My first mini ever!
- Thread starter Witzkatz
- Start date
This is a really great post!
It\'s lovely to see someone doing their first mini and getting all the advice about it as they go along.
I wish I could advise you too, but heh, I\'m not really very good and you\'ve had great advice!
(I kind of make it up as I go along!)
Hope you get well soon and you\'re doing really well on the mini, it looks great.
Nicola
It\'s lovely to see someone doing their first mini and getting all the advice about it as they go along.
I wish I could advise you too, but heh, I\'m not really very good and you\'ve had great advice!
(I kind of make it up as I go along!)
Hope you get well soon and you\'re doing really well on the mini, it looks great.
Nicola
Amazon warrior
New member
Yeowch! Well, hope you feel better soon. I have to say, your last pix are very dark so it\'s difficult to make anything out, however I\'m sure you\'ll have some better ones for us soon!Originally posted by Witzkatz
Hey guys, I am just back from the hospital!
Unfortunately, I\'m still weaker than I thought I would be and the surgery wasnt so minor I now realize...will stay the most time of the day in bed for the next few days I guess, but I hope to be able to do a bit of painting in between and then there will be more updates!
Greetings to all
Witzkatz
fiesta0618
New member
About Purity Seal parchments...I strongly recommend you invest in some Bleached Bone for the highlights. Looks very papery when layered over a deep brown.
Soo, hello again! Small update!
Thanks for all your wishes, I\'m feeling a little bit better every day...what is getting on my nerves, however, is that I can\'t laugh or cough, because that is linked to severe pain right now...well, no funny time for a while, but Space Marines aren\'t supposed to be funny, so I thought I might work a bit on this guy.
As alway I\'d like to hear from you what you think about the marine and where you think improvements are needed!
Picture quality is not the best due to clouds here, but I hope you can see some details.
1.I painted the armour joints black again, because they aren\'t supposed to metal, as you guys stated before. (Most of that work isn\'t visible in the pic, thought of that too late)
2.Glued the right arm on to get some idea of how the final pose will be later.
3. Slapped some mor Shining Gold on the shoulder pad rims, but it\'s clearly visible I need more of that and quite some cleanup later on, because I messed up the blue parts of the pad...:~(
4. The Bolter! I\'m not quite sure about this thingy. On the box cover, the Bolters of the SMs are all black/dark grey and boltgun metal, but that looked a bit too monochrome for me. So the skull-wing-thingy will be golden...but I am still looking for ideas how to paint the weapons body in general! I like it black, somehow, but then there will be some highlights necessary, of course. I guess lightening Chaos Black up with Skull White will get messy, right?
Something I like: The red safety button on the gun! I think this gives a little colour to the whole thing.
I could use some colours (like bleached bone and red gore and so on) from the shop to go on, but unfortunately it is hard enough for me to walk around in the house at the moment...does someone know how fast the GW online shop delivers? That would be a nice alternative to get some new paint and carry on with this guy.
Thanks in advance,
Witzkatz
Thanks for all your wishes, I\'m feeling a little bit better every day...what is getting on my nerves, however, is that I can\'t laugh or cough, because that is linked to severe pain right now...well, no funny time for a while, but Space Marines aren\'t supposed to be funny, so I thought I might work a bit on this guy.
As alway I\'d like to hear from you what you think about the marine and where you think improvements are needed!
Picture quality is not the best due to clouds here, but I hope you can see some details.
1.I painted the armour joints black again, because they aren\'t supposed to metal, as you guys stated before. (Most of that work isn\'t visible in the pic, thought of that too late)
2.Glued the right arm on to get some idea of how the final pose will be later.
3. Slapped some mor Shining Gold on the shoulder pad rims, but it\'s clearly visible I need more of that and quite some cleanup later on, because I messed up the blue parts of the pad...:~(
4. The Bolter! I\'m not quite sure about this thingy. On the box cover, the Bolters of the SMs are all black/dark grey and boltgun metal, but that looked a bit too monochrome for me. So the skull-wing-thingy will be golden...but I am still looking for ideas how to paint the weapons body in general! I like it black, somehow, but then there will be some highlights necessary, of course. I guess lightening Chaos Black up with Skull White will get messy, right?
