Need advice on getting into mini painting

I would STRONGLY advise that you follow along with tutorials on those Silver Tower figures. This will help you not only with picking the right colors, but also with learning best practices such as the order in which to pain things. The only thing is that they are all in line with GW's current house style, which is LOTS of layering. And that means lots of paints. The Kairic Acolyte tutorial calls for over 20 different pots. But you don't have to do it all, if you do the base color/wash/ 1-2 highlights suggested you will get a decent result. They are also quite a bit more advanced than painting a Space Marine, so you may want to cut your teeth on that SM kit to start with. If you've not painted before, it's critical that you learn how to mop the paint around, thin it enough so that it flows, how much to put on the brush without losing control, and so forth. The basic SM techniques will get you on the right path and the detail is such that you won't get frustrated with it.

The SM kit (or the Stormcast one) is NOT a good introduction to assembly however. They are like 3 simple pieces, rather unlike the more complex figures in ST.

I just put together a Sylvaneth Treelord Ancient last night, I think it may be the most complex figure I have done. But it was really enjoyable with only a couple of frustrating bits. Once it all came together, it looked awesome with a STUPID amount of detail. Lots of little optional fauna you can attach to him like an owl, some bugs and so forth. Painting it is going to be challenging, but I think I can get a good result with it.

Fastbilly's point about painting game pieces can't be repeated enough. I do not spend 5-6 hours on a 28mm figure. You can certainly do that, and there are cases where you may want to do that even if you speed paint everything else. If you spend $130 on Ariaelle the Everqueen, you are probably not going to want to paint her in a couple of hours before bed. Another point that bears repeating- do not hold the White Dwarf pictures as your standard. You will not be able to do that for a long time unless you are just preternaturally talented. Instead, take the figure you feel like is your best work and use it as your standard. Hold up the next couple you paint to it and see if it the quality level is comparable. You will notice that your "best" figure changes, and your quality baseline will go up. The most important thing is that YOU are happy with the result- it doesn't matter if you skipped the highlighting, washed it a different shade, whatever...as long as you like the way it looks then you've succeeded.

As for skulls, you will quickly learn a few techniques/color to paint them. They are super easy. If you've primed black, you can just drybrush any ol' bone color and you are done. Or, you can base with something like Rakarth Flesh, wash it with Agrax Earthshade, and highlight with Screaming Skull or Ushtabi Bone. Or you can go even further that if you want, it depends on how much effort you want to put into and how much time you want to spend. And how much money you want to spend on paints.

I grabbed that Space Marine kit last night and assembled the minis (definitely much easier than anything in Silver Tower), but unfortunately the primer was pretty much dry. There was an enormous booger of gritty pigment on one side of the pot. Is there a way to restore that, or do I just need a replacement?

I did write to customer service at GW, but I don't really want to wait around for a replacement if that's what they do. I'll probably just grab a pot from a local store, since I already go the set at a discount. The other paints, near as I can tell, seem fine.

If this takes I think my first "big" project will be Space Hulk, rather than Silver Tower. That's mostly because the color palette is simpler, even if the minis are really detailed. I'm not at all looking for White Dwarf quality, so that's not a concern. The advice about remembering that you are painting game pieces instead of art exhibits is very well-taken on my end.

If you are going to be purchasing a new bottle of primer, I'd recommend going with Vallejo Surface Primer, if it's available in your area, over GW's Imperial Primer. It's a better product (mixes better, self levels better, paints better, and much more resistant to damage) and less expensive.

Hobby Lobby does sell Vallejo paints, and it's just down the street. Not sure if they have that primer though. Is it a brush primer? I'm way up in Michigan, and spraying in the garage is cold work. I'd much rather paint inside where I can be wearing layers.

san il defanso wrote: Hobby Lobby does sell Vallejo paints, and it's just down the street. Not sure if they have that primer though. Is it a brush primer? I'm way up in Michigan, and spraying in the garage is cold work. I'd much rather paint inside where I can be wearing layers.

Yes, it's brush on and comes in a dropper bottle. It comes in several sizes, colors, and finishes. For basic mini painting, the generic black one works great (73.602).

Here's the basic way it looks:

I just got a bottle of that stuff and it is by far the best I've tried. Imperial Primer is kind of crappy, really. It isn't nearly as consistent as this Vallejo stuff.

