used Windsor and Newton artist's color (if you want to get really fancy, you can get series 7 but I use the still good quality "downgrade" because I can find them easily at stores where I often can get them at a discount and not have to pay shipping). Also get brush cleaner. Use the brush, try not to get paint into the ferrule, clean it with water and brush cleaner after you're done, store it upright with the tip painting up, it will last you 4 times as long as a cheap brush (where you end up buying 4 cheap brushes it will cost you way more than the one quality brush) and keep its tip.
You do also want one stiffer brushed crappy cheap brush for dry brushing. You can use an old brush where you cut the tip off.
Other stuff...
- Use superglue for any parts that need to be glued
- File off mold lines with a small needle file
- If it's a plastic or resin model, wash it first to make sure it's not covered in mold release
- Acrylic gesso is a really good brush on primer, if you're using brush on primer
- Never use Citadel tools or spray paint--chances are you will find it much cheaper elsewhere. (Some of their paints, especially their washes, are fine though.)
Look up discussions at wargame hobby boards, like Privateer Press's boards or Dakka Dakka (a Warhammer board). Lots of good paint tips to be found.
I started using some Winsor and Newton series 7 miniature brushes last summer and they are the best thing ever.
I am currently waiting for a couple more to get shipped to me, but my #1 brush is really the best for most painting. It does detail work quite well and holds a lot of paint. I also have a #00 and a #000, which are terrific for detail. The #000 is probably the best for eyes and similar minute work.
I've also got a few wider brushes (not as nice quality) that I use for priming, sealing, and dry-brushing.
Gunk is extremely useful for thinning paints. The recipe I use (I believe I found it on a Reaper website) is 50% water, 40% flow aid and 10% drying retardant. You can get flow aid and drying retardant at any craft store.
I also use liquitex white and black gesso as well as sealer.
g0atsticks, the advice you need depends a great deal on what your goals for painting are.
For example, if your desire is to paint individual miniatures as beautifully as possible making use of all the intricate and complex techniques to improve shadowing, blending, color matching and quality, then that's one type of advice.
If, however, your desire is to paint a bunch of miniatures "well enough" to satisfy the need for a variety of miniatures for the purpose of tactically engaging groups on the battlemat, then that's an entirely different sort of advice.
I am sure you'll get lots of advice of the former type. Just in case you are really more looking at the latter sort of painting, then here's my advice for that purpose.
1. Get a set of cheap brushes. You still need the good brush DQ mentions, but get some brushes you can mess up and not waste any money. You'll use those brushes for dry brushing, washing, or stippling and stuff like that. You can get a big ol pack for just a few bucks at a hobby store.
2. Accept that you will waste paint. Don't try to nickel and dime your paint use. Mix a lot more than you think you'll need. First, you'll actually use more than you think, and second it is very hard to remix paint to match the same color you just mixed and think is awesome. So mix a lot.
3. Use a cork and a drop of glue to mount your mini on the cork so you can manipulate the miniature without needing to touch it. This is huge.
4. Get a cheap pair of reading glasses. Some people use desk-mounted magnifying glasses, but I find the reading glasses are far more user friendly.
5. Learn how to steady your brushes. Some people have amazingly steady hands. I don't. My hands are steadier than the average person, but not nearly steady enough to confidently put the pupil of an eyeball on a 28mm miniature. What I find helpful is to use something to steady the brush as I apply fine detail. I have used paint bottles or glue bottles, but just about anything that can steady the brush will work. What I typically do is rest the outside edge of my palm on something steady while doing the fine detail work.
6. If you are painting a lot of miniatures and want a consistent painting scheme (like for an army, for example) set up an assembly line. Paint all the miniatures one color at a time. Once you have the base colors applied, you can do individual details to make them seem unique.
7. Learn to PAINT your mini. There is a great temptation to 'dab' the thing. The most amazing thing I learned about painting when I was in your shoes was that if I could actually place the brush and pull it along the miniature where I wanted the paint to go, the results were far more appealing than if I dab-dab-dabbed at it. This takes confidence. So accept that you might mess up a miniature or two in learning it. But once you do learn it, your painting will improve dramatically. For example, a robe might have a trim that can be painted a contrasting color. If you can put the tip of the brush on one corner, and then draw the paint across the trim to the next corner, the paint will flow smoothly and cleanly onto the miniature, instead of blobbing on like tends to happen with dabbing.
8. Experiment with "dipping". You can look it up on google, but basically it is a way to quickly add shading to your miniatures. I've seen miniatures painted with as few as three colors that have been dipped into an ink wash or into stain that came out looking like someone spent an hour shading the thing.
9. Experiment with washes too. One technique I've used that is surprisingly effective is to do a quick paint job with three colors, then come across with two dry brushes of different colors, and finally do a quick gray ink wash and the result is surprisingly nice looking at the table. It will never win any competition, but it's pretty dang nice looking.
Anyway, trying to work and type at the same time, so if this is disjointed, I apologize. Just some stuff I've done.
Don't be afraid to screw up. In most cases (in my experience) the mistakes are small and another layer of paint will cover the mistake. For those occasions where the mistake is larger and you feel like you want to start over, it is almost always possible to strip the paint off of a metal miniature. I use Simple Green, but there are other products out there. My understanding is that many of the plastics can also be safely stripped, but I have never done it so do not have details.
Thanks everyone for their suggestions. I put the primer on last night (white) and my friend told me he would look like a cloudy ghost when he was right.
