First Time Painting

[Komrk]

So, this is the first model that I have painted myself. I'm not particularly happy with it but at the same time I don't think it's too bad for a first time.

 

[Brother-Chaplain Kage]

It's difficult to see, as the photos don't show much even at maximum size. From what I can see though, it looks very flat as though you have no shading or highlighting to bring out the dimensions of the figure. A picture that shows a better, closer view can let us get a better idea of how your work looks and what we can suggest to help you on the road to becoming a better painter.

[Excessus]

A wash would do wonders on it.

[Captain Semper]

If this is your first mini ever, it looks quite promising! I have to agree with Brother Chaplain Kage that larger pics would give us more room to comment but even so here's my advice: 

 

For the white surfaces, use a VERY light grey as the base color (Ulthuan Grey works for me) and then use pure white to highlight it. By highlight I mean you pick up the edges of the armour or the raised elements like the robes and the detail on the shield. This is an indirect way to achieve some shading effect on the white surfaces without resorting to washes that may make the final result look "dirty".

 

For the black surfaces, I'd highlight them with a dark grey - possibly mixed with some more black and possibly, a touch of turquise... The latter will give a nice contrast dampening the grey but not going all the way to the blue/black - for this you'll need a darker blue...

 

For the metal surfaces consider the black wash. Apply plenty of it and, once completely dry, drybrush some of the original metal color on it. You can stop there or you can apply a lighter shade (more shiny) is certain spots of the reapon to add to the "used" look. You may also want to use a brush/gold color on the power unit of the mace just to draw some attention in the eye. 

 

Look forward for your second mini - hopefully with larger pics! :D

[Komrk]

Yeah I'm going to take larger pictures. I just hastily took these with my phone because it was 10 and I couldn't be bothered to find my camera. I'm definitely going to try the washes. And about the highlighting. You start with Ulthuan and then go to pure white on just the robe and the raised edges of the shield?

[Brother Captain Achilles]

First and always relevant piece of advice is to ensure you are THINNING YOUR PAINTS. layers are your friends and prevent the loss of details on your models.

[Astartes-ULTRA]

Another piece of advice is to consider the base which your model is standing on and don't be afraid to weather parts of the model accordingly. For example if you are basing models as if the are on a desert planet then consider the enviromental effect that will have on the armour (sandstorms leaving sand in a few places and some paint chipping) A swampy world could leave scummy residue on the armour on the legs or undersides where swamp water may have splashed. Even urban terrain can be harsh on armour, scratching paint and leaving lower parts dusty. In ice world may leav the model with some snow on it.

 

I once saw a Thousand Sons army that was desert based and there was sand settled on parts of the armour and vehicles and I have to say it brought those guys to life! Well worth considering but not bad at all for your first attempt. Don't be so tough on yourself, we all started somewhere... Take heed the advice from the guys in here, we are all here to help each other bring out the best in our models and I look forward to seeing your next items :)

[MasterBuilder]

Hey man, welcome to a new club of 40k players...

 

You know those guys at gaming clubs who don't bother painting? The greyboys as I like to call them.

 

Your not one of them anymore!

 

It's worth considering your plan of attack with your minis. Trust me when I say this, I am no Da Vinci with my painting by any stretch, but perhaps it's good to gather some knowledge and find some practice minis first to get an approach sorted.

 

Therws heaps of amazing painters here that started in similar ways, look around and see what's going on.

 

Finally, it's worth checking out a few YouTube vids if you are working on a particular chapter/look. I can highly recommendes Bursleys channel awesomepaintjob (sony be terrified by his guides, they take a while and sound incredibly complex, but use then as a base for a project.

 

Another great and much more simpler YouTube painter is 'Girlpainting'. Imagine a European version of Mrs Doubtfire's voice, but with incredible simple paint schemes.

 

You may laugh a little at the concept, but wait til you see her minis. Amazing.

 

Don't stop painting man. Pester your FLGS and blag/buy some cheap clip together rubbish to test your schemes out on. Something you can paint onto then rip apart and put in cleaner and go again.

 

These days, we live in an age where we can even strip plastic minis. If you're not happy, try again.

 

But honestly, I think for a first glance for a first effort, my ego doesn't want me to say this, but my first mini was so much worse... :p

[Dam13n]

I like the contrast of the Black and White elements, they're quite striking.

 

The idea of using a wash to better define the white areas is definitely a good one, I would consider using a little grey mixed with some lahmian medium and water (until it's milk-like in consistency).

 

That is, if you want to keep the "film noir" look this guy has currently.

 

Some subtle edge highlights would also help the Black "pop" as well.  (Skavenblight Dinge should be around the right shade to do this without turning the armour too "grey".)

 

Finally, basing does wonders.  Even something simple can help give a little "life" to your models.  It also provides a good opportunity to get another contrasting colour onto the model without making it look cluttered.

 

For a first time painter this is a great start, so keep it up.