Blog Help Wanted - Looking to go from Noob Painter, to not Bad

[Jadein Gibson-Davis]

So, I've got an idea for what I want. I just... Don't know how to get there. Or to paint.

What I like, is dinosaurs. And I like Aztecs. Boom, blam, Lizardmen are perfect. I've looked at a few colour schemes looked around and decided I wanted to do a Dusk Colour Scheme/Volcanic Touch Lizardman. I tried with what I thought would work, and it came out... Well honestly a lot better than I expected. I like the Purple and the Red a lot, but doing detail bit's like colour of the blade, how to paint feet, eye's etc. is completly throwing me off. Also on the red and purple, while I really like it, I feel like it's missing something to make them go from looking Cartoony Lizardfolk to actual Serephon's.

Any advice or help would be super appreciated. This is just the first Lizardman, have the full Serephon Starting Kit so got a long way to go before can even think about starting next Lizardman boxset.

 

[Ryanj4043]

The colour scheme looks really good. Details can be a drag however, pratice makes perfect. Eventually it will look better and you'll have a system to get it done quicker and if you get end to the batch and your not happy with them, some of the bigger ones you can retry and it wont be noticable.

Dry brushing, edge highlighting and shades will help also make them pop. Dry brushing is the quickests but i think is easy to over do, highlighting is much more difficult but yeilds better result. Finally shades are really easy and give it just a little extra.

A good tip for light colours over dark to do it a few times that way none of the dark colour shows through. Yellow over black is by far the worse but white is a close second. This is a good thing to master if your starting with a darker base like i think you have done with your purple scheme.

Hope i can help. Warhammer TV does a good few videos on some details to give you an eye before you just try it yourself.

 

[Jadein Gibson-Davis]

Awesome! Thank's for the help, now I've got an idea of where to go moving forward

 

[Jadein Gibson-Davis]

Step Two in the becoming not bad, I've learnt two things. I can cut the toes to make them slightly wider so they aren't a weird single toed white blob and that my accuracy need's improving.

Oh and that white and red makes pink and is a nightmare to cover up. Three things, I've learnt three things. But, three more things closer to becoming goal of not bad.

Thing's to improve: Need to figure out how to do this mythical 'accuracy' and find the right colour for the base of the weapon.

 

[Imrahil]

I can cut the toes to make them slightly wider so they aren't a weird single toed white blob and that my accuracy need's improving.

I think that you would bennefit from a shade on the claws, this sets in the recesses of the painted area to make it look like shades and realy shows the saperate toes. Then highlight the highest parts with White again.

Little effort great result

Good luck

Grrr, Imrahil

 

[Jadein Gibson-Davis]

I think that you would bennefit from a shade on the claws, this sets in the recesses of the painted area to make it look like shades and realy shows the saperate toes. Then highlight the highest parts with White again.

Little effort great result

Good luck

Grrr, Imrahil

How would I make a shade and reccesses in the claws? Tutorial for it or a trick of the trade?

 

[Egres]

How would I make a shade and reccesses in the claws? Tutorial for it or a trick of the trade?

Mostly 2 ways

1- the easy way - with a « wash » citadel makes wash but other brand make some to with different names attach to it. It’s a diluted paint essentially and stay within the recesses etc making shadows. If using citadel paint nuln oil, agrax earthshade and seraphim sépia are some good one to start with ..... actually seraphim sepia or agrax would probably be what work best in your case

2- the hard way - paint shadow in said recesses

 

[Imrahil]

How would I make a shade and reccesses in the claws? Tutorial for it or a trick of the trade?

Sorry for confusing you. The Citadel washes are nowadays called << Shades >>

So exactly what @Egres said

Grrr, Imrahil

 

[Jadein Gibson-Davis]

Lizardman #3 Learnt that these mouths, way easier for painting Teeth, and I'm much more in love with the idea of two random scale patterns than I thought. Accuracy, as always will be my rival, and thinking once I hit No.5 we will try doing Highlighting and some more techniques to give my Dusk boys some much needed pazzaz

 

[Ryanj4043]

Looking pretty good man!

 

[Imrahil]

Lizardman #3 Learnt that these mouths, way easier for painting Teeth, and I'm much more in love with the idea of two random scale patterns than I thought. Accuracy, as always will be my rival, and thinking once I hit No.5 we will try doing Highlighting and some more techniques to give my Dusk boys some much needed pazzaz

That is the way. Step by step improving

Grrr, Imrahil

 

[Jadein Gibson-Davis]

#4 Ready to fight for the Old Ones!

Remembered why use more glue rather than less, leg kept falling off. Lesson two, remembered how dreadful it is trying to paint/glue a limb and sanding off glue. But, learnt that freehand need's work and that I had a mace so more good's than bad I say!

 

[Jadein Gibson-Davis]

So, No.5 Made and noticing more and more that black undernotes are coming through the red. Do I need to water down the Khorne red more? Or am I just not doing enough coats?

 

[Egres]

Sound like it’s water down enough if not too much.... how many coats are you layer down?!? You would need 2-3+ I would say to cover black properly.

 

[Just A Skink]

Hi @Jadein Gibson-Davis. A couple of quick questions.

-Are you using Citadel paints?
-If so, what red are you using?

I ask because your overall base color seems to be red. You could buy a can of Mephiston Red spray from GW to base all of your saurus warriors. It might be easier (and quicker?) than basing in black and trying to cover it?

 

[Gustav Svensson]

If you would like you can try to use a purple shade/wash on the mouth area. This will single out tre teeth but also Colour the tongue and The gum. I think you are making Great progress with your Lizardmen!
/Gustav

 

[Jadein Gibson-Davis]

@Just A Skink/@Egres I'm using Citadel Paint's, only red I've got is Khorne Red and doing two layers of Black as well as two layers of red. I wasn't sure if it would need a third since I was worried it might start killing parts of the detail.

As for the spray paint, right now I'm trying to avoid it, doing each Saurus one at a time to build up overall skill and always improve that dreaded rival of mine. Accuracy.

@Gustav Svensson Awesome! When I get the chance I'll do my best to keep it in mind and give it a try

 

[Jadein Gibson-Davis]

Offt, three months I had to wait for replacement paints and Glue. Finally had a few moments to myself and made work on two more Saurus Warriors!

Realized halfway through, I reversed the paint schemes by doing Purple base and Red scales but hey variety is the spice of life.

Just needa figure out what to do for the drums...

 

[Eagle Warrior]

Showing an impressive rate of improvement here, and a great colour scheme. I would like to recommend a light dry brush on the edges of the head crest and maybe on the back scales.

This is done by choosing a lighter colour than the base coat, dipping your brush in and then wiping nearly all of it off. The brush then catches the raised edges of the model and gives a great 'pop' for very little work. It takes a bit of practice to get right, so I would recommend practicing on some spare bits of sprue or something before moving to your precious models. Good luck.