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Miniature Gaming-Age (WH40k, Warmachine, Etc.)

That primer went on a bit too thick.. With primers, you do not need to coat the model 100% opaquely unless it will also be your base color, you just want a good adhesive surface for the basecolor to hang on to. It looks like you went for a very long single coat of primer, which went onto the model like a goop of wet paint, then viscosity led to it pooling in the recesses like the gaps between the fingers, hence the membrane-like paint you got there.

Feel free to go in with a sharp hobby knife and remove that excess paint, that will work.

In the future, as stated above, just give it one short burst from all four sides, and leave it to dry. Do this a second time if the coverage is bad. You will rarely ever need a third. When you do the bursts, never start the burst on the figure, start spraying to the left of the figure, then fairly quickly move the spray right to left, kind of moving it across the figure and making a few passes so that it's exposed to the spray for only a second or two.

Why? Two reasons: 1. Dry paint tends to collect at the nozzle and if you start spraying the mini, it will latch on and give you a rough finish. 2. It's easier to control the amount of paint that goes onto the figure this way.

I'm not sure if these were very clear when explaining in words, but you should just google youtube for a miniature priming tutorial. Here's one tha tI think is cool: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AcJCWk4YqQ

Thanks for the advice!

I'm probably going to be making a lot of mistakes due to inexperience, even though I "know" how to prime after reading and tutorial videos, I still end up doing it wrong. Takes time for these things to really sink in and turn into practices. Well, it's a learning experience and I am having fun. Also it's good practice for my nerves. I tend to fumble and get shaky hands when doing tasks like this, so I suppose this is also some kind of self improvement through a hobby. :)

Edit. Did my best with the knife and then painted the basecoat. Had some trouble finding the right amount of thinning, went from too thin to too thick to I don't know maybe this is the right amount.

Edit. 2. Well, here he is. The first one. My goals were 1) see how the painting feels like 2) try inking, drybrushing and highlighting by hand. The feet look horrible and I messed up the bandages with my poor highlighting attempt. They actually looked cool with just white base and the ink, so I'm going to leave them as such for the 2nd worgen when his primer dries and I start painting it. The priming on the 2nd one is way better. Can't wait to start painting.

Need to learn way more brush control and how to manage the amount of paint on the brush.

S98vG1r.jpg

Edit. 3. And here is the worgen number two. Either the base or the brush was not dry enough I think, the white highlighting ended up blueish.

 

Fou-Lu

Member
I'm impressed with the Worgen. Better than my first attempts.

I think I have become addicted to buying miniatures. Really need to get them on the painting and gaming tables before I buy even more. (What's this? Wrath of Kings is getting a two-player starter? I do really like their Confrontation-esque designs...)
 
I'm impressed with the Worgen. Better than my first attempts.

I think I have become addicted to buying miniatures. Really need to get them on the painting and gaming tables before I buy even more. (What's this? Wrath of Kings is getting a two-player starter? I do really like their Confrontation-esque designs...)

Thanks! I'm on a slippery slope. Been eying 40k stuff all day.
 

Fou-Lu

Member
Thanks! I'm on a slippery slope. Been eying 40k stuff all day.

If you want to get into 40k that is a slippery slope, very expensive! But I can't deny GW makes some beautiful minis and has a great universe on their hands. Those start collecting bundles they recently put up are the first really good deal they have had in a loooong time and I would recommend them in a heart beat. (Might get the Skitarii one myself!)
 
If you want to get into 40k that is a slippery slope, very expensive! But I can't deny GW makes some beautiful minis and has a great universe on their hands. Those start collecting bundles they recently put up are the first really good deal they have had in a loooong time and I would recommend them in a heart beat. (Might get the Skitarii one myself!)

I have been into 40k since my childhood and Space Crusade board game, but never got more invested. Maybe this year..

Have been looking at the bundles too, and thinking which chapter I actually like the most.
 
Do you plan on playing or just painting?

I live in a very small town so finding people to play with would be difficult. I have been thinking about just painting and collecting at first, but keeping some sense on what miniatures I would buy just in case I come to know some people who play. Basically building an army even if I would never play it. If it makes sense.
 

Fou-Lu

Member
I live in a very small town so finding people to play with would be difficult. I have been thinking about just painting and collecting at first, but keeping some sense on what miniatures I would buy just in case I come to know some people who play. Basically building an army even if I would never play it. If it makes sense.

That was my own experience with 40k when I was a teenager so I understand perfectly! Hope you find people to play with eventually.
 

Accoun

Member
Heh, I gotta think of the chapter to paint myself as well. I'm totally not a Space Marines guy, but my cousin gave me his old Assault On Black Reach starter set that he never painted or even really tried to play, so I took it to at least have more to paint.
 
