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Fun Stuff => MAKE => Topic started by: Border Reiver on 22 Feb 2008, 09:57

Title: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: Border Reiver on 22 Feb 2008, 09:57
As you might be able to tell from my avatar, I paint miniatures as a hobby, in addition to playing games with them.  Yes, I'm in touch with my inner geek, and at one point, so was Marten.  I thought maybe I'd share what I've painted, but rather than reposting all the pics, I'm simply going to post the links to the forum where they already are:

My Lord of the Rings miniatures (http://www.warvault.net/warhammer_realm/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=3814)

My Bretonnians  (http://www.warvault.net/warhammer_realm/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=3324) (Knights in shining armour for those of you that do not play Warhammer)

The Norse  (http://www.warvault.net/warhammer_realm/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=1321) (Vikings to most of you)

The Dragons, Giants and Trolls  (http://www.warvault.net/warhammer_realm/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=3323) (do I have to explain?)

And finally, my  Dwarfs (http://www.warvault.net/warhammer_realm/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=3210) (small people, beards you can hide a badger in and an unsettling prediliction for axes, hammers and beer)

Just for a little (pun intended) reference, these are what are referred to as being 25mm or 28 mm scale, meaning that an human male is sculpted to stand 25 or 28 mm tall.  That's one inch to just over an inch for those of you who aren't metric.

Enjoy.  And come pay the Realm a visit, we don't bite, and some of us have beer.
Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: Lisabetta on 22 Feb 2008, 11:55
Wow. These are...wow. I tried my hand at painting miniatures last year when my Dad tried to get me to play Warhammer...it didn't work. How much time does each one take you? I realize time will vary greatly depending on what they're wearing, etc., but say for a basic soldier.

Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: clockworkjames on 22 Feb 2008, 12:58
Marten is a fictiol character...

I used to have a 4k point catachan army for WH40K btu I think it is in the loft.

Good times then I realised it's just an RTS where you have to spend a stupid amount of money.

Still fun :D

I liked making saving rolls agaist space marines the best.

I like your painting and also your use of flock, it is awesome.
Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: Border Reiver on 22 Feb 2008, 13:34
Thank you for the kind words.

As to how long it takes to paint a mini, well, that depends on what it's wearing and how movitated I am.  Dwarfs for example don't take too long, as they are mostly hair and armour, and drybrushing can suffice for both.  Lets say the knights now, they take a lot longer, because everyone has individual heraldry, and most of that needs to be hand painted, so batch painting is out.

A Dwarf Warrior I can often have gone from a primed mini to a painted fig in a couple of hours, and I'll probably have 4 of his mates done alongside him.

A knight will take upwards of a couple of hours per fig (I hate painting horses...)

Characters take considerably longer, as they are centre pieces for the army, and deserve extra care.  And in the case of my Brettonnians, they are literally my family, as I have minis for myself, my wife, and each of my three sons, each with the appropriate heraldry for the family.
Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: KharBevNor on 25 Feb 2008, 07:07
A couple of months back I started patching up a lot of my warhammer/40k/Inquisitor/LotR stuff that had basically fallen apart in the box, and I keep thinking how I should maybe try painting some of them up again now I'm not 13, but I never get round to having enough cash to buy the requisite paints.

I could post pictures of some of my conversions here, I suppose.
Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: Border Reiver on 26 Feb 2008, 04:32
Quote from: KharBevNor on 25 Feb 2008, 07:07
A couple of months back I started patching up a lot of my warhammer/40k/Inquisitor/LotR stuff that had basically fallen apart in the box, and I keep thinking how I should maybe try painting some of them up again now I'm not 13, but I never get round to having enough cash to buy the requisite paints.

I could post pictures of some of my conversions here, I suppose.

If your stuff is falling apart, try pinning the joins.  And don't worry about not being thirteen - I'm quite a bit older and still playing, and I even have a wife and kids disproving some of the rumours about gamers.
Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: Jposh on 23 Mar 2008, 10:59
How is it played? Is it expensive?

I wanted to play a few years back, and I remember thinking they were quite costly.
Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: Border Reiver on 25 Mar 2008, 08:51
Of the two systems that I play - Warhammer Fantasy Battles, and Lord of the Rings - Lord of the rings is definitely the less expensive of the two. 

The basic rulebook will set you back $75 for each system, and if you buy the boxed set, vice the hard cover book, will include a number of plastic miniatures (over $100.00 worth of WFB minis, or around $80 of LOTR minis) of opposing sides that will allow you play.  You can then add to your army, or start additional ones.  LOTR rules are quite easy to understand and the game is fairly quickly paced.  As a guide I was able to teach my 8 year old the LOTR game over the course of a game, while WFB is an ongoing process. 

Miniatures vary in price - plastic infantry units for LOTR come in boxes of 24 and run about $30 Cdn - all you have to do is cut them from the sprues, glue them to the bases and paint them.  Metal miniatures (which tend to have more detail) are sold in blisters of 3 for rank and file troops for $16 Cdn, or singly or paired for leader miniatures (characters like Aragorn usually come with a model on horseback and a model on foot) for $25 each (since the company sells fewer of these, they charge more).

What I've spent on the hobby shouldn't be counted here - I've been seriously playing for about 13 years, and picking up some miniatures since the early 1980s....
Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: clockworkjames on 27 Mar 2008, 16:27
I remember I played inquisitor for a while too, you only have 1 dude who is 3 inches tall but that is like D&D PvP I guess. Fun but again it was 40k.

You can get a model for like, 12GBP (20 bucks?) and I suggest you PDF the rulebook to see if you like it because they are mega expensive.
Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: Siert on 27 Mar 2008, 18:42
I used to paint minitures back quite some time ago. In my younger days I played "Warhammer 40,000" Had Space Marine (Then turned Chaos because I thought Chaos were cooler) And an "Ork" army (Specifically started with the Gorka Morka set, gotta love that.)

Now I was getting chatted back into going back. a few friends had recentley started again playing as Tau, and I decided, ah why not.

