[I also posted some of this on the Reaper forum but I thought I would try here as well to cast my net wider.]
Hello,
I used to paint Games Workshop miniatures when I was a kid, but was put off for many years by the price. Having found out about Reaper recently I decided to get back into it. I picked up the Learn to Paint Kit, a few extra Reaper miniatures and some extra paints/brushes. The valkyrie I have attached was my first attempt after a long break, and now I am getting onto the mouslings. I am having some difficulties though. I would love to hear any feedback on these difficulties I list or any other criticism or advice.
With the valkyrie there are some parts I am quite happy with. Her right eye was never great, and has got messed up a bit somehow (I am dreading fixing it, maybe I should get some greenstuff and fashion an eyepatch?). Also her face has a kind of chalky look to it that I don't know how to avoid. I didn't have any gold paint, so I tried to do her armor as leather with metal features. On the chest that seems to have gone quite badly. For the hair I think it could do with more "depth" but I am having trouble working out how to achieve that. Her base I am actually quite happy with (in contrast to the other miniatures).
As cliched as it is, I was going for an "evil albino" look with the mousling assassin. Having looked again at the stock photo in the store I may try to put some of the caucasian flesh colour I have on his nose. I had tried mixing up a pink before but it looked way too "valentines day". His eyes are also looking pretty flat, and I'm also having some trouble making his fur look "furry". The bases on these mouslings (and some other miniatures I have) have been a real challenge to get looking right. Recently I have been trying basecoating with shadowed stone, washing with brown liner, and highlighting with leather brown, but whatever I do I can't get it where I'm happy with it.
I decided to do the druid more as a wizard (I bought a trio of reds for a dragon I am holding off on painting so I want to use those). I have had issues painting the orb in his staff (I want it to have some sort of blue mystical look). I was having problems with the colour of the staff or the orb flowing into the crevice between them and looking bad, so I did a sort of outline with diluted brown liner and now plan to paint the orb "up to" the edge without the paint flowing into it. I am happy with his eyes, but his fur is also a struggle. I was going for "black mouse" though I then switched to "dark grey mouse" so I could try to get some shading in.
The thief and beekeeper I am really just basecoating for now (I include them here so I can follow up with them later). I had some trouble with the pale saffron yellow being weird, but I think it just required far more shaking than I was giving it. The skeleton is done roughly by the "Learn to Paint Kit" book, I think he looks good. The orc I am taking a different route with (trying to make his armor look like it was painted black and then scuffed up). His base is hideous right now, I know.
Thank you for reading.
Hello,
I used to paint Games Workshop miniatures when I was a kid, but was put off for many years by the price. Having found out about Reaper recently I decided to get back into it. I picked up the Learn to Paint Kit, a few extra Reaper miniatures and some extra paints/brushes. The valkyrie I have attached was my first attempt after a long break, and now I am getting onto the mouslings. I am having some difficulties though. I would love to hear any feedback on these difficulties I list or any other criticism or advice.
With the valkyrie there are some parts I am quite happy with. Her right eye was never great, and has got messed up a bit somehow (I am dreading fixing it, maybe I should get some greenstuff and fashion an eyepatch?). Also her face has a kind of chalky look to it that I don't know how to avoid. I didn't have any gold paint, so I tried to do her armor as leather with metal features. On the chest that seems to have gone quite badly. For the hair I think it could do with more "depth" but I am having trouble working out how to achieve that. Her base I am actually quite happy with (in contrast to the other miniatures).
As cliched as it is, I was going for an "evil albino" look with the mousling assassin. Having looked again at the stock photo in the store I may try to put some of the caucasian flesh colour I have on his nose. I had tried mixing up a pink before but it looked way too "valentines day". His eyes are also looking pretty flat, and I'm also having some trouble making his fur look "furry". The bases on these mouslings (and some other miniatures I have) have been a real challenge to get looking right. Recently I have been trying basecoating with shadowed stone, washing with brown liner, and highlighting with leather brown, but whatever I do I can't get it where I'm happy with it.
I decided to do the druid more as a wizard (I bought a trio of reds for a dragon I am holding off on painting so I want to use those). I have had issues painting the orb in his staff (I want it to have some sort of blue mystical look). I was having problems with the colour of the staff or the orb flowing into the crevice between them and looking bad, so I did a sort of outline with diluted brown liner and now plan to paint the orb "up to" the edge without the paint flowing into it. I am happy with his eyes, but his fur is also a struggle. I was going for "black mouse" though I then switched to "dark grey mouse" so I could try to get some shading in.
The thief and beekeeper I am really just basecoating for now (I include them here so I can follow up with them later). I had some trouble with the pale saffron yellow being weird, but I think it just required far more shaking than I was giving it. The skeleton is done roughly by the "Learn to Paint Kit" book, I think he looks good. The orc I am taking a different route with (trying to make his armor look like it was painted black and then scuffed up). His base is hideous right now, I know.
Thank you for reading.
