How do I git gud at painting minatures? I've been practicing for like 2 years and my stuff still looks like shit... I've tried dozens of guides, from the basic tips that come with paints to GW published guides and the countless links on sites like dakkadakka.
What am I doing wrong? I realize the professionally painted models are a high standard to hold myself to but god damn I just want something to be proud of.
Also these things are too expensive to keep practicing on without progressing...
I honestly didnt git gud for a while myself. I only got better after random epiphanies from the paint god XD that said, some people just aren't good at paintng, so I say keep it simple and you'll be fine. Anyone who complains is a total shitter
>>46135877
Post some examples of your stuff, otherwise it's hard to help you.
Buy some metal minis to practise on, very easy to strip.
Buy a box of 20 metal doods. Doesn't matter what just something you like.
Paint them all trying different techniques along the way. Pick your favourite them strip all of them bar that. Repeat. Pick favourite again and strip the remaining 18.
Do this till there are none left or you're happy with the techniques you learned.
You'll be able to clearly see your progress. It will show you that you actually are improving and pin point your weak areas.
Maybe you try to paint too fast, too many miniatures instead of spending a lot of time with a miniature.
Practice with models with few details and big flat surfaces
>>46135877
THIN
YOUR
PAINTS
>>46139132
I was surprised that wasn't the first post.
>>46135877
>2 years
It took me 8 years to be able to paint stuff that looks good to me.
>>46139132
This.
Without it, multiple layers fuck sculpt details. Without multiple layers, you minis looks like shit.
>>46139326
>8 years
Bitch please I've been painting 25 years and my stuff is still shite. Get on my level.
>>46139405
at least you have a house
>>46135877
IMO the basics are the most ignored thing intrhis hobby.
And by the basics I mean the most simple things:
· Proper miniature preparation
· Types of brushes, choosing good ones
· How to prime a miniature correctly
· How to hold and handle a brush
· Paint thinning
· Color theory
Whenever at my FLGS some novice asks me how he can improve his technique and I take a look to see where is the problem almost 100% of the time the guy doesn't even know how to properly thin paint or hold the brush.
>>46140840
/tg/ ignores like all of those.
HUR DUR I DONT NEED EXPENSIVE KOLINSKY SABLE BRUSH HURR $1 BRUSH JUST AS GOOD
HURR HOWS MY COLUR SKEME GAIZ
>>46143050
... the other half of the problem is people like you thinking a KOLINSKY SABLE 20$ OR GO HOME brush will magically fix everything else they're doing wrong or cover up their inexperience.
Personally I found better results with synthetic watercolor brushes, but this is after white nylon, golden takylon, Citadel sable, Army Painter Sable, and a fucking Winsor Newton I basically never use. Still plan on getting a set of Rosemary & Co Kolinsky "Watercolor" brushes.
A skilled painter can do pretty good even with a cheap nylon brush. You just need experience to anticipate how a brush of given stiffness will behave.
>>46143392
You can get a sable for $10. Posts like yours are what enable continuous shit painting.
>>46143392
There's a reason literally 100% of the internet disagrees with you and your personal preferences. You're the exception, not the rule. So stop giving bad advice. The fact that you even bought a Citadel brush and chose W&N S7 over Raphael or Da Vinci shows you don't even know what the fuck you're doing.
Why the fuck would you even buy Rosemary when you already have a W&N too?
>>46135877
What >>46135977 said.
But how about just having some fucking patience instead? How come you're able to paint a full miniature and then not be pleased with what you did? Just keep slapping paint on that mini till you're satisfied. Also: stop reading so many damn guides and paint more miniatures! Start a horde army if you have to!
>>46143419
>>46143440
> The fact that you even bought X Y Z
says I have more experience with different brushes than you, and you're both just spouting memes.
10$ can be good or bad depending on the brand, and then some have a notable Lemon rate. Eg the Army Painters are very accessible and perfect for all applications... assuming you don't get a lemon (~1 in 5 from my experience) and I don't think they get recommended enough since you can actually find them at the hobby store same day.
>YOU CAN GET A SABLE FOR 10$ QUIT ENABLING SHIT PAINTING
>YOU DIDN'T GET A 15$+S&H BRUSH YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU'RE DOING
Well at least I know you're not samefagging.
>>46143440
>Why the fuck would you even buy Rosemary when you already have a W&N too?
Actually going to answer this too since it is a good question.
Specifically their Sable/Synthetic blend brushes.
1) These are clearcoated, no colored shell no nothing. Chemical exposure, I'm tired of red/black bleeding and wear that makes them look like shit. Miniatures painting sees a lot more caustic crap used than actual painting that does this.
2) Blend of synthetic and Sable, very cheap for the price. I wanted to see how well they do since I have some of the more common/popular brushes on hand to compare them too.
Plus I just kind of want them. As you can see I tried lots of different brushes.
I used every major brand of miniatures acryllic paint except Tamiya and old Citadel / Coat d'Arms (before my time).
I also experiment with home made thinners, washes, etc.
