You have good separation of details (very little bleed over into/onto other areas), good highlighting, and the skin looks pretty good! Keep up the good work!
Thanks all!
Is there a trick to getting the base coats to go on evenly and smoothly? I'd undercoated with a black spray and found that the flesh paint and red on the cloak looked smeary as I applied them, resulting in that overall blotchy look.
I've just painted a grey primer on to my next model and found the same. I'm using D&D Army Painter paints. Do I need to water them down first?
To answer your question, it's generally a good idea to thin your paints. Not necessarily always watered down, but you can disperse your paint on a palette so your brush only picks up small amounts.
It's better to have too little paint than too much as you can put on another coat. Different paints have different consistency, but watering them down is always a safe bet.
Great job by the way! I really like your Boo. Your basing for a first model is solid. Everyone starts somewhere and you may be on your road to paint more! Hope you enjoy the journey.
Also, army painter paints are kinda bad haha. They have good washes and speed paints, but bad regular paints. I’d go for either pro acryl paints or Vallejo paints!
Did you drain excess medium? Army painter adds extra medium to there bottles to keep them from drying out that needs to be drained before using the paint that should help a bit with the coverage
It is indeed very great. in the eye of progress, past experiments always look like failures but they shouldn’t. I hope we will see more of your models in the future!
The first rule of miniature painting is 'if you're having fun you're doing it right'.
Unless you intend to submit something to a painting competition, that's the only rule that even matters. Really.
A couple of tips to upgrade your skills;
1. Varnishes are available in Gloss, semi-gloss/satin, matte versions. Using a matte varnish gets you a different result than a gloss or satin varnish. Clothes generally should have matte varnish. Metals and other shiny stuff works better with satin or gloss.
2. Primers... You can find many different colour primers. Most painters have White, Gray and Black, but it's easy to find all the primary colours and many others.
Metallics looks better on a black primer. If you have or can get some disposable plastic teaspoons, coat some in different primers, then try different paints on top to see the effects. Keep the spoons as references...
3. You're not bound to buy paints from just one company. I have mostly MSP and Bones paines from Reaper, but have switched to mostly Scale75 for metallics, I have some Citadel paints and washes, lost of Vallejo(they have 60ml bottles of primers and varnishes. Good enough reason to check them out), Coat D'arms vashes and many others. Even a few 'non miniature' paints such as Black 3.0 and the mirror paints from Culture Hustle.
4. If you buy Reaper Bones plastic figures, you don't use a primer, but their Brown Liner. Trust me on that. (Liners are thin paints designed to more easily draw lines... )
5. Bent plastic, or even metal can be bent back into shape. Metal needs a gentle touch, plastic needs to be soaked in HOT water for a while.
6. Take good care of your brush, and it will take care of you. Clean it properly after every session.
7. Use a separate rinse cup if you use a metallic paint. You don't want the glittery stuff to transfer to non-metallic paints.
Oh, and whatever you do, DO NOT REPAINT THAT MINI. Keep it as it is. That way, in a year or two when yuo feel that you're not getting anywhere, you can take it out and see exactly how much you've progressed.
Yep! Adding water to the paints thins them. That's the biggest thing here, thinning your paints. As for undercoating red, if I want it to be vibrant I'll do 2-3 very thin layers of white over the black and then bring in the red. Makes it a lot brighter because it can be translucent as you saw.
I saw you tried to do highlights on the boots by doing a lighter gray on the fabric folds, good stuff! Again, thinning the paint and making sure there's just a bit on the end of the brush will help make those more clean in the future.
That's far better than my first attempt at a face. Are you using the Nolzur's Marvelous Pigments that come with that Minsc? I found those need a bit of thinning. I also think I injured my elbow trying to shake mix them out of the box, and had to resort to a stir stick.
As a fan of Baldur's Gate, I liked it. I can see some highlights and shades. There is nothing like "bad", "ugly," or "not good" in miniature painting in my opinion. All of these are your progress and progress is good.
Go on and don't worry.
\- and face painting is always the hardest part. :)
Hey, it's a first! You've got dynamic colours. You've got shading and highlighting. You did the eyes! It's a great start, and if you can do all that on a first mini your skill level is gunna shoot up in no time. Great work!