As soon as I went in the door, I probably heard the most cringworthy thing i've heard in a while, now i'm a geek through and through, i've played computer games since i was 18 months old, and am proud of it. But when you walk into a room and see a man in only a loincloth, covered in green paint, screaming and cheering as he moves little minitures, makes me want to run away very quickly. BUT back on point, I know not all of you are like that, but it does scare me.

My best piece was probably a hand crafted bunker I made that involved a... retired space marine army...
Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: Border Reiver on 30 Apr 2008, 06:31
In addition to painting the minis, every once in a while I engage in some creative writing - not as creative as Tai, but still occasionally interesting.

I've been teaching my oldest boy to play and these are some of the battles against him:

Against The Orcs (http://www.warvault.net/warhammer_realm/viewtopic.php?f=32&t=150)

Stop Thief!  (http://www.warvault.net/warhammer_realm/viewtopic.php?f=32&t=153)

Five Against the Horde (http://www.warvault.net/warhammer_realm/viewtopic.php?f=32&t=424)

The Hot Trod (http://www.warvault.net/warhammer_realm/viewtopic.php?f=32&t=1358)

The More Things Change (http://www.warvault.net/warhammer_realm/viewtopic.php?f=32&t=2659)

The Mail Must Get Through (http://www.warvault.net/warhammer_realm/viewtopic.php?f=32&t=3294)

Escort Service (http://www.warvault.net/warhammer_realm/viewtopic.php?f=32&t=4576)

Seeking Absolution (http://www.warvault.net/warhammer_realm/viewtopic.php?f=32&t=4935)

Hope you enjoy the short stories.
Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: Border Reiver on 02 May 2008, 05:19
Quote from: Siert on 27 Mar 2008, 18:42
As soon as I went in the door, I probably heard the most cringworthy thing i've heard in a while, now i'm a geek through and through, i've played computer games since i was 18 months old, and am proud of it. But when you walk into a room and see a man in only a loincloth, covered in green paint, screaming and cheering as he moves little minitures, makes me want to run away very quickly. BUT back on point, I know not all of you are like that, but it does scare me.


It scares me too.

Back when I was a regular at the local hobby shop's games night I was the staff favourite for a couple of reasons:

a.  As an older gamer I was able to teach the newer players more patiently than most;
b.  I was quite willing to tell the parents of the new players that "No, you don't need to buy the ridiculously overpriced glue/spray primer/hobby knife/tape measure sold by this company - go to Canadian Tire and pick up a tube of Krazy Glue for $1.99, an X-Acto knife for cheap, a can of Tremclad flat black for $3.99 and a dollar store tape measure, save your money (for the minis....)";
c.  Somehow a middle aged guy in a collared shirt with a tie puts parents at ease when they drop off little Timmy for a game, and see that a lot of the players are wearing heavy metal t-shirts and work boots; and
d.  I could carry on a reasonably intelligent conversation about something other than the game.
Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: öde on 02 May 2008, 08:03
I need to find a way to strip the thick, blotchy paint from the space marines I painted when I was 11-13. I kinda want to convert them into a chaos army or something. Even better would be getting some imperial guard and doing them up to look like slightly futuristic soldiers, but I have like £300s worth of marines. I think I still have a shitload of orcs and goblins in the attic if anyone wants them?
Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: Border Reiver on 02 May 2008, 11:14
There are a couple of ways to strip paint from minis:

a.  The most enviromentally friendly way is to soak the minis in a pine cleaner (I use Pinesol) overnight, and then scrub the mini with an old toothbrush under running water.  This works on both metal and plastic minis and doesn't soften the plastic, but may cause the glue to give way;
b.  Varsol - Again, let soak overnight.  This is not enviromentally friendly, needs to be done outdoors (unless you really like that sort of headache) and is not recommended for plastics, but it strips old paint like nobody's business.  You will need to use this if you used enamel paints;
c.  Oven cleaner - again, not recommended for plastics.  Spray, leave for 20 minutes or so and scrub with a toothbrush.

I use the pine cleaner method myself. It's cheaper than the other methods I know of, and cleaner.
Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: clockworkjames on 02 May 2008, 20:08
Converting minis can become alot of fun.

I have imperial guards who became counterstrike models, both T's and CT's and I am planning on making CoD4 minatures in summer.

Next I need to make some maps...
Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: Siert on 03 May 2008, 16:49
Quote from: clockworkjames on 02 May 2008, 20:08
I have imperial guards who became counterstrike models, both T's and CT's and I am planning on making CoD4 minatures in summer.

Okay now that I would like to see, any chance you could share some of those minitures with us? (Through the medium of photography of course!).

I'm always amazed at conversions, my attempts at any type of conversion are (well were) painstakingly hard and  I only suceeded in transforming five into tortured carcasses (Out of 19 I used) the failed models I decided to cut up and use as bits as decor.

So my work took about a month, and it didn't look too bad. I just cringed whenever I messed up carving one of the minitures. (Instantly saw my money flicker away)
Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: Border Reiver on 03 May 2008, 17:40
Personally, I believe in simple conversions, done well, but occasionally I branch out:

Converting Questing Knights (http://www.warvault.net/warhammer_realm/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=1707)

and Modelling Myself (http://www.warvault.net/warhammer_realm/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=1933)
Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: clockworkjames on 04 May 2008, 18:19
It was the guns that were a pain to make, imagine using green stuff epoxy to turn a lasgun into an m4 carbine.

They were messy and reside in my dads loft(attic) but I go to see him the weekend of the 10th which is next weekend, I'll see if I can rake them out :)
Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: Border Reiver on 05 May 2008, 05:37
Converting any weapon with a pistol grip into a weapon with a straight stock is likely more trouble than its worth.  Making them into tommyguns would be easier.
Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: clockworkjames on 05 May 2008, 18:35
Tommy guns... in CS:S that would be b3...9?