Follow that SM guide to the letter for your first one. It's probably prime, basecoat the whole thing with Macragge, wash with Nuln Oil, detail in Balthasar Gold, Leadbelcher the Bolter and wash it. Mephiston Red in the eyes. You'll get a sense for what to expect working with the paints. Don't worry about using anything other than that starter brush for now.

Michael Barnes wrote: I just got a bottle of that stuff and it is by far the best I've tried. Imperial Primer is kind of crappy, really. It isn't nearly as consistent as this Vallejo stuff.

Follow that SM guide to the letter for your first one. It's probably prime, basecoat the whole thing with Macragge, wash with Nuln Oil, detail in Balthasar Gold, Leadbelcher the Bolter and wash it. Mephiston Red in the eyes. You'll get a sense for what to expect working with the paints. Don't worry about using anything other than that starter brush for now.

That's the plan. I'm more about making unpainted minis look better than I'm about doing some creative thing. The SM set is strictly a practice thing, and a dry run to see if painting is something I'm even into. If I dive in I'll probably lean toward Vallejo since they are a bit cheaper but still have a good rep, and because they are available in the area.

san il defanso wrote:

Hobby Lobby does sell Vallejo paints, and it's just down the street. Not sure if they have that primer though. Is it a brush primer? I'm way up in Michigan, and spraying in the garage is cold work. I'd much rather paint inside where I can be wearing layers.

From what I saw on the intertubes, the Vallejo primer can be used both in an airbrush straight out of the bottle, and with a brush. I use it with a brush, and like it better than gesso (which I tried because repurposing stuff like that tickles me).

RobertB wrote: san il defanso wrote:

Hobby Lobby does sell Vallejo paints, and it's just down the street. Not sure if they have that primer though. Is it a brush primer? I'm way up in Michigan, and spraying in the garage is cold work. I'd much rather paint inside where I can be wearing layers.

From what I saw on the intertubes, the Vallejo primer can be used both in an airbrush straight out of the bottle, and with a brush. I use it with a brush, and like it better than gesso (which I tried because repurposing stuff like that tickles me).

It works great in an airbrush, although I do add about 1 drop of solvent for every 10 drops of primer to improve flow.

What kind of solvent do you use barrow? I have a cheapo airbursh that I am decent at using with with crap paint, but I have a old Paasche dual action that I dont dare use crap paint in.

For the first time in over five years I painted a pewter figure instead of a plastic one over the weekend, a 5th edition Ikit Claw. I had forgotten how much easier it is to paint pewter than plastic.

I make my own using distilled water, isopropyl alcohol, flow aid, and fluid retarder. Solvent is relatively expensive for how much I use, so it is much cheaper to make my own. This looks pretty similar to how I make mine: RECIPE , except I use 91% IPA and slightly more of it to balance out the lower % alcohol. It's much easier for me to get 91% than 99.9%.

A 200 ml bottle of Vallejo airbrush thinner is around $13-14. I can make the same amount for a bit under $2. Even getting all the ingredients the first time was less than buying it premade.

Hey,
it seems like there are a lot of different tips and methods and advices, loads of great stuff on the internet, but mostly from people who already know what they are doing, and even the ones aimed at beginners rarely actually show the kinds of mistakes which happen, and tend to "skip ahead", hey look heres an hours worth of painting done, see how perfect it looks.

I'd really like to paint my D&D:AS minis, starting with Ashardalon as my kid is enjoying the game but I am ashamed to put out those unpainted plastic lumps on a regular basis.

I own literally NO equipment.

Am not looking for pro paint jobs, and in fact, I saw somewhere (but now cannot find) someone who had basically just primed, then done a single base coat, wash and drybrush a lighter colour and varnish (i.e. kind of monochrome) and it looked pretty neat. Basically, rather that than slapping on 20 colours on each mini, especially as ideally I want to buy the least amount of colours to get a decent range covered (any good starter sets?)

I can already see that models like the Snake, Bear, Cultists and the bigger ones might be fairly "simple" and not need a lot of different colours, but some of the other models, especially the heros seem very fiddly and a mess, so am seriously considering giving them a "primary colour" monochrome look, with primer, base, wash and highlights only - also making it easier to identify them as player pieces/colours. But maybe that looks mental with the monsters painted "normally"

- I'll get a starter brush set, there seems to be several 0/1/2 triple packs from CitadelGW/ArmyPainter, I guess thats OK? The Army Painter one even includes a smallish dry brush type brush

- for primer, do I want black as a beginner, or is it better with white for brighter colours, or grey as a compromise? Is it worth getting paint on primer to avoid the bother with spray fumes and stuff, ie I see Vallejo do a paint on black primer?