I start painting tonight, I read to do the lighter colors first. Basically inside to outside. I am a little nervous I can't lie. I realized last night the skill I need to work on the most with this hobby.....patience. Its so slow going. The mini is so small that it is incredible the amount of detail some people can do.
Do any of you have pics of your work?? thanks again, sorry for the unorganized rant.
Thanks everyone for their suggestions. I put the primer on last night (white) and my friend told me he would look like a cloudy ghost when he was right.
I start painting tonight, I read to do the lighter colors first. Basically inside to outside. I am a little nervous I can't lie. I realized last night the skill I need to work on the most with this hobby.....patience. Its so slow going. The mini is so small that it is incredible the amount of detail some people can do.
I often paint from darkest to lightest, but I also paint starting with black primer. Plenty of people do bright colors first and then shade. And that leads us to...
There is no single right way of doing it. Try different things, see what works for you. You don't like the results, see my post about Simple Green above. :) Soak overnight, rub off paint under warm water, try again. :)
Do any of you have pics of your work?? thanks again, sorry for the unorganized rant.
Some lousy macrophotography of some pieces I did a few years ago can be found here.
Oh, and this is slightly more recent work, the PCs from the last campaign I ran. Unfortunately from one perspective, all my players described their characters as wearing mostly black so there isn't a lot of color variation. :)
You can check out my blog for pics. You'll have to do quite a bit of scrolling since I do a lot of stuff besides paint (such as sculpt my own minis, make terrain, etc.) The link I posted is just for those posts tagged for minis.
Since you probably won't want to scroll through all my crappy work, here are some direct links to some of the miniatures I've spent more time on than most:
Some "how to tame your dragon" minis
And finally, some Frankenmonsters
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I don't generally paint figures, I usually stick to terrain and dressing but, some pics of what I've done can be found here
I only started painting around a year and a half ago myself. Before that, I hadn't held a brush since high school.
I just take my time and don't worry about messing up. I can always fix it. Mistakes are an annoyance not a deal-breaker.
#1: I wish I would have known that minis would come prepainted in plastic for cheaper than metal.
#2: That I would be buying faster than I can paint and/or actually use in tabletop play.
Painting is a wonderful hobby, and someting that, if you are willing to put the time into, you will enjoy for years and years.
It will take time, and it will be maddening, but with each modle you'll get better than the last.
Good paint brushes are an important investment, but so is good paint! Don't be afraid to shell out some cash for colors!
Mixing colors out of your primes can often lead to less than optimal results. Thankfully there are many ranges of paints out there that come with just the color you need premixed.
Asscept that the first modles you paint will probably look like crap. So paint simple things first -- bears, wolves, simple orcs or goblins.
Take breaks often -- at least every hour, if not every 30 minutes. Get up, have a drink, play with your dog.
Good music is critical to good painting!
Youtube has an amazing amount of film tutorials that can teach you ther basics. Search for "How to paint miniatures".
Honestly, I think a box of spacemarines from Games Workshop is one of the best ways to learn how to paint. You get a nice number of models, and the color schemes tend to be pretty simple, and you can experiment without worrying about messing up. Painting them (especially following an online guide like the youtubes I mentioned) will give you a good education on priming, base coating, washing, dry brushing, and highlighting.
Very fine permanent markers are wonderful at making pupils, should you want the level of detail.
Relax and enjoy!
I use a table based illuminated magnifier on a swing-arm from a weighted base. My advice is, if you're going to use an illuminated magnifier is not to cheap out and get the ones with an incandescent bulb in them. They put off heat that tends to dry out the paint I'm trying to apply while it's still on the brush. Get the flourescent or the LED ones, even if they're more expensive.
GW's Devlan Mud (now renamed). This is the single greatest thing I have ever found. Base coat, Devlan mud, touch ups, table top is my cheat sheet these days.
GW's Devlan Mud (now renamed). This is the single greatest thing I have ever found. Base coat, Devlan mud, touch ups, table top is my cheat sheet these days.
It's called Agrax Earthshade now. I know someone who calls it "Liquid Talent" which is telling.
Take breaks often -- at least every hour, if not every 30 minutes. Get up, have a drink, play with your dog.Good music is critical to good painting!
Just want to add a 'I agree' here. Having some music in the background and a break every hour or so keeps you focused and relaxed. My wife says I haven't seemed this relaxed and stress free for months if not years! (guess I'm more tightly wound than I thought!)
Take breaks often -- at least every hour, if not every 30 minutes. Get up, have a drink, play with your dog.Good music is critical to good painting!
Just want to add a 'I agree' here. Having some music in the background and a break every hour or so keeps you focused and relaxed. My wife says I haven't seemed this relaxed and stress free for months if not years! (guess I'm more tightly wound than I thought!)
It's also ergonomically more important to take a break at least every 30 minutes. You can really screw up your hands, shoulders, and neck if you paint without breaks.
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My advice is to get a good desk light. For the longest time, I used the desk light that I had in college - it really helps to see the details on the minatures. To make the eyes on the minature stand out, use a very thin brush and paint the eyes black. Then paint the eyes white, but leave a very thin line (not too much) of black around them. Several miniatures have chain mail. If you paint the chain mail black, making sure the black paint goes into the recesses, you can then drybrush over it with silver metallic. It's an easy technique that looks really good. Several people have mentioned Devlan Mud (or whatever it's called now) - a brown wash really is awesome.
Use good brushes. This is the advice people who ask me for it dismiss the most, and yet it is what I so dearly wish someone had told me when I started painting more than anything else.
This x10.
I still have a tendency to dismiss it myself, and irrevocably throw the cheap brushes into garbage.