Finally got some photos posted

[coastiemike]

Hi all. I have just started painting (May 2010). I'm still learning. The only experience I have is what I watched on the Hot Lead video and read on these forums and Reaper forums. Please take a look at my first few minis I have painted and give some honest feedback. I definitely want to improve. You won't hurt my feelings as I know I couldn't sell these for much of anything. And, I'm not painting to sell them. Most of the ones in my pictures are used for our table top D&D game and were painted the colors my players wanted them painted.

I know I still need lots of improvement. My skills aren't the greatest. But, most of you have a wealth more experience than I at painting minis so I feel your suggestions and feedback could help me improve.

I also am taking 12 mini painting classes at Gencon and think those will help also. One thing I have learned is that once I took photos, I saw some problems I didn't see with the naked eye (blame my 40 year old eyes . So, hopefully, taking photos will also help me improve.

Anyway, I know all the ones I posted are probably only 3-4 rating. I am looking forward to the day I finally receive 7-8 ratings as most of the minis I paint will be used for table top RPG games.

I didn't want to post 10 photos here so if you click on my name to go to my photos, that would be great.

 

[Dragonsreach]

First off welcome to the madhouse.

Glad to see you've got expectations about wanting to improve, because you will get torrents of advise. (Some of it useful as well).
As I've approved the images I saw lots of things that are easily worked on, mostly thinning your paint will be the most immediate aid you'll find. Once you learn to get a dilution you can work with the control you'll find that you will get on colour application makes a heck of a difference.
A few easy things to start with to help; try to make montage images instead of separate ones for front and back, half the grumpy old gits among us prefer that.
Have a wander through the Sticky threads in the Painting & Converting forum, lots of interesting stuff in there. (That'll stop the other half of the grumpy gits telling you where to look)
Ask Questions.
Don't take things seriously, its just toy soldiers after all.

 

[supervike]

None of the pics are showing for me????

Weird.

 

[coastiemike]

A few easy things to start with to help; try to make montage images instead of separate ones for front and back, half the grumpy old gits among us prefer that.

How do I do that? I am camera illiterate.

Don't take things seriously, its just toy soldiers after all.

I work murders, rapes, and child molestation cases at work. Trust me, this is a hobby.

 

[BPI]

Hi CoastieMike, the main thing I came away with was paint your bases. Heavy basecoat (no black plastic left showing), dark wash followed by patchy washes of red/brown/green/yellow, whatever seems appropriate, it won't be bright but can add a lot of life, then lightly drybrush over with your basecoat, lighter drybrush with lightened basecoat. Repaint neat black rim of base (I often just paint under any slipped bits of sand). Quick & easy but looks a lot better than sand au natural! Similar process with the lichen (I've never painted any. Perhaps forget the basecoat & just get in there with washes).

Otherwise, thin your paint a little with tapwater. If a brushstroke doesn't give perfect coverage it doesn't matter, just let it dry before going over it! All but the palest colours should go on in 2 or 3 coats over an even undercoat (plus a couple of touchups on annoying areas that don't like the paint). You'll get used to the different properties of different paints as you go. Some are great for basecoats, others for glazes or mixing. Some will thin forever & others go lumpy-bumpy in next to no time!

Keep it neat, with that comes the brush control & much more of what you read will make sense as you get used to putting the paint on.

Oh, and don't get trapped using tiddly brushes that are good for light spots on eyes to try & paint a cloak!

Have fun too

Cheers, B.

 

[BPI]

How do I do that?

Hi Coastie, cut & pasted from a previous thread I posted in...

Try downloading a free & simple image editing program called Irfanview (for windows). Install it, launch it, click menu IMAGE, click CREATE PANORAMA IMAGE..., point it at the four cropped photos of your Domaru Butai, mark VERTICAL, click CREATE IMAGE. Click menu FILE, click SAVE AS..., name the file, save it. You now have a neat column montage It can be resized & tweaked to get the file size down at this point, insert text, etc.

To create something closer to your Gallery image, just create two horizontal montages of two pictures each, saving them as ROW1 and ROW2, then join them together vertically.

Quick & easy & neat! Hope it's useful

Cheers, B.

 

[coastiemike]

Hi Coastie, cut & pasted from a previous thread I posted in...

Try downloading a free & simple image editing program called Irfanview (for windows). Install it, launch it, click menu IMAGE, click CREATE PANORAMA IMAGE..., point it at the four cropped photos of your Domaru Butai, mark VERTICAL, click CREATE IMAGE. Click menu FILE, click SAVE AS..., name the file, save it. You now have a neat column montage It can be resized & tweaked to get the file size down at this point, insert text, etc.

To create something closer to your Gallery image, just create two horizontal montages of two pictures each, saving them as ROW1 and ROW2, then join them together vertically.

Quick & easy & neat! Hope it's useful

Cheers, B.

Awesome! I'll try that when I get home.

 

[supervike]

I can see them now!

Yep, I'll say these are right at tabletop level. Thinning the paint, and applying it in layers will help. I also am a big fan of black or dark lining. It helps define areas and gives the mini the much needed 'pop'. Check out the articles section, you'll find tons and tons of great info.

 

[coastiemike]

The panaroma photos worked like a charm. I removed all my previous shots and redid them with the panaroma pictures for each mini. Great tip. Many thanks!

 

[Dragonsreach]

Coastiemike; see told you that you'd get some good advice.:brushwave:

So keep on posting. You'll soon realise that you are addicted, just like the rest of us.

 

[Mercius]

As everyone else said, thin your paints. Check some of the tutorials out here on CMON, they are mighty helpful. The next step up from where you are at is to start thinning your paints and learning how to do basic layering and shading. The foundation you have is good and you will get lots of good advice here and on Reaper forums.