I wanted to stay true to the game, will look them out on Sunday if I have a chance.
Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: öde on 06 May 2008, 05:42
Quote from: Border Reiver on 03 May 2008, 17:40
Personally, I believe in simple conversions, done well, but occasionally I branch out:

I used to mod all the models I could really, it was half the fun for me. I think I have a rhino with leman russ tracks. I will try the pinesol thing, thanks!
Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: Border Reiver on 20 May 2008, 12:05
A little more fluff in  Dispatches from the Front (http://www.warvault.net/warhammer_realm/viewtopic.php?f=32&t=6297)
Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: Border Reiver on 23 May 2008, 06:40
I rescued this piece from my middle son, who'd taken the primed fig and slapped Snot Green rather thickly on part of the model.  I'm pleased with how the belly's skin tones worked out, but less so with the shift from the lighter belly and face to the darker back.  Anyways, here it is the Mines of Moria Cave Troll.

(http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r234/Border_Reiver/Troll2.jpg)

(http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r234/Border_Reiver/Troll1.jpg)

Alright then, who just heard Mr. Bean's best line from the whole movie?
Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: clockworkjames on 23 May 2008, 13:34
I dunno but I thought something about "you could use a blur intensity of about 75 a few times" and got pissed off at myself.

Damn you fireworks.
Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: Border Reiver on 25 May 2008, 06:00
This was posted to my thread in Warhammer Realm and I thought people here might like it:

(http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee17/LordMutantMaggot/BoromirRocks.jpg)
Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: Scrambled Egg Machine on 27 May 2008, 16:04
I love my Tau and Lizardmen. Games-Workshop is a money grabbing company, but their games are so addicting!
Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: Boro_Bandito on 27 May 2008, 19:02
I've got a bunch of dwarves that I bought in 2005. I just dug them out of the deep corner of a closet they were hiding in and overall they're a bit beaten up, and some of them aren't even painted, but there's potential I think in going back through and repairing/finishing and such to em. I've got a few minor conversions in the army, and if I get them fixed maybe I'll post them up here.
Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: Border Reiver on 07 Jun 2008, 16:39
I added a few more pics to my Bretonnian thread - mostly some more men at arms

Flashman's Few
(http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r234/Border_Reiver/Bretonnians/FlashmansFew-2.jpg)

Sir Livingstone's lance Bearer
(http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r234/Border_Reiver/Bretonnians/LanceCarrier.jpg)

The Regimental Drunk
(http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r234/Border_Reiver/Bretonnians/DrunkMAA.jpg)

The Friar
(http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r234/Border_Reiver/Bretonnians/TheFriar.jpg)

One of the better equipped men at arms.  I'm trying to represent battle damage to the shield with a variety of nicks and cuts.  to represent this, I cut  notch in the shield, and then after painting it in the heraldic colours paint the notch with graveyard earth, and then filled in most of the notch with some bleached bone.  What do you think?
(http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r234/Border_Reiver/Bretonnians/ManatArms.jpg)

The Light in the Darkness
(http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r234/Border_Reiver/Bretonnians/LightintheDarkness.jpg)

the Mace
(http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r234/Border_Reiver/Bretonnians/Mace.jpg)

The Man with the Axe
(http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r234/Border_Reiver/Bretonnians/Axeman.jpg)
Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: Boro_Bandito on 07 Jun 2008, 22:02
Some really nice work there. I think that if the notches were shorter and more pronounced, perhaps with some added patterns like claw marks or something else more interesting to add a bit of extra flair, Bretonnian soldiers have to defend their ranks from more than just other humans after all. And don't be afraid to take out big chips here and there, and make some ragged. If you're going to do it make it nice and messy.

I think rather than painting the gouges individually after painting the shield colors on that it would be good to give the shields a good undercoat of the Graveyard Earth, or maybe even Snakebite leather to represent a different color of underlying wood, then paint the heraldric colors on top, and highlight the with bleached bone very carefully last. I think the slightly different order would make it easier on you, and also make it to where messing up becomes less dangerous, and makes the gouges look less painted on. I know from looking at your banners and symbols that you are really gifted at the fine detail work, so its not really much my place, but on the blue and silver mace-wielding guy they look pretty painted. The regimental drunk looks absolutely gorgeous though and is definitely my favorite of this particular set of your guys.

Ooh, and maybe a little Gore or dark ink wash on the shield for some dried blood, for those especially fresh from the fight soldiers.But thats just coming from me. I love adding bloody gore to miniatures, when i had Orcs and Goblins I had an especially tricked out and bloodied up group of Black Orcs who had some interesting conversions...
Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: Border Reiver on 05 Jul 2008, 11:53
Finally got around to painting a Ringwraith.  Anyone who wants a challenge should try highlighting black (and still have it look like black, not grey)

(http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r234/Border_Reiver/Ringwraith.jpg)

(http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r234/Border_Reiver/RingwraithBack.jpg)

And also to sculpting a shield for one of my warriors - I made it out of epoxy putty and I tried to make it look like the Whitham Shield (http://images.google.ca/imgres?imgurl=http://www.sheshen-eceni.co.uk/images/the%2520celtic%2520battersea%2520shield%2520bm%252001.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.sheshen-eceni.co.uk/icenian.html&h=513&w=294&sz=129&hl=en&start=1&um=1&tbnid=tckH-5yXqj-FmM:&tbnh=131&tbnw=75&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dbattersea%2Bshield%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DX).

(http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r234/Border_Reiver/DunlandChief.jpg)

(http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r234/Border_Reiver/DunlandChiefsShield.jpg)

Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: Social Bacon on 05 Jul 2008, 16:18
Lovely stuff, I particularly enjoy your men at arms. I'm also a warhammer hobbyist, I'll post some of my work when I get my camera back, but your work puts mine to shame.
Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: Border Reiver on 20 Aug 2008, 14:17
Thank you, I'm a big fan of MAA myself.

And now some new works:

A Khazad Guard made from a plastic warrior

(http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r234/Border_Reiver/PIC_0211.jpg)

The King of the Dead

(http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r234/Border_Reiver/PIC_0212.jpg)

And Gimli sitting on No. 42

(http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r234/Border_Reiver/PIC_0210.jpg)

Coming soon  The Well of Galadriel
Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: Border Reiver on 24 Aug 2008, 16:38
Been a while since I visited the Dwarf Thread, but this past weekend I thought I'd build the buildings from the campaign pack The Grudge of Drong.