- How many colours is good to start with, just a primary "rainbow" and inbetween colours, or have a lighter highlight for each one, or is there a list of recommended colours to get from GW/Vallejo,or is it best to look at the minis, decide on colours and then buy individuals based on that. I have some colour ideas already for example, but will be using what I get, rather than getting new colours for each mini

- best just to base them with the primer colour, not worth doing anything fancy with sand and grey paint?

- again with varnish, better to get a matte than gloss? and paint on rather than spray? ( would make it much nicer to avoid spray type problems).

Oh, and an aside about colours, if I want to get some metals and gold on there, is it worth getting those vallejo starter sets that have copper, silver, gold etc?

sorry if this has been asked before, but different things get asked and answered in different parts at different times by different people so its hard to be sure of a consistent plan just to get me going without following 2 or 3 separate "ways" without realizing.

I plan to post photos of the first few minis step by step for your amusement but also for comments and advice and critique (if anyone knows of a proper step by step video guide or blog that actually SHOWS everything, not "here I am 45 minutes later with a da Vinci", and includes botches, mistakes etc along with how to fix)

stuff is expensive here but a few brushes, primer, some colours and varnish and I'm good? no need for big lenses, holders, lamps, palette trays or anything else like that? I've seen a lot of people just put paint on plastic laminate.
Is there any reason why you cant just buy say 10 bold colours and then mix with black/white/each other to get different colours?

thx

My rank beginner knowledge:

- Dullcote in a can is the bomb, if you can run outside for a few minutes to spray it. I wouldn't do it if it was -30, but 40s-50s are fine. Just keep it indoors when not in use.

- I've been using white Vallejo primer, because I've been using Minwax Polyshades as a wash, and that seriously darkens the colors. That'll tell you what my level of expertise is.

- It's kind of a PITA for me to repeat color mixes properly, so I just go to Wal-Mart or Michael's and buy cheap-ass craft paint for stuff I might use a lot of. I'm working on goblins and such in D&D:Legend of Drizzt, and I have a funky green color that works well. A few drops of flow-aid mix, and I'm good to go. If I was painting historical miniatures, or WH40K figures, I might spring for 'official' colors, but I just want funky green, steel, leather, and wood.

- Harbor Freight sells a lot of painting supplies, that are of fairly crappy quality but are insanely cheap. Like a magnifying viewer for $5, instead of $50. My skill level is well below the point where I'm limited by my equipment.

- The exception to that is the brushes. Spring for a couple of good sable brushes, and some brush cleaner and preserver.

ETA: Some Drizzt figures. My camera work is worse than my painting, which is saying something.

My favorite priming solution is Tamiya Grey Primer in a spray can. I used Imperial Primer from Citadel for one project, but it just took so long. I also didn't love the dark look it gave the minis.

Regarding what colors to get, it just depends on what you are trying to do. I painted my Space Hulk set with about the same set of 12 basic Vallejo colors from Hobby Lobby, but I had to buy a lot of specialized stuff for Silver Tower when I undertook that one. I actually don't have a huge variety of colors, so I find that my minis tend to reuse colors quite a bit. I kind of like the effect actually, because it reminds me of something more cartoony. Mixing works fine, but obviously it can be hard to replicate stuff, so I don't do it much.

Other people here have a better eye for basing than I do, but you want to do SOMEthing. If nothing else, you will have paint drips and mess from the mini itself that will need to be masked. I have used the Citadel texture paints a little, and they are pretty useful. Basically, you can use one of those texture paints, really glop 'em on. Then you can base that to get other effects. On my Silver Tower set, I used Teclis blue, Nuln Oil, and Lothern Blue as a dry coat. On Space Hulk I went with Vallejo silver, Nuln Oil or Typhus Corrosion, then a dry coat of either Ryza Rust or Necron Compound. That's just how I did it, I don't have a lot of interest in working with rocks and stuff like that. Other people can give better advice than I can.

I've never put a sealant on my minis. Maybe I should?

I like Vallejo metal paints. They work nicely. That starter set should do just fine for you.

