6 Steps to Improve Your Painting

Everyone hits that point when they've gotten to a roadblock in their painting and feels like they can't improve, I Know I have. Try out these 6 steps to push past that wall!

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

[lunahula]

Tip #1 - Underpainting pre-shading with rattle cans or airbrush.

Tip #2 - Thinning your paints to task, everything from base through layers to glazes, learn these terms and their uses.

Tip #3 - Research as much as you can, it's much easier starting out painting miniatures today then it was 20 or even 10 years ago, you have a wealth of resources at your fingertips today from videos, picture tutorials and importantly too forums and google. If you're encountering problems in any aspect of the hobby chances are people have also hit that speed bump before and they or others have also hit upon a solution.

Tip #4 - Lighting, I cannot stress enough the important of good lighting sources and their positioning around you. Imperfections you wont see when modelling and painting, but will suddenly be dragged into the light to your horror when you photograph that miniature can be avoided with a good lighting set up. Seriously it's far more valuable than a stack of paints and expensive brushes.

Tip #5 - Patience, this one above all others is paramount. If you think that this painting is beyond you because you don't have the impossibly still hands of a surgeon or think that the key to a good result is purely or only determined by skill... well you're wrong. Taking your time in ever aspect from removing parts from sprues carefully to avoid divots, to carefully rubbing away moulding lines under strong light, to every aspect of painting the miniature. Time conquers all and with mastery of patience one gains time as their ally.

[MarquisGemini]

"Paint more minis" - This simple advice is helping me improve every day!!!
I try to do 1 hour atleast a day, usually ends up being 3 haha.

[TheRunesmythe]

Just found the channel and subscribed, good video.

My number one tip:

- Decide what you're willing to settle for when start a project. What I mean is this; we all have an idea in our mind of what we want that finished miniature to look like and while in a perfect world that would always happens, we need to accept that things aren't always going to go how we want them to. So, really examine what your ideal end result would be and figure out what percentage of that ideal you're willing to settle for. Doing this will help in a number of ways, the chiefest of them being that you can avoid major disappointments which tend to make it harder to pick your brush back up afterwards. Over time, you'll also start to find that your expectations and ideas begin to evolve so that they become closer to that percentage you're willing to settle for, and you can really start pushing the envelope of your skills and what you can accomplish.

[spacemarinebob]

Step 1) Agrax Earthshade
step 2-6) see step 1

[DeckDivMiniatures]

Scott, saw that this was 7 years ago and had to stop by and leave a comment. Its incredible the progress you have made and it is truly inspiring. This is a testament to hard work and dedication. Congratulations man, you've earned it.

[HeadHunterSix]

Other things I'd recommend:
1) Know when to quit when you are ahead. Sometimes you can ruin a good result by trying to do more on a mini that's really already done. That said, don't be afraid to pick up some of the best work you did a couple years ago and try out whatever techniques you've learned since then to make them even better!

2) Don't get discouraged if it's not turning out as expected - there will come a point in every project where it looks awful and you can't imagine it ever turning out better. It's like remodeling - midway through it looks like a mess but eventually it looks fantastic if you keep at it! A corollary is, never strip a model unless it's absolutely necessary. If you learn to push forward without starting from square one, you'll soon break the bad habits that make you want to strip your work in the first place!

3) Set up your workstation as ergonomically as possible. That means a table at the right level, a comfortable chair, paints stored out of the way but near at hand (an MDF rack is great for this), and make sure you don't have to reach awkwardly for your water pot or palette. And make sure your workstation is well lit! I know some painters who would go from good to great if only they didn't have to struggle with poor lighting and poor organization.

Thanks for the great video! I'll be checking out the rest of your stuff soon.

[ginwilcox]

I love this video. When I'm feeling like I suck at this hobby I revisit it and feel motivated again and it reminds me that I should love what I'm doing. Thank you.

[mannofdober]

Step 1: Get the paint pot.

Step 2: Get the mini.

Step 3: Dunk the mini in the pot.

Step 4: Done!

