What models did you learn to paint with?

[Magos Takatus]

Hey, I know this is a strange question, but what miniatures did you learn painting skills on? Are there any models you have found useful for learning particular techniques and skills? I know you can practice on any model, but do any of you look at a model and think "that model would be awesome for practicing x skill"?

 

I found the Corpuscarii Electro Priests were really handy for attempting different skin tones, so my squad is probably what you'd call racially diverse since I wanted to have a go at pale skin, dark skin and as many as I could in between.

 

 

 

I also picked up an old metal Grey Knight Terminator a long time ago to paint up and I eventually used him to experiment with metallic effects and some tentative steps in Object Sourced Lighting.

 

Personally I feel I need to work on OSL and Non-Metallic Metal more to improve as a painter.

 

Right, I've chucked a few of my pics in as examples, but which models have you learned the most from painting? Pictures are welcome, and success or failure doesn't matter here, only that you learned something from the experience.

[infyrana]

Metal marines, terminators and dreadnoughts.... because you can learn to strip the paint from them and start all over again without ruining the models :)

 

I also had and painted old metal Grey Knight terminators - the ones before yours with the halberds and bolter swords.  I tried a bronze metallic drybrush on them - pretty bad but I had a lot to learn and still learning as I hardly paint much at all.

[Gederas]

I learned on the Betrayal at Calth minis I got. That was the first 40k model purchase I ever made.

[Bryan Blaire]

The push-fit Marines, the Ork Boyz, and Gretchin from the 2nd Edition 40K box.

[Razblood]

2nd edition orks, though they were terrible I remember the paintwork fondly and I still have the minis.

[Vykes]

Add another to the push-fit 2E marines, I traded off the orks.  While so many have come and gone in all that time, I still have a single one of the metal beakies they sold with the plastic arms and special weapons thing as part of my blood angels.  A mate of mine got it as a present for me long long loooong ago and said 'just don't get rid of it' and I never have.  

 

So far he's gone through life as: an Ultramarines, Black Templar, Mortifactor, Scythe of the Emperor, Son of Medusa, and now Blood Angel.  So I guess he counts. Marines are my general painting tool for practicing, and if I'm 100% completely honest, when I feel like I just need to do blending or practice for certain organic effects I head on over to some third party seller and pick up a cool monster model then toss it to a friend for D&D.  If I feel like painting skin, I go paint kingdom death... yeah I said it, this is the equivalent of reading it 'for the articles' but it works for me.  

[Bung]

I learned the most in 2 painting classes. One used a Deamonette for the different stuff you have like skin, clothes etc.

The other one was a class for glazing and used a Tzangor to learn glazing in different materials.

[dread05]

Not that I imply that I know how to paint, but my first unit was a 10 man BA tactical squad that I totally messed up, then stripped it and painted a bit better. I followed the Duncan tutorial and opted for the drybrush technique cause it looked easier to me. I'm still doing it like that.

[Magos Takatus]

Add another to the push-fit 2E marines, I traded off the orks.  While so many have come and gone in all that time, I still have a single one of the metal beakies they sold with the plastic arms and special weapons thing as part of my blood angels.  A mate of mine got it as a present for me long long loooong ago and said 'just don't get rid of it' and I never have.  

 

So far he's gone through life as: an Ultramarines, Black Templar, Mortifactor, Scythe of the Emperor, Son of Medusa, and now Blood Angel.  So I guess he counts. Marines are my general painting tool for practicing, and if I'm 100% completely honest, when I feel like I just need to do blending or practice for certain organic effects I head on over to some third party seller and pick up a cool monster model then toss it to a friend for D&D.  If I feel like painting skin, I go paint kingdom death... yeah I said it, this is the equivalent of reading it 'for the articles' but it works for me.  

I also grew up with the 2nd ed push-fit marines so they are where I learned the basics. I've started to paint random models to give to friends and family, it is quite liberating after working on my armies for such a long time. It does mean my pile of unpainted models for my armies aren't going down as fast as I'd like though. I am also trying to paint some non-GW models now and again to mix things up.

 

With this next pic you can see the plastic gobbo that was one of the first models I every owned, I bought him from a GW mail order starter set. It was about 5 tall hex pot paints, a goblin, an elf and a couple of space marines. The goblin is the only one I can find now though. It's always nice to have one of your first models so that you can compare it to your more recent work!

 

My current project is an AoS Stardrake and I am looking forward to replicating the appearance of it breathing fire. I practiced heat techniques when I painted my Eldar Avatars so hopefully it shouldn't be too hard. Once that's done it's back to assembly line painting for the Omnissiah.

 

Edit: I found some of my original Blood Angel models. The proto-Tycho model has scratched paintwork but you get the idea. 

 

[appiah4]

I learned to paint with the old 2nd edition snap-fit marines that came with the starter paint box as well; though they are Loooong gone by now.  The second batch I painted were a box of 3rd edition Tactical Marines.

