Hi, I have ordered a my first set of units (cold one cavalry) and a hobby starter set; my question is what would be the easiest way to get good looking models. I have thought maybe experiment with using the watered down paints like a wash but i wasnt sure whether that would work. Also, i have no undercoat spray and was wondering if that was neccesary or if there was some alternative. Any help would be massively appreciated. Thanks
Ok go to the store and get a can of spray primer. (automotive is the best but any is better than nothing.) Now bo a base coat of your main color, now do a dry brush of your main color mixed with a lighter shade of the same color. one more dry brush of a very light verrsion of your color, lastly give it a wash of a matching color. (green wash for green, brown wash for brown, ect...) maybe one last light drybrush on any highlight that disapeared too much. done. Ps. I have found this website to be a lot of help for beginers. http://www.how-to-paint-miniatures.com/
Check out youtube, there are some really talented painters on there that do lots of tutorials. Just remember that just because they ain't painting the same model as you, doesn't mean you can't apply the same technique Looking forward to seeing some pics of ur figs.
I would recommend it, but I have also gotten good coverage over a miniature by just using black or white as a primer etc
I recommend going to a hobby place and taking part in a painting session with some experienced painters who are willing to help. The first couple of years (and armies) I painted when I started the hobby looked "ok" but could have been a lot better if I'd just gone to my local hobby store and gotten some advice. I knew about a lot of the different techniques and was trying to use them, but it wasn't until some guys at the local hobby store sat next to me while I was painting that they picked up on a lot of the mistakes I was making and my painting improved dramatically for subsequent armies. The problem was the main guy I'd game and paint with in those early days was a mate of mine who was also a pretty average painter and so next to his models mine looked good.
Then when you have painted a test model, feel free to post photos for us to look at and give you feedback. Probably the two main tips I give to beginners is to make sure you water your paints down rather than applying them straight out of the pot (several thin coats is always better than 1 thick coat) and to not be afraid to push yourself, experiment and try new things. Pushing yourself is how you improve. Don't be afraid to make mistakes because it is easy to strip paint back or paint over parts of the model.
With plastic or resin, not AS much but I spray all of mine. Makes the paint stick better. Black is more forgiving because if you miss something it won't be as noticeable but white looks better in my experience. I started with Black. With the pewter, like Krox or some of the older models, you definitely need a spray coat or the paint doesn't go on well at all. Once you're done, I recommend a matte varnish as well because paint chips off the metal over time otherwise. For basic acceptable table-top quality, you can get away with a base coat and a wash, and for a little better you can go for a base coat, highlight and wash. That's easily enough to get models on the table and not be embarrassed. I agree with pictures! There's a lot of experience here, years and years of modeling and painting, and hobbyists are a helpful sort.
depending onthe colour you want your models it might also be worthwile investing in a colour undercoat- can save a lot of time and effort. for exaple if you are doing a yellow army spraying them yellow and then using devlan mud or a brownish wash stight over can give you a good place to start from while picking out the detail in the model