Blog So, My Painting Blog, The Journey Starts....

[NMvapa]

I am new at painting Seraphon, but I've painted quite a few 40k models, I have 2 armies, so I can also confirm, that one unified color scheme really looks great. I say that, because I used to have a medium-sized IG army and painted some models completely different to destinguish them, but when I looked at them in combat they didn't look like they belonged in the same army(Or worse some ended up looking completely out of place when using them in other squads). Now this could be my fault, but still something to consider.

P.S. You can of course change the details to highlight a specific unit, that never hurts.

 

[Christopher]

Whew. Base coating finally done on these guys. I'll probably build the next unit of these I buy as all straight up Guards with polearms and shields, and paint them all with the blue shields I'm using on the two "regular" Guards here. I was considering getting through shading tonight but I'm just exhausted of painting after spending all afternoon at it.

 

[NMvapa]

Whew. Base coating finally done on these guys. I'll probably build the next unit of these I buy as all straight up Guards with polearms and shields, and paint them all with the blue shields I'm using on the two "regular" Guards here. I was considering getting through shading tonight but I'm just exhausted of painting after spending all afternoon at it.View attachment 41882

They look great so far man, can't wait to see them shaded, if you have a orange-brownish shade for the bone that would really make them look epic.

 

[Aginor]

Whew. Base coating finally done on these guys. I'll probably build the next unit of these I buy as all straight up Guards with polearms and shields, and paint them all with the blue shields I'm using on the two "regular" Guards here. I was considering getting through shading tonight but I'm just exhausted of painting after spending all afternoon at it.View attachment 41882

Yeah don't rush it. Guards have a lot of details. For the shade I would recommend either a sepia or a brown shade for the bone.

 

[Christopher]

I don't know what you folks think, but it is my belief that shade paints are some kind of magic. Games Workshop is located near Sherwood Forest isn't it? They probably did some kind of deal with Herne the Hunter or the Green Man or something like that. Shading done!

 

[Christopher]

Now on to layering and edging, in which steps I practice my fine motor skills and try to cover up the multitude of sins I've committed detail wise so far!

 

[Christopher]

Roughly halfway through the layering and edging process. The drummer and the icon bearer are done except for base effects. I'm a little disappointed with how it's going. The two completed models look okay to the naked eye at tabletop distance, but wow is there a lot of sloppy edgework and coverage revealed by close examination. I'm using Artificer Small and Extra Small Brushes and working under magnification and in good lighting conditions, but I still have a ways to go to get the clean lines and edges I'd really like. Oh well, it's a journey!

 

[Christopher]

And at last, it's all over but the base treatments. Here's the unit, and a shot of my favorite of the five.

 

[NIGHTBRINGER]

And at last, it's all over

Do not worry... there will be more... there is ALWAYS more!

They look great.

 

[Lord-Marcus]

I don't know what you folks think, but it is my belief that shade paints are some kind of magic. Games Workshop is located near Sherwood Forest isn't it? They probably did some kind of deal with Herne the Hunter or the Green Man or something like that. Shading done!

View attachment 41918

I get better results with Vallejo game color washes, but yea shading is a quick, excellent way to make a model pop

 

[NIGHTBRINGER]

I get better results with Vallejo game color washes, but yea shading is a quick, excellent way to make a model pop

You find them significantly better than GW's washes? How so? (I've been slowly transitioning over to Vallejo paints myself... I like the dropper bottles)

 

[tom ndege]

Really nice indeed! Good progress!

 

[Lord-Marcus]

You find them significantly better than GW's washes? How so? (I've been slowly transitioning over to Vallejo paints myself... I like the dropper bottles)

They flow better. To be fair, gws colors are more vibrant in some instances like green.

 

[Aginor]

Shading is my favourite part of painting models for that very reason. You suddenly create depth.
Drybrushing comes in close second.

 

[Christopher]

Thanks, everyone!

I'm on this painting jag, as mentioned upthread, because of an upcoming escalation league at the local Games Workshop store. My 500 point list consists of the models pictured here and TWENTY-FIVE more Skinks I want to have painted by Friday, which may be impossible (though the five I've done were the easiest and fastest of what I've done so far). So I'll try to do six or seven Skinks per day over the next four days, I guess.