And now my Dwarf King must

Open the Ale Hall

(http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r234/Border_Reiver/Dwarfs/OpeningtheAleHall.jpg)

(http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r234/Border_Reiver/Dwarfs/AleHall.jpg)

(http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r234/Border_Reiver/Dwarfs/AleHall2.jpg)

And even the back door was in business

(http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r234/Border_Reiver/Dwarfs/AleHallBackDoor.jpg)
Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: supersheep on 24 Aug 2008, 17:09
Man, that one was a while back, wasn't it? I remember being a huge huge Warhammer fan back then. I'm pretty sure I still have the additional building that came in White Dwarf the issue that campaign was released kicking around somewhere. Then I kinda grew out of it, and by grew out of it I mean I became a teenager, realised that girls were kinda interesting and that nerdery was not the best thing to have.

Then I realised that a) fuck that, I do not want to go out with someone who is that sickened by my nerdy habits, and b) nerdy ladies are far cooler than non-nerdy ones. So now I have a bunch of Imperial Guardsmen lying around in my cupboard back home. This time round, I intend on painting them properly, making them look good and all that. Putting in a lot of effort, taking my time. Also, if you are concerned about the cost and not overly worried about playing in GW stores, you could build your own vehicles etc out of plasticard - there are a lot of papercraft designs out there for them. Paying €30 for 20 guardsmen is a bit ridiculous - I remember when you could get ten for £5, and because the Irish and British pounds were close but not the same, I think Ireland was the cheapest place to pick them up for a while.

So, how did folks get involved in their Warhammer habits? I was seven, when I found a book on D&D, and also my first WD (issue 179, when Titan Legions came out). Space Marine was my first game, followed by Warhammer (5th edition with the Bretonnians and Lizardmen), Gorkamorka, and Battlefleet Gothic. I played Undead for quite a while, when Nagash was still in the army list. I guess I will buy 40k at some point in the future, when I have a bit of an army and some time for gaming.
Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: Jace on 24 Aug 2008, 18:56
Oh man, its a warhammer thread. I don't want to derail with my stuff, but I too indulge into this "craft."

I love it, in fact over at my personal blog, pantsart.blogspot.com, you can see some of the stuff I painted. I haven't updated much, but once I have a camera and an internet connection at my home I will update it much more often.
I like your stuff though Border Reiver. It looks good, I especially like those Brettonian conversions. I think the Men At Arms are some of the coolest miniatures available right now.
Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: Border Reiver on 25 Aug 2008, 04:42
Thanks for the compliments

I got started back around 1980, when a couple of friends picked up D&D Basic ed.  We then started with a few of these neat little toys sold in plastic baggies and stapled to yellow cardstock.  I got out of the minis for about 5 years, then started painting historical minis (70mm scale models of personages like Attila, Vlad Tepes, victorian soldiers), and then around '95 the Warhammer bug bit, just as the GW store was opening up in Ottawa, and the rest is history.  I joined in for the hobby (I was single and had free time in the evenings to paint and socialize over a game) and stayed because I found it relaxing and enjoyable. 

And now, I get to inflict it on you folks.
Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: Jace on 25 Aug 2008, 08:25
Well, you've been in the hobby longer than I've been alive.
Heck the store I go to (indy retailer) has been open for 10 years.
Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: mat_mantra on 26 Aug 2008, 11:11
Damn, i'm glad somebody has some skill at this.  My hands shake a little too much for it, but anyhow, my Templar Dreadnought in progress

(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o307/mat_monster/IMG_0161.jpg)


Still have a long way to go on it yet.  Glue the smoke launcher back on for one
Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: Border Reiver on 26 Aug 2008, 11:34
Steadying your hands is best accomplished by placing your elbows on a firm surface such as a table or desk top, then have your wrists touch while you paint.  It takes a little practice but it dramatically steadies your hands.  My oldest has just learned this technique and his painting has improved dramatically.
Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: mat_mantra on 27 Aug 2008, 13:04
I'm working on some Blood Angels, i'll try and put that technique to use.  I'll try anything that improves my painting.  Heh, I should find some of my first Templars and post 'em in here.  Not pretty
Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: Jace on 30 Aug 2008, 04:11
My first models had paint on them, it was close to the right spots, but it was by no means the level of what I do now.

Also, as an aside, I nearly fully sculpted a Herald of Slaanesh the other night. It is full of daemonic goodness. She(?) is ready to pleasure her opponents. WITH DEATH
Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: Border Reiver on 30 Aug 2008, 06:02
Less talk - More piccies.
Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: mat_mantra on 05 Sep 2008, 12:02
Wow.  Hadn't been to Forge World in a  while, and after browsing tonight I have now found my next purchase.  I "squeeeed" like a damn schoolgirl when I first saw this, if that gives any indication of how pumped I am.

(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o307/mat_monster/btvendreadp1.jpg)
Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: clockworkjames on 05 Sep 2008, 14:26
Heavy flamers = win.

My Jungle imperial guard agree.
Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: mat_mantra on 05 Sep 2008, 15:13
I love what Forge World has done with the Mk 4 Dreads.  I might end up with 4 or 5 if i'm not careful

Edit: Here are a couple of my Blood Angels

(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o307/mat_monster/IMG_0191.jpg)

(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o307/mat_monster/IMG_0181.jpg)

(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o307/mat_monster/IMG_0188.jpg)

(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o307/mat_monster/IMG_0189.jpg)

(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o307/mat_monster/IMG_0190.jpg)

Heh, looking at that last picture, noticed some things i need to fix

Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: Jace on 06 Sep 2008, 02:17
like that you need to base them :0
Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: clockworkjames on 06 Sep 2008, 02:52
So yeah I just went on ebay and got a bunch of unopened plastic jungle fighters.