I live in a fairly large city and its hard for me to find 40k games anymore. Used to be the only game played, now it's rare to find sadly. Seems to be more pockets of it being played now but I think the competition from other games has finally hurt GW's stranglehold on the mini game market. Smaller skirmish games have become much more popular and easier to deal with for stores.

I got my huge ork army for 40k just collecting dust in a closet for a few years now :(
 
The more I think about, the more I seem to just lean into just going with Ultramarines. The reasoning being (and remember, this is for collecting and painting, and possible casual non competitive play):

- I want to emphasize the futuristic side in contrast to the medieval flavor. I want more guns and futuristic looking melee weapons with the power armor showing and less medieval looking weapons and capes that cover the armor.

- I want to use transfers and chapter specific bitz (is it the right word?), and they seem like easier and cheaper to get for the few more prominent chapters, Ultramarines being one of them.

- I want to get some of the iconic vehicles and units at some point. I want Rhinos, Land Raiders, Dreadnoughts and so on. For some reason I find a dislike to idea of bikes, so that rules out the bike heavy chapters?

- I want to achieve this in such a way, that is fits the lore of the chapter, because I like that sort of things. So maybe not gun heavy and melee light Blood Angels then?

- I suppose you could say I want to achieve the iconic look of space marines I have in my head. Sounds easy, right?

The other option could perhaps the Black Templars, but I am a bit afraid of painting so black miniatures. My gut says Ultramarines would be a bit easier. I do like the Teutonic knight theme a bit more than the Roman empire, but just a bit.
 

Karakand

Member
- I want to emphasize the futuristic side in contrast to the medieval flavor. I want more guns and futuristic looking melee weapons with the power armor showing and less medieval looking weapons and capes that cover the armor.

Well setting aside the fluff bit that the Lord of Ultramar is a literal feudal lord (unique among the chapters of the Space Marines), the Smurfs rock tons of anachronistic trappings, it's just that it's ancient Roman instead of medieval. Togas, centurion plumage, et cetera. Much more subtle at least. :)
 

Mikeside

Member
Does anybody have any suggestions for alternative models I can turn into Ork Gun Trakks?
Only playing casually with friends so doesn't need to be tournament legal or anything if that's a thing.
Other faction conversions and 3rd party welcome, I've caught the converting bug.
 
Well setting aside the fluff bit that the Lord of Ultramar is a literal feudal lord (unique among the chapters of the Space Marines), the Smurfs rock tons of anachronistic trappings, it's just that it's ancient Roman instead of medieval. Togas, centurion plumage, et cetera. Much more subtle at least. :)

Yeah I know the historical stuff is always present in Space Marines, but as you said, some chapters seem a bit more subtle.

Welp, a friend knew a guy who had his house full of 40k minis and he sold me enough to get me started. Learned there is a small but active group of players here. Send help.


Painted my first coat of ULTRAMARINE blue.

Any tips for the helmet? Multiple coats of white and a blue glaze? Can I make from my regular ultramarine blue paint?
 
Does anybody have any suggestions for alternative models I can turn into Ork Gun Trakks?
Only playing casually with friends so doesn't need to be tournament legal or anything if that's a thing.
Other faction conversions and 3rd party welcome, I've caught the converting bug.

You can make trakks out of anything really as long as size is correct and its recognizable as one. I typically kept all extra bits from all other factions I could get, and many parts ended up being turned into work vehicles. Just remember to work it up
 
The Codex Astartes does not support this action. (Smurf terminators have to have white or red helmets I believe.)

I think you misunderstood what I meant. (I now see I could have worded it better) I was asking how to make the blue-ish shadows on the white helmet as seen for example here:


With the black primer on in, would it work if I base coat the helmet blue and then add layers of white until I get that "white with little blue shadow"?
 

Fou-Lu

Member
Thin your ultramarine blue a lot and then apply it as a wash after you've put down many layers of white, then highlight after the wash. Should give you that kind of effect.
 

Mikeside

Member
You can make trakks out of anything really as long as size is correct and its recognizable as one. I typically kept all extra bits from all other factions I could get, and many parts ended up being turned into work vehicles. Just remember to work it up



this is my first early attempt at a flakk trakk
plenty left to do & it needs a clean up, but I'm reasonably happy so far
 
thanks
I wish my painting was as good as yours, though. I think I'm just about serviceable, but far too clumsy for finesse!

I don't know what to say! I mean...I haven't posted the minis I completely destroyed with my painting attempts the other day. They were "google bad miniature paint jobs" bad. But thanks! I'm just trying to be careful and take it easy. I do hope I don't mess up that terminator. Been taking real slow with it.
 