Something I like: The red safety button on the gun! I think this gives a little colour to the whole thing.
I could use some colours (like bleached bone and red gore and so on) from the shop to go on, but unfortunately it is hard enough for me to walk around in the house at the moment...does someone know how fast the GW online shop delivers? That would be a nice alternative to get some new paint and carry on with this guy.
Thanks in advance,
Witzkatz
JesterzUSMC
Recovering Megalomaniac
Looks spectacular!
I really like the black, it looks more realistic somehow.
Quick tip. If you want a rich gold, undercoat with a dark brown.
Also, highlighting black AND making it look good is difficult.
Try a smidge of SW(Skull White) to a shmear of CB(Chaos Black) about 1/2 a drop of SW to 3 or more drops of CB.
You want a REALLY dark, dark gray.
Also, highlight sparingly, you want it to look black, and the hinted highlights will bring out the black, without making it look dark gray with shadows.
Hope that helps. I\'m sure there\'re better techniques, but it works for me, so I thought I\'d share.
Loving it!
Keep it coming.:flip:
I really like the black, it looks more realistic somehow.
Quick tip. If you want a rich gold, undercoat with a dark brown.
Also, highlighting black AND making it look good is difficult.
Try a smidge of SW(Skull White) to a shmear of CB(Chaos Black) about 1/2 a drop of SW to 3 or more drops of CB.
You want a REALLY dark, dark gray.
Also, highlight sparingly, you want it to look black, and the hinted highlights will bring out the black, without making it look dark gray with shadows.
Hope that helps. I\'m sure there\'re better techniques, but it works for me, so I thought I\'d share.
Loving it!
Keep it coming.:flip:
Highlighting black:
I\'d start go with a mix of CB and SW, just see what mix works...., maight even use several, progressivlt lighter mixes as succeive highlights.
I\'d do the edge highlights by dragging the side of the brush (with just a small amount of paint) along the corner of the edge, this way you cab make a really thin, sharp, straight line with minimal effort.
I\'d start go with a mix of CB and SW, just see what mix works...., maight even use several, progressivlt lighter mixes as succeive highlights.
I\'d do the edge highlights by dragging the side of the brush (with just a small amount of paint) along the corner of the edge, this way you cab make a really thin, sharp, straight line with minimal effort.
WhiteChocChip
New member
I\'m brand new at this stuff too. I\'ve been working on some angels for my mum. After I really get the hang of it, I plan to do up an army of Sororitas to kick my hubby\'s Chaos Space Marines\' collective booty!
Talion
New member
Good to hear you\'re starting to feel better.
Yep they generally paint Bolters with a black body. If you are buying paint then I recommend Shadow Grey this has got a slightly blueish tone and gives for a more natural black highlight.
It\'s starting to come together now. As you said you need to tidy up the blue areas where some gold has got onto it.
When painting areas like the shoulder pad trim don\'t paint directly down try and paint it with the tip on it\'s side, keep the paint just to the tip of the brush and paint the rim so that the tip overhangs the outer edge rather than the inner edge, that way the worst you\'ll get is paint on you rather than your mini.
Hope that makes sense???
Hello everybody!
Thanks for your answers! I hesitated a bit about doing the black highlighting today...and started doing some other stuff on the Marine instead. But don\'t worry, the Bolter will be one of the next steps.
As you can see, I have done quite a few things...mounted the backpack, put the head on...
- some more highlights on the power armour
- red gore and blood red on the purity seal
- bleached bone on the purity parchment
- painted the eyes with red gore, mix of red gore/blood red, blood red, blazing orange and a dot of skull white
- some cleanup on the shoulder pads, which are not in the picture
Now that I see the close-ups, methinks the eyes are painted rather crudely...:~( Well, one doesn\'t see the flaws from medium distance, so I guess I should be happy about it.
Next steps will be Bolter and some \"text\" o the parchment on his leg.
As always, comments and critique are appreciated.
Thanks in advance,
Witzkatz
Thanks for your answers! I hesitated a bit about doing the black highlighting today...and started doing some other stuff on the Marine instead. But don\'t worry, the Bolter will be one of the next steps.
As you can see, I have done quite a few things...mounted the backpack, put the head on...
