2 spacemarines and how should I improve?
- Thread starter juphro
- Start date
nels0nmac
Member
Hi there. Colour transition is something that comes with practice and for someone who has only be painting for 2 months you are doing pretty well. One thing that would help to improve the looks of your minis is to keep them simple. The marine on the left has a BLUE base with GREEN knee/shoulder pads, GOLD trim, RED pouches and PURPLE backpack exhausts. Too much colour!! The one on the right has less colour and looks tidier. To make it neater I would paint the bolter casing and the pouches black. Painting the black base in a shade of brown/green to go with the stuff you've put on top would help as well.
Keep it up, you're doing well
Keep it up, you're doing well
Two months is nothing... you're doing well so far. Several of us here have been painting for years or even decades (I'm getting close to twenty years, myself, for instance...).
The paint on these two marines look a bit thick and completely opaque. Try thinning down the paint more and see if you can get to grips with applying shadows and highlights using more transparent paint. There's lots of information about it here in the forum. Have a look at the sticky thread on top of this forum section. Then, just paint and paint and try to incorporate the ideas. You may not get the hang of it immediately, but with a bit of practice you'll manage...
The paint on these two marines look a bit thick and completely opaque. Try thinning down the paint more and see if you can get to grips with applying shadows and highlights using more transparent paint. There's lots of information about it here in the forum. Have a look at the sticky thread on top of this forum section. Then, just paint and paint and try to incorporate the ideas. You may not get the hang of it immediately, but with a bit of practice you'll manage...
Two months?
Those lil guys look great!!!
I think you have the absolute right amount of highlighting. The one thing I may suggest is to deepen the shadows. And maybe just a thin bit of 'black-lining'. You already have a 'style' which is awesome. I think the deepening of the shades will make that 'graphic novel' look really pop.
But, I really am most impressed with these. The armor looks 'shiny'. Very cool.
Those lil guys look great!!!
I think you have the absolute right amount of highlighting. The one thing I may suggest is to deepen the shadows. And maybe just a thin bit of 'black-lining'. You already have a 'style' which is awesome. I think the deepening of the shades will make that 'graphic novel' look really pop.
But, I really am most impressed with these. The armor looks 'shiny'. Very cool.
freakinacage
Well-known member
damn i wish i was that good after 2 months!
ScottRadom
Shogun of Saskatchewan
Well you're doing the right thing, posting mini's and asking questions! I have nothing to add... BUT I think you should make a careful effort to keep those marines somewhere special and safe. Mark on the bottom of the bases the date, then compare in one years time. I think you'll be amazed at the difference 1 year from now, esp. if you've only been doing this for two months!
Well done!
Well done!
Juphro; Glad you took the advice and welcome to the forums.
May your stay be long and pleasant.
May your stay be long and pleasant.
DrEvilmonki
Active member
That is a great suggestion from scott - I wish I had my first ever figure I painted, or even ones from a couple of months after.
If you can find someone halfway good that you can actually sit down with and watch what they are doing I think that would help you. Also check out youtube, there are a few painting tutorials on there.
Such as http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njIoel_yOv8
Just type "miniature painting"
If you can find someone halfway good that you can actually sit down with and watch what they are doing I think that would help you. Also check out youtube, there are a few painting tutorials on there.
Such as http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njIoel_yOv8
Just type "miniature painting"
ScottRadom
Shogun of Saskatchewan
I've been going through a lot of the Miniature Mentor videos, and the JBT "PAinting Miniatures" is worth every penny I spent as well.
Reading the articles and posting pics is a really fantastic way to improve as well. You've got such a jumpstart and are way ahead of the early learning curve it's sick. Also, as has been said getting help in person is great. If there isn't anyone available I think something that was of great help to me was getting a couple reall ynice mini's from friends around these and other boards. Nothing better than getting the mini's right in front of oyu that you want to emulate!
BPI
New member
Hi Juphro, to echo other comments, you're at a nice stage for only 2 months into the hobby, congrats. Looks like you're playing with layering/blending of highlights & mucking about with colour schemes, good stuff, keep on going, playing about & experimenting are where it's at 
However - there had to be one didn't there! - if you can make the eyes look as nice as they do then you can also overpaint where the blue smudged onto the gold of the shoulder pad rim! Attention to neatness at the base coat stage looks to be the most immediate thing I'd suggest you pay attention to. Without it, the underlaying flaws will always spoil the super-duper surface effects you create (and my mini prep is nothing to brag about I assure you).
Other areas on the left hand one: Underside of the shoulder pad, not that it need be gold, dark brown shadow or blackline would be cool but the blue at the moment is too "attached" to the blue of the arm, yet the shoulder pad is a seperate piece of armour. Same thing for differentiating the kneepads (his left needs a stripe of green paint at the bottom) and where the shinguards meet the feet. Go back to the darkest blue you've used inbetween the fingers. You see where the red holster meets his thigh there is a spot of bright blue paint, that needs to be dark. Etc.
