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Articles |
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Painting
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General Painting Tips submitted by Larray Imatani/ Author John Walker
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Here, I will discuss how I paint miniatures. Not how Games Workshop paints miniatures or how Bob, the local painting competition winner paints miniatures but how I, your average Joe paints miniatures. (Wow, my old English teacher would kill me for that sentence.) I am no expert, and my miniatures will never win me any competitions, but almost no one will look at my miniatures and say, "Wow, this guy needs to learn to paint." So, what's my secret, why do my miniatures look so good. I can't paint. That's the secret. The reason my miniatures look so good is because I take so many short cuts to hide my non-painting ability that it actually gives the impression that I know what I'm doing. And the result looks great. So, if you can't paint to save your life, and you really want to make your army into something you're proud to put on a foreign gaming table, then read ahead and learn my "ancient chinese secrets".
Get into the right frame of mind Okay, the very first thing you have to do is get yourself into the right frame of mind. This is very important for me because if I'm not in the right mood to be painting miniatures, then I'm not going to do a good job. Remember, painting should be fun. It should never feel like a chore. I learned this lesson fairly early. You see, when I first started painting, I was never happy with what I painted because it never looked as good as the miniatures you see splattered in White Dwarf magazine. I was never satisfied with my work and I told myself that I would never paint anything else until I could paint perfectly. This is the wrong attitude to have. If you start thinking like this then you'll never get anything painted. The best way I found to break this mold was to start painting my miniatures with different color schemes then I saw in White Dwarf. Want another way to look at it? Ok, how is this, those guys that paint the miniatures for White Dwarf get paid, we don't. So our miniatures don't have to look as good. Although there is that matter of personal pride but that comes later. Paint with a friend. This was good for me when I first started to paint. When I first started playing Warhammer, I was in Panama. I had a friend there and we would paint together. It was probably really funny to watch, because we both concentrated so hard, you would think we either didn't like each other or we were mute. I remember once looking up from painting and saying, "Ya know what?" He stopped painting his miniature, cleaned his brush and looked up at me, "What's that?" he said. "We'll know we're finally good painters when we can talk to each other and paint at the same time." "Yup" he said. "Yup" I confirmed. At that we both picked up our brushes, cleaned them off again and proceeded to slop more paint on.
Games Workshop makes virtually all the tools you will need to start painting great looking miniatures. The only things they don't make that I like to use are "exacto-knives", glue and clamps. Yeah, I know they really do make these things, but not great ones. Okay, so we really don't need to waste much time on this section, it's probably just easier to write a small list and then explain some of these things.
Paint - I like to use Games Workshop Paint, mostly because it's water soluble and they have a good color selection. Their colors, even the daker ones usually have a bright look to them, which really makes the models look better in the end. Although I must complain that their new paints dry out far to quickly. You can solve this by adding a little water. Just a drop or two is all it takes really. Brushes - It doesn't really matter what kind of brushes you use, but you'll need at least 2 big ones, 1 medium and one really small one. Since you're using water soluble paint, it is fairly easy to take proper care of your brushes so they last. Just one thing to remember . . . . . When cleaning your brush, never drive it down to the bottom of the cup and spin to try and clean the bristles better. There is no faster way to ruin your brushes. Just swish 'em around a lot, the paint will come off, trust me. Models - This is pretty obvious, but you have to make sure it's a model you really like. Even if this is your first one, make it a good one. Don't worry about ruining it because if you follow this guide, it'll come out looking great. (I can't guarantee this however, but I'm pretty positive.) Glue - This is important. There are hundreds of different types of glue out there. If you ask me I think glue is really a matter of your tastes. Don't laugh, I'm serious. Some glues dry extremely fast but don't hold as well. Other take forever to dry but form a terrific bond. I suggest experimenting some to find the glue right for you. (I'm a poet and didn't know it.) Personally I use an extremely thin, fast drying glue that bonds to skin instantly (sounds fun, eh?). And let me tell you, when this stuff is dry, my models never fall apart. Modelling Knife - This is only really needed if you plan on cleaning up your models before you paint them. Scraping away flash, etc. Please be careful with your knives, it's a lot harder to paint your miniatures with missing fingers. Any type of modelling knife will work although I use an exacto-knife. Cup of Water - You know what is perfect for this? Every time I go to McDonalds or Burger King, I always get a Super-size meal deal. And with it comes these stupid collector cups that you never use at home. Except for modelling! I haven't found cold or warm water to work better than the other, so it doesn't matter what you use. News Paper - Even if you have a special table you use for painting, laying newspaper down is always a good idea. If you spill paint, glue or drool while you're painting you have something to catch the mess for easy clean-up later. Sprue Cutters - No one ever understands what I'm talking about when I say Sprue Cutters, so let me explain what they are. They are like wire cutters except they are a little smaller. I have never known them by any other name. Even though you can just break plastic models off the sprues, it's better to use a sprue cutter so that the model is easier to clean up later. Plus, they cut the big pieces of flash off metal models easier than a modelling knife. Snacks - Along with music, this is very important. I always have a Mountain Dew at the table when I paint because a thirsty or hungry painter is a bad painter and one whose needs have been quenched is a happier painter. Okay, remember, this is a painting guide for people who can't paint, so all you expert painters out there may refrain from sending me e-mail telling me this is all wrong. The bottom line is it's easy and it works. Okay, we ready? First, open the box, blister, whatever and make sure you have all the pieces. I especially have to do this because I have the worst luck in the world. Almost every box set I buy is missing something. Once I bought the Space Marine Chaplain on bike and the wheels were the wrong size! I took the model back for a replacement and opened it right there in the store. The wheels on that one were the wrong size too! So unfortunately I don't have a Chaplain on bike, but I will one day. Once you are satisfied all the pieces are accounted for take em right over to the kitchen sink and with a little bit of soapy water give them a bath. The reason you are doing this is to get all the oil from your hands off the miniatures. This makes the paint stick better and also makes you feel like a pro since your taking this "technical step". Cleaning up the model also involves taking the pieces off the sprue (with your "sprue cutters") and cleaning off any apparent flash. In case you don't know, flash is the extra pieces of plastic or metal that hangs off the pieces that doesn't belong there. This stuff is created during the molding process and ends up on almost every miniature. Usually your modelling knife will do the trick, but for really big pieces the "sprue cutter" works best. I have also considered getting a small metal file, but haven't tried this method yet. Be careful when you're cleaning up plastic miniatures in order not to cut big chunks into the model. On tanks this is no big deal as you can make it look like battle damage later, but on regular troops it can be unsightly. AGAIN! - PLEASE BE CAREFUL WHEN USING A MODELLING KNIFE!
