Common issues for new modelers

[OwlandMoonGuy]

I’ve not had time to spend on the forum as I once did but thankfully that’s changing and it’s my hope to get back in the groove more often. In the mean time, I’ve noticed some common items that may help some of you with taking your painting to the next level. So give this a read if you’re interested. These are things that helped me with my modeling so perhaps they could help some of you as well.

Thick paint

IMHO, this is most likely the most common issue for modelers first starting out. In my view, paint right out of the pot is usually a bit too thick for even base coat application. After opening a new pot, I add about 5 drops of tap water & shake it out to get to a good baseline. Since I’m lazy, I also tend to load my brush with water and then dab up some paint straight from the pot; removing the excess with a dry blotter (napkin, paper towel or whatever).

You will more often regret having too much paint on your brush than too little.

Apply paint to model in thin layers: Don’t expect perfection during the fist application. Apply thin, give the paint a few min’s to dry and then repeat. You’ll get a much more even tone without build-up if you’re patient and keep you paints thin.

Lack of good model prep

The best paint job is degraded by an oddly posed or poorly prepped model. You hear over & over to file off mold lines, flash & the odd points where the plastic part was snapped off the sprue frame. Neatness counts so don’t skimp. It’s also normally best to file down these imperfections prior to any assembly. Likewise, dry fit parts before gluing them down as parts can warp from packaging; spoiling the fit in some cases. Just like using too much paint, don’t use too much glue as that can also reduce the overall quality of the final product.

When it’s time to assemble, pose the models as a unit – not just as individuals: If you’re planning on painting a squad I find it best to assemble & paint them all at the same time. This helps lend continuity and to make for a unit that looks like it’s working together as a unit. Poses within the unit should vary but ideally they should (more or less) evenly distribute front vs. left vs. right facing individuals in the squad. Also, consider the squad’s role & how the poses can help emphasize that role.

Take this squad of Devastators:

Some are stopping to reload while others are drawing aim to fire. The bolter bearing maries all have sights to infer that they are shooting at targets further down field. Though hard to see, one of the bolter maries is ready to pass a missile to one of the ML marines. By varying model height, facing & posture all lends toward more dynamics, making it more interesting, adding character and even telling a story.

Never skimp on the basics

The fanciest painting effects fail if you skimp on the basics. Before trying non-metallic metals or source lighting perfect good clean lines and evenly distributed color. IMO, a army that’s painted with all the basics done well still surpasses what most call, “tabletop quality.”

Sometimes it’s best to recognize you limitations. Try to pick-up new techniques on “test models” until you’re happy with the results. In the mean time, do your best with what you do best and you’ll end up with a much nicer looking army despite the lack of glitz & glamour.

Lack of dark-mid-light tone planning

When new modelers decide to paint, “black” marines the first thing they do is to grab “black” paint and start base coating. The problem there is that the general surface of the model is painted as black as black gets and there’s no room to draw out the shadows. You can start highlighting, yes, but if you base coated using a lighter shade, like slate or charcoal (e.g. Chaos Black 1:1 with Codex Grey) then you’ve given yourself some room to darken recesses & then build up some highlights. In other words, you have established distinct dark-mid (i.e. charcoal/slate) – light tonality. The same is true for any color. Once you’ve selected the base, plan out the darkest dark and the lightest light in your desired range. This will make your shading look much more pleasing & realistic.

Color choice – compliments, contrasts & accents

Using color is simply an artistic skill that improves with experience but still even before looking at color wheels or memorizing color theory think further about color in terms of its tonality. To illustrate, consider Death Guard for example. Pick a sickly green color, aka Rotting Flesh and paint up some sickly green marines and you’re good to go. The issue there is that the drab colors make for a drab looking army. All armies need an accent to draw attention to detail and add “pop” to its overall appearance. In the case of the Death Guard, red weeping sores and exposed innards offer a nice contrast to disease ridden greens. The use of bloodlessly pale skin tones can also bring in another element to the mix. A few more creative uses of color and you have something stunning as opposed to swamp muck marines.

I realize that this is a very subjective topic but take a look at pics of whole armies & note the items that stand out to you. If NOTHING stands out to you then you’ve seen a good example of where contrast & accents are deficient.

Painting fully vs. partially assembled models

After purchasing a new kit, it’s almost impossible not to assemble it and then start applying paint. And yet, even with your basic squad of tactical marines a fully assembled models makes for some hard to reach surfaces. For infantry, I tend to assemble the base (i.e. using basing materials) legs, torso & helmet – leaving the rest off. After painting this assembly, I add & paint the arms, followed by the bolters and end with the backpack. Even still, I might need to add some paint to the unassembled parts themselves before gluing them to the model.

