How to paint better and feel better about your painting

[Ion Raptor]

So I've been seeing a lot of posts on other forums with people looking at great miniatures and saying that they really don't want to pick up a brush anymore, or looking at the Youngbloods competitions and feeling down about it. So here's some tips on how to keep yourself happy with what you are doing.

1. Everyone starts somewhere, some people paint nice looking miniatures on their first go, others don't. Who cares, you will all get better with time.

2. Speaking of getting better with time, you should keep your first minis or at least keep a picture album of them. Then you can look back and see where you've come from. Sometimes you don't think you have gotten any better until you've seen pictures of miniatures you've done 2 years ago.

3. Those people with 9 and 10 rated miniatures? They've been painting for YEARS, usually 10+, and likely have backgrounds in art anyway. So don't get turned off by them.

4. Face it, there will always be some people better then you at a younger age, some kids just have a knack for it or have been taught by professionals. Maybe their big brother or parents have been painting for a while. These 15 year old kids with 8+ minis could have been painting since they were 6, have you been painting since you were 6? I know I haven't.

5. Challenge yourself, but don't try too hard. Think of it like walking up steps. You can't get any higher if you pace back and forth along the same step......but at the same time you can't leap 4 steps at a time and think your going to get up the stairs without falling and breaking some bones. Take it easy, a little bit at a time.
I suggest taking a look at Cool Mini or Not, go to the gallery and separate them lowest to highest, most people are around a 5 or a 6 so take a look around there. Sample a whole bunch of them and find minis that look about your skill, then find minis that are .3 or .4 above it, take a look and see what they've done and see if you can pull any ideas from there.

6. Now on the other hand do NOT use CMON as a gauge of your own minis and skills (as in uploading your own pictures). Photography plays a big part in your score. Unfortunately so does people's own personal tastes, a well painted miniature rarely seen on CMON will score higher then an equally painted standard Bolter Marine. Plus I have seen MANY low scores because a miniature is not legal in play.....and we all know that has everything to do with painting and converting, I've seen a VERY well done female Space Marine get extremely low scores because there are no female Space Marines.

7. Play some music or some TV while painting, and be in a nice brightly painted room. I find that when there's some background noise and I'm in an open white room with lots of windows I can paint better and for longer periods of time then anywhere else.

8. Extend your horizons, paint some minis from a different company or a different faction then the ones you currently paint. Some things are just easier to paint.

[Torquemada Coteaz]

Don't forget
9. Practise, practise, practise. Until your arm is to the point of can't move. Then practise until it CAN'T move AT ALL.

[JoeGuardsman]

It really is like gaining experience points in a Role Playing game. Whenever I get a little better and learn a new technique I hear the battle victory music from FF7. Ba bubububum bum bum bumbum bum. GW paint guides can really help whether you want to buy one or just skim at the store and try a new technique. Don't look online too much all you'll see is NMM (non-metallic metals) and the technique is worthless unless you want to brag or just do something different like me.

[Night Shadow]

See that is why I like this webiste so much, their are just a bunch of good people here. Thanks for the advice, I am a beginner and sometimes I get discouraged to about seeing some of these pro painted minatures. Just don't worry about that, practice and you will get better. Also DO NO RUSH, if it takes you a month to do one model so be it. Again great people here good hearted classy people.

[Dan296]

pro painted minis are just that....painted by pros! you really shouldnt compare it.

this is quite appicable to me, because when you look at some of my dark elves, the first anything i painted, theyre...well....best left forgotten. but now looking at my sisters of battle and eldar, its such a differance.
when i started, i couldnt understand drybrushing. clear over my head. now im blending 5 paints to make flames for eldar. woot!
i still wouldnt say im awesome, and theres deffinatly room for improvement in everyone.

