As I'm sure you'll be probably be able to tell when you see the pictures below, I'm new to the world of miniature painting and now that I've tried my hand at it, it's cleat to me that there's a long way to go before I reach the standards seen in the other posts.
When I stumbled on the challenge, I'd hadn't long decided to start painting the minis in some of my board games, such as the D&D Adventure Board Games and Mansions of Madness. I'd picked up a couple Games Workshop 'easy build' kits to practice on and was browsing the internet for pictures and tips etc. At that point, I'd never heard of dry-brushing and shades, had never assembled anything on a sprue, and had no idea there were would ever be a need for 25 different shades of blue! (thanks GW)
Assembling and priming has gone more or less okay (tho did have some strange 'bobbling' on a couple figures), but as soon as I started applying paint, stress levels jumped up. My first minis were three Space Marines which, them being mainly blue, I thought would be fairly easy. Unfortunately, my attempts are dry-brushing have not gone well, so I think I'll probably end up either re-painting (hoping not to loss too much detail) or stripping and starting again.
So I decided to leave those for now and had a go at some Ur-Ghuls from the copy of Blackstone Fortress I received at Christmas. These have also had problems, with my first attempt at shading going totally wrong, so I stripped that figure and started again (I also bought another set of 4 just in case I really messed them up). While far from perfect, I'm pretty sure they're the wrong colour, the paint hasn't been applied consistently, there's no dry-brushing or highlighting, and there are some mould lines visible, I think I've now got them to an okay table-top standard so I'm calling them done.
When I stumbled on the challenge, I'd hadn't long decided to start painting the minis in some of my board games, such as the D&D Adventure Board Games and Mansions of Madness. I'd picked up a couple Games Workshop 'easy build' kits to practice on and was browsing the internet for pictures and tips etc. At that point, I'd never heard of dry-brushing and shades, had never assembled anything on a sprue, and had no idea there were would ever be a need for 25 different shades of blue! (thanks GW)
Assembling and priming has gone more or less okay (tho did have some strange 'bobbling' on a couple figures), but as soon as I started applying paint, stress levels jumped up. My first minis were three Space Marines which, them being mainly blue, I thought would be fairly easy. Unfortunately, my attempts are dry-brushing have not gone well, so I think I'll probably end up either re-painting (hoping not to loss too much detail) or stripping and starting again.
So I decided to leave those for now and had a go at some Ur-Ghuls from the copy of Blackstone Fortress I received at Christmas. These have also had problems, with my first attempt at shading going totally wrong, so I stripped that figure and started again (I also bought another set of 4 just in case I really messed them up). While far from perfect, I'm pretty sure they're the wrong colour, the paint hasn't been applied consistently, there's no dry-brushing or highlighting, and there are some mould lines visible, I think I've now got them to an okay table-top standard so I'm calling them done.
With some practice I'll (hopefully) build my confidence, learn new techniques (def dry-brushing!), then see about making a better job with the backup set of Ur-Ghuls before tackling more detailed figures.
I realise this post may seem a bit negative, but I have actually enjoyed my first dip into the painting hobby and will continue!
We can all cast our mind back to our first miniatures, and look at how far we've come. You're starting at a high level- very well done! There is so much inspiration and advice available now through the internet- it is a blessing and a curse, since I can watch someone show me a technique or a new approach, whilst at the same time I know that my efforts will never get me close to a top level painter.
The key thing is to enjoy it, and to keep practicing by doing. You'll develop your own style, and there is a great satisfaction to playing with your own painted figures.
I'm ploughing through Blackstone Fortress myself, and it is tough going.
Congratulations on joining the Challenge, you couldn't have picked a more supportive group. Have a bonus five points!
Barks
Those aren't bad for a first time painter. Great work Shaun :)
ReplyDeleteHey they Look great! You don't have to do dry brushing washes can work really well,youve got some great definition on these and mould lines often turn up after you've finished painting in my experience!
ReplyDeleteBest Iain
Those are pretty darn good for first time out Shaun. Well done and welcome aboard.
ReplyDeleteWelcome to the madness Shaun! You've picked a wonderful place to get started in terms of support, advice and encouragement.
ReplyDeleteI think those are amazing for a first effort. I've been painting minis for 37 [ahem!] years and would happily have those in my collection. You've done a cracking job with the colour scheme and the inking / highlighting IMHO.
