Miniatures, and everything related to them

[RayvenQ]

They're now called Shades, and yeah, I can understand you not wanting to spend too much, but at the same point, washes will help you make you make your models look good with less effort than other methods, so it's worth it.

[Crossbow]

Good looking mini for a starter. She's going to be fun to paint.

As for Relic Knights, I'm probably going with Shattered Sword (Mrs. Crossbow wants Rook so bad it's comical) and either Cerci or Star Nebula. I'd love to spring for both (or more), but with me bing a minis guy and Mrs. Crossbow being a scrapbooker (and both of us being Disney fanatics), 'disposable income' is long since disposed of.

Washes are a big bonus. If you can find some, try them. They do take a bit of practice, bu they're a huge help.

I almost always thin my paints a bit. Even the good ones can be too thick and end up clumpy if you use them straight. If you've got very hard water, you might want to look a picking up a gallon of distilled for this. I've had problems using tap water before because of how many minerals are in our water.

[Andara Bledin]

For the Shattered Sword, I'd totally paint the bits that are supposed to be glowy with some sort of reactive paint so I could make them glow with a black light.

They do have reactive mini paint, right?

^-.-^

[Crossbow]

For the Shattered Sword, I'd totally paint the bits that are supposed to be glowy with some sort of reactive paint so I could make them glow with a black light.

They do have reactive mini paint, right?

^-.-^

You can get glow in the dark craft paint, but you'll have to be careful when using it. Craft paint usually doesn't have as finely ground pigment as a good mini paint, so when you thin it, it gets very translucent and streaky.

The other trick would be to try some form of Object Source Lighting (OSL). this is basically simulating a glow with regular paint. You can find a bunch of tutorials on the web, but this is probably one of the most intense examples: http://www.coolminiornot.com/37085?browseid=2628367

[Elspeth]

Can you use regular acrylic paint on minis, watered down? I have some artist quality ones that might be cool to use.

And curse who ever mention the Relic Knights Kickstarter!!! I am currently seeing how much I can actually spend on that.

[cinema guy]

I should get back to work so I can afford more metal/plastic crack --er... miniatures.

Just remember, you don't die until you've painted your last mini.

My advice: paint speceships, battleships and robots. They don't have pesky faces to paint.

More seriously:
Games Workshop products are massively overpriced. Buy stuff elsewhere.

I use Humbrol paint, car primer, brushes from a craft shop, glue from a DIY store.

I wash by thinning paint. It can take a little trial and error to get the mix right though. A little wash and a little drybrushing works wonders.

Also a little bit of detail on the base can work wonders for a mini.

[protege]

Games Workshop products are massively overpriced. Buy stuff elsewhere.

I use Humbrol paint, car primer, brushes from a craft shop, glue from a DIY store.

I'm not into the gaming miniatures scene at all. But, I do build a lot of models--trains, sports cars, whatever. For years, I used the enamels by Testors. However, these are solvent-based, and tend to stink up the house. Instead, I've switched to Tamiya's water-based acrylics instead. No more paint smell, and they dry a million times faster.

Brushes are fine for small parts. Not so much for large areas though. Sure, I'll paint my engine blocks and other fiddly items with them. However, for things such as chassis and body shells, I'll spray them.

One thing I always try to do, is use a primer. Many automotive kits have seams or other flaws that aren't easily visible. After I fill seams, sink marks or other flaws, primer is used to help get the surface ready for paint. I usually use a white primer by Tamiya (expensive, but worth it), or a light gray auto primer.

Also, don't bother with the various 'washes' sold by paint companies. You can easily make your own with either water or rubbing alcohol. They're great for making a freshly-painted engine look grubby, or bringing out molded-in details on figures, seats, and other parts.

[ApolloSZ]

Protege - in the case of being new to the hobby I'd still reccommend brought washes. Once someone has the confidence and know their paints, sure I'd say make your own. (Hope that didn't come across confrontational, was meant as an observation) And yes, brushes are good for details, but oh man do I like having an airbrush for the bigger stuff (i.e. the Dam Busters diorama I'm working on now). Note, an airbrush is a rather sizeable investment, so don't rush out to buy one unless your definitely getting into the hobby/can use it for other stuff.