- some more highlights on the power armour
- red gore and blood red on the purity seal
- bleached bone on the purity parchment
- painted the eyes with red gore, mix of red gore/blood red, blood red, blazing orange and a dot of skull white
- some cleanup on the shoulder pads, which are not in the picture
Now that I see the close-ups, methinks the eyes are painted rather crudely...:~( Well, one doesn\'t see the flaws from medium distance, so I guess I should be happy about it.
Next steps will be Bolter and some \"text\" o the parchment on his leg.
As always, comments and critique are appreciated.
Thanks in advance,
Witzkatz
The Ultramarine is almost done!
Today I glued everything together, cleaned up some ares where the paint had flaked off, scribbled some gibberish on the purity seal parchment and did some highlights on the bolter.
As usual, on the closeup pictures I see things I haven\'t seen before, for example the parts on the right hand where some paint is missing. In reality, you have to look real close to even see that.
I am quite pleased with how he looks at the moment, although I hoped some things would have worked out better...well, practise, practise and so on!
Next steps will be the Ultramarine emblem and other decals and, of course, the base. I have some stuff lying around here but am not sure how to proceed...maybe I read some articles about that first.
Thanks for reading and for answers,
Witzkatz
P.S.: Even in the sunlight I somehow doubt that these pictures make it look like it is. The blue is bit darker in reality, stuff like that...
Today I glued everything together, cleaned up some ares where the paint had flaked off, scribbled some gibberish on the purity seal parchment and did some highlights on the bolter.
As usual, on the closeup pictures I see things I haven\'t seen before, for example the parts on the right hand where some paint is missing. In reality, you have to look real close to even see that.
I am quite pleased with how he looks at the moment, although I hoped some things would have worked out better...well, practise, practise and so on!
Next steps will be the Ultramarine emblem and other decals and, of course, the base. I have some stuff lying around here but am not sure how to proceed...maybe I read some articles about that first.
Thanks for reading and for answers,
Witzkatz
P.S.: Even in the sunlight I somehow doubt that these pictures make it look like it is. The blue is bit darker in reality, stuff like that...
JesterzUSMC
Recovering Megalomaniac
Other than some mold lines (top sides of backpack and upper thighs) this is a spectacularly done mini, especially a FIRST mini!
Congrats!
And welcome to the wonderous new world of painting as a hobby!
Congrats!
And welcome to the wonderous new world of painting as a hobby!
Thank you!
I just wanted to finish the mini completely and put some transfers on it...the Ultramarine badge, the arrow on the right shoulder pad mainly.
But it worked out to be a complete dissapointment.
Following Step 8 of this article, I tried to apply the transfers...one part of the U ripped shortly after the transfer was on the mini and I spent minutes trying to get the parts back together and to look nice and clean. That worked out after a while...but a) there where still some parts of the transfer that didn\'t \"glue\" to the mini properly thanks to the curvation of the shoulder pads and b) one could clearly see from a distance where the transfer was beginning and where it ended, it looked horrible. So I ripped both transfers away again and am now thinking..should I leave this guy without chapter and squad marks or should I try to do them freehand or has anybody a great plan how to apply the transfers in a better way...? :~(
Thanks in advance,
Witzkatz
I just wanted to finish the mini completely and put some transfers on it...the Ultramarine badge, the arrow on the right shoulder pad mainly.
But it worked out to be a complete dissapointment.
Following Step 8 of this article, I tried to apply the transfers...one part of the U ripped shortly after the transfer was on the mini and I spent minutes trying to get the parts back together and to look nice and clean. That worked out after a while...but a) there where still some parts of the transfer that didn\'t \"glue\" to the mini properly thanks to the curvation of the shoulder pads and b) one could clearly see from a distance where the transfer was beginning and where it ended, it looked horrible. So I ripped both transfers away again and am now thinking..should I leave this guy without chapter and squad marks or should I try to do them freehand or has anybody a great plan how to apply the transfers in a better way...? :~(
Thanks in advance,
Witzkatz
Water slide transfers are the bane of my life, but it works out too expensive for me to keep buying the pre-moulded pads.