>>46143440
He's right though. W&N won't magically make a you into a better painter. Jakob Nielsen won all of his daemons with GW brushes.
>>46140840
Samefag.
Natural or synthetic is more about personal preference than anything else.
Personally I prefer Kolinsky. When using synthetic brushes I can't make proper gradients. It's also difficult for me to make glazes, because the paint spreads unevenly, leaving visible streaks.
The brand is less important that a lot of people think. There are a lot of unknown brands that make amazing ones. IE: Escoda (from Spain), a lot of painters I know consider them even better than W&NS7M, and they're cheaper.
Paint brands are also a matter of choice.
I hate citadel paints, even the new ones, but I know lots of people who achieve great results.
Personally I prefer Vallejo, they're thinner and I find that more useful. Sometimes I miss more color saturation, but they kinda fixed that with Game Color.
How are the new citadel brushes? Are they worth the money?
I've been watching some of the painting tutorials on Warhammer TV and they seem like they're decent -- the range they've assembled seems useful as well.
>>46145804
IMO not bad, but overpriced. I'll give them a go if I didn't know where to find something better for the buck.
I find GW tutorials great for total beginners. Not a popular opinion, but the DVD they released some years ago, while overpriced as shit, is still a good resource for starting the hobby.
>>46145804
Also, the new range was a solid move. It's a good system for beginners/fast painting. A shame GW need to be financially fucked to move their asses and come out with things like these.
The shades and glazes are unrivaled, in fact they are the only thing I use from them.
Primers are shit, mainly because they aren't actually primers.
>>46146179
Basically I'm looking for something better than Army Painter. Citadel brushes do seem expensive, but as long as they last for a while I don't mind.
The fact that they have different brushes for different purposes also appeals to me.
I'm getting ready to paint up some Victrix Ancients with Coat d'arms paints, and I'm considering taking the plunge with the Citadel brushes essentials kit.
>>46144076
Except he's also wrong in that tools do matter. You should see some of the shit brushes people on /tg/ defend, all because a random person such as those in this thread happened to say what they wanted to hear.
It's no different than saying "you don't have to thin your paints because I don't and they turned out fine".
Sorry, but if your brush came in a 10 pack for $3, you need better tools.
>>46145034
>a lot of painters I know consider them even better than W&NS7M
That's because W&N isn't even the best brand, it's just the most popular one. Pretty sure I even said so in this very thread.
>>46146341
I have AP brushes. Other than the useful triangular handles and the thickness of the Regiment size brush, the quality of the hairs aren't that good. The Citadel ones should be much better, but at the same time, they cost 3 times as much. You should just buy a kolinsky brush that is cheaper than Citadel but better than AP and Citadel both. Should cost in between Citadel and AP.
>>46146431
Does kolinsky have a variety of brushes that match Citadel -- the shade, layer, drybrush, etc.? Or are those distinctions just gimmicks?
>>46146642
Kolinsky is just the name of the hairs.
Unfortunately most of the "artist" kolinsky brushes that people use and talk about in this thread only have flat and round points. They won't have the useful chisel tips or special drybrush heads etc that Citadel and AP have.
But for those "special" shapes, you can continue to use AP or Citadel because you don't need the precision or softness of kolinsky hair for those jobs. For example, drybrushing or painting large tanks.
And to the people who say "better brushes won't make you paint better", that's a lie. My painting improved when I switched to better brushes because I didn't have to constantly fight to hold a sharp tip, the larger reservoir belly kept the paint wet longer on the brush, and it wasn't constantly shedding hairs or coming in tiny sizes like 3/0 which only contain 5-10 bristles in the ferrule.
You don't have to buy KOLINSKY RED WEASEL ANUS FUR (TM) brushes but you should definitely buy a well constructed, high quality brush with full bristles and a good point if you want an easier time painting small details.
>>46146341
>The fact that they have different brushes for different purposes also appeals to me.
Don't let them make you think you need 5-6 brush types. 2 round brushes with different sizes is almost all you need unless you're also making scenography.
New citadel brushes are better than AP.
AP brushes are better if you consider price.
I wouldn't recommend either except if you can't buy anything else where you live.
In my experience almost anything kolinsky around the 5-10$ range with a solid tip will do a better job. The problem is that a lot of people can't tell if a brush is good or bad, aside from judging by the brand.
>>46146826
Where can I get $5 kolinskys? I need spares but don't want to pay normal price.
>>46146929
At least where I live, prices drop dramatically as soon as you get out of the hobby shops.
I usually try arts/craft shops.
>>46146797
> You don't have to buy KOLINSKY RED WEASEL ANUS FUR (TM) brushes but you should definitely buy a well constructed, high quality brush with full bristles and a good point if you want an easier time painting small details.
This.
If you can't tell if a brush is good by looking at it, no wonder you can't get better at painting.
You can buy a 200$ brush only guided by the brand's reputation and still be buying a defective one without knowing.
Also, if someone can read spanish, try this book. The photos aren't good but it covers the most important basics. It's still better than a lot of commercial books on the subject.
http://cargad.com/pdf/MANUAL_MINIATURISMO_ST.pdf
So how do you thin your paint the RIGHT way?
>>46147191
When I paint yellow (because fuck painting yellow, seriously) I use an almost 1:1 ratio of paint to thinner medium, then I add a drop of (20 parts water : 1 part flow-aid). For a lot of other paints, like blues, I can just use some water without issue. Multiple extremely thin coats is the order of the way for colours like white or yellow.
>>46135877
Lots of practice. Actively getting criticism. Using that feedback to improve. Rinse and repeat.
There are not shortcuts.
Really helps if you got somebody who can do a little mentoring though, might speed up your journey.
>>46139355
How many layers is an appropriate amount?
And what do you use to thin your paint? Just water?
Also don't Citadel paints come pre-thinned and ready to go?
please respond
>>46148805
>How many layers is an appropriate amount?
Minimum 2-3. If you did something in 1 layer, it was too thick. Ideally 5-10 but ain't nobody got time for that.
>And what do you use to thin your paint? Just water?
Lurk more. We've had daily arguments about thinner so I refuse to believe you didn't see a single one of them unless you're an absolute utter newfag and this is your first post in a month.
>Also don't Citadel paints come pre-thinned and ready to go?
No you fucking retard why would you think this. Have you even opened a Citadel pot before? It's thicker than goddamn molten lava.
>>46148860
Just trying to ask for advice so I can improve, man. No need to be so hostile.
>>46149028
Don't ask stupid questions, then. If you've been painting for 2 years you should know you can thin Citadel paints with water. Even their fucking youtube tutorials tell you to do so. Also Google exists.
The problem with you faggots these days is three fold.
- You come here and ask stupid questions instead of googling or simply lurking.
- You get defensive and butthurt when we don't spoonfeed you. Guess what? Don't want to get shitty responses, don't ask shitty questions.
- You get upset EVEN WHEN GIVEN THE FUCKING ANSWERS, they just weren't given in a tone to your liking.
Well guess fucking what? Get thicker skin or get the fuck out.
>>46135877
While I do feel pretty chuffed when the mates remark on how good my painting is, I feel I've just gotten to a decent tabletop level. I ain't ever going to be a master painter, but I can get the colours in the right spots and shade them decently enough to look good reasonably close up.
I've had a few friends even try to get back into the hobby (we were all hooked a decade ago, I'm the only one who stuck with it), and some have done a decent job, whilst others just crashed and burned. Usually I go out of my way to dissuade people from picking it up again thought considering the prices, business practices and how long it took me to feel pleased with my painting skills.
They can play with my models, I have enough of them as it is!
>>46136256
Best advice I've seen for a starter honestly. Learn to strip your models and suddenly you can save yourself a fortune buying supposedly 'ruined' 2nd hand models for cheap.
>>46140840
> Colour theory
This is something I've tried introducing into my painting atm, using dominant colours to distinguish armies apart at a distance and clearly identify them as being part of a group. Plus you can prime in that same colour and save a lot of time to boot. Hence the Blood Angels.
>>46149141
>inb4 samefag
dude you're being needlessly hostile
hold off on advice posting for today or something
>>46149141
You sound mad, friendo :^)
>>46149180
>I must be spoonfed, but only gently
Sounds like you don't really want to get better then.
>>46149260
Wrong guy.
It's time to stop posting.
>>46149180
>I'd rather have no advice than angry advice
>I must coddle the newfags
Why? That's retarded.
>>46149338
>caring so much that you have to screencap the thread to attempt to prove some kind of anonymous identity
>It's time to stop posting
The irony is as palpable as the clumps in poor paintjobs.
>>46149338
All faggots are the same in my book.
>LE
Looks like my assessment of your faggotry was spot on 2bh familia.
>>46149342
>>46149338
Dude seriously.
Go back to /a/
Quit shitting up /tg/
Have a drink
Come back in 24 hours
>>46149400
>Quit shitting up /tg/
Take your own advice.
>>46149400
This thread should've been a post in WIP general to begin with. Pointing out shitposts is still shitposting, moron. The difference is you have no clue you're shitposting, which makes it even worse. Who knows how many of your other posts are just similar shitposting.
>>46149028
>>46149180
>>46149213
>>46149260
>>46149338
>>46149342
>>46149374
>>46149394
>>46149453
If you have nothing to say other than "muh feelings" or "I don't like the sound of your tone, friend" don't post. It's that simple
>>46149597
If we're giving legit channing advice:
>>46149342
>>46149374
>>46149394
and
>>46149453
>>46149478
don't samefag multiple shitty comebacks in a row within 60-65 seconds back to back to the same post either. It makes you look like a newfag. We all know the posting cooldown length. At least switch up grammar or try to act like different people.
>>46149597
M A D
A
D
>>46149724
>people know how to use the enter key more than once unlike me therefore they must be the same person
You realize it's super easy to spot all YOUR posts, right?
>>46148021
>So glossy