Secondly, Barks has it spot on. Find a level that suits you. There are plenty of tutorials out that which show techniques which produce truly world-class outcomes but they are not for everyone (often me included!). If YOU are happy with what you have achieved then great. It's your hobby after all.
Mate, these look great! Like Millsy says, I'd be proud to put them on a table. Just keep painting, enjoy it, and if you feel some satisfaction when you finish a figure then you are doing it right.
ReplyDeleteWell done Shaun. As Barks said, don’t sweat it, just enjoy it. Quite a variety of folks in the Challenge - and just by getting any paint on any minis, you are heading in the right direction!
ReplyDeleteGreat work here - and another plug, it would seem, for Blackstone Fortress...
Compared to my very first minis, these are amazingly good. A clean style, decent shading, good colour choice. And it's perfectly ok to choose different levels for different minis/games/periods/scales. We all choose different levels and compromises, according to taste whim and time. If you examine the variation in minis across the challenge, you'll see a wide variation of styles and preferences. Pick the approach(es) you like best.
ReplyDeleteFirst, welcome to the Challenge, Shaun - it's great to have you with us.
ReplyDeleteAs many above have already said, you're doing fine, don't sweat it (I particularly like what you did with the creepy red recesses on the hands). I know it seems hard, but try to enjoy the mistakes as much as the successes, as sometimes the 'mistakes' look better than what you first anticipated. Personally, I don't strip or repaint, I just move forward to the next mini. In fact it's sometimes very helpful to have a visual cue of what you were doing previously so you can better gauge what worked and what needed to be done differently. Just my two loonies. :)
Again, happy to have you aboard, Shaun. Enjoy the ride!
Agreed. I've never stripped a figure. There may be a few lurking, half painted in the bitz box that I got frustrated with, or a few games systems that I gave up on because I couldn't bring myself to paint more of them, but that is a different story ;)
DeleteMany thanks to all for the kind words of encouragement! I'll have to keep reminding myself that when I'm looking at the amazingly painted figures online, they've been painted by professional artists, probably with many many years experience not three weeks worth!
ReplyDeleteSeems I've picked just the right place to take my first steps in the hobby 😊
For three weeks, you've got the foundations down brilliantly :D
DeleteAn excellent first submission, Shaun; these wonderfully creepy monsters are just the ticket.
ReplyDeleteAnd remember, when dealing with fantasy and sci-fi beasts, THERE IS NO WRONG COLOUR. YMWV!
: )
They look really good! Excellent work! cheers
ReplyDeleteThose are very very good for a n00b, on par with what a lot of us can do with decades of practice.
ReplyDeleteKeep up the good work. You've got talent.
Very nice looking models. You seem to have got the hardest part (putting the paint in the places you want) down. Anything that you do after that is a bonus credit type of affair.
ReplyDeleteCouldn't agree more with Michael and Barks on the "find a level for you" thing. I've been painting for nearly 30 years and despite knowing that I can paint to a high standard if I really really want to (not GD standard by any means), most of the time I find that I'm happy and less stressed about just painting something with base colours, a few washes and a couple highlights.
ReplyDeleteWashes are so much easier to get to grips with if you are starting. There is a reason the old Devlan Mud wash was nicknames Devlan Miracle Mud as it would make the most basic paint job look fantastic once applied as it deals with shading etc. for you.
Drybrushing is actually one of the things I'm trying to learn properly in this challenge and I've actually found that the larger the brush, the easier dry brushing is and you don't really lose any control. The Red Scorpions and the giant worm I posted earlier in the challenge were all dry brushed for the majority, followed by a few layers of washes.
I think you've actually chosen one of the harder figures from Blackstone Fortress to paint there as they are all flesh, albeit blue. So great work on those, you should be proud :D
Great stuff, especially for a first go! These are cracking models and an excellent choice for a start. Looking forward to the rest as I do like the BSF models and game.
ReplyDeleteThanks all, I clearly set my own expectations way higher than I should have!
ReplyDeleteI think I'll stick with shades for the next figures I tackle, but I have some containers and other bits of scenery I can practice drybrushing on - I'll be much less worried about meeting those up!
All the encouragement and advice is much appreciated.
These are great for some of your first minis, Shaun. Well done!
ReplyDelete