As for brushes, don't cheap out there. I actually use the Citadel line pretty extensive, especially the Medium size brushes in Base, Layer, Dry, and Shade. I have some other ones for different uses, but those four see a workout just about every time. The Citadel ones I think are mostly adequate, but they probably pail in comparison to the nice sable brushes others here use. I just feel like I've already invested enough in this part of the hobby.

Hey Tron, glad to have you on board here.

Here is all you need to do right now. Go buy this:

www.amazon.com/Reaper-Miniatures-08906-L...eaper+learn+to+paint

This is a basic painting kit that Reaper puts out. It comes with a good assortment of 11 basic paints, 2 decent starter brushes, and three junk minis that you can learn on-they are garbage but they are good to learn with because they have a couple of different core surfaces (metal, skin, wood, cloth, leather, etc.). It also comes with a very good beginner's painting guide that hits the "core skills" as the name of the product suggests. This is an OUTSTANDING way to get started, especially since it's like $32 and you have a nice set of decent paints to kick it off with. With the colors provided, I think you could easily paint everything in an D&DAS game. It all comes in a neat little hard plastic case that you can use forever. I use mine as my basing kit now, I have all of my basing stuff stored in it.

I would seriously avoid all other advice and guidance and just do that. It's such a low cost and it is comprehensive (you don't even need to buy primer), and here is the truth. Everything you start with you will not be using a year from now. You have to figure out what you like/don't like and what works best for you. So if you go and buy a set of GW Artificer brushes to the tune of $75 and don't like them...well, there you go. I would also avoid all of the online tutorials and such because, ironically, they are actually better for experienced painters.

I would start with the "simple" figures in those D&D games- like the wolves, bears, spiders, drakes, gargoyles, etc. Almost all of that stuff can be painted to a decent tabletop standard with a basecoat and some drybrushing. If your kid is old enough, set 'em to work! My 5 year old daughter painted most of the animals in our sets.

The basic primer/base coast/wash/drybrush or layer method is tried and true- that is by far the best and most accepted method. Now, the current GW style (which sets the trend for everyone) is the 20 layers you mentioned. Don't even try for that standard yet. Looking at those pictures is misleading. Your figures simply will not look like that, nor will 99% of anyone else's out there. If you feel inadequate after seeing the 'Eavy Metal Studio paint jobs...go look for painted Warhammer minis on Ebay. Your confidence will be restored.

The Army Painter brush set is great- I have that set, and I've worn it out. I would say that is a great second purchase after the Reaper kit because it gives you a couple of specialized brushes. Their Regiment brush is one of the best base brushes on the market. They also do some CRAZY small brushes (Insane Detail and Psycho Detail) but don't be fooled- you actually don't need brushes that little once you learn to control the paint and keep a good tip on a 0 or 00 brush.

Citadel brushes, Nate makes a good case for them (cheap and easy to get a hold of) but the quality on them is very hit or miss. ESPECIALLY on their M Base brush, which I absolutely adore but I burn through them like crazy. I have bought like 6 in the past year. But it is has this pointed, flat shape that I can't find anywhere else. Their drybrushes don't hold up either. But for the price, their S Layer and M Layer brushes are very nice. But you will do OK with those 2 brushes in the Reaper kit for a while.

Don't prime the minis in the Reaper kit, they don't need it. But for the D&D stuff, prime black. You can use the Vallejo brush-on primer. I think it's better than spray, but it does naturally take more time to do. It's usually worth it.

I actually don't varnish my stuff unless it's board game minis that will get thrown in a box. I use the Testors Dullcote for that. If your stuff is mostly going to stay at home and not be rustling around, there's no need to worry about it, I don't think. I did spray some of my stuff that I take out to play, I have yet to see any kind of damage.

Don't get intimidated- there are TONS of options out there, TONS of equipment, TONS of advice, TONS of "the wrong way" admonitions. You will find what works for you and what gets the results you want. But start with that kit, I'm telling you...it will set you on the right path. They also have additional kits that introduce other techniques, I think the second one is layering.

Other than that, the #1 piece of advice is something that Sevej mentioned here in passing a few weeks ago about one of his projects- set a ceiling for effort/technique. If you struggle with advanced layering and it takes three hours...don't do it unless you are trying to push it and get better at it. But if you just want playable, good-looking figures...cap what you are doing with them. I find that I sort of do this on the fly- I'll get to a point and think "OK, I'm done painting this" when I'm more or less happy with what I have done with it. And then move on!