The same applies to any kit. It’s much easier to paint the interior of a Rhino if you do the individual parts first and then assemble them all after they are fully painted. Kind of a common sense approach but it pays big dividends on the final product.

I hope this helps some of you. Feel free to ask any questions you’d like. Note also that I’m just writing this from my own perspective. I’m sure that many of you could add advice from your own experience that took take these concepts much further than I have.

In any regard – cheers, -OMG

[puck]

Painting fully vs. partially assembled models

After purchasing a new kit, it’s almost impossible not to assemble it and then start applying paint. And yet, even with your basic squad of tactical marines a fully assembled models makes for some hard to reach surfaces. For infantry, I tend to assemble the base (i.e. using basing materials) legs, torso & helmet – leaving the rest off. After painting this assembly, I add & paint the arms, followed by the bolters and end with the backpack. Even still, I might need to add some paint to the unassembled parts themselves before gluing them to the model.

 

The same applies to any kit. It’s much easier to paint the interior of a Rhino if you do the individual parts first and then assemble them all after they are fully painted. Kind of a common sense approach but it pays big dividends on the final product.

 

I hope this helps some of you. Feel free to ask any questions you’d like. Note also that I’m just writing this from my own perspective. I’m sure that many of you could add advice from your own experience that took take these concepts much further than I have.

 

I couldn't agree more with this. I fully assembled a jump squad recently so I could play with them as I painted them and boy am I regretting it. I have to spend so much extra time to get to chest pieces and such that they're taking me forever to finish.

[Brother Valerius]

Painting fully vs. partially assembled models

After purchasing a new kit, it’s almost impossible not to assemble it and then start applying paint. And yet, even with your basic squad of tactical marines a fully assembled models makes for some hard to reach surfaces. For infantry, I tend to assemble the base (i.e. using basing materials) legs, torso & helmet – leaving the rest off. After painting this assembly, I add & paint the arms, followed by the bolters and end with the backpack. Even still, I might need to add some paint to the unassembled parts themselves before gluing them to the model.

 

The same applies to any kit. It’s much easier to paint the interior of a Rhino if you do the individual parts first and then assemble them all after they are fully painted. Kind of a common sense approach but it pays big dividends on the final product.

 

I hope this helps some of you. Feel free to ask any questions you’d like. Note also that I’m just writing this from my own perspective. I’m sure that many of you could add advice from your own experience that took take these concepts much further than I have.

 

I couldn't agree more with this. I fully assembled a jump squad recently so I could play with them as I painted them and boy am I regretting it. I have to spend so much extra time to get to chest pieces and such that they're taking me forever to finish.

 

That's the catch-22, and why this is a particularly hard dilemma for new modelers (who are presumably also new players). These guys need to assemble a fair number of models to get an army that they can field right away (unless they're content to spend a good amount of time not having an army but having the models). This interferes with painting, but what else can you do? Nothing, if you want to play the game you shelled out so much for.

 

I'm not saying it's not worthwhile advice, mind you. I frequently wish myself that I hadn't assembled some model or other that I have. I just think there's a huge downside which may offset the advantage.

[Hemal]

TBH not gluing on the arms isn't a massive downer. I'd agree totally - paiting the arms on bolter marines seperately is best, same with back packs and in some cases, helmets and heads even. AT the very least, not gluing a bolter on makes it much easier to paint the chest even with the arms in place.

 

It depends on the finish you are after.

[WingsOfTheFalcon]

I'd like to add:

Excessive Glueing

 

When first building kits be sure to put some thought into how much glue is used on joints. If you flood the area with glue then it will either cover the details (Superglue) or melt them! (Plastic Glue).

 

Most of the plastic kits take only a minimal amount of plastic glue, less than the size of a pin head to ensure a good bond. If you use a bit too much, quickly wipe it off with a sponge or cloth and start over. It's better than watching the fine details on your mini get horribly disfigured!

 

Metal joints can be more complex, however the answer is not always more glue! If you take a rough file and score the surfaces of the mini then the superglue has something to adhere to and you will get a much stronger bond. Superglue is incredibly strong in the right conditions, you need to give it a hand though, again you can get by with most marine models with a drop the size of a pin head.

