Complete Newbs Barden Barrelstrap and Arthand Nightblade

[DaemonDoesMinis 187]

Ok so I'm 5 months from 40 and never painted a model in my life. But a group of friends and I have recently started a D&D 5e campaign on guys trip and really got into it. However it soon became apparent that stick pins and grid board suck. So i wanted to get some minis for our game.... I was looking at pre paints but those are few and far between or over priced so watched a few Youtube videos... got an itch and firgured why the hell not.... so since i live in bumfuq nowhere i ordered from amazon and ebay the types of figures i needed for our characters a dwarf cleric, elf ranger, and elf mage.... i started with the dwarf, figured it would be easier as my friend likes alliance in WoW and always plays dwarfs but soon learned metal paints are a pain in the rump to me. the elf i did last night and i think i see improvement over the dwarf attempt. though seeing pictures brought out the flaws i hope fix before clear coating either one. i was in such a newbie rush i primed before triming the extra mold lines on the elf but really i seem to be missing the trick even with a new knife blade the lines seem to splinter or split and not come off the model. maybe i need files? seems like there were alot of defects on these plastic minis... my mage is metal and much better and detailed. Please let me know what you think and where i may need to ficus my attention to improve. Oh and any and all tips on mold line/imperfection removal definately appreciated :-)

Edited April 12, 2017 by DaemonDoesMinis

[Glitterwolf 204759]

Nice!

[Mr Melons 7583]

Very solid foundation! Welcome to the world of painting. 

[Loim 17998]

Very nice. You put the color where it needs to go, and that's a huge part of the battle for most painters. For mold lines on Bones in particular I use a sharp scalpel, sand paper of various grits, and emery boards. You can buy sanding needles, but for me I've found that the emery boards and sand paper function just as well. I get the best results when moving in one direction, rather than back and forth. Needle files are also great for metal miniatures, but are not as useful on the Bones plastics. 

[DaemonDoesMinis 187]

21 minutes ago, Loim said:

Very nice. You put the color where it needs to go, and that's a huge part of the battle for most painters. For mold lines on Bones in particular I use a sharp scalpel, sand paper of various grits, and emery boards. You can buy sanding needles, but for me I've found that the emery boards and sand paper function just as well. I get the best results when moving in one direction, rather than back and forth. Needle files are also great for metal miniatures, but are not as useful on the Bones plastics. 

Hmmmm My wife as alot of different nail files for doing her own manicures ... i'll "borrow" a few and try them... assuming thats what u mean by emery boards.

[Gargs 5898]

Welcome to the hobby!  I too started just before 40 (not that long ago) and can honestly say you are off to a great start!

 

Finding mold lines can be a pain and I often find them more easily after I prime.  That's actually not fatal as you can then fix the mold line and reprime (I use brush on primer for various reasons). 

[Sharkbelly 4288]

Hey, those look great! They should serve your group well.

[LittleBluberry 35707]

You're off to a good start!  My favorite trick to get metallic paint to behave is to first paint with a plain color and then do a second coat of the metal color.  Generally brown liner works great for this, but any color can do. 

[knarthex 62050]

Very Nice work for your first minis!

 

Welcome to our Asylum away from Home!

 

I don't do much work with Bones, But Pezler conned me into getting one of the scrapers, and the little bits I have done with bones, well they work a treat!

 

Here is the thread with my report

[VolksFest 1779]

Welcome on board!

 

Your are indeed off to a very good start.. Much better than my first for sure

 

For initial improvements behold the painfully learnt lessons below:

1) Always wash your minis with soap and a soft brush since molding residues are oily and repel paint

2) Primers are your best friend.. Brush on  < canned < airbrush . The worst primer will save you hours and many mental ailments

3) Never be afraid to exaggerate your contrasts.. The illusion begins here ..

 

And paint and paint and show off here, get critique, paint a ton more, ask.. And improve.. Such is the way of the painter.. Oh and you can get real time advice in the WIP section too..

 

Happy painting! 

 

 

[DaemonDoesMinis 187]

12 hours ago, LittleBluberry said:

You're off to a good start!  My favorite trick to get metallic paint to behave is to first paint with a plain color and then do a second coat of the metal color.  Generally brown liner works great for this, but any color can do. 

you know for the tips of the elf bow i wasnt sure about color so i put on grey first to see if thats what i wanted.... it was a small area but the gunmetal did seem to go much better/easier than the dwarfs golddid on primer only. i didnt think much of it at the time but it now make sense. thanks

Edited April 13, 2017 by DaemonDoesMinis

[viking_hank 2259]

nice

[Chaoswolf 115602]

Welcome to the forums; you're off to a great start!

The most important bit of advice is to remember to have fun!