Gonna rebuild my 2k point army with more insight than that of the 12 year old that built it first time round, seriously what was I thinking?
Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: mat_mantra on 06 Sep 2008, 07:49
Meh, I'm just doing a quick and dirty job on them for now.  I'll worry about the bases later.
Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: Border Reiver on 06 Sep 2008, 12:02
Here's a couple of tips:

a.  The job may be "quick and dirty", but that shouldn't mean messy.  Your paint brush slipped a few times,  go back and fix the slips;
b.  Thin your paint a little when you paint, as there is some clumping in your reds.  Red and yellow paint are infamous for not having a lot of pigment in the solution, so this will likely mean multiple layers;
c.  Smooth finishes look good, even if you don't paint highlights and shadows, a neat smooth finish still looks good.  Strive for it on all of your models.  We're not all Golden Daemon winners, but we can all strive for neat models.
Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: mat_mantra on 06 Sep 2008, 13:33
Part of the problem is the wash i use.  It's a quick and easy way to bring out depth and fill in some holes, but the darker pigment tends to stick around, and it dries pretty quick as well, which means sometimes i get a little more shading than i bargained for.  Still, whats a good mix for the red?  90/10 paint/water?  less or more?
Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: Border Reiver on 07 Sep 2008, 06:42
Probably about 75/25 paint water.  Percentages aren't important - it's the smoothness of the finish so find what works for you and go with it.
Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: Jace on 08 Sep 2008, 14:27
Linking to images because if I don't it will break the forum wall and I'm not gonna be that asshole.

Orc Battle Standard Bearer painted for friend/commission (http://bp1.blogger.com/_VcayfBL_oK0/SAFK61djdeI/AAAAAAAAAH0/L_LihUembRM/s1600-h/P4110106.JPG)
Orc BSB reverse side (http://bp2.blogger.com/_VcayfBL_oK0/SAFK7FdjdfI/AAAAAAAAAH8/ExDXBpB5vcM/s1600-h/P4110107.JPG)
Orc BSB front side (http://bp3.blogger.com/_VcayfBL_oK0/SAFJlVdjdaI/AAAAAAAAAHU/bb_OZI7Np10/s1600-h/P4110098.JPG)
Orc BSB banner detail (http://bp0.blogger.com/_VcayfBL_oK0/SAFJlldjdbI/AAAAAAAAAHc/ee1NCexRznc/s1600-h/P4110099.JPG)
Orc BSB front detail (http://bp2.blogger.com/_VcayfBL_oK0/SAFJmFdjdcI/AAAAAAAAAHk/SOItNAikG0k/s1600-h/P4110101.JPG)
Orc BSB banner detail back (http://bp0.blogger.com/_VcayfBL_oK0/SAFJmldjddI/AAAAAAAAAHs/KsQ_1KBsHIU/s1600-h/P4110102.JPG)
Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: clockworkjames on 08 Sep 2008, 17:30
Little guy looks so happy and shit.

Remind me to post up pics of a 40k squad - The Last Chancers.

Is cool.
Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: Verergoca on 09 Sep 2008, 14:23
Oh, hey, a toy soldier thread!

I do have a bunch of things, am currently trying to be in the process of repainting my spacemarines!

Here are a few pictures. (have since painted a wee bit more :))

(http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d79/Verergoca/Toy%20soldiers/Marines/S5002660.jpg)
The whole army as it shall be.

(http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d79/Verergoca/Toy%20soldiers/Marines/S5002654.jpg)
The big boss

(http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d79/Verergoca/Toy%20soldiers/Marines/S5002647.jpg)
Finished squad

And here is a guy showing off the chapter symbol thinger. (Which ive grown to hate. One happy sun is fun to do. 5 is sort of ok. 36+ the bigger ones i will have to put on the tanksies... Less so. Guess that teaches me a valuable lesson about freehand logos...

(http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d79/Verergoca/Toy%20soldiers/Marines/DSCN3654.jpg)
Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: Border Reiver on 10 Sep 2008, 04:30
36 suns are annoying - Try over 72 dog's heads (the crest on my Bret men at arms' shields)!
Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: Jace on 10 Sep 2008, 18:37
You think 72 dog's heads is annoying? Try over 144 hammers (damn stunty army).

Also, pictures forthcoming of my progress on my Daemons of Slaanesh army. I have 17 days to finish painting about 40 models. FUCK YEAH DEADLINES
Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: Verergoca on 17 Sep 2008, 03:29
Well, played my first game with the army last saturday. Lets just say i need a bit of practice (but, Siege shells shooshting at buildings, is fucking cool!)
Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: mat_mantra on 23 Sep 2008, 16:45
For some reason, I just dropped 300$ on bugs over this last weekend, so expect to see some Tyranids soon
Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: Jace on 24 Sep 2008, 21:53
I really need to finish up my Daemon models so I can start on my necrons, and then finish those so I can start on my warmachine, then finish those so I can start on my hordes, then finish those so I can start on my extra models I have lying around, then finish those so I can do commissions, then finish those so I can start another Daemon army.
Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: Rozen on 25 Sep 2008, 18:22
WOW! This used to be my craft for a while when I was 18 and playing D&D with some serious people. My Aunt and Uncle used to own a Hobby shop and it was crammed with awesome stuff. They had a pretty hardcore setup with a case chock full of miniatures. I would buy the Games Workshop magazines just for the painting tutorials in the back. Happy nostalgia.. sadly I don't have the miniatures anymore, I left them for the gamers.
Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: Sir Tacopuss on 28 Oct 2008, 16:38
Quote from: Verergoca on 09 Sep 2008, 14:23

lookit me soldiers

wow, those are nice. you did quite well on the custom paint scheme imo.

At the moment I'm in the progress of enlargening my Iron Warriors Chaos Legion from ~1000 Points to something around 2500. My to-do-list includes 30 Marines, 15 Terminators, 3 Obliterators, Vindicator (The new plastic one, very nice kit), Basilisk (well FU new codex, i'll keep playing by the 3rd edition rules) as well as a terminator warsmith with corrupted servitors and a dark mechanicus based on the metal enginseer. I'll post some pictures as soon as I finish some models, but atm I'm still sorting out what bits I'm going to use... need some more terminator bits, especially heads and arms.
Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: Seductivpancakes on 31 Oct 2008, 11:18
I really like your  Lotr Dwarves Border Reiver. I play Harad and Morder list. I'm starting a Gondor and allies army soon. I like how the metallic paints came out. Do you have a 500 pt list for your Dwarves? I hope it doesn't include Dain who is the bane of my army.

