Salamander Sternguard - Advice/Help "Pimp my painting"

[ForgottenKnight]

I'm looking for advice to help improve my painting.  

 

I've played WHFB/40k/Warmahordes/Malifaux for around 10 years.  I absolutely love making models "my own"   and have a few models that i've customized or scratch built over the years.

 

My biggest problem is painting.  I can't stand it.  My models get primed then sit on my desk for months (or sometimes years).  I paint one or two models a month (maybe) and then just grind to a halt.   I can't stand it.  Between my excessively clumsy hands (I have some fairly strong tremors in one of them) and the fact that I look at models and people go "oh, spent 2 hours on this guy" *poof* golden demon ready and knoiwing I'll NEVER get to that point.

 

To try to get over it, I've started working on a squad of 10 sternguard (with spellcrow torso's/heads) for a friend's birthday.  He plays Salamanders and tends to proxy a lot of models, so I'd like to get a few models on his side that are at least the right models instead of guessing "this bolt-gun marine is a devastator" and "that bolt-gun marine is a sternguard vet"

 

I've primed, base coated and started working on painting them again after a few weeks off and again, don't like the way it's going and getting frustrated.

 

I'm looking advice for getting the models "table top ready" at the least.

 

After reading one review that said start at DA green and work up, I started, then found one that said start at moot green and work back, I realize I probably should have started lighter and worked darker.  Might have been easier

 

Here's the first one that got more than the basecoat.

 

 

http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m221/ForgottenKnight/IMG_20151015_182449_zpsqzkdn2hw.jpg

 

 

http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m221/ForgottenKnight/IMG_20151015_182336_zpshwwculld.jpg

 

http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m221/ForgottenKnight/IMG_20151015_182603_zpslxdndrsr.jpg

 

Any advice to get motiviated or hints on how to paint them properly would be appreciated.

 

 

This is also my first try at thinning paints appropriately and using a wet-palette to keep them wet while I work, so while it looks like they weren't thinned, I think I just need another layer to stop the green below showing thorugh.

 

 

Thanks in advance,

 

 

[Cpt Lazarus]

I've found it easier to start dark and work up with highlights. But since you've started with a fairly bright green, use a wash to bring the tone down then highlight with progressivelyrics lighter greens to get the color you want

[Bung]

@ ForgottenKnight

I was at the same point as you.

Just played, dont cared much for painting, then got into a painting class at my local Nerdstore and BAM i started to enjoy painting.

Later starting to use an airbrush helped again to motivat me more.

Now i go to another painting class next month with Damien Tomasina and it will boost my motivation again.

 

I will give you the same advice Roman Lappat (Jarhead from massive Vodoo) will give you: Painting is like a muscle you can train it and get better.

 

Here are some basic technics of painting explained:

http://massivevoodoo.blogspot.de/2009/10/tutorial-basic-techniques.html

 

Look up their other tutorials cause Roman and Raffa are some of the greatest painters you will find:

http://massivevoodoo.blogspot.de/2009/10/tutorial-overview.html

 

Especially check out the Salamanders tutorial:

http://massivevoodoo.blogspot.de/2010/02/step-by-step-salamander-space-marine.html

[Dolchiate Remembrancer]

Hey FK!

 

I'm no officianato, but I understand the frustration and I've found that sometimes just completing units or models can be a great joy in itself.

 

From a skill point of view, your at the best place possible. Don't work on 6 things at once, see if you can take 1 tip from a board member and work on that. For me for a while now its been working from darks to lights and getting a good shading/right color in the recesses of the model. Its been a year and I really like where I'm at! I've now discovered that if I want more pronounced darks and textures: use oils. That will be next.

 

Anyways, don't grind to a halt and find something to enjoy in it :)

[Kaedes Nex]

Any advice to get motiviated or hints on how to paint them properly would be appreciated.

I don't have anything for motivation, because I suffer from your exact same problem in terms of painting speed and inactivity, despite wanting to paint and finish my squads very badly, but I will say the biggest stress and time saver is a can of colored acrylic primer. If you can't get an airbrush setup, buy a can of green primer, like Army Painter Greenskin primer. They have like 3 or 4 different greens for the various 40K armies (Goblins, Orks, DA, Salamanders, Raptors, Nurgle, etc) and it should be fairly close to GW colors. It's better to buy a dropper bottle of matching Army Painter paint to go with the primer.

 

Carefully prime the models (the can has a heavy duty nozzle so spray lightly and in not-too-humid weather to prevent the typical spraying problems) and you will be like 50% complete since you will have a nice, even, solid green basecoat. Then just do washes, details, highlights, etc, and you're done. No more wasting time priming black and doing multiple basecoats to get your green, and accidentally painting outside the lines too.

[Seosnommorgo]

Уникальный дизайн, группа талантливых креативщиков, которые мыслят ярко и нестандартно.

Раскрутка и продвижение,оптимизация внутреннего кода под поисковые системы, СЕО.

Доступная цена, гибкая система расценок позволяет сотрудничать, как с крупными компаниями, так и с частными заказчиками.

Создание сайта для малого бизнеса, создание корпоративного сайта, создание интернет портала, создание интернет- магазина.