[Lord Scytha]

Painting fully vs. partially assembled models

After purchasing a new kit, it’s almost impossible not to assemble it and then start applying paint. And yet, even with your basic squad of tactical marines a fully assembled models makes for some hard to reach surfaces. For infantry, I tend to assemble the base (i.e. using basing materials) legs, torso & helmet – leaving the rest off. After painting this assembly, I add & paint the arms, followed by the bolters and end with the backpack. Even still, I might need to add some paint to the unassembled parts themselves before gluing them to the model.

 

The same applies to any kit. It’s much easier to paint the interior of a Rhino if you do the individual parts first and then assemble them all after they are fully painted. Kind of a common sense approach but it pays big dividends on the final product.

 

I hope this helps some of you. Feel free to ask any questions you’d like. Note also that I’m just writing this from my own perspective. I’m sure that many of you could add advice from your own experience that took take these concepts much further than I have.

 

In any regard – cheers, -OMG

 

How does this work with undercoating with spray cans? Will the layer of primer interfere with getting a strong bond with the glue later?

 

Dumb question: But do I assume correctly when the shoulder pads of SMs counts as part of the arms.

[Brother_Ovis]

I agree wholeheartedly with all your points; I wish I listened to people telling me all that when I was a beginner :o

 

One thing though - the assembled vs unassembled. I used to paint parts of my models invariably unassembled until I decided that in many cases if I can't reach some place with a brush, it's probably not really visible, so why bother and waste precious time. Now I paint most of my models totally assembled. With some exceptions of course (like vehicle interiors, which need to be visible, but are hard to paint after assembly etc), but still. I mean, nobody is really going to scrutinize your miniature looking for some unpainted spot under its armpit or behind the helmet :)

 

Actually in my opinion the biggest problem arising from assembling models before painting them is getting an even layer of sprayed-on undercoat in those tricky hidden places without making it too thick everywhere around them.

[Brother_Israfil]

How does this work with undercoating with spray cans? Will the layer of primer interfere with getting a strong bond with the glue later?

 

When I am dealing with partially assembled models, I find that poster putty (blue tac) is awesome to stick over surfaces I need to glue later. It can be molded to any shape/surface and sticks great. Failing that, a sharp hobby knife will let you scrape off enough paint to get at the surface underneath.

[OwlandMoonGuy]

How does this work with undercoating with spray cans? Will the layer of primer interfere with getting a strong bond with the glue later?

 

Dumb question: But do I assume correctly when the shoulder pads of SMs counts as part of the arms.

As I time saver, I actually prime entire sprues before removing the parts. For surfaces that get glued together I file off the primer before assembly. This really doesn’t take more time as I would have scored those surfaces before gluing anyway.

 

And yes, if I were to have been more exhaustive about marine assembly I would have added the step for the shoulder pads – being placed right after the arms but before the backpack.

 

As a quick note in general ~ I do realize that there are times where fast painting is desirable over quality painting. I intended this set of recommendations to lend toward quality over quantity. It’s not uncommon for me to assemble a model or entire squads to do some play testing before taking the time to paint it up.

 

So I hope this serves to help those who are looking for a fresh approach and disregard the stuff that’s less pertinent.

 

Cheers, -OMG

[Xeonic]

The only parts I normally leave off are bolters and backpacks. Most pistol+CCW models have plenty of room to paint their torso ornamentation so I don't bother leaving the arms off in this case.

My model prep is a simple, 6 step process, and basically the same process I've used since I started miniature wargames:

 

First, I rinse whole sprues in warm soapy water followed by a rinse of regular water and let air dry. (I have in the past occasionally forgotten this step with no consequences, but rather safe than sorry) If the models are preowned this step is replaced by the bath in simple green and resulting scrubbing and tidying up such models need including possibly being hacked up for parts/reassembly.

 

Then, I clip all the components I need to assemble the model(or in the case of a larger model the subassemblies first). Most of the time I just take the parts I think I'll need off but I've in the past exterminated whole families of sprue into my compartmentalized bitz box and from there onto various models.

 

Then I carefully remove mould lines from all solid components, arms, legs, backpacks, weapons and detail bitz. This step is important! It pays to be thorough and it hurts to have to shave little lines through your paintjob or even just basecoat possibly over shading/highlighting or detail work.

