Artimis_Dreamer Posted July 26, 2009 Share Posted July 26, 2009 Hi! This is my first post in the forum, so I thought I'd use it to show off my first-ever painted miniature! I hope you'll go easy on me (at least don't throw any rocks or crockery), but any advice you have is greatly appreciated. This may not be a Reaper figure (heck, I have no idea what it is), and was a gift to me from my friend, who suggested that I take up miniature painting. I know that I have made many mistakes, as my only knowledge comes from watching my friend Kate, and from one terrible online tutorial. I know that there are strange lumps spread across the figure due to my horrible, lumpy primer application, and, with my god-awful camera, it looks like glitter . (any ideas on how to fix this for next time?) May I present Mariena the bard, my first-ever mini and forum debut? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dilvish the Deliverer Posted July 26, 2009 Share Posted July 26, 2009 Nothing to be ashamed of. You should see some of my first minis. One the plus side all of the colors went where they were supposed to, looks like you have good brush control and the eyes look good. Great job! You already know about the primer needing to go one smooth. Additionally if you plan on doing shading and highlighting, thinning your paint is a necessity. Also a technique like darklining will enhance the borders where two colors meet and make the mini pop. Welcome to the hobby and the boards! I hope you enjoy them both. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Artimis_Dreamer Posted July 26, 2009 Author Share Posted July 26, 2009 Thank you very much for your comments and advice! I'll try thinning my paint next time, but I'm glad that my work has some positive aspects. I'm enjoying mini painting so far, and I'm already trying a second figure. And, if everyone on the boards is like you, I'm sure I'll enjoy them too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dilvish the Deliverer Posted July 26, 2009 Share Posted July 26, 2009 No problem. We're a pretty friendly bunch. Any questions, just holler. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amalor Myrnnyx Posted July 27, 2009 Share Posted July 27, 2009 Welcome to the game. She is indeed a Reaper piece. Shaelin is her name. http://www.reapermini.com/OnlineStore/shaelin/latest/03139 I have to agree, you're on the right track. I can't add much to Dilvish's advice, but I will add two points. First, try a matte sealant after you're done painting. I'll protect the paint from chipping, and reduce the glossy effect we see in the pics. Second, for the base, I like where you're going with it. A little tip that might make things easier is to paint the base a shade darker than the material going over it. That way, you don't need quite so thick to cover the black. Hope that helps. Keep 'em coming. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dargrin Posted July 27, 2009 Share Posted July 27, 2009 Very nicely done. Your brush control is way better then mine when I was 18. As for suggestions, What kind of paint are you using? Some of the areas look a bit on the clumpy side. Depending on the paint you should thin down the paint so it lays on real smooth. This may take a couple of coats but the results are worth it. One other thing you may want to look into is black lining. By adding a bit of black where two things meet gives it a shadow effect that makes the colors pop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Artimis_Dreamer Posted July 27, 2009 Author Share Posted July 27, 2009 I suppose I should really invest in a matte sealent, and some higher-quality paints. I currently use GOLDEN acrylics, but they cannot be thinned, as it causes the pigment to separate. Thus the thickened paint makes clean lines very difficult to achieve, and causes the clumping you can see . Oh, and as for the base, all I did was whack on white glue and toss on some flock, not really bothering to thin it out - It wasn't so much to hide the dark paint as just my laziness. Thank you greatly for your (helpful) advice! Artimis_Dreamer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.Wizard Posted July 28, 2009 Share Posted July 28, 2009 Hey, nice work! My only advice is to keep painting and paint what you enjoy. It's all about the fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabberwocky Posted July 28, 2009 Share Posted July 28, 2009 Welcome to the forums! Very good brush control for your 1st mini. I don't have anything to add to the advice already given--just keep at it and ask questions as you go along! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wilwarin Posted July 28, 2009 Share Posted July 28, 2009 I agree, very nice for a first mini! Feel free to ask as many questions as you need; the people here are really friendly! :) Keep practicing and you'll get as good as a pro in no time! :D Welcome aboard! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
awong Posted July 28, 2009 Share Posted July 28, 2009 A_D, That's a very solid start for a first mini. Looks like you have a mentor already and that's really going to add to your enjoyment of this hobby and flatten out that learning curve. I already see basing with flocking, eyes, an understanding of the importance of thinning paint...heads and shoulders over how I started. We'll be looking forward to seeing many more mini's, and, as others have stated, this is a great place to ask for advice and critiques! Welcome to the boards. -AW Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Serenity Posted July 28, 2009 Share Posted July 28, 2009 I suppose I should really invest in a matte sealent, and some higher-quality paints. I currently use GOLDEN acrylics, but they cannot be thinned, as it causes the pigment to separate. Thus the thickened paint makes clean lines very difficult to achieve, and causes the clumping you can see . Have you looked at any advice on how to thin? In The Craft, there's a good one called Let It Flow. I've seen other painters recommend the use of a flow improver with artist's acrylics, expecially the thicker ones that come in tubes. I'm sure if you ask, you'll get more advice on how to thin Golden acrylics. I use Reaper Master Series mostly, and I use a little flow improver, but I haven't yet played with artist's paints. Keep practicing, ask questions and experiment to improve your results. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dks Posted July 28, 2009 Share Posted July 28, 2009 Thanks for posting, and welcome! As Amalor Myrnnyx said, this is a Reaper figure, and it is one that I sculpted, so I am always keen to see new variations on her. I like your colorful version, especially the use of the different browns. ("Brown" isn't just one brown, after all.) Good job on the eyes, too, getting the white and the iris in there. I suggest focussing on "coloring within the lines" to start with: making sure that the cloak doesn't have any sleeve color on it, the mandolin neck doesn't have any hand color on it, and so on. (Some figures might have little surfaces that don't really correspond to a real thing but they're there to make the figure castable in metal -- you might paint those surfaces black or just a dark version of whatever is next to them.) Learn to look closely at what you have painted, and then recognize and fix any mistakes. You can eventually get into all sorts of shading, highlighting, lining, freehand painting, etc., and it might be overwhelming if you consider them all at once -- but first just paint a few figures with crisp solid colors. At least, that's the way I started, and I think it worked out fine. Derek Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Artimis_Dreamer Posted July 28, 2009 Author Share Posted July 28, 2009 Thank you all for your suggestions and praise! I really appreciate the warm welcome, and I'm looking foreward to attempting more figures, though I wonder if my sucess on this figure is simply beginner's luck. This is a beautifully sculpted figure, and dks, I'm honoured that you'd even look at my third-rate paint job, as I feel it fails to do the figure justice. Still, thanks for the tips and encouragement. I'll persue your suggestions. I appreciate all the positive and encouraging feedback I have recieved - I'll post a new figure soon! Artimis_Dreamer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joshuaslater Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 Half the fun of the showoff section is seeing the improvement from someone's first effort at painting to the next, and the next, and on. Cheers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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