 

http://www.coolminiornot.com/pics/pics7/img4210c3abde6a6.jpg

 

Not too bad for a first effort, eh?

[FormelyKnownAsSmashyPants]

23 years later I'm still learning, lol.

[Magos Takatus]

Same here. I worked it out, I started 1994, so it's been about the same time for me. That's why I started this, I thought it would be interesting to see what kind of models people used to teach themselves to paint. I suppose generally Space Marines and Eldar typically require a neat paintjob so they are good for practicing edge highlights since they have a lot of clean borders on the models. I also found the current Bloodthirster model is good for practicing drybrushing since it has so many scars and details that can be picked out on the skin and the wing membranes but a cheaper alternative would be advised considering that model's price. Does anyone have good suggestions for that?

[appiah4]

Same here. I worked it out, I started 1994, so it's been about the same time for me. That's why I started this, I thought it would be interesting to see what kind of models people used to teach themselves to paint. I suppose generally Space Marines and Eldar typically require a neat paintjob so they are good for practicing edge highlights since they have a lot of clean borders on the models. I also found the current Bloodthirster model is good for practicing drybrushing since it has so many scars and details that can be picked out on the skin and the wing membranes but a cheaper alternative would be advised considering that model's price. Does anyone have good suggestions for that?

 

There are a lot of non-GW, very cheap models you can buy to experiment on and you would be AMAZED at how good they can be for a fraction of the cost.. https://www.darkswordminiatures.com/ for example, great detail to price..

[Subtle Discord]

I started my painting with anything I could get my hands on back in the early '90s; actual miniatures, small toys, action figures, diecast cars, proper model kits, anything. The first proper miniatures were a small selection of D&D miniatures and a team of Blood Bowl Elves from the original release. Then I discovered 40k being played on another table and the sight of the Marines fighting Orks drew me deeper into the hobby with no hope of ever breaking free.

[Gundric]

For me it was the contents of Space Crusade, back in the very early 90's, the paintjob was bloody awful and I used my dads humbrol enamels from his airfix kits.

[Kinstryfe]

I started way back in about '97 when a friend got me into Warhammer fantasy, and I started out on dark elves and undead, with my very first model being the Dark Elf Sorcerer. I plodded thru painting so so until years later I got into 40k with a mishmash of small Marine projects (3rd edition and later) and mostly used the blue/green/purple skills from the whfb period. Eventually I transitioned purposely into harder colors with Ultramarines, a red head army, and a small cadre of World Eaters for white. Finally just a few months ago I finally got my yellow skills down with Lamenters. So basically it started with elves, transitioned to Marines and guard, and I'm continually learning more techniques, usually on Marines. Custodes plugged the hole to learn metal washing.

[War Angel]

Always learning new things with new models, but I never truthfully painted a model as a test. I might have painted the first model, and then copied everyone else, but it's always just been painting for me. Dlsame for working greenstuff.

[Agamemnon-2.0]

I started with 2nd edition monopose Marines. Painted them bright orange with black tiger stripes on the shoulders.  My current collection still has one of those minis, though his original bolter has been replaced by a flamer from the Necromunda Enforcers set, and he has received a new paintjob, with veteran honors and a backpack-mounted scroll as befits his long service.

[MaliGn]

2nd ed monopose bezerkers were the first models I painted, and repainted and converted and repainted back in the day, also learned the basics with a variety of the end ed started box, warhammer quest box and extra heroes, plastic necromunda figures and old metal daemons. But I would say I learned how to paint more effectively am with the 3rd ed chaos stuff and tyranids because that's when I started to get the hang of highlighting properly.

[CMDR_Welles]

Two boxes of the old Rogue Trader Space Marines boxes, and two boxes of Rhinos. That was 60 Beaky Marines, and 6 Rhinos. I had never painted with Acrylics before, so didnt know I had to prime them... I'd painted them as Ultramarines, which didnt survive their first game. When I got home from my friends house, I noticed all the paint was falling off in big flakes... Was heartbroken.. My friends dad was a model railroader and used acrylics, so gave me a lot of pointers. I stripped what little paint was left on them and repainted after I primed them. I went with a DIY chapter with a Black and Grey color scheme, that lasted well into 2e. 

[Indefragable]

Imperial Guard Conscripts.

 

First time I ever put any sort of paint to a model after 2 years of playing "grey" guys out of fear of screwing up.

 

Seemed fitting to start with Conscripts, considering their lot in life.

[Syward]

My very 1st miniature was back in 1996, it was a metal Chaos Terminator. Unfortunately I don't have any of my miniatures from back then. Rather than allow me to store them in the garage w/the rest of my painting supplies when I moved into my 1st apartment, my parents decided that my "ugly little demonic models" had a better home in the trash.  

 

I wish I had though to take them with me & keep them, I think it'd be cool to see how much (if at all, LOL) I've improved over the years.