[DecChild]

Nice vid! Not that anyone asked, but here's a few personal tips that helped me get back into painting my Dark Vengeance set:

- Create a wet pallet with shallow tupperware, paper towel & parchment paper which will help thin your paints consistently & speed up overall painting time (no dry-outs).

- Prime, base colours, washes, dry brush highlight, fine highlights, base details (save your wine corks & go base crazy!)

- Use common, lightly adhesive blue tack (i.e. from a school supplies store section) to stick your models to the top of an old paint pot for easier/more comfortable model handling while painting. You can paint sub-assemblies (i.e. dissasembled mini pieces) by doing the aforementioned step, sticking a 1.5 inch bar of sprue in the top, then a tack ball on the other end that sticks to the piece of your mini while you paint it. Finally, you can use this to temporarily stick bits together when trying to decide on a model pose.

-Write down "Recipes" for certain minis that you can apply to your army for consistency, and returning to / improving on later on. I.e. "Part of the mini, base colour, wash, drybrush layer colour, minimal highlight colour, pick out these bits with X colour"

-Practice for the pretty ones (i.e. your hqs) by line/batch painting your rank & file units at once with as many as a time you're comfortable with. Right now I'm comfortable doing 2 at a time max for models that vary like the cultists, 3 at a time for space marines. This means doing the same part for X amount of models in a row before starting a new part on the first until all three are done.

- When starting a new mini, try to finish at least the washing phase before putting the brush down, I find seeing the detail in the step motivates me to come back and make it even better.


Cheers!

[diamondflaw]

This video is what got me started. Things I've learned as a painter without much around me for resources:
1. Sam Lenz turned me on to doing most of my painting with cheap ass synthetic brushes that are larger than you might think to use. Super springy, hold a lot of moisture in the belly, hold a fine point plenty long enough, and zero worries about tossing one that's getting worn out.
2. If you don't have a wash, don't be afraid to try thinning the shit out of whatever paint color you want and give it a shot. You might be surprised how well it actually works.
3. Do your prep: Wash your minis, trim your flash, and prime.

[ronraducanu]

I absolutely love your vids. My biggest hold back is the fear factor of "ruining" a miniature if I don't paint it "right". I need to let go of that and as you suggest, "Go fail!". Brilliant advice. Thanks for the awesome vids! Very inspiring to me.

[johnpolack]

I really like the subscription paint services. I have asset drop but there are others. They expose me to paint outside of comfort zone. The new styles of paint are changing the way I look at my figs before I start the process. Opening a box is one of my favorite days of the month because i get to try something new.

[rubenlopezcatalan]

Congratulations for the video, it is great and very comprehensive. May I add something?

-Get a proper brush, like W&N series 7.
-Use paints from different brands like: Vallejo, Army Painter, Citadel, Scale 75, Americana. Also, the more you mix the colours the better.

Many thanks

[MaxDMCrafting]

This is the right approach. Comparison is at the base at the growth. Learning and practicing process are the road for success. Great video, thanks.

[thomasriccardi]

Another good tip is if there aren't any conventions near you or people on tour nearby go check out your local gamestore. Most local gamestores (either if it's a Games Workshop or just a mom and pop place) will have miniature painting events. These are amazing as you can take your minis, paints and materials and hang out with people and learn from them as well.

[meph]

Just started watching your channel, watched a lot of your videos, especially on the space marine painting. I have taken a lot of information you have given out and am currently taking up painting minis after a 10 year break. Thank you for all the tips you have given, hopefully I can put them into action and make my minis look better than I used to. I am definitely going to PAINT MORE

[tvmuffin]

I have painted for 2 months 3 hr a day and im geting mutch better and you Miniac are my inspiration

[Emma]

I like how you keep your vids short.  Doesn't stress my internet connection. I'd rather spend that money on minis!

[wargroundminiatures]

Any chance of painting some necrons could really use some tips

[ladyknieval]

"My 80 year old grandma with Parkinsons could paint better than you!" Classic!!!!