I'm new to painting and also not good. Stressing over whether to dry brush, or layer up and edge highlight my Bloodthirster.

[Ravinsild]

So I've got a Bloodthirster, and first of all I have no assembled him. When I do I want him to be the Insensate Rage variety, so would I want to leave his arms and/or hands off to paint the body then do the axe separately and just put tacky putty over his wrist stumps or something?

I've been practicing my edge highlighting and painting in general on my Blood Bowl team. It's my first project ever and my first miniatures painted in my life. So far I've got 13 painted and my 14th miniature ever was my Thrower, with a sneaky Darkoath Chieftan being the 13th. I only know this because I labeled my Blood Bowl Orks in order of when I painted them, haha.

Anyway, I don't really like dry brushing, I feel like it doesn't quite get as exciting of a highlight as there could be, I prefer, really, a more "cell-shaded" comic book style of painting I've seen people do. I don't know how to do it myself, but every miniature I keep trying to get that really stark, bright colors, with sharp highlights looking crisp, clean and sharp. I don't like the sort of fuzzy effect that dry brushing can leave, and also sometimes it leaves little powdery flakes on parts I don't want that color on! Like red powdery flakes on the black shirts for my Blood Bowl Orks.

So I'm not a good painter, but my plan was to use basic battleline boys to practice as sacrifices to up my skill level in painting: Bloodreavers and Blood Warriors, similarly with how I'm using my Blood Bowl team as an overall learning experience and prequel to my Age of Sigmar/40k boys.

Anyway, what do you think? Since I'm new and kind of bad, you can really make edge highlights ugly, and I don't want to ruin my Bloodthirster, but if I put in a ton of time and be very careful it could look extremely amazing?

I will post some samples of my current skill level. Aside from where I am, I'm not sure how to improve aside from brush control, paint control (The right paint to water ratio), and just generally taking care of my brush and practice getting clean, crisp lines.

Also heroes are the most important part of your army so part of me wants to start with them (Slaughterpriest, Bloodsecrator, Mighty Lord of Khorne etc) but then part of me wants them to be the best they can possibly look so save them for last and get all my practice in on the toss away fellas (Bloodreavers and Blood Warriors)... And even I kind of really want to paint my Skullreapers because they’re my favorite unit in my army, but I’m also afraid of doing a bad job on them and I don’t want my star players to look schlubby. 

[elfhead]

I think you can be very proud of the leek of skill you allready got, that orc thrower looks really good! The only way to get better is to keep practicing and look at the way other people work. 

You might want to wait a little while before you start on a huge model like the bloodthirster. But you’ll also learn a lot from painting such a large model, it is pretty different from painting a single warrior.

I’d recommend paint what excites you. Your skill will keep growing. Keep it up!

[Redking]

I recommend following the Duncan video on Warhammer TV.  I've painted two and they turned out well.

There are a lot of raised details on the model, so drybrushing works great.  Just make sure you wipe the brush thoroughly so there is very little paint and use light strokes.  This will help blend the colors and not leave any streaks.  Using the glazes and then layering will make it pop.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://m.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DnDwEGQLk6BE&ved=2ahUKEwjwz57S7trcAhVMeawKHVCzAnUQyCkwAHoECAkQBA&usg=AOvVaw3m556X7hr1z8G6aTsZwSFN

[Ravinsild]

Yeah Duncan’s video is like 1 base coat, shade, 3-4 dry brush coats, glaze, then edge highlights... I wasn’t sure if there was a way to layer it up and still have it look good. I’ve got 2 BT’s and will be eventually getting a 3rd so just wondering what all I can do. 

My end goal is to be heavy metal quality some day. 

[Redking]

Here's a reference.  Eventually, I'd like to field all of the Bloodthirsters.  However, I keep getting distracted with other stuff.

 

[Richelieu]

There are really three factors to consider when talking about the skill of a painter.

1. Technique: this is the easiest to acquire for people like me who have never spent an hour in an art class in their whole life.  Paint models and you will naturally gravitate towards a style.  For me that style is glazing because it doesn't punish my poor brush control as much as GWs Classic style.  

2.  Brush control: some people naturally have it, others have to practice practice practice.  I am in the latter category.

3