Beginner in need of advice

[Gerald Tarrant]

Alright so i am a complete beginner when it comes to this, i've never painted anything in my life let alone tried modifying models.

 

But these are a part of my second Tactical squad from the Black reach kit (I traded the orks for more space marines) The first one i used simply to practice the general techniques of highlighting and such.

 

When i got these i had also gotten a hold of the Black Templar conversion kit and decided to brave using it, but i would like some advice.

 

First off the one that is least modified. The only thing i did with him was cut off his left shoulder pad and replace it with a black templar one.

 

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y257/Serestus/1-1.jpg

 

Any help is greatly appreciated, even just a few words.

 

Now like you can see i went for a battered look for these, as if in the end of a brutal battle. And this one does in fact not have a gun on him but he shows the pain it was to modify these guys since that ALL is one piece and the right arm is actually grown to the torso.

 

I've got no specific questions about him but any pointers would be nice.

 

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y257/Serestus/2-1.jpg

 

This one i cut off both arms by the shoulder and replaced arms, pads and weapon with a Black templar one (And you can't see it but on the right side behind the gun there is a large bullet/bolter hole to hide the place where the arm used to be connected to the body) On this one my main question would be color choice for the gun, I'm not happy with it at all. As well as maybe the shoulderpad.

 

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y257/Serestus/3-1.jpg

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y257/Serestus/4-1.jpg

 

This one i removed the same as the one before but went for a chain sword and bolt pistol, again the wound on the right was made to hide the flat part where the arm was merged to the body. Ohh and the head is a black templar one as well (Any hints on how to switch them would be most welcome since cutting the head of and drilling into the body with a hobby knife and cutters is a royal pain in the ass.) Again my main question is how should i color the weapons, the chain sword will be made bloody and maybe even a bit gorey later on but i have generally no idea how i should paint them.

 

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y257/Serestus/5-1.jpg

 

With that one i cut the hand of a normal standard boltgun, both hands actually and attached them (Along with the strap) onto that one)

 

With that one i need some serious pointers on painting the damn gun.

 

 

Also any hints on how to make the blood better using only Mechrite red (Only red i have, I'm a poor student at the moment). So far the only thing i've got to make it look a bit better is old fashioned wood Varnish :tu:

 

Also i wouldn't mind any general tips completely unrelated to what i asked for.

[Dorns Padawan]

Howdy. Like some of the conversions you done, nice idea! Not always easy coverting 'snap fix' models but you done a decent job! Ok purely from a cronstructive point of view, how have you done your black? It looks like you just sprayed it in black undercoat and left it at that im guessing? Also the weapons and also where you have used bronze looks a little heavy. Try painting in several thin layers and build up the colour. Also there is a lot of real nice detail you can bring out of the weapons and icons that make the models look really eye catching so by using thin layers you aint gonna cover them up. Your highlighting is a little thick and not consistant with the rest of the model so to combat that, use a fine detail brush and paint real fine along the edges or you can use the side of the brush. You dont really need to have thick lines when it comes to highlighting.

Can't say i have any tips for blood as i don't really use it on my models. As a converting tip, you could perhaps make the poses a little more dynamic by cutting out the heads and putting them at different angles? You got nice use of the BT shoulder pad which looks cool! Like what you done with the plasma rifle, looks real neat with the strap! If your going for that BT look where they been in some brutal combat you could put some limbs or heads on the bases or empty bolter mags to make it look like they have really been in the thick of things.

Please dont take what i said as putting you down or knocking you, just trying to give you a few hints and tips thats all. Hope some of it helps!

[Gerald Tarrant]

Ohh not at all, i want every single flaw anyone can see pointed out to the point where i want to cry! Can't allow bad habbits to go unchanged.

 

After all, these are just practice stuff..

 

The metallic colors do look alot thicker on the pictures than they do to the naked eye, maybe due to the reflected light.

 

But i was most likely a bit impatient with them

 

And yes with these its just sprayed black, in my few other models i have painted over it again like i read i should do but in these i was so impatient to try out my conversion ideas i completely forgot (Along with cutting of the mold lines.. ^^) .

 

The highlighting is also completely messed up at parts simply because i haven't quite gotten the hang of it yet, like i said, this month is the first time since i was six that I've picked up a paint brush :blink:

 

I'm thinking, maybe i should paint the Black templar symbols on the weapons black instead of goldening them up.

 

since the metallic color is just making them look all, funky..