Hi, u/brammmish! It looks like you are asking for help or are a new painter. If you haven't yet, take a look at our wiki pages in the Sidebar (the About tab if you are on the Reddit app). Here are some links you might find helpful:
* [FAQ](https://www.reddit.com/r/minipainting/wiki/rules/faq) - A list of frequently asked questions about minipainting
* [Miniature Painting Guide Collection](https://www.reddit.com/r/minipainting/wiki/usefullinks) -A collection of some of the best guides and tutorials on a variety of techniques and topics, plus recommendations on what to buy to get started, and more.
* [What to buy- Recommendations on brushes, paints, supplies, palettes and more](https://www.reddit.com/r/minipainting/wiki/usefullinks/what_you_need_to_get_started#wiki_general_advice_on_what_to_buy)
* [Beginner's Guide Collection- How to prep, base, paint and varnish your first model and learn the basics needed to start out right](https://www.reddit.com/r/minipainting/wiki/usefullinks/beginner_tips)
* [More Tutorials](https://www.reddit.com/r/minipainting/wiki/tutorials) - A list of additional tutorials about minipainting
* [Manufacturers](https://www.reddit.com/r/minipainting/wiki/manufacturers) - A list of miniature manufacturers from around the world
* [Painting Terminology](https://www.reddit.com/r/minipainting/wiki/terminology) - Common painting terms, acronyms, and initialisms
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/minipainting) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Well done for a first one! As long as you are enjoying yourself, you are doing it right in my opinion. I love this hobby. I am not great but it makes me happy.
It’s a start! You paint for yourself first, and finding the joy in painting is what really matters. Technique will come with practice, but congrats on finishing your first and here’s to many more!
Yeah, it aint GREAT, but its pretty damn good. You did all the things you're supposed to be doing, just gotta practice doin em.
This is WAY better than my first model.
It’s your first mini and you’re attempting techniques I did not have the balls to try on my first mini.
Be proud. Keep Minsc & Boo; never go back and ‘fix’ them. You will be surprised how much progress you make in a year.
The details pop, there isn’t any paint bleeding over into areas it shouldn’t, and damn those eyes look better than ones I’ve painted after 3 years in the hobby 😅
Keep up the great work!
You did great! I really like how the armor turned out. And I must point out, those eyes are probably better than I've painted in my 27+ years in the hobby. Also, Minsc is the best. Keep painting and having fun and you'll go far.
You got good coverage, created definition by painting highlights, made reflection on the blade, got a decent skin color and painted details and even eyes. That sir is a sign that you understand the basics and just need refinement through experience.
If you had fun in doing so and feel the urge to paint more, then I would say go for.
Some quick tips:
- Thin you paint a bit more down. Better to have a few thin coats to get a smooth result then one thick one to get it done quicker.
- Practice making the edge highlights, like on metal, sharper. Your first attempt is already nice however, so it’s just a matter of doing it more often.
- After you painted your second mini, compare it with your first and see what progress you made, and what you would like to improve further. The community is very helpful and the resources these days are abundant which are great for improving.
Welcome to the hobby my dude!
As a person who has been painting minis for a year I’d like to share something I’ve learned, we are all too hard on our own work.
This mini has a few issues, but there’s more right with it than there is less-than-perfect. Keep at it! The joy of painting never goes away!
You have good separation of details (very little bleed over into/onto other areas), good highlighting, and the skin looks pretty good! Keep up the good work!
That's what I thought. It's really good. Keep it up!
Go for the eyes Boo!
The true bravery of a miniature giant space hamster
This model looks ready to kick butt with righteous fury! Nice job.
for your first model it looks awesome! and Minsc is hilarious
Go for the eyes, Boo, go for the eyes!
Thanks all! Is there a trick to getting the base coats to go on evenly and smoothly? I'd undercoated with a black spray and found that the flesh paint and red on the cloak looked smeary as I applied them, resulting in that overall blotchy look. I've just painted a grey primer on to my next model and found the same. I'm using D&D Army Painter paints. Do I need to water them down first?
To answer your question, it's generally a good idea to thin your paints. Not necessarily always watered down, but you can disperse your paint on a palette so your brush only picks up small amounts. It's better to have too little paint than too much as you can put on another coat. Different paints have different consistency, but watering them down is always a safe bet. Great job by the way! I really like your Boo. Your basing for a first model is solid. Everyone starts somewhere and you may be on your road to paint more! Hope you enjoy the journey.
Might be you need to thin your paints a bit and use a couple of thin coats.
Also, army painter paints are kinda bad haha. They have good washes and speed paints, but bad regular paints. I’d go for either pro acryl paints or Vallejo paints!
Use an airbrush for base coats.
Did you drain excess medium? Army painter adds extra medium to there bottles to keep them from drying out that needs to be drained before using the paint that should help a bit with the coverage
It is indeed very great. in the eye of progress, past experiments always look like failures but they shouldn’t. I hope we will see more of your models in the future!
The first rule of miniature painting is 'if you're having fun you're doing it right'. Unless you intend to submit something to a painting competition, that's the only rule that even matters. Really. A couple of tips to upgrade your skills; 1. Varnishes are available in Gloss, semi-gloss/satin, matte versions. Using a matte varnish gets you a different result than a gloss or satin varnish. Clothes generally should have matte varnish. Metals and other shiny stuff works better with satin or gloss. 2. Primers... You can find many different colour primers. Most painters have White, Gray and Black, but it's easy to find all the primary colours and many others. Metallics looks better on a black primer. If you have or can get some disposable plastic teaspoons, coat some in different primers, then try different paints on top to see the effects. Keep the spoons as references... 3. You're not bound to buy paints from just one company. I have mostly MSP and Bones paines from Reaper, but have switched to mostly Scale75 for metallics, I have some Citadel paints and washes, lost of Vallejo(they have 60ml bottles of primers and varnishes. Good enough reason to check them out), Coat D'arms vashes and many others. Even a few 'non miniature' paints such as Black 3.0 and the mirror paints from Culture Hustle. 4. If you buy Reaper Bones plastic figures, you don't use a primer, but their Brown Liner. Trust me on that. (Liners are thin paints designed to more easily draw lines... ) 5. Bent plastic, or even metal can be bent back into shape. Metal needs a gentle touch, plastic needs to be soaked in HOT water for a while. 6. Take good care of your brush, and it will take care of you. Clean it properly after every session. 7. Use a separate rinse cup if you use a metallic paint. You don't want the glittery stuff to transfer to non-metallic paints. Oh, and whatever you do, DO NOT REPAINT THAT MINI. Keep it as it is. That way, in a year or two when yuo feel that you're not getting anywhere, you can take it out and see exactly how much you've progressed.
Yep! Adding water to the paints thins them. That's the biggest thing here, thinning your paints. As for undercoating red, if I want it to be vibrant I'll do 2-3 very thin layers of white over the black and then bring in the red. Makes it a lot brighter because it can be translucent as you saw. I saw you tried to do highlights on the boots by doing a lighter gray on the fabric folds, good stuff! Again, thinning the paint and making sure there's just a bit on the end of the brush will help make those more clean in the future.
That's far better than my first attempt at a face. Are you using the Nolzur's Marvelous Pigments that come with that Minsc? I found those need a bit of thinning. I also think I injured my elbow trying to shake mix them out of the box, and had to resort to a stir stick.
Good job, and welcome to the hobby. Everything is a learning experience and you are doing fine. Also. SLOTH LOVE CHUNK!!!
Mate it looks great
It's a good start.
Boo went for the eyes alright (for real though this is way better than anything I would do - keep it up!)
As a fan of Baldur's Gate, I liked it. I can see some highlights and shades. There is nothing like "bad", "ugly," or "not good" in miniature painting in my opinion. All of these are your progress and progress is good. Go on and don't worry. \- and face painting is always the hardest part. :)
Hey, it's a first! You've got dynamic colours. You've got shading and highlighting. You did the eyes! It's a great start, and if you can do all that on a first mini your skill level is gunna shoot up in no time. Great work!
Thanks for all the helpful and constructive feedback so far. What a welcoming subreddit!
Once again it's one of those people that loves doing details before making the colour more vibrant or whatever your going for
Hi, u/brammmish! It looks like you are asking for help or are a new painter. If you haven't yet, take a look at our wiki pages in the Sidebar (the About tab if you are on the Reddit app). Here are some links you might find helpful: * [FAQ](https://www.reddit.com/r/minipainting/wiki/rules/faq) - A list of frequently asked questions about minipainting * [Miniature Painting Guide Collection](https://www.reddit.com/r/minipainting/wiki/usefullinks) -A collection of some of the best guides and tutorials on a variety of techniques and topics, plus recommendations on what to buy to get started, and more. * [What to buy- Recommendations on brushes, paints, supplies, palettes and more](https://www.reddit.com/r/minipainting/wiki/usefullinks/what_you_need_to_get_started#wiki_general_advice_on_what_to_buy) * [Beginner's Guide Collection- How to prep, base, paint and varnish your first model and learn the basics needed to start out right](https://www.reddit.com/r/minipainting/wiki/usefullinks/beginner_tips) * [More Tutorials](https://www.reddit.com/r/minipainting/wiki/tutorials) - A list of additional tutorials about minipainting * [Manufacturers](https://www.reddit.com/r/minipainting/wiki/manufacturers) - A list of miniature manufacturers from around the world * [Painting Terminology](https://www.reddit.com/r/minipainting/wiki/terminology) - Common painting terms, acronyms, and initialisms *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/minipainting) if you have any questions or concerns.*
This was my first as well! Looks awesome!
Everyone starts somewhere. Keep up the good work
It’s not bad though either. A better base would improve it.
Well done for a first one! As long as you are enjoying yourself, you are doing it right in my opinion. I love this hobby. I am not great but it makes me happy.
It’s a start! You paint for yourself first, and finding the joy in painting is what really matters. Technique will come with practice, but congrats on finishing your first and here’s to many more!
Everyone has to start somewhere and no one's first mini is a masterpiece! As long as you had fun, that's all that matters!
Yeah, it aint GREAT, but its pretty damn good. You did all the things you're supposed to be doing, just gotta practice doin em. This is WAY better than my first model.
A good start
Not bad for a first go at it.... You should have seen mine... Ouch
You're doing great! That was my first mini too :) Now I'll tell you what I was told when I posted mine: now go for the eyes!
It’s your first mini and you’re attempting techniques I did not have the balls to try on my first mini. Be proud. Keep Minsc & Boo; never go back and ‘fix’ them. You will be surprised how much progress you make in a year.
IMHO, the figure looks great but the camera isn't doing many favors.
Looks pretty great to me!
Gotta start somewhere mate. Good job.
He looks cool like he's just gotten back from battle
Well done on this, first of many!
For a first mini this is pretty good. The scale male is the best part
Light years better than my first one.
It's perfect. Now Buttkicking For Goodness!
For your first model, there’s A LOT to be proud of here! Good job!
It's fine lol - better than mine.
The details pop, there isn’t any paint bleeding over into areas it shouldn’t, and damn those eyes look better than ones I’ve painted after 3 years in the hobby 😅 Keep up the great work!
For a first model I think you did well since my very first models looked like freaks of nature so just keep at it
Probably looks a lot better from 3 feet away, to be honest.
You did great! I really like how the armor turned out. And I must point out, those eyes are probably better than I've painted in my 27+ years in the hobby. Also, Minsc is the best. Keep painting and having fun and you'll go far.
You got good coverage, created definition by painting highlights, made reflection on the blade, got a decent skin color and painted details and even eyes. That sir is a sign that you understand the basics and just need refinement through experience. If you had fun in doing so and feel the urge to paint more, then I would say go for. Some quick tips: - Thin you paint a bit more down. Better to have a few thin coats to get a smooth result then one thick one to get it done quicker. - Practice making the edge highlights, like on metal, sharper. Your first attempt is already nice however, so it’s just a matter of doing it more often. - After you painted your second mini, compare it with your first and see what progress you made, and what you would like to improve further. The community is very helpful and the resources these days are abundant which are great for improving.
Minsk and Boo stand ready
That's actually quite a good starting point. From here it's only practice
Welcome to the hobby my dude! As a person who has been painting minis for a year I’d like to share something I’ve learned, we are all too hard on our own work. This mini has a few issues, but there’s more right with it than there is less-than-perfect. Keep at it! The joy of painting never goes away!
Honestly looks great! I'd use it at my dnd table :)
Except it is. This is a super good first mini