I\'ve been advised to use gloss varnish on the pad before putting the transfer onto it, this way it wont stick to paint and tear as you try and move it. I\'ve not had chance to try it out yet, as I\'ve been busy doing other stuff, but it\'s worth a shot
I\'ve been advised to use gloss varnish on the pad before putting the transfer onto it, this way it wont stick to paint and tear as you try and move it. I\'ve not had chance to try it out yet, as I\'ve been busy doing other stuff, but it\'s worth a shot
Joek
New member
I bloody hate transfers! They never work well enough for me, and I have next to no patience for \'em at all. In the end, I found it much easier just to do the symbols freehand - it\'s easier than you think it\'s going to be, and it\'s remarkably easy to start again if you do make a mistake!
JesterzUSMC
Recovering Megalomaniac
I too find free-handing easier.
However, with the \"U\" shape you might try snipping the middle out, thus allowing for the curve of the pad.
Also, After the transfer is on, you could paint over the edges with diluted base color, to blend away the edges.
However, with the \"U\" shape you might try snipping the middle out, thus allowing for the curve of the pad.
Also, After the transfer is on, you could paint over the edges with diluted base color, to blend away the edges.
Necroghast
New member
If you want transfers to look good, it takes more effort than just putting them in water. First, paint some gloss varnish where you want the decal to be. Once its dry, cut the transfer as close to the image as possible. (the example in that article looks good.) Next, soak the transfer in water for 15 seconds. Pull it out with some tweezers and let it sit on a non pourous surface (like a small piece of plastic) for 1 minute. During this minute, put some Micro-Set (a decal setting solution: http://www.microscale.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=MI-1&Category_Code=FINPROD&Product_Count=1) on the place where the decal will go. (make sure the gloss varnish is dry) after the minute is up, slide the transfer off the backing and onto the spot. Position it where you want and then press down on it with a little piece of paper towel. Once its dry, (it should be perfectly flat on the piece, no ridges or anything) apply some matte varnish to it to cancel out the gloss. Make sure the micro set is dry as if its not it will react with the varnish making it white. If you are putting the transfer over a more complicated surface than a shoulder pad, use micro sol http://www.microscale.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=MD&Product_Code=MI-2&Product_Count=&Category_Code= instead of micro set. Hope that helps.
Thanks for your answers!
Somehow I lack the confidence to try this kind of freehand at the moment...maybe I\'ll try to paint up another of the five marines this far and practise a bit more before doing that.
What you explained there, Necroghast, sounds good, but complicated, too..I\'ll be at my local store today, maybe I can buy some of the \"ingredients\" and try it.
For the moment, I finished the base of my marine and put it into the voting thingy for fun, should be accessible here...
http://www.coolminiornot.com/221255
...and here...
http://www.coolminiornot.com/221256 !
Maybe I\'ll continue this thread when I have problems or need critique about my second marine, if you\'re not too bored with plain ultramarines?
Thanks for all,
Witzkatz
Somehow I lack the confidence to try this kind of freehand at the moment...maybe I\'ll try to paint up another of the five marines this far and practise a bit more before doing that.
What you explained there, Necroghast, sounds good, but complicated, too..I\'ll be at my local store today, maybe I can buy some of the \"ingredients\" and try it.
For the moment, I finished the base of my marine and put it into the voting thingy for fun, should be accessible here...
http://www.coolminiornot.com/221255
...and here...
http://www.coolminiornot.com/221256 !
Maybe I\'ll continue this thread when I have problems or need critique about my second marine, if you\'re not too bored with plain ultramarines?
Thanks for all,
Witzkatz
Originally posted by Witzkatz
Somehow I lack the confidence to try this kind of freehand at the moment...maybe I\'ll try to paint up another of the five marines this far and practise a bit more before doing that.
try it out on a piece of paper first, to see if you have the dexterity and skill it takes, no harm done if you screw that up, if you pull it off, practice some more, if your confident, try it on a model.
that\'s how i learned to do freehand.....
why not continue with a WIP of the other Marines? show us what you learned, and try some exciting new stuff (and get all sorts of advice)
this Thread has been a blast so far, i may even have gained some new insights myself, just seeing a first timer paint a great mini, and getting all sorts of advice about the basics.
anyway, keep up the good work.
Mourner