And while most GW stuff is over priced as Cinema Guy said - their paint line isn't actually that bad, even for the 7 NZD it is here.

The white primer will make your colours lighter/brighter, so your red and flesh may be a tad paler or lighter than they look in the pot. But again, smooth light layers will bring it to the colour you want.

[Elspeth]

Interesting tidbit I picked up at PAX. The people who did the Bones Kickstarter. They are going to do another round. When I get more info I will let you all know. One of the deals they are doing is for 240 miniatures for $100. I am so there.

[Skarredmind]

GW's stuff IS overpriced, but based on their current round of goodies, high quality. You also know what you are getting with little chance of the crapshoot that some products can be.

All that said, you CAN so a lot better buying stuff from other companies. OP9 has some decent products, but also hitting up your local art supplies store, and asking for help choosing brushes and stuff can save you a lot of time effort and money. (that said, for the investment, brushes are a place to invest a bit of money, and the art store can help you with that too. Good brushes can cost hundreds of dollars, but again, a starter set should only be about $20 for everything)

Also! For all the issues I have with GW/Citadel regarding price, their painting guides can be really good. Their how to paint books are among my favorites for starters.

[Tuxian]

Heh, I'm up to the lesson on how to apply base coats to models in the videos I got. And I just got an email from CMON that there's another set of videos in the same vein that just came out, featuring Marike Reimer giving her advice on how to paint. May pick that up later, just to get another POV on the process.

I'll get started on my Astrid Berger soon, and I'll share photos with you folks. It's been REALLY humid down here lately (Thank you so very much, Issac, for making it so humid again), so I'm being patient and waiting for better conditions to prime my mini.

[protege]

Protege - in the case of being new to the hobby I'd still reccommend brought washes. Once someone has the confidence and know their paints, sure I'd say make your own. (Hope that didn't come across confrontational, was meant as an observation)

Nope, not confrontational at all. Just different ways of doing things. Sometimes I forget that I've been building models for nearly 3 decades

And yes, brushes are good for details, but oh man do I like having an airbrush for the bigger stuff (i.e. the Dam Busters diorama I'm working on now). Note, an airbrush is a rather sizeable investment, so don't rush out to buy one unless your definitely getting into the hobby/can use it for other stuff.

I too have an airbrush, but I rarely use it. By the time I bring the compressor outside, hook everything up, thin the paint, etc. it's easier to pick up a can of spray paint, at least for now I've found I can get more done--load up a sheet of cardboard with several projects' worth of parts, and blast them. For example, many sports cars use aluminum engine blocks, transmissions, axles, and other parts. It's easy to do them all at once. Same with the chassis, and other bits. With my "assembly line" I can usually turn a raw kit into a rolling chassis in a few days' time. Takes a bit longer with the bodies though. They require more time and preparation.

[ApolloSZ]

Nope, not confrontational at all. Just different ways of doing things. Sometimes I forget that I've been building models for nearly 3 decades

Longer than I am old :P

I too have an airbrush, but I rarely use it. By the time I bring the compressor outside, hook everything up, thin the paint, etc. it's easier to pick up a can of spray paint, at least for now

Mine is a mains powered one with a little pump (no real tank), and two-step action. So I can run it in the comfort of my lounge at the table. The paint is gravity fed from a pot on the airbrush itself. I still base coat with spray primer, but for War Jacks/ vehicle bodies/aircraft skin/camo/larger models like the Iron Man Mk6 (which I put lights in ), I use the airbrush. Handbrush for details afterwards.

SkarredMind - I only get the GW paints/washes. Brushes etc elsewhere.

[RayvenQ]

Also, be sure to get a good brush, a lot of good painters i know swear by Windsor & Newton Series 7 Kolinsky Sable brushes, usually sizes 00 and 000, and be sure to take care of it, even to the extent of using brush soap and making sure your technique is right that you don't get any paint in the ferrule, which will cause it to start splitting hairs. As said, GW paints, and minatures are fairly good, if sometimes overpriced, avoid Finecast as much as possible, they're really terrible for what they're supposed to be, full of mould misalignments, bubbles, miscasts, and a propensity to start drooping in really warm weather.

[DeltaSierra]