[DeAd_cOmMaNdO]

points 2 and 8 strike me as the truest.

when i see my first models (some metal genestealers from 2st edition, painted about 16 years ago) i laugh to myself, though i realise ive still got a long way to go.

and like erus said, practice - my best mdoels were painted about 4 years ago. i took a hiatus from the active part of the hobby for 2 years after that and when i next painted a model it was like i had regressed 5 years! to avoid this you should try and paint something at least 1ce a month, and preferably try something new every now and again. so if your main army is marines, try paint an elder model onc in a while, or if you normally paint tyranids, try you hand at a necron to hone your metal skills.

[hairyyahoo]

thats some good advice there guys, i'll just emphasise a few points,

* how-to-paint guides are very handy when starting out, and occasionally later too. when you start experimenting with a new technique its always a good idea to read/see how others do first.

*be patient. chances are when you try something new that it won't work right the first couple of times, and its all too easy to get frustrated and discouraged. if you feel youself getting angry at your paints walk away for a while, take a few deep breaths and come back in an hour or so with a clear head.

*paint carefully, don't just slop the paint on. be neat and tidy. this is an important lesson to learn at an early stage as it will become a good habit later. it helps to have a few decent brushes of various sizes for this, after all you can't paint details with a tank brush

*painting is a skill like any other. practice daily, even if its just for half an hour before work/school/whatever.

*get feedback from other painters. some people can be a bit harsh when giving c&c but others will do all they can to help you out. as ion raptor said avoid cmon for feedback, if they even bother to comment it won't usually be anything positive unless you're at their skill level. instead, bring your pics to us we have a bunch of quality painters who aren't full of themselves, so our comments will be the helpfull kind rather than the soul destroying "you suck" type.

thats all i can think of for now.

[Templar Mikeel]

Some very useful tips!

I'll add a few more.

Have something to eat/drink close at hand. You can paint for more extended periods of time.
Magnifacation can help a lot. Try to get your hands on a lamp magnifying glass.
What quality of paint you use will determine how good you miniature looks in the end. USE GOOD QUALITY!!!

I wouldn't mind having some people who consider themselves good painters post up some tuts/guides on painting tecniques.

[Gregor Xenos]

Originally Posted by hairyyahoo

as ion raptor said avoid cmon for feedback, if they even bother to comment it won't usually be anything positive unless you're at their skill level. instead, bring your pics to us we have a bunch of quality painters who aren't full of themselves, so our comments will be the helpfull kind rather than the soul destroying "you suck" type.

I agree fully! Just left CMON for that very reason. Glad I found this site (it was recommended by someone that just bought my SM DA army off of EBAY... Don't know your user name but THANKS AMILLION!!!)

[r4wr89]

[quote=Gregor Xenos;37822][quote=hairyyahoo;33046] as ion raptor said avoid cmon for feedback, if they even bother to comment it won't usually be anything positive unless you're at their skill level. instead, bring your pics to us we have a bunch of quality painters who aren't full of themselves, so our comments will be the helpfull kind rather than the soul destroying "you suck" type.

I agree fully! Just left CMON for that very reason. Glad I found this site (it was recommended by someone that just bought my SM DA army off of EBAY... Don't know your user name but THANKS AMILLION!!!)

i totally agree. CMON users are often [not! always, of course] kind of stuck up or really negative, constantly demanding more and high quality even from truly excellent painters...try us here for advice, or relic or b&c, these three forums are the most supportive i've ever been a part of. and it's an honor :]

[DeAd_cOmMaNdO]

dont be afraid to try out new techniques.

for instance, ive always had problems feathering, thoug hwen painting some wold eaters, i tried it out on the blue, and i wnded up wit h a seamless blend on the armour - it was a lot easier than i thought and feared and now i have a new skill to add to my repertoire.

try new stuff out - it wont kill you.

and experiment with new colours and try highlighting and shading with colours you wouldnt think of at first

try shading green with brown, or highlighting red with flesh colour

[experiment 626]

stitch's number one rule when it comes to painting;

always, always, always, ALWAYS!!! re-point your brush!
do it periodically while you're painting - say when you go to change colours or else perhaps after every 5-10 minutes...
just give your brush a good cleaning and then lightly drag it over your napkin, curling it as you do.

this will not only extend the life expectancy of your brushes, but it will greatly affect your neatness too! a nicely pointed brush will allow you much more control, whereas a a brush with frayed and broken bristles will lead to fustration as your paint gets everywhere!

cheers!