 

Now, assembly, which includes any GS work that needs be done, expansion joints whatever. Most ornamentation is glued to the model at this step such as purity seals and etc. I leave off bolters and heavy weapons as well as backpacks and anything that obscures details that I would like to paint. I may leave off the model's head as well depending but most of the time I don't(it can help with bare heads or ornate designs). Once a model is assembled I shave down junction lines such as those between the front and back of a marine torso assembly. On that particular seam I merely use a little extra plastic glue so it forms a bead that can be easily shaved off once dry rather than rely on a gapfill substance. In this step I also drill what I need to for bolter barrels, pinning or magnetization and etc. When I'm assembling my marines I use the basic components to get the pose I want, head, torso, legs arms, and then add in detail parts such as shoulder pads and purity seals and grenades/pouches/holsters. I may bluetac or even lightly superglue the models weapon and backpack on to get a good pose and make sure everything fits right and looks fine. This step may take as long or longer than painting as I fish in my bitz box for the perfect accessories, decide I need to cut models up and repose them after they've dried and generally get annoyed and irritated as I drop tiny bitz that sink into my carpet and cause me to have to crawl around under my desk with a flashlight to find. This is also the phase I'm most likely to injure myself during, as it involves heavy handed razorknife/hobbyknife use.

 

After which I finally prime the model and any and all seperate bitz/assemblies either grey, white, or black(depending on the final color), using a couple light coats if necessary to ensure good coverage. I prime after cleaning mould lines and basic assembly to ensure good coats with no missed bits caused by cleanup or the assembly phase. In addition it allows my plastic glue to be bonding raw plastic to raw plastic with no extra work. After I spray primer the model I may go over it with a brush in the hard to reach spots, again depending on the model and pose. I used to prime the sprues whole but overall found it caused more work than it saved generally.

 

Finally, I basecoat the model, paint it, and add after painting them, I add in final assembly bits that I left off such as bolters. Once the model is basecoated though you can play with it, most opponents won't have any problems playing against basecoated, weaponless and backpackless marines, and if they do, blue tac is your friend. My painting level is generally a passable, assemblylineable, TT quality with basic highlights and shadows for basic squads, and though I take special care on veterans, HQs and sergeants, they're all painted with the same basic process. IMO it's important to just get your squads up to a TT level, you can always go back and touch up later(I say this having recently touched up several 2-3 year old marines). Hey, what can I say, I would rather play with decently painted models than they grey horde led by a couple stellar paintjobs. ;)

 

EDIT: I got distracted there. The things I've noticed about other armies, including my own older models is in order of personal annoyance:

Not trimming mould lines! This while maybe not immediately noticeable from 4+ feet away, always ruins immersion for me and only takes a few minutes of prep to virtually eliminate. I recently went over some of my own older models just to remove mouldlines or joints and touch up paint. This, I've noticed is espescially prevelant in metal models where the mouldlines are merely deemed too time consuming to remove, or merely overlooked.

Thick paint as always is a simple fix and something I see all the time. I look at some of my first minis painted with unthinned paints and cringe a bit. They are passable but you can tell I didn't thin my paints.

Not using a wash. Now a simple wash not a direct substitute for real shading or highlights but a non insignificant number of the models I see around could use one.

[Tamwulf]

Excellent post! What I tell all new painters, and even some guys that have been painting for a while, I strongly recommend the GW How to Paint Citidel Miniatures. The book title is misleading, as the techniques within the book can be applied to all miniatures. I consider this book the "bible" of miniatures painting. No other painting resource I have found starts with the tools, area, paints, assembly, preparation, defining and showing most of the painting techniques out there, color theory, advance techniques, and then showing examples of everything. If anything, the book has almost too much information in it.

 

The book, if anything, will get you started on the way to great painting. It's a fantastic reference book, and it's given me many, many ideas. Not enough information or demonstration for a technique in the book? I'll jump online and /google the technique, and with the proliferation of YouTube videos, I'll probably be able to find a video on it.

 

Post like these are awesome though! The only thing I would add is break up the paragraphs into a more search able format. I.e.,

 

Assembly When you first open the box, before you cut anything off the sprue, you should wash the sprue to remove any of the...

 

Greenstuff The key to using Green Stuff, or any other putty (brown, grey, or Miliput) is to...

 

Priming Always pay attention to the weather before you spray...

 

See what I mean? This makes the document much more user friendly, and anyone that does a forum search will thank you for it. Great stuff!

[OwlandMoonGuy]

Thanks for the comments gents and perhaps with a little more elaboration this could be something worth preserving. This was more of a response to what I’ve been seeing overall in the PC&A forums. I put it here in an attempt to answer a sweeping number of inquiries at once.

 

By design, his is really more a topic for the tutorials section. There are already plenty of good resources on the subject there but there’s always room for more.

 

Cheers, -OMG