I also really like your converted Bretonnian lord. I think thats a very good conversion. Pretty amazing mini.

I have maybe too many armies. I play Orcs and Goblins, Bretonnians, Warriors of Chaos, Space Marines, and Chaos Space Marines.
Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: Border Reiver on 03 Nov 2008, 08:16
I have several 500pt lists for my Dwarves - some of which include Dain, others Balin, some Gimil, and others just have a bog standard Dwarf Captain. 

Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: Jace on 05 Nov 2008, 19:38
Too bad all of those lists just come up a bit short.
I've also heard that the Dwarf army in LoTR is quite beardy.

I'm sorry. I used to play Dwarves in fantasy so I know a lot of these.
Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: Border Reiver on 22 Jan 2009, 13:56
And after a hiatus resulting from computer issues (the work computer wouldn't let me load to photobucket)

I now present

Galadriel's Fountain
(http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r234/Border_Reiver/Galadrielsfountain.jpg)

and The Dunland Troll (counts as an Isengard Troll for game purposes)
(http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r234/Border_Reiver/Dunlandtroll.jpg)
Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: Border Reiver on 28 Feb 2009, 17:14
It's been a while but here are some converted chaos dwarf warriors (made from BFSP warriors)

(http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r234/Border_Reiver/ChaosDwarfs.jpg)

My lord on a Great Taurus

(http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r234/Border_Reiver/Taurus2.jpg)

(http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r234/Border_Reiver/Taurus3.jpg)
Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: Jace on 02 Jun 2009, 13:14
Oh look a bad picture from my phone of Capt Bartolo Montador:
(http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a127/r3an1m4t3d/IMG00303.jpg)

I put the hole in his hat and positioned it to make it look like it was flying off.
Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: Llewellian on 09 Jun 2009, 08:58
I really envy you guys to be that steady with your hands to paint such tiny things with great detail. Especially having the stamina for whole armies.

I am better at building landscapes, costumes and 1:1 scale theatre background props and such things ^^. I blame that to my big sausage-hands.

A friend of mine was into that Warhammer Miniature stuff too. Until he decided to make it "bigger", since he is already metal & foam/latex designer. A full wearable Warhammer Chaos Champion Costume. Got him the attention on that Games Workshop Convention "Reenact your Miniatures"

http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=viewImage&friendID=301142909&albumID=30581&imageID=2941495

Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: LeeC on 15 Jun 2009, 14:44
I used to play back in the day. I have since quit but man was it fun. Nice armys all!
Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: Headwoünd on 18 Jul 2009, 05:31
Quote from: Llewellian on 09 Jun 2009, 08:58
http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=viewImage&friendID=301142909&albumID=30581&imageID=2941495

Alter Schwede Oo


I'm also impressed by the artwork and how you guys give them detail on such a small scale.
Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: Border Reiver on 08 Nov 2009, 13:56
And now, the Children of Hashut - 6 Bull Centaurs with Great Weapons and Full command

(http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r234/Border_Reiver/ChildrenofHashut.jpg)

(http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r234/Border_Reiver/BCMusician.jpg)

It's been a while since I last posted here.  might have to post some of the better ones as well.
Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: LeeC on 12 Nov 2009, 23:44
Border I am really interested in what and where you got that warrior with the shield on page 1.  Looks great!  And love the brets!
Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: Border Reiver on 13 Nov 2009, 04:52
Thanks, the Brets are my first army (started seriously painting minis in this scale around '95 or so), but ar in the midst of a repaint to bring them up to my current ability, as are my Chaos Dwarfs.

Which warrior with a shield are you talking about? 
Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: LeeC on 13 Nov 2009, 22:50
(http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r234/Border_Reiver/DunlandChief.jpg)
Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: Border Reiver on 16 Nov 2009, 03:49
The figure is a stock Citadel figure called Dunland Chietain from the Lord of the Rings range.  To him I added a shield made of epoxy putty (Greenstuff) that I sculpted into the rough shape of a typical Celtic oval shield.  The Painted pattern on the shield is based on the designs from the Battersea shield (the original being bronze covered wood). 

the size of my force means that I have two guys who are similar (hell it is the same model as the range is somewhat limited) so to differentiate between the two at a glance, one guy has golden armour and a purple cloak - to indicate his higher rank.  I try to keep the colours somewhat natural for these folks as they are supposed to be similar to pictish/celtic/germanic barbarians.
Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: Border Reiver on 09 Dec 2009, 06:33
And now for a little somthing I've been thinking about for a while (because I am a geek) - a Kollossus

(http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r234/Border_Reiver/Kolossusfront.jpg)
(http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r234/Border_Reiver/Kolossusleft.jpg)
(http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r234/Border_Reiver/Kolossusright.jpg)
(http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r234/Border_Reiver/KolossusRear.jpg)

because some warlords want the latest thing in daemon driven transportation

(http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r234/Border_Reiver/Kolossusplatform.jpg)

And in case anyone's wondering - the runes state "Lord Kurgan Grudgebear gathered for Hashut - 1 giant, 24 orcs, 20 goblins" - I've started a running tally of what casualties are caused in the battles that it has been used in.
Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: Prince of Space on 13 Feb 2010, 21:36
These are fantastic.  I've always loved miniatures and have wanted to try this type of painting for a while now.  I'd really like to try a dragon...

Also, I *love* the bases you have on some of them.  I really like to ogle train-set miniature gravel/grass/moss and when I get to see it used I get all tingly. :)
Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: Boro_Bandito on 29 Mar 2010, 21:10
Right, I could not find my good camera so these will have to do for now, all far away pictures because this little coolpix shit thing can't macrofocus at all.