[GriplionGremlin]

great points guys (and stitch!!!MA'AM!!!)

[precinctomega]

Twenty-three years of painting miniatures goes from this:



To this:



(Dionne isn't finished yet, but she was a convenient example)

R.

[Mart007]

Very nice ^

The other thing I used to to do when I first started painting (You should have seen them! Ironically they were Ulthwe Eldar! I have painted other stuff as well!) qwas to when i was looking at mini, blur my eyes up and hold it further away! This is actually something I have heard a lot people do. You have to break that habit and really look at what your doing, that way you will be more tidy!

But agree with all points, relaxed painting environment, and take your time these things cost to much to rush, and practice!

[vinny]

Another piont about brushes please purchase good quality (sable) the brush is a natural fibre and will hold the paint better than the nylon, manmade stuff.

[Mart007]

Actually if you buy a good quality Nylon they are actually really good and a lot more durable in my humble experience. Insomniacs Dream started me on them.

[Rellik]

cool tips. i love having a movie playing when i paint. and i always take breaks cause i take my time 2 get things just right. i never rush a mini.

[Ion Raptor]

bump: can we get this moved to the painting tutorials section? it has nothing to do with converting

[iNsOmNiAc'S dReAm]

Originally Posted by Mart007

Actually if you buy a good quality Nylon they are actually really good and a lot more durable in my humble experience. Insomniacs Dream started me on them.

When it comes to paint brushes you generally get what you pay for, a good quality nylon brush will always beat a low grade sable one.

Its important to have a good selection of brushes at your disposal, remember that certain painting situations call for different tools.

Dont give into the GW hype about only using sable brushes. The important thing is to try new things and find what works for you.

[Spartan2154]

Heys guys, that was a very helpful list of points and i think its cool how you guys help peeps like me out with painting and just modeling in general. I actually DO feel better about my painting, and i've only read the list hahaha

I feel like someone actually cares how my minis turn out
thanks dudes.

[Colonel Marbi Chora]

I am loving this sight, even though I jus signed up for it.

The advice here is really, really good, and I should recommend this link to my friend. we've both been doing the hobby for aobut three years now, and he is allwyas compairing his work to his dad's, which is amzing to both of us. Then he gets depressed, and instead of practicing, he mopes.

CMON is a site that has really, really good painters with really, really bad sense of when you have to enouradge someone, and when you should critic. But oh well.

Really nice article, and a good inspirational boost to those who decide that they are bad.

[Rhaalidor]

Ok, I've been playing with GW lead since the Late 1980's, but before that, I was and still am a scale modeler. I try to tell folks that there is a very big world out there that has been around a loooonnnnnggg time. Scale modelers and model railroaders have been building and painting figs for a longtime. Check out sites like: Model Railroader Magazine - Model Railroading, Trains, Track Plans
FineScale Modeler magazine, model kit reviews, how-to scale modeling, scale modeling products
*International Plastic Modeler's Society USA

These sites have articles from some of the most experienced scale modelers in the world. Some of these guys have been building and painting models since models were a chunk of wood and a blueprint in a box. Drybrushing is not a new idea. Some of us have been doing it for as long as we've been in the hobby (30+ years for me). I talked to a guy on another site about a year ago, who told me about a "new" company that sells terrain materials: Woodland Scenics. I've been using WS materials for 25 years. There's not much new out there. Wanna try something new? Put away your NMM stuff and try painting a sword with metallic paints.

If you really want to broaden your modeling horizons, pick up a model car or airplane kit, and give it the same attention that you give to your 40k models. Just remember: these models have prototypes. Make it real.