smithmeg

I painted this a couple of months ago, but had not posted it, cause it was going to be a competition entry at GenConOz (if I didn't get anything better painted). However, GenConOz has just been cancelled, so there's now no reason not to share it. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out (particularly considering how long it had been since I painted something to the best of my ability, rather than painting something fast, cause I needed it to be done). There's some things that could be better, particularly the shading/highlighting on the skin, but I didn't want to risk messing up the colour gradient to the tentacles. Any questions or comments are welcome.

It sounds like you are thinning your mid and highlight colours too much (and they therefore aren't covering the shadow well enough). Try going to 2 paint to 1 water, and see if it works better. Master Series Paints don't need as much thinning as lots of other paints, cause they start out thinner to begin with. I tend to paint most things with the mid-tone first, then shade down to the shadow, then go back with the mid-tone if needed, and then gradually go up to the highlight. Changing to an order like that might be worth experimenting with and see if it helps.

I remember seeing one like this ... maybe in a reaper winter painting comp a few years ago? here it is: winter 06. click Painted by Runelord151 (who is a friend, and I really should have remembered it was his ).

I listen to recordings of actual games from rpgmp3.com (there's lots of D&D, but also a heap of other games too). There's several different groups who's sessions are published through the site, and it's really interesting seeing the differences in play style (and they are all entertaining). Just a word of warning ... it's all (very) NSFW. If you've enjoyed the Penny Arcade podcasts, this is a similar thing (but, in my opinion, better ;) ).

I'm not sure I can help a lot ... but I've got a few suggestions. - Maybe you could try painting the eyes first (well, basecoat the face, and then do the eyes) ... that way, if they totally stuff up, it's easy to strip and start again. - When you go to dot the pupil, keep a brush full of water ready to wash it straight off if it goes in the wrong place. (it shouldn't effect the already dry paint underneath, but make sure it's all totally dry before you try again). - I'm able to get reasonable looking pupils, by getting my smallest brush (at least a 20/0), and dipping just the tip in the paint, then going straight over, and putting the tiny blob of paint from the end onto the eye. (Usually, I'd touch the brush on my pallete to get rid of that blob ... but it works really well for eyes.) Good luck.

I have a memory of my brother having a slightly spongy tape that was used for wrapping the grip of a tennis racquet ... maybe something like that would be worth checking out? (sorry I can't give a more definitive description).

In this case, 'glaze' means a thinned layer of paint ... just thinned down with water (but not quite as much as you would for a wash).

I've had paint crack on me twice ... both times it was the Purple Triad (the one with Nightshade purple in it). I worked out that it seemed to happen when I didn't shake the paint as much as I should have, and that one of the paints in the triad is more sensitve to it than the rest of the line. Anytime I shake them properly, it's been fine. I managed to hide the problem by reshaking, then thinning one of the purples, and glazing it over the top (concentrating on making it go into the cracks).

Voladilk ... This probably won't help you in the long term, but I've found Dullcote in Toyworld (in the big one with the modelling and collectable stuff in the middle of Brisbane). It's a white can, rather than the black one I got last time, so I'll compare labels when I get home, and check I didn't buy something strange. It might be worth ringing a Toyworld near you and seeing if they have (or, can get) some. If you get desperate, I'm happy to go to the one here for you, but they'd then have to be sent to you by Courier - which would probably be horribly expensive). Thanks for starting this topic ... I've now got enough Dullcote to last me at least a couple of years (which, at the speed I paint, is only 4 cans).

Depending on what your pin is made of, a magnet might work to pull it out.

Welcome fellow Aussie One thing that I've found, is that, in general, it's not worth going to too much effort to get stuff from Australian shops ... even after you pay for overseas shipping from the US, it will usually end up cheaper than what you'd pay here. Though, if you are just getting started, Francheville sable brushes are quite acceptable (in the smaller sizes), and you should be able to get them from craft shops (or your LGS). (Once you know you like painting, I'd suggest moving on to some better ones ordered online). Aerosol cans are something you can't get sent through the mail ... so for primer and/or sealer, try your local hobby/model railroad type shop - they'll also have some basing supplies (in bigger boxes that you could ever possibly need ;) ). You sound like you might be coming from a D&D minis background (which is where I started, and still am a fair bit of the time) - repainting some of them is a quite fun place to start. There's a lot of good sculpts hidden under terrible paint, and when you have 15 of a $0.10 common, there's a lot of room for experimenting, and just throwing out the mini if the experiment didn't work. Having said that, the 'crispness' of the details in Reaper metal minis, make them a joy to paint. And they are generally sculpted with some thought as to what they'll be like for the painter ... so often eyes and hands are a little bigger, and therefore easier to get looking right. Welcome to the hobby ... give me a yell if you'll like me to ramble on about anything else

- Thank you , Thank you, Thank you Yes, I get really excited by the thought of new paint (as indicated by the huge order I just paid for) (Can't buy paint without adding in some minis to keep it company) This is going to be a great holiday

I've only once tried to order paint from a shop in Australia ... they told me it would take 6-10 weeks to come in, and would cost me close to 50% more than I could get buying directly from you (including the price of the shipping). Since then, I've just bought directly, and had my stuff in 7 or 8 days . (It's ok, I'm sure I'll survive ... it's just a little disapointing when I'd been looking forward to having them to play with on my holidays).

- Thats a pity. I guess that kills any idea I had of having nice new paint to play with during my holidays (in 2 weeks). Oh well, I suppose I'll just have to be patient.

- I glad you like it As to colours ... I'm not totally sure (way too many paints out on the table at the moment), so I'm going to give you my best guess. (They are all MSPs). The main colour is Creamy Ivory, and I added Yellowed Bone for darker bits, and Pure White for lighter bits. The grey on the back is Polished Bone and Aged Bone (really, really thinned). Brown bits are Blackened brown, with lining on the face in brown liner, and bits of a lighter brown (possibly leather brown) on the ears and tail. As mentioned before, the eyes are blue liner, with gloss varnish. Hopefully that will be useful to someone.