But:

(http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y110/Wildkyn/DSCN5711.jpg)


These warriors are incomplete, and the ones that are painted are all badly in need of a repainting by a hopefully more skilled older hand. The one I'm proud of and hope to be able to take a picture of is the front left, smoking and drinking on the front line.
(http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y110/Wildkyn/DSCN5714.jpg)

The Cannon and Quarrelers! Seriously the crossbow dudes are the worst part of the army painted-wise, they need some serious repainting.
(http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y110/Wildkyn/DSCN5716.jpg)

In general I need to get that gravelly stuff on the bases of all my units, touch up, repair, repaint. There's a lot of work to get this into a functioning army, and I plan on adding to it, erm eventually.
Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: Boro_Bandito on 29 Mar 2010, 22:10
Mwuahahahaha found a slightly better camera:

Ironbreaker Command (http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y110/Wildkyn/Ironbreakercommander.jpg)

I call this one, the Pointer (http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y110/Wildkyn/Dwarfwarrior-thepointer.jpg)

Dwarf Champion (http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y110/Wildkyn/DwarfWarriorCommand.jpg)

Standard Bearer (http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y110/Wildkyn/DwarfWarrior-StandardBearer.jpg)

Miner Commander (http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y110/Wildkyn/DwarfMinerCommand.jpg)

Lord (http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y110/Wildkyn/DwarfLord.jpg). this is one of my earlier attempts at modding, and I really don't know why I did what I did. Anyway one of his plastic horns has fallen off and you can see where he used to be a red model. Basically I just didn't like those wings on him. The other half of his great-axe has also been broken off. Honestly the only way I can see this guy getting fixed is with a lot of green stuff and some elbow grease.

Ironbreakers (http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y110/Wildkyn/DwarfIronbreakers.jpg)

Miners (http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y110/Wildkyn/DwarfMiners.jpg)

Bonus: Cannon (http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y110/Wildkyn/Cannon-front.jpg)
Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: Border Reiver on 30 Mar 2010, 05:03
Nice - the lord can  be fixed with a simple helmet swap, or maybe one of the extra horns from the warriors sprue.
Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: Boro_Bandito on 30 Mar 2010, 12:26
Simple being a relative term, its a semi daunting task to think about sawing the head off of a metal figure. Working on him using mostly pieces from old warrior sprues, I'm amazed that I still I think have all of them, so there's tons of little bits to work with, pics soon.
Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: Boro_Bandito on 30 Mar 2010, 13:26
Fixed Dwarf Lord (http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y110/Wildkyn/DwarfLordfix.jpg). I ripped off the other horn since I couldn't find one the right size (apparently there are at least two sizes of horns on the warrior sprue).

The broken axe head I literally had to saw off with a steak knife, since I'm guessing I left my old hobby knife in Lubbock, TX when I moved up here to Maryland. Anyway replaced it with a great axe head once again from the dwarf warrior sprue, and is not basically the same axe that my warrior champion is using, but meh. I might replace the champions axe with a slight less fancy head so that the lord doesn't get axe envy.

Also you can sorta see a little ale cask that I glued to him for the hell of it on the left side. I also replaced his boring square base with a round one that I had off an old night goblin fanatic that was broken long ago. If he's the lord of the army then I figure the least I can do is make his base stand out a bit.

Found some old banners (http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y110/Wildkyn/OldOrcBanners.jpg) from when I was even younger and had an orc/goblin army, these are probably my first ever attempt at free hand painting, kinda messy.

Also, are you aware of any good ways to get the paint off of strictly plastic miniatures without turning them into gooey pulp? looking back at these figures I really, really want to retry painting my crossbow guys and a lot of the basic warriors. I'm also probably going to repaint the lord, I just glued those bits on for now to see how it would look, but I'm going to rip em off again and put that lil' bastard in some paint thinner.
Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: Boro_Bandito on 30 Mar 2010, 17:28
Hee I'm making a goblin out of square parts, just finding bits and pieces to make him an interesting character.
Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: Border Reiver on 30 Mar 2010, 18:15
Good fix for the Dwarf Lord - simple conversions done well are the key.
Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: Jace on 30 Mar 2010, 21:42
THIN YOUR PAINTS
Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: Boro_Bandito on 30 Mar 2010, 21:45
christ Jace I painted all of this stuff years ago, its a little late for that. Also the grainyness on a lot of these guys was caused by  the undercoat of black spray paint I used on them. I was painting them outside in the middle of the summer and it caused the paint to do very annoying things.

Do you know of any methods for stripping paint of plastic models dude? Because like I said, I'd love to repaint these guys.
Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: Border Reiver on 31 Mar 2010, 04:38
Pinesol - soak for few hours and clean with an old toothbrush under running water - strips off enamel and acrylic paints very well.
Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: Jace on 01 Apr 2010, 15:47
Simple Green works fantastically too, that is what I used to strip quite a few of my older space marine models.
Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: Boro_Bandito on 01 Apr 2010, 20:45
excellent guys, appreciate the help.
Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: peacetokengy on 21 Jun 2010, 21:13
I absolutely love all of your work! I want to paint my own Dragonlance miniatures but I can only find ones that come pre-painted. I would like to paint other D&D characters as well but I'm mainly focused on Dragonlance. Let me know if you come across any unpainted characters please.
Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: Border Reiver on 11 Jul 2010, 08:44
As some of you may know I have a number of armies - some even have army books!  In addition to the Chaos Dwarfs I play Dogs of War, Cult of Ulric, Dwarfs, Bretonnians and Kislev. 

Here are some of my latest for both Kislev and the Dwarfs:

Found a reasonably priced Tzar and decided to try NMM - be gentle, it was my first time...

