Random painting help

http://www.forgeworld.co.uk/Events/Forge_World_Best_of_Show_Atlanta_2006.html

what must I do to learn how to paint to this standard

Since now i have mostly all my army( just missing like two bikes w.e.) I want to paint my whole army but don't want it too look like crap. So idk, any advice?

Sit down with someone who paints well and have them show you the tricks. Thats what I did. I went from having no idea how to paint mini's to being pretty good. Id try to help you ,but I never have time. I do stop by the store when Im working(Im the Metro Cop skulking around) and If you see me Id be glad to give you some tips.

Well one thing i would love to learn how to do correctly is that blending thing, like how the red goes to orange then to yellow on the titans pulsars. Because i was planning on painting my eldar paint jobs with some simple yellow then to ATTEMPT to freehand the ulthwe eye but that's going to be stupid hard for me. I just don't want to mess up when painting my models lol.

First thing: Brushes.
http://www.coolminiornot.com/articles/1035-paintbrush-selection-and-care

You should really browse through a bunch of the higher rated guides on coolminiornot.

Focus on the basics at first to get your stuff done. Base coats and whatnot. Biggest thing to note is to thin your paints. About 50/50 water/paint. If you get a solid colour in only one to three passes you're doing it wrong. You can always go back later to add transitions, highlights, NMM, etc. All the fancy, difficult to accomplish, things can be added after you've got the basics down.

I'll actually be coming down again and will be there between the 4th- 12th (I thought it would be the following week) and I can help you out. I still need to finish painting my 2000pt eldar list.


**'Freehand" is not difficult to do if you have artistic experience, but a lot of the basic concepts are difficult to tackle for those without. Smooth strokes. Take your time.

Also note its best to use a base colour for what you're freehanding before you actually use the finished color. For example, if you want a craftworld symbol in orange on the side of a black tank you would first paint it in red- and then work your way up to orange, and then highlight with a bit of orange/yellow.

Can you suggest paints/ brushes? I'm really considering trying to pull off the magma pattern.

Thinned down acrylic paint is just like watercolors- so when you buy brushes by watercolor brushes. Best brushes are "kolinsky" brushes, which is what I use. For the size you want they aren't that expensive. ranging from 7-12$. Same price as GW but much better quality.

yea but i don't know the exact colors to use/blend to do that magma pattern i put in the link up top. But yea i saw in the article you gave me to read (which where do you get liquid paint cleaner/soap thing. Since it said it works better to clean.) that the "kolinsky" are better and snap better. but i don't abuse the brushes ( unless it becomes my dry brush ) Right now i have sun yellow, fire orange, blood red, black, macharite red, an orange foundation, dead white, and black wash.

You could try Pearl Art Supply.

They have brushes galore and I'm sure they gotta have that soap thing.

6448 South Dixie Highway
South Miami, FL 33143
305-663-8899

Monday-Saturday 9am-9pm
Sunday 11am-6pm

Privateer press has a DVD out on painting techniques. I haven't seen it and would *never* suggest pirating it, but you may want to see if you can find a cheap copy and watch it. There is no skill to painting a mini (with exceptions, i know, i know guys) but a series of easily learnable techniques.

https://store.privateerpress.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=8744

As far as the colors I haven't painted in years so I'm not sure what GW's color line looks like now. but as far as the techniques used:
it looks like the titan was painted yellow, then highlighted with some white or washed or glazed with some orange then re-highlighted with yellow.
on top of that it looks like they did a layer of "cheetah spots" of red (no highlighting on those)
then on top of those smaller "cheetah spots" of black. after the black it *looks* (and this may just be the lighting) like he went in with a dark grey and free handed in some rock texture on top of the black (pix 3 and 4 show this best).

the gun looks to be wet blended, but I could be wrong, but with that smooth of a transition my money's on that. I've never been able to pull it off but if Mike Harmon is still on here he may be able to talk you through it. Rokassan as well (what's up Bill!)

and i HIGHLY suggest everything everyone else has said, water down your paints (saves money *and* looks better), good brushes are worth their weight in gold, talk to people whose painting you like, yadda yadda yadda.

Magma/fire red stuff is the easiest transition to do. The magma parts of the titan are done with a base of black and then: dark red> orange > a little yellow. Do not do it the other way around. While it can be done it is tedious and won't look right as black is a very harsh and nasty color to paint. When working from a base of black you go from dark to light. With a base of white you paint light to dark. You can do this in GW with red gore> blazing orange > sunburst yellow.

Looking at the titan the transitions of the colors seem a little hard. Look up some guides on blending colors. Its really easy- just add the next layer color to the previous color you started painting with until you get to the highest point.
ex. http://www.coolminiornot.com/articles/content.php?1054-my-thoughts-on-nmm-updated

The pulsars as well as the back fin seems to be done with an airbrush following the same transfer as the magma.

zephel wrote:Since it said it works better to clean.) that the "kolinsky" are better and snap better.

Kolinsky sable hair brushes are good because they hold and apply paint smoothly. That said, make sure to check the tip if buying in store.

Utrech has them listed on their website: http://www.utrechtart.com/dsp_view_products.cfm?classID=1211&subclassID=121110 They're located just north of the pearls on US1 at:

6250 South Dixie Hwy
Miami, FL 33143
(305) 740-7077

If not kolinsky any watercolor brush will do (to save money). The differences aren't' astounding especially if you're not blending and whatnot.

ok, and as for the dark red you mentioned, do i just mix a bit of black with blood red or does joel actually sell a dark red?

Also, where do you find base rockes like this (unpainted) ?

http://www.coolminiornot.com/251782

Don't mix black for anything. If your model is primed black then when you paint the red it will be darker because of the undercoat. When you paint it you can blend it and it doesn't have to be a solid color.

zephel wrote:Also, where do you find base rockes like this (unpainted) ?

http://www.coolminiornot.com/251782

Those are resin bases from micro art studios. I've bought from them before and they are truly high quality bases that are fun to paint. I painted an ethereal on a ruined factory base that came out boss. I'll show it to you if you'd like.

KingdomCome wrote:

zephel wrote:Also, where do you find base rockes like this (unpainted) ?

http://www.coolminiornot.com/251782

Those are resin bases from micro art studios. I've bought from them before and they are truly high quality bases that are fun to paint. I painted an ethereal on a ruined factory base that came out boss. I'll show it to you if you'd like.

Would love to see it And i think now from what everybody has suggested and told me, i should be able to start. But i need to learn how to highlight and blend and all that fancy stuff

Basics first. If anything practice the base coats for the initial highlights. When those come out clean, start working your way up.

OK so here are my attempts at wet blending/ transitioning ( i think this is going to have to be the color combination to be the base for a lava pattern)





the first pic is the kind of maybe sort of finished blend

White backdrop plz. Not bad, just needs a better transition.

Good for your first time

well crappy cam phone so yea =/ but i tried. maybe another coat?

Hard to tell. I'll actually be back in town again on friday and I'll help you out. Like I said- I still gotta paint my eldar too

What I do notice in the pic though is that you gotta practice with keeping it steady and not blending it over onto other parts. I often brace my hand.

Just hope i can pass by one of the days your here. that week seems to be ab it busy for me unfortunately

Wet blending also isn't a good idea. Its quick but its messy and doesn't create a clean transition. Use a color and coat it- add the lighter color and coat it- etc, etc. Follow the guide I sent you about blending and light points.