beginner here, need some advice

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heyhey123

New member
right so I've been painting now for about 2 months and I see that the people here are very helpful towards starters, so I was wondering if you got give me some tips on what to improve :)

Here's my latest mini, it's Abaddon the despoiler(photo is taken outside)!

View attachment 13995

/dave
 
D

di_n_o

Guest
thats actually pretty good for 2 months of painting!

perhaps a better pic would be better, a bit hard to make out the details. just from first impressions try adding some more shading and highlights throughout the model, from what i can see some on the tyranid head and the skulls would be good!
 
Master Splinter

Master Splinter

New member
Your robes and hairdo are good for starters, then try to realise you can paint more contrast if you like and as d_i_no said, do finish all pieces of the mini.
 
H

heyhey123

New member
okay I'm going to strip the model once again, how would I add more contrast to a mini?
I really want to learn how to make those really nice looking minis, some people spend a month on. I am planning on repainting him again, because each time I've painted him, he's gotten better. I am very patient.
 
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ischa

New member
It´s great that youre patient=) I could never strip a model and paint it over, I can barely finish a model!:p One of my best tips would be to read up on blogs and articles.

http://massivevoodoo.blogspot.se/ Has lots of awesome articles and tutorials from some of the top painters in germany.
http://www.juliencasses.com/ Is one of the top painters out there, defenately, some good tips and great inspiration.

Search around on CMON and other forums and find inspiration for your painting, look for different techniques like nmm, tmm, osl and so on, google for tutorials and try to copy them. With your patience, failiure shouldnt be a problem, just try time and time again=)

Try not to get stuck in ruts, try different things, look for stuff outside the GW field and style of painting, even outside the hobby that can inspire you! Also try things that are a bit out of your comfort zone, build bases and scenes up for your minis.

After 2 months, that mini looks great, especially if you got there on your own. If you want some tips on a new technique, I´d gladly try and help you, just send me a pm=)
Seeking help and advice from more experienced painters is a great way of learning, so is spending more time on a sigle mini, hurrying through regiments without trying harder wont improve your skills a single bit. this hobby may be the only where practice doesnt always make perfect, at least without some kind of guidance!

Best of luck
 
KruleBear

KruleBear

Active member
Two months! My goodness, you have already passed my current painting level. Ischa gives good advice and I am going to try to follow it my self. I am looking forward to follow your success.

ischa said:
Seeking help and advice from more experienced painters is a great way of learning, so is spending more time on a sigle mini, hurrying through regiments without trying harder wont improve your skills a single bit. this hobby may be the only where practice doesnt always make perfect, at least without some kind of guidance!
Click to expand...

@Ischa: i have taken some ballroom dance clases with the wife and the instructor mimics your sentiment--" practice doesn't make perfect, practice only makes permanent". So get the technique right, before practicing.

KruleBear
 
H

heyhey123

New member
cool, thanks ischa, your swedish too! :)

I've been practicing blending a bit because I want to blend the black armor on my next attempt.
I got rather pleased with the results though but I use this mini as a training piece, because it's impossible or hard to remove paint from plastics.

Would you recommend using Vallejo colours or Games workshop ones?

I used GW's colours on that mini, but when I look up some of the best painters, I see they prefer vallejo colours.

I think I'm going to experiment with my next attempt, maybe use another black colour, I think that "pure black" makes the mini look a bit boring in my eyes as when I look up other abbaddons here on the site
I can see they don't really use the Chaos black. Some are more shiny, matte etc.. I guess I got a lot to learn and as you say, step out of my GW paintbubble :p

/dave
 
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ischa

New member
i mix, most people i know mix. a good painter sees colours, not colour sets=) some gw paints are brilliant, my favourites are! but on the other hand, loads of vallejo paints are great aswell, like the metallic ones. feel your way there and try tones you like. you should indeed try to do something fun with the black, several good tuts out there on how to paint nice black, i like to layer up through turqoise. where in sweden are you from?=)
 
H

heyhey123

New member
you seem to have been painting for a while,
incredible stuff.. really liked the first ones, that girl etc..

anyway, would you have any advice of how to make abbadons armor more interesting?
I'm not really a fan of GW's chaos black, but he needs to be black because he's leading my black legion army :)
did you learn all of that on your own or did you take any courses?

/dave
 
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