Any painting tips

Hello there,

I know practice makes perfect but would anyone be able to share some painting tips?

I painted the 5th edition 10+ years ago and having found a local subsidiary GWS store (the only store remaining after GW left 10+ years ago) I have dug up my old Liz army and enjoying some painting and I recently had two 500 points games!

Anyway, since I was still a kid in 5th edition, my painting didn't go so well.

I will post some photos shortly.

I am painting some new ones, but I am not satisfied with the result I am getting.

1) When I am highlighting, it is not smooth enough and I find it hard to make decent looking shadow/mid tone/highlight. How many colours do you guys use? I use 3, a dark green, normal green and light green. Do you guys mix them and use 3 or more shades ?

2) When I am brushing sometimes its too dry sometimes its too wet. How do I ensure I get the right consistency every time? Sometimes the highlight it creates is very grainy (not ideal) sometimes its very smooth as if it is spray-brushed. Is there any tip to dry-brushing? Do you use the paint directly or do you thin it slightly with water?

I will go take some photos now, be back in 15 mins.

Thanks!!

 

Ok that took way more than 15 mins
First up, OLD models I painted many many years ago:
One of the worst skink I have ever painted LOOOL :




Two slightly better ones (painted more than ten years ago):

The one of the right is damaged because I glued a sheidl on it, then realising skinks cannot have shields (5th edition) so I ripped it off.


Krox (painted more than ten years ago):
Recently re-do the base tho.




Recently painted skink (unfinished):




Group photo

 

Hi there

1: if you thin up your dark green, you can apply it like a wash, it works great for getting in the nooks and crannies for that tasty shading effect. For highlighting, have you considered a light drybrush instead?

2: When i am drybrushing, i have a piece of towel or paper to wipe most of the paint off, so the brush is well... Dry and then apply to the model, if its too dry, try again. Better its too dry than too wet.


Also remember that a wash darkens a lot, so your mid tone, might be a very light tone even...

Some of my skinks are made with 3 colours and a wash. (not including weapons etc.)
Purple, White and Black + Leviathan Purple Wash

Where i paint the scales or in your case the red stuff on the head a mixture of Purple and Black for that dark ish look, and the body purple and white for a bright colour, so the shading is more obvious.

When i then apply the shade, the bright area becomes "normal" again, with darkened nooks, and the crest/scale whatever just looks more crisp.

 

i think you have good basic skills tbh. if you try to slather that kroxigor in a blue/black ink i think it will look really good. you already know where to highlight (though we can all always improve in that area ofc), and if you just start to incorporate the new inks which really REALLY makes painting easier, i think you will improve very fast.

 

Looks like you're on the right track there. Sure it may look quite ugly from super close up, but the pics of 3 skinks and the krox pic look really good, really presentable. 1 tip I can suggest though (some may disagree) is that in general, you should never leave anything un-shaded or un-highlighted.

The krox is very well painted. I really like it.

 

Thanks for the positive feedback

But I do think I would love to do better than that

I was searching on Youtube and I found some awesome video on how to do very smooth blending and highlight and shadows.

I also found out about a way to create a wet-palette !

Not only will your paint NEVER dries out, it is said that the wet palette will maintain the paint at the perfect consistency!

I sure must try it out. I shall update my photos once I have tried out these techniques!!

 

wet palette is great, but it does not prevent the paint from ever drying. it greatly slows the drying, but after being exposed to the air for an hour or so, it starts to visibly dry. if you close the lid you could possibly use it the day after, but usually the paints starts to separate by then.

you definitely should use it though. it is awesome

 

I found this link the other day while shuffling the internetz...

http://www.tobi-design.com/miniatures/tips/tips_wet_palette.htm

I quite like the idea, maybe an idea for yourself, at leasts its almost free to try