(http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r234/Border_Reiver/Kislevites/TzarBoris.jpg)

(http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r234/Border_Reiver/Kislevites/TzarBoriscloseup.jpg)

(http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r234/Border_Reiver/Kislevites/TsarBorisfront.jpg)

(http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r234/Border_Reiver/Kislevites/TsarBorisright.jpg)

And the least successful slayer of 2006

(http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r234/Border_Reiver/Dwarfs/DaemonSlayer1.jpg)
(http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r234/Border_Reiver/Dwarfs/Daemonslayer2.jpg)
(http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r234/Border_Reiver/Dwarfs/Daemonslayer3.jpg)

Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: Nettle on 03 Aug 2010, 04:21
I got excited seeing 'miniatures' and then realised it's not the 1:12 variety like what I do. :( Oh well. I might need to ask you about painting techniques, I have some miniatures (1:12) that I want to paint, tiny ornaments for on mantle pieces. The ornaments are about 1 cm tall and represent people in historical dress. Not quite sure where to start.
Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: Border Reiver on 10 Aug 2010, 10:08
Since you already do 1:12 scale modelling I'll refrain from the obvious steps of cleaning up the mould lines, etc:

a.  Select your primer - matte white gives you a brighter overall finish, while matte black gives a darker tone.  Black can also be more forgiving if you miss a spot while painting, as the dark colour doesn't attract your eye as well;
b.  Select your paint - are you using enamels, acrylics, or oils?  I use acrylics because they are water based, clean up easier, and mix fairly well, however they dry quickly, so some layering and wet-mixing techniques are hard to execute.  Enamels are harder wearing, but are not as easy to clean up - I generally use an enamel varnish to protect my minis because these are gaming pieces - you may not need as sturdy a finish if they aren't leavign the mantle.  Oils are extremely easy to mix and their long drying time allows for quite a bit of wet mixing on the mini, allowing a near infinite range of colour.  Oils big drawback is their drying time, which may even take months before it is completely dry.
c.  Select your brushes - probably don't need to tell you to get the best ones you can afford - for 28mm scale minis I use 0, 000, and 10x0 brushes for much of my work, and some #1 flat tips for drybrushing;
d.  When painting people, I like to start with the skin tones first then work my way out.  There are number of good painting guides for minis out there - Painting Citadel Miniatures is put out by Games Workshop and shows a large number of good techniques, So does the painting section of White Dwarf magazine, and also Military Modelling - which also has a larger range of scales and media than either of GW's publications.

The biggest advice I can give is take it slowly and deliberately at first until you get the hang of the scale.  Look at your mini from close up when you paint, and also from what will be the normal viewing distance - you don't need to paint what will never be seen.

And most importantly, keep your drink well away from the pot you're using to to keep your brush moist and clean - unless you like the taste of paint in your tea....
Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: TomTom on 20 Oct 2010, 18:23
What type of primer do you guys use? I have a bunch of unpainted 40k figures, but never wanted to sink money into the official paint sets.
Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: Border Reiver on 29 Oct 2010, 04:15
I use a flat black spray paint from the hardware store to prime - preferring Tremclad.
Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: Jace on 29 Oct 2010, 22:28
In a pinch I use a $1 can of Color Place flat black from Wal Mart. Usually I like to use Board to Pieces flat black primer, it is a little bit more expensive ($8-10) but extremely worth it for the great coverage it gives.
Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: Forgotmytea on 18 Jan 2011, 11:30
It's nice to see other wargamers on here, and some brilliantly painted models. I thought I'd get in on the action and post some of my Lord of the Rings models! :-)

(http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2011/1/18/175049_tb-Saruman.JPG)
(http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2011/1/18/175046_tb-Uruk-Hai%20banners.JPG)
(http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2011/1/18/175047_tb-Grima%20Wormtongue.JPG)

I've just finished a couple of companies of Gondorian rangers and archers, so I'll put them up soon :-)

Sorry if this is a bit necromancer-y - it was still near the top of the first page, so I assumed it'd be ok.
Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: Jace on 28 Feb 2011, 10:01
MORDHEIMEN!
(http://img156.imageshack.us/img156/9059/img20110228014226.jpg)

Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: GarandMarine on 17 Apr 2013, 21:33
My most recent project completion a titan scale model! The DFG Leviathan Crusader is an INCREDIBLE model kit from an up and coming company I can't really say enough nice things about. This is the only 28mm infantry scale mini of theirs I have, but just her has convinced me to grab a box of their standard infantry when I get back to the States this summer.

(http://th08.deviantart.net/fs71/PRE/f/2013/090/2/d/anti_tank_ada_by_kalashnikovmarine-d5zxarx.jpg)

I've completed the first of my two Crusaders, I haven't even begun to assemble the other one, but I plan to tackle that this weekend! I don't think I'm going to get it painted till I return from Japan though. Not completely any way, it had a much more complex paint job then my first Crusader, which is representing a noble house in the Iron Core universe, while it's counter part is going to be an Army model in the same Olive drab as Ada.

Knight load out:
(https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc1/644624_10151634149115815_63551433_n.jpg)

Gunslinger load out:
(https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/529422_10151634149305815_863200744_n.jpg)

Sword/Shield detail:
(click to show/hide)

Shoulder pads:
(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: My "Craft" (painting miniatures)
Post by: GarandMarine on 15 Jun 2013, 03:17
Damn, it's been awhile since any one updated this! I've been busy though! This is a photo heavy post so as such much of the contents have been spoilered to keep things simple.

Current "To Do" List:
Space Marine Veterans 12/12
Special Kitbashed Assault Marine 1/1
Sisters of Battle Canoness Juliette Le Ortega 1/1
SM Land Raider Crusader/Redeemer 0/1 (Mostly assembled)
SM Razorbacks 0/2 (Ready for Paint)
Sisters of Battle Rhino 1/1
Sisters of Battle Classic Immolator 1/1
DFG Leviathan Crusader 0/1 (Still on Sprue)
DFG Leviathan Weapons Arms 0/4 (Awaiting Delivery)
Objective Markers 0/5 (Ready for Paint)

Finished up some more stuff for my Sisters of Battle.

Canoness Juliette Le Ortega:

(click to show/hide)

(click to show/hide)

Rhino 2

(click to show/hide)

Old School Immo*

(click to show/hide)


*The plan is when I'm fielding everything this will run as an Immolator, and the actual Immolator will play as a "counts as" Repressor. Makes since since I've honestly always pictured Immolators as small, fast scout/attack vehicles.

And some more Space Marines goodness.

Special Kitbash assault marine:

(click to show/hide)


various weapons vets:

(click to show/hide)

Power Sword vets:

(click to show/hide)

Assembled Company veterans:

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