Mikeside

Member
I don't know what to say! I mean...I haven't posted the minis I completely destroyed with my painting attempts the other day. They were "google bad miniature paint jobs" bad. But thanks! I'm just trying to be careful and take it easy. I do hope I don't mess up that terminator. Been taking real slow with it.

that's probably a big problem of mine. "take it slow" isn't hugely in my painting vocabulary!
 
that's probably a big problem of mine. "take it slow" isn't hugely in my painting vocabulary!

It helps I started this hobby especially to spend large amounts of free time I have most evenings. If painting a miniature takes a lot of time I consider it has served me well.

Well, this is how I feel right now. I might feel differently when I am painting the last few units to get a some sort of army together. :)
 

Mikeside

Member
It helps I started this hobby especially to spend large amounts of free time I have most evenings. If painting a miniature takes a lot of time I consider it has served me well.

Well, this is how I feel right now. I might feel differently when I am painting the last few units to get a some sort of army together. :)

Yeah, it'll definitely fill some time!

I started because friends have been playing 40k for about 18 months and were desperate for me to join - I used to play Necromunda with them a couple of years ago, so I thought it would be fun.

Suddenly I've spend all the money on Orks and have a vast army to paint green and play with.



What helps (with painting, not my wallet) is that I've ordered loads of used models on eBay, which are almost all pre-painted.

I'll shove up some pictures of my gretchen later, as that's the first unit I've pretty much finished painting - I just need to get the runtherd done, then I'm moving onto some Boyz




edit: out of interest, I don't suppose you're UK based?
 
Yeah, it'll definitely fill some time!

I started because friends have been playing 40k for about 18 months and were desperate for me to join - I used to play Necromunda with them a couple of years ago, so I thought it would be fun.

Suddenly I've spend all the money on Orks and have a vast army to paint green and play with.



What helps (with painting, not my wallet) is that I've ordered loads of used models on eBay, which are almost all pre-painted.

I'll shove up some pictures of my gretchen later, as that's the first unit I've pretty much finished painting - I just need to get the runtherd done, then I'm moving onto some Boyz




edit: out of interest, I don't suppose you're UK based?

I'd love to see your paint jobs. It's fun to discuss stuff generally in the same part of the hobby, in other words still getting started. And nope, not UK, I'm Finnish.

The second hand miniatures I bought from the guy were all assembled and primed. He had some of course a lot of painted ones too, but I didn't want them for the reasons stated above.
 

Karakand

Member
Warmachine question: how viable is a Khador cavalry army? I have the urge to wargame with charging horsies, but I don't really want to shack up with Games Workshop again, and even if I did, Bretonnia's continued existence in Age of Sigmarines seems questionable, and the Mechanicus cavalry in 40K has way too much early adopter tax for me, even if the unit looks amazing.

Khador has a freaking steampunk space marine on a horse and a warnoun with a cavalry focus so Warmachine seemed like a next best thing scenario. Yeah these units aren't really cheap either, and I don't really care for the checkmate mechanic in a Warmachine, but what can you do?
 
Terminator helmet is hard to paint!


I suppose I call him table ready. My first one. Going to move on to his brothers and try to improve.

Any specific issues I should look out for in the next one? Apart from the obvious stuff like brush control.

Edit. I just realized the chest eagle is supposed to white not grey, isn't it?
 
For the highlighting edges of the armor, you might want to try dry brushing lightly on that brighter blue color. Makes the effect most natural and not look like brushed on with paint. Sure you've seen lot of dry brushing techniques online. Just go very light with paint on brush and slowly build up the edges by dry brushing them till you are happy
 
For the highlighting edges of the armor, you might want to try dry brushing lightly on that brighter blue color. Makes the effect most natural and not look like brushed on with paint. Sure you've seen lot of dry brushing techniques online. Just go very light with paint on brush and slowly build up the edges by dry brushing them till you are happy

I feel so dumb now. I used drybrushing on the worgen earlier, but somehow completely forgot about it as I was working on this one!
 
The basing isn't finished and they're super rough, but I have shaky hands and a short attention span, so I'll call this battle ready

I like the trio on front and center. The faces and the skull look good and the one with the mask has the ink stain on his hands that makes it look like he has been tinkering with some oily machinery.

As you said yourself, rushing perhaps shows on some places like the overspill from that red helmet, but yeah, battle ready. Too bad we live so far away, can't have a GAF noobie league. :)

I don't have any basing material and tools yet, but I'll get something when the squad is ready and do all of them at the same time.
 

Ledsen

Member
Terminator helmet is hard to paint!



I suppose I call him table ready. My first one. Going to move on to his brothers and try to improve.

Any specific issues I should look out for in the next one? Apart from the obvious stuff like brush control.

Edit. I just realized the chest eagle is supposed to white not grey, isn't it?