Assembly This part is fun, especially with the new models that are being released because you get to decide what pose you want to put the miniature in. For characters, which are usually all metal and pre-posed, it's usually pretty easy, just glue the model to the base and your done. With the new plastic multi-pose models you can really let your imagination go to work here. Give every model a slightly different look to make each one stand out. Don't go overboard however, Space Marines doing cartwheels doesn't make your army look at all threatening. When gluing the models into place use a very little amount of glue. A small amount always holds better than a great big puddle. It also dries faster and makes your model look cleaner when completed. Also make sure that the glue you are using works on the material. There are glues made for plastics that will never hold a metal model together and visa versa. I usually do all my modelling next to a window, not only does this help ventilate the glue fumes but it also gives me plenty of light. In my experience a model painted in natural sunlight looks better than a model painted under a light bulb or lamp. Hmm, as far as assembling models goes, that's really about it. On a final note, make sure you put the models head, arms and legs facing the right direction. A mistake like this has major embarasment potential. Black or White, that is the question. Here you have two choices, your model needs a base coat. You do not have to put one on, but if you want to paint miniatures that look good and last for a long time, then you should really use one. Okay, so what color should the basecoat be? Black or white? It really depends on who you ask, but if you ask me it should be black. I say this mostly because A) I can't really paint that well and B) it really covers up your mistakes and makes it so you actually have to paint less of the model and still get a decent shading effect. Also it should be noted that I only ever really paint Dark Angels and Chaos, both of which are mainly dark colors and it helps to make them appear more gloomy. When you get to the section of this "tutorial" with the example of the Chaos Terminator being painted you'll see what I mean. I think people who basecoat with white spend more time painting their miniature because they have to make sure none of the white shows through. With black, you can miss some spots and it still looks good. With black you also have all your nooks and crannies pre-shaded so you don't need to go back and paint it later. It should be noted here, that my Chaos Army's primary color is red, the most difficult color to paint. For some reason red just does not like to be painted on anything, and usually requires one or two coats to apply correctly on either a white or black undercoat. Spray or brush? Spray all the way. I do not recommend brushing on your basecoat because the final paint job will be too thick. And if your paint is to thick, you will loose a lot of the detail. These miniatures are extremely small and they have LOTS of detail. You don't want to cover any of it up. Especially the eyes of skulls since they are much easier to paint if you don't clog up the eyesockets. But don't be to stingy with the paint. You want to completely coat the entire model so it will look better in the end.
Okay, next let's move on to the main colors of your fig. The important key to remember here is to paint from the "inside-out". I didn't understand this term at first but quickly figured it out and once I started doing it, I found painting SO much easier. What you want to do is paint all the areas of the model that are hard to reach first. Eyes are a perfect example of this. It's much easier if you paint the eyes before the face or else you end up painting the face twice when you mess up the eyes. You'll see what I mean :) Another thing to remember in case I didn't mention it earlier is to apply your paint in light coats. By doing this, the model ends up looking smoother all around and you can get an idea of when it looks good so you know when to stop. Personally, I like my models to look a little battle hardened so after just 2-3 thin coats the color really shows but there is enough of the black undercoat showing through to make them look a little dirty. Let's face it people, no matter how great Games Workshop miniatures look, they certainly don't look like they've ever seen a trench. I can picture Space Marines shining up there armor, but not an Ork or Dark Eldar. Now would also be a great time to do all your drybrushing on the main colors. Don't worry about the details yet. Don't even paint them, just paint your MAIN color. And don't worry in the slightest if it seems your covering all your detail. If you are using thin downed paint and putting on multiple very light coats then everything will work out fine.
Next we move on to the details. This is the best part. Why? Well because once all the details are done, the model is done! Great! So what do you do? Start with the biggest areas first, on a Space Marine, this usually involves all the silver parts on the weapon, backpack, and beltbuckle. Move from one color to the next. Grab Silver and paint every area that needs to be silver. Then red, whip out your red paint and touch all those up. One neat trick about details I learned was to lightly draw the brush over the raised details and the paint will pretty much go exactly where you want it too. Make sure you get as many small details as you possibly can because the whole model will benefit from the slightest details standing out. I also find that using highly contrasting colors on the details works very well. Red on green, black on white, yellow on blue, etc. Play around a little. And NEVER tell yourself that it looks like crap. Most all my models look like dog poo when I first start working on it, but by the time I paint all the details it really starts to take on a life of it's own. When you are completly satisfied with your model paint the base either Goblin Green or Camo Green. DONE! Now you have a great looking model that you barely worked hard on and can show off to all your friends (and won't they be impressed?). After a while of painting like this you will learn little tricks of your own and your painting style will increase drastically. But before I end this I must say, even if you don't heed my advice at least PAINT YOUR miniatures. They make the game that much more fun and a passerby is more likely to stop and ask questions about a table full of warring armies then one with squabbling pieces of metal on it.
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