I'm going to run out of time as the league escalates through 1000, 1500, and 2000 points, though. My 1000 point list will require me to build, prime and paint a Skink Starseer, prime and paint three Ripperdactyl Riders (plus a toad!), and paint a Troglodon, a Skink Starpriest, and three Skink Handlers. I'll use twenty Skinks and the Salamander I already have ready (or will have ready). That's a 1000 point version of the Heaven's Watch Starhost.

I have no idea what I'll be doing for the 1500 and 2000 point lists but I imagine they'll lean heavily on models I've already painted given time constraints.

Anyway, here's what I've done in the last week! Left to right, a unit of five Saurus Guard, a Salamander, a Saurus Eternity Warden, a Razordon, and five Skinks with Boltspitters and Star-Bucklers.

PS That's my palette from yesterday's painting session in the background, which my wife thought was pretty so she had me sign and keep it, heh.

View attachment 41956

 

[Lord-Marcus]

That is eminently do-able

 

[NIGHTBRINGER]

My 500 point list consists of the models pictured here and TWENTY-FIVE more Skinks I want to have painted by Friday, which may be impossible (though the five I've done were the easiest and fastest of what I've done so far). So I'll try to do six or seven Skinks per day over the next four days, I guess.

That's a pretty tough task, but based on what you completed last week, it looks to be doable if you really put your mind to it.

 

[Christopher]

That's a pretty tough task, but based on what you completed last week, it looks to be doable if you really put your mind to it.

Thanks for the vote of confidence, Lord-Marcus! And thank you, Nightbringer, for yours as well.

I think my method may be the opposite of speed painting. It took me two solid days of work, probably about fifteen total hours at the bench, to do the Saurus Guard unit. When I did those first five Skinks last week I think it took me probably six hours for the five of them. Now that I've got the color schemes settled and some more brush time under my belt, I think I can get it down to four hours per batch, hopefully. The quickest were the Salamander and the Razordon, which only took about three hours each (not as many little individual painting areas). The longest was the Saurus Eternity Warden, who I painted over two days and probably took ten or eleven hours (lots and LOTS of little individual painting areas). However, I rush to say that I'm enjoying the painting and am pretty well satisfied with my results. Not where I want to be yet by any stretch of the imagination, but I think these will stand up well against any models I'm likely to be competing against at the local shop (in terms of paint jobs I mean, my game play is a whole 'nother work in progress).

I'm both excited by and a bit leery of the upcoming Troglodon (my first Behemoth!) and Skink Starseer (SO MANY DETAILS).

 

[Lord-Marcus]

Thanks for the vote of confidence, Lord-Marcus! And thank you, Nightbringer, for yours as well.

I think my method may be the opposite of speed painting. It took me two solid days of work, probably about fifteen total hours at the bench, to do the Saurus Guard unit. When I did those first five Skinks last week I think it took me probably six hours for the five of them. Now that I've got the color schemes settled and some more brush time under my belt, I think I can get it down to four hours per batch, hopefully. The quickest were the Salamander and the Razordon, which only took about three hours each (not as many little individual painting areas). The longest was the Saurus Eternity Warden, who I painted over two days and probably took ten or eleven hours (lots and LOTS of little individual painting areas). However, I rush to say that I'm enjoying the painting and am pretty well satisfied with my results. Not where I want to be yet by any stretch of the imagination, but I think these will stand up well against any models I'm likely to be competing against at the local shop (in terms of paint jobs I mean, my game play is a whole 'nother work in progress).

I'm both excited by and a bit leery of the upcoming Troglodon (my first Behemoth!) and Skink Starseer (SO MANY DETAILS).

Now it may just be the way you paint, but are you interested in painting faster?

Also, do you have any motor skill issues? Not trying to be rude, I have minor motor control issues that I have to deal with.

 

[Christopher]

Now it may just be the way you paint, but are you interested in painting faster?

Also, do you have any motor skill issues? Not trying to be rude, I have minor motor control issues that I have to deal with.

I definitely have SKILL issues, but no motor skill issues, no. Heh.

I described my process in a post upthread, which I adapted more or less straight from various GW products and tutorials. So, yeah, the four plus steps for each individual painted area are "the way I paint," which is probably a big chunk of my slowness.

In answer to your question, yes, I am interested in painting faster. But not if it means sacrificing overall quality and, more particularly, granularity and complexity of detail. Or to put it another way, I like it when the belt pouches are a different color than the belt, and they both have been base painted, shaded, layered, and edged with different schemes.

I'm betting there are methods, tips, and tricks that I could learn to satisfy both those aims, though. Plus, as with anything, practice and experience.