Very good start! First thing I would think of is the helmet. White looks best if it's not actually white. A good color if you're using citadel is Celestra Grey. Paint the whole helmet in in and then use a wash only in the recesses to bring out the shadow. For white, you can use a blue wash for example. Hen use pure white to paint highlights. It looks very convincing. Also, I would personally keep on with the line highlighting on the armor. Drybrushing gives a very rough finish that I'm personally not very fond of except on things with tons of texture like fur or chainmail. Just remember to always thin your paints with water, never paint straight out of the bottle and youl get the hang of it!
 
Very good start! First thing I would think of is the helmet. White looks best if it's not actually white. A good color if you're using citadel is Celestra Grey. Paint the whole helmet in in and then use a wash only in the recesses to bring out the shadow. For white, you can use a blue wash for example. Hen use pure white to paint highlights. It looks very convincing. Also, I would personally keep on with the line highlighting on the armor. Drybrushing gives a very rough finish that I'm personally not very fond of except on things with tons of texture like fur or chainmail. Just remember to always thin your paints with water, never paint straight out of the bottle and youl get the hang of it!

Thanks for the feedback and the advice!

I have very limited supply of paints at the moment, so I have to mix them a lot, but I'll see what I can come up with for the next helmet. I'll try the grey route. I did a blue wash on that one, but ended up kinda painting over it because the look of the helmet went a little too blue.

I do try thin the paints, but I am having trouble finding the right amount of thinning when switching brushes and colors, they each feel like they work a little differently. I think I did get some too thick white on the helmet in the end.

These are my paints at the moment by the way. I wish I had a more blueish ink for these, but that one will have to do for now. I also lack gold which I suppose is kinda problematic when painting Ultramarines.


Also this 40k business has...exterminated my video game thirst. I swore to buy The Banner saga for PS4 the moment it hits the store, but now all I am thinking about is which PS4 games to sell in order to get more miniatures and painting supplies. What's happening to me?!
 

War Peaceman

You're a big guy.
The basing isn't finished and they're super rough, but I have shaky hands and a short attention span, so I'll call this battle ready

these look pretty good from what is visible in pictures. With a fresh black rim on the base some kind of tuft (or multiple) on the base, this will look good I think. Especially for grots
 

Mikeside

Member
I like the trio on front and center. The faces and the skull look good and the one with the mask has the ink stain on his hands that makes it look like he has been tinkering with some oily machinery.

As you said yourself, rushing perhaps shows on some places like the overspill from that red helmet, but yeah, battle ready. Too bad we live so far away, can't have a GAF noobie league. :)

I don't have any basing material and tools yet, but I'll get something when the squad is ready and do all of them at the same time.

Thanks, and yeah - that would have been fun


these look pretty good from what is visible in pictures. With a fresh black rim on the base some kind of tuft (or multiple) on the base, this will look good I think. Especially for grots



Cheers - I've actually got some tufts on the way & some brown cork 'rocks' to help the bases feel a bit more finished.

I'll probably do a little clean up run to sort things like overspill from the helmet & a few of the eyes looking shit.
Halfway through doing these I realized that painting the eyes red doesn't look as good as just letting the ink collect and dark them so I'll give up on that venture.
 
I'll probably do a little clean up run to sort things like overspill from the helmet & a few of the eyes looking shit.
Halfway through doing these I realized that painting the eyes red doesn't look as good as just letting the ink collect and dark them so I'll give up on that venture.

I had a lot of trouble with those red lenses on the terminator helmet. I think the inked faces on your minis look nice. I'm already fearing the terminator sergeant because I have to paint face and hair.

By the way, a lore question: are all Space Marines / Ultramarines blonde because of the gene-seed? Seems like they are often painted that way.

edit. lol They know. This was on my YT front page:

How to Paint Miniature Eyes
 
Also this 40k business has...exterminated my video game thirst. I swore to buy The Banner saga for PS4 the moment it hits the store, but now all I am thinking about is which PS4 games to sell in order to get more miniatures and painting supplies. What's happening to me?!

First its videogames, then it's friends and finally, then your soul. Prepare to lose them all.
 
First its videogames, then it's friends and finally, then your soul. Prepare to lose them all.

Welp, better to die for the Emperor than to live for yourself I suppose.

I asked a co-worker what consistensy of cat litter they use and maybe I could get a sample. Oh God it's starting isn't it?
 
Finally the TFA ships for X-Wing are back in stock. Gonna take my first stab at repainting one of these for the first time, to try and do the Poe custom black X-Wing lot of folks are doing.
 
X-Wing is a great game, and not too expensive if you only buy what you want to play with. It of course gets pricey if you got to have every ship/expansion.....

But the minis are great, well painted for prepaints, the mechanics are simple and game is just all around smooth.
 
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