Don't want to type a horrible list of nit-pickiness as the tone of this post is supposed to be positive! Nip back to a colour on your pallette if you need to touch up a spot of accidental overpainting (I still sometimes think "I'll remember to do that later" but usually realise I've forgotten when looking at my proudly posted pic in the Gallery!) so that as you build up the layers of shading it all still looks good. Don't be afraid to unrealisticly emphasize the line between 2 items of clothing, or where any areas meet really (at this scale). The most extreme form would be blacklining but there are many techniques & approaches (I currently favour allowing the black undercoat to show through).
Get yourself a WIP thread going & show us how you're progressing (nice neat photo btw), I suspect that by the time this squad is done there'll be some rather nice work on display!
Cheers, B.
However - there had to be one didn't there! - if you can make the eyes look as nice as they do then you can also overpaint where the blue smudged onto the gold of the shoulder pad rim! Attention to neatness at the base coat stage looks to be the most immediate thing I'd suggest you pay attention to. Without it, the underlaying flaws will always spoil the super-duper surface effects you create (and my mini prep is nothing to brag about I assure you).
Other areas on the left hand one: Underside of the shoulder pad, not that it need be gold, dark brown shadow or blackline would be cool but the blue at the moment is too "attached" to the blue of the arm, yet the shoulder pad is a seperate piece of armour. Same thing for differentiating the kneepads (his left needs a stripe of green paint at the bottom) and where the shinguards meet the feet. Go back to the darkest blue you've used inbetween the fingers. You see where the red holster meets his thigh there is a spot of bright blue paint, that needs to be dark. Etc.
Don't want to type a horrible list of nit-pickiness as the tone of this post is supposed to be positive! Nip back to a colour on your pallette if you need to touch up a spot of accidental overpainting (I still sometimes think "I'll remember to do that later" but usually realise I've forgotten when looking at my proudly posted pic in the Gallery!) so that as you build up the layers of shading it all still looks good. Don't be afraid to unrealisticly emphasize the line between 2 items of clothing, or where any areas meet really (at this scale). The most extreme form would be blacklining but there are many techniques & approaches (I currently favour allowing the black undercoat to show through).
Get yourself a WIP thread going & show us how you're progressing (nice neat photo btw), I suspect that by the time this squad is done there'll be some rather nice work on display!
Cheers, B.
Scherdy
New member
Also amazed at what you've done in such a short time. The eyes look great and are something I keep getting drawn to. They may "shine" even more with a single white point in the outer corners to simulate the light reflecting. Great job on the smoothness of some of your blends though!
very brilliant idea, and I'm going to do as you suggested.
actually I also painted some 1/72 plastic model such as italeri and zvezda, and now I look at the earlier pieces I feel that I were doing really a lousy job in the beginning, so I'm improving , at least I can discern good and moderate ones, hah
Hi Juphro, to echo other comments, you're at a nice stage for only 2 months into the hobby, congrats. Looks like you're playing with layering/blending of highlights & mucking about with colour schemes, good stuff, keep on going, playing about & experimenting are where it's at
However - there had to be one didn't there! - if you can make the eyes look as nice as they do then you can also overpaint where the blue smudged onto the gold of the shoulder pad rim! Attention to neatness at the base coat stage looks to be the most immediate thing I'd suggest you pay attention to. Without it, the underlaying flaws will always spoil the super-duper surface effects you create (and my mini prep is nothing to brag about I assure you).
Other areas on the left hand one: Underside of the shoulder pad, not that it need be gold, dark brown shadow or blackline would be cool but the blue at the moment is too "attached" to the blue of the arm, yet the shoulder pad is a seperate piece of armour. Same thing for differentiating the kneepads (his left needs a stripe of green paint at the bottom) and where the shinguards meet the feet. Go back to the darkest blue you've used inbetween the fingers. You see where the red holster meets his thigh there is a spot of bright blue paint, that needs to be dark. Etc.
Don't want to type a horrible list of nit-pickiness as the tone of this post is supposed to be positive! Nip back to a colour on your pallette if you need to touch up a spot of accidental overpainting (I still sometimes think "I'll remember to do that later" but usually realise I've forgotten when looking at my proudly posted pic in the Gallery!) so that as you build up the layers of shading it all still looks good. Don't be afraid to unrealisticly emphasize the line between 2 items of clothing, or where any areas meet really (at this scale). The most extreme form would be blacklining but there are many techniques & approaches (I currently favour allowing the black undercoat to show through).
Get yourself a WIP thread going & show us how you're progressing (nice neat photo btw), I suspect that by the time this squad is done there'll be some rather nice work on display!
Cheers, B.
I'm really grateful to your invaluable advice, I'm about to do a WIP ,soon
AegisD
New member
Great work on the blending and reflections! You look like you don't have too much trouble thinking out where you want your light coming from, but you could use a bit of work picking out the shadows. Try leaving some black in the deepest recesses instead of trying to work a shade of blue into everything, this will create a sense of contrast in these areas, and I think would help your colors pop a bit more.
