First figure I ever painted

[PhantomAquarist]

This is the very first mini I painted this year! :D

Edited December 5, 2019 by PhantomAquarist

[Glitterwolf]

Really your first?

Looks great!

[PhantomAquarist]

8 minutes ago, Glitterwolf said:

Really your first?

Looks great!

Yeah this is my first one I did. I started getting into the hobby in the middle of this year so I'm still super new do it. Lol

[Mckenna35]

Nice!  Way better than MY first, that's for sure.  

[PhantomAquarist]

1 minute ago, Mckenna35 said:

Nice!  Way better than MY first, that's for sure.  

Thank you. I'm still a big critic of my own work. I'm sure yours was waaay better than mine. Lol

[Mckenna35]

Just now, PhantomAquarist said:

Thank you. I'm still a big critic of my own work. I'm sure yours was waaay better than mine. Lol

 

I doubt it since it was painted more than 40 years ago, long before the internet made finding inspiration and help so easy to find!  No good acrylic paints back then either. No, I don't still have any of those vintage figures!

[PhantomAquarist]

3 minutes ago, Mckenna35 said:

 

I doubt it since it was painted more than 40 years ago, long before the internet made finding inspiration and help so easy to find!  No good acrylic paints back then either. No, I don't still have any of those vintage figures!

They would have been really cool to see honestly. I have an issue that I can't figure out for my painting style. Whenever I paint. Everything looks blotchy. I don't understand a proper painting style to obtain such seamless paint strokes that don't look raised off the surface. I think a lot of people's work that I see are probably painted with oil paint.

[Mckenna35]

12 minutes ago, PhantomAquarist said:

They would have been really cool to see honestly. I have an issue that I can't figure out for my painting style. Whenever I paint. Everything looks blotchy. I don't understand a proper painting style to obtain such seamless paint strokes that don't look raised off the surface. I think a lot of people's work that I see are probably painted with oil paint.

 

Okay, are you priming?  If so, white or black?  From looking at your figure I'd say you're priming with black and then trying to get good flesh tones and reds over that.  If so, you need to re-coat the areas you want to be light colors with a gray or white color to make it easier to get smooth coats.  Probably easier to start with a white primer and undercoat black areas of armor and such that are going to react better with a dark undercoat.  Reds/yellows tend to be not as opaque as other colors so it can be a real paint to get smooth coats out of them without a good undercoat.

[Jellyranger69]

Wow, very nice work here. 

[PhantomAquarist]

14 minutes ago, Mckenna35 said:

 

Okay, are you priming?  If so, white or black?  From looking at your figure I'd say you're priming with black and then trying to get good flesh tones and reds over that.  If so, you need to re-coat the areas you want to be light colors with a gray or white color to make it easier to get smooth coats.  Probably easier to start with a white primer and undercoat black areas of armor and such that are going to react better with a dark undercoat.  Reds/yellows tend to be not as opaque as other colors so it can be a real paint to get smooth coats out of them without a good undercoat.

 

I didn't think about priming gray. I've been strictly painting back and forth between white and black primer. Also a lot of people are surprised to know for some reason that this wasn't done with any model craft paints. This was straight up Walmart acrylic paint from the art section for my first. Everyone makes a fuss about it. Lol. Now I use better brands.

But I can't wait for the next project I want to try that method out! Thanks! :D

Edited December 5, 2019 by PhantomAquarist

[Al Capwn]

Welcome to the hobby! Some craft paints aren't terrible, but some are pretty bad. Some have really poor coverage, and most have larger particulate sizes, making the paint somewhat thick or grainy. It isn't super critical when you first start, but can certainly become an issue later on as you troubleshoot, "Why doesn't this look as good as I want?" issues.

 

I personally use both black and white primer, frequently called zenithal priming, as it gives a good black and white sketch. It also keeps dark areas dark, and light areas light.

 

Looks good for your first mini - certainly better than my first!

 

The secret to smooth paints is thinning your paints (usually with water) and multiple thin layers instead of fewer thicker ones.

[PhantomAquarist]

 

22 minutes ago, Al Capwn said:

Welcome to the hobby! Some craft paints aren't terrible, but some are pretty bad. Some have really poor coverage, and most have larger particulate sizes, making the paint somewhat thick or grainy. It isn't super critical when you first start, but can certainly become an issue later on as you troubleshoot, "Why doesn't this look as good as I want?" issues.

 

I personally use both black and white primer, frequently called zenithal priming, as it gives a good black and white sketch. It also keeps dark areas dark, and light areas light.

 

Looks good for your first mini - certainly better than my first!

 

The secret to smooth paints is thinning your paints (usually with water) and multiple thin layers instead of fewer thicker ones.

 

Thanks!

When I first started off I didn't learn right away to thin the paint, but I do that now. I've been wanting to do zenithal priming for a while though. :D

Edited December 5, 2019 by PhantomAquarist

[Crissair]

Let me start by saying I am still a noob. The best advice I got when I started just two years ago is to thin my paints. Yes it takes longer and doesn’t always look good right away so it feels like you’re doing something wrong. But, the finished product looks smoother. (And I still struggle with doing this properly and consistently). Also, keep investing in some paints made for minis, they are much easier to work with. They are spendy compared to Walmart brands but a little goes a long way.

 

Lastly and most importantly, your 1st is way better than my first (or tenth for that matter). Your color choices and the eyes (hardest part for me) are very good for a first mini. Keep it up and share more of your work. This is a very supportive forum.

[malefactus]

You are a natural. That is an OUTSTANDING creation, especially as a first attempt. KEEP UP THE FINE WORK!

[WhiteWulfe]

Definitely better than my first, where I primed in black and then wanted white shoulder pads..!