RM's WH40K Paintlog

[The Shadowscythe]

Pretty Pink Helmets!

WHAT WE NEED HERE IS THE HELLO KITTY GAURDS!

[Robot Monkey]

Umm, no. It's ideas like that that birthed the Pretty Marines.

[BFenix]

Umm, no. It's ideas like that that birthed the Pretty Marines.

That's why there are the Angry Marines.

[Robot Monkey]

Umm, no. It's ideas like that that birthed the Pretty Marines.

That's why there are the Angry Marines.

Or da orkses. WAAAAAGH!

And back on topic, I have painted the details and the camo on, going to do decals this afternoon.

[Robot Monkey]

*double-post*

Got the camo done!


The camo is essentially a bunch of gray splotches meant to break up the khaki on their uniforms, and make them look a bit better.


closeup on the camo.


Also, more details on the flamethrower troop, including more of a scorch mark on the barrel.

[Keldoclock]

Still not too late, man. If nothing else, your army will be different and the humiliation of your crushed foes complete.

[Robot Monkey]

Still not too late, man. If nothing else, your army will be different and the humiliation of your crushed foes complete.

,

[Keldoclock]

I don't have Cadians, and I'm not going to ruin the handful of Vostroyans I have secured away in the basement. They deserve better.

[Ross_Varn]

...It's a good paintjob, yeah, but I can see why everybody wants it to be funny. I like it, though, all things considered. Seeing that it is what it 40k well is, funny would be different, and it's a matter of game in that instance.

[aoffan23]

Okay, now for some actual advice.

What size brush are you using? The details are a little messy. I'd suggest using a smaller brush for now, but keep in mind that learning to make a nice, sharp brush tip will pay off a lot more in terms of versatility.

The colour scheme seems a little bland at the moment, mostly because of the colours. I understand that you're going for a dirty, gritty camo, but grey, tan and flesh tones just make it look really boring. Try sprucing it up with some details like squad markings (in this case I would go with a shade of blue, it would stand out the best against the tan), electronics with lights (see if anyone you know has any spare marine bits, or even make some small ones yourself using scrap bits of plastic), and the like. Just make sure you don't got overboard, and don't use too many different colours for the lights.

Another way to remedy the monotony of the colours is to improve upon the camo. As of now, it's extremely sparse, and consists of only the main colour and one splotch colour. Add another colour (Graveyard Earth would probably work best in this case), and even add some small flecks of colour to beak up the empty space and make it look less uniform.

As for the models, they too are a bit bland. Is this your first squad of minis? Even if they are, you should to more than just the barebones assembly. Try to add stuff like the aforementioned electronics, scopes (can be easily made from any spare lasgun/ laspistol barrels), etcetera. Also, I'm not sure why the sergeant has a grenade launcher drum.

[Robot Monkey]

6. Yes, these are my first minis.
7. That's a 'Nade launcher drum?   Oh well, I can just say it's spare supplies kept in a drum container.  
8. Thanks for the tips anyway! I was gonna do some black splotches and dark grey stripes on top of the existing camo to give it a more urban feel.
9. As for the electronics, I'm not sure if I want to do that, I'm afraid I'll screw something up or go overboard in a brikwars fashion.

[aoffan23]

Well, they're definitely good for first minis. My first ones were Ultramarines, and... let's just not go there.

I have a couple more nitpicks that I found when looking through the pictures a second time:
1. The handle on the flame thrower is in the wrong place, it should fit into the tiny dent in the tab on top of the barrel (the black part).
2. On the sergeant, I would suggest a different colour for the arm badges. Go with whatever colour your squad markings end up being (those black pauldrons are just begging to have a stripe or symbol on them), or if you want to make it a bit more subtle, a cool, slightly bluish grey or silver.

In regards to the electronics, I just noticed the little bits sticking out of the lasgun. That flat surface could use a good spicing up, so I'd suggest painting those different colours. If you choose to skip out on the little lights, at least paint them like the other metal parts. At the very minimum, I think you should paint a coloured dot on the end of the sight-rail-thing.

[Robot Monkey]

I'll be sure to do that when I get some money for more paint. And on the flamethrower troop: I know, the arm dried in the wrong spot. I think I'll do silver for squad markings.

[Keldoclock]

[derail]

Why is paint supplies 'n shit so expensive? Konlinsky sable brushes, paint, more paint, even more paint, primer, clear varnish, matte varnish, basing grit, flock, the actual fucking miniatures which cost like seven dollars for a tiny hunk of pewter that you still have to assemble and thin the mold lines on and brush the shit out of it with Simple Green and arghg!

It's like, another $100 to get into the hobby!
[/derail]

[stubby]

Are you thinning the paint at all?  It'll probably go on easier if you do, and mistakes won't show up as badly if you're covering the minis in a half-dozen thin coats rather than a single thick one.

Why is paint supplies 'n shit so expensive? Konlinsky sable brushes, paint, more paint, even more paint, primer, clear varnish, matte varnish, basing grit, flock, the actual fucking miniatures which cost like seven dollars for a tiny hunk of pewter that you still have to assemble and thin the mold lines on and brush the shit out of it with Simple Green and arghg!

Good god, you're not buying the overpriced Games Workshop stuff are you?  Go buy art supplies from an art supply store instead.  Get yourself some Liquitex concentrated acrylic, learn to thin your paint to stretch it further, and keep a palette of damp vellum so you can use the paint for a week or two before it dries out.