First time painting Warhammer Figures - Slann Mage-Priest

[yozgart]

Wow ! This has been the best experience I've ever had! I was really tired sometimes but it was worth it. It took me over one month to finish it. I took the paint off twice 'cause I wasn't convinced, but at the end I think the result is amazing. Now I'm going for the Venerable Lord Kroak. My goal is just to collect some of the best pieces of the lizardmen army, I'm not looking to play with them. For now on, I'm just starting with this. Also I would like to tell that I'm blessed with the best wife I could ever ask for, if it had not been for her, I wouldn't started this project. I love you pretty girl (Piciosa), thanks for your eternal support.

http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/ind...dID=53847041&albumID=3154459&imageID=57228888

http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/ind...dID=53847041&albumID=3154459&imageID=57228939

 

[kables]

Looks good for a first time

I wish i had such talent.

 

[Eternity_Warden]

Nice job, very "wet".

 

[strewart]

Yeah look very good for a first try. Do you water your paints down at all? You should, it looks like some parts are a bit thick and detail obscuring. Using several thin layers of paint rather than 1 thick will make your models a lot better.

 

[Dumbledore]

I was just about to say what strewart said!

I came from a background of having gone to art school and devoting a large amount of my life to drawing printmaking and painting (oils) and the first thing I had to learn is that with acrylic many+thin=good, quite different to how my oils style developed. Thinning acrylics is the path to all the really advanced techniques like blending and onwards but it's clear from the model that you are neat, patient and have the right idea about what is needed in mini painting.

For a painting guide I'm not sure about on here but asrai has a FANTASTIC painting guide. It's hard to realise how thin or thick paint is needed for the different techniques just from reading so I really would advise going to your local GW and asking for a couple of free painting lessons - there is no shame in it, I went twice right after a gap year at art school and it sped up my learning process by a huge amount.

Here's the guide: http://www.asrai.org/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=2066

Also to illustrate just how good those lessons are a few hours of teaching took me from this (my first ever model): http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a50/Aladdin_Sane_/IMG00162-20090702-1408.jpg
To this: http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a50/Aladdin_Sane_/IMG00114-20090628-2249.jpg
I can't praise those lessons enough!

edit: oh and shouldn't this be in the painting section of the forum

 

[Barotok]

I was just about to say what strewart said!

I'd be willing to bet a vault of Lizardmen treasure that this is a good canidate for Strewarts signature.

Your models are looking pretty good for your first time. The above posts offer some great advice that can help you improve and I will have to take a look at them myself. Thanks for the links.

Keep it up.

 

[strewart]

For a painting guide I'm not sure about on here but asrai has a FANTASTIC painting guide. It's hard to realise how thin or thick paint is needed for the different techniques just from reading so I really would advise going to your local GW and asking for a couple of free painting lessons - there is no shame in it, I went twice right after a gap year at art school and it sped up my learning process by a huge amount.

Here's the guide: http://www.asrai.org/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=2066

We seem to get a lot of new members through here who are just starting out in the hobby, it is quite a large task but I have often thought it might be useful for us to make our own very basic assembling and painting guide aimed at beginners. Step by step photos of painting a model with simple techniques then moving up to more advanced techniques, what to look out for assembling, that kind of stuff. Might be worth thinking about.

Also, moving this to painting and converting.

 

[Dumbledore]

Yeah that would be a good idea. But the thing with that guide is that it offers advice in such depth about really much more advanced stuff. Painting is 75% of the hobby to me and so I was surprised by how much I didn't know in there, such as the use of of acrylic flow and anti-drying mediums in your water, something I'll definitely invest in cause I remember from painting how good they are (or at least flow medium, that's the only one I've used before).

 

[yozgart]

Hey ! Thanks a lot for all your posts, I think that the basic guide would be a great idea for anyone like me that is starting in this hobby. Beleive me, I've been looking for basic information about techniques, or every thing like that, that could guide me in how to paint the Slann, but I wasn't able to find any. By first, I would ask you about how can I mix colors, some time I found text like -"1:1 Babad Black and Chaos Black"- but how do you do this.

 

[strewart]

Given the look of your slann, I think you need to start looking for advanced tips not beginner tips. I'd aim for something for people who are opening their first box of warhammer; right from clipping models off the sprue through to applying a few layers of paint for tabletop quality. Only problem is it would take a bit of time and effort. Maybe I'll try to tackle it when I get time anyway.

 

[Dumbledore]

It's a ratio, so depending on how much you want it would be:
1 drop of badab black + 1 drop of chaos black = 2 drops of mixture
or 5 drops of badab black + 5 drops of chaos black = 10 drops of mixture (ie the same balance of colours but more of it depending on how much you want to paint)

Or, say 2:5 graveyard earth and mechrite red would be:
2 drops of graveyard earth + 5 drops of mechrite red
etc

That would give you the raw paint, how much you water it down would depend in what you're trying to do as stated in the guide. (Eg different wateraint ratios are given in the guide for highlighting, blending, washing etc)

 

[hellbreaker]

Given the look of your slann, I think you need to start looking for advanced tips not beginner tips. I'd aim for something for people who are opening their first box of warhammer; right from clipping models off the sprue through to applying a few layers of paint for tabletop quality. Only problem is it would take a bit of time and effort. Maybe I'll try to tackle it when I get time anyway.

Yes, a beginners guide would probably be a smart move.
Or we could try to find Sammy and ask him to add a "Tutorials" section.
I suppose I could take a go for this too though, the next time I decide to paint a lizard... But given my unusual scheme, maybe not.

For more advanced tips I suggest having a look through the various articles on: http://www.coolminiornot.com

I've had a look some times if I've needed advice, usually it has proven worthwhile, sometimes not...
As how to do flames... (I figured that one out though) Maybe I'll do a tutorial on that.

...

Ok... Off-topic, maybe?
So... As for the model it's good for a first try.
I well remember how my first one looked... (Actually, I considered it good... But...)

So, you should look for advanced tips rather than beginner tips.

Cheers!

 

[strewart]

Yes, a beginners guide would probably be a smart move.
Or we could try to find Sammy and ask him to add a "Tutorials" section.

He is easy enough to find, he still urks and is reachable via PM or on msn. In any case though, since I am now an admin I can make new forums if need be. My personal opinion is that a dedicated tutorials section is unneeded and they can go in the relevant forums. But I also think that we should probably not derail this topic too much, I'm sure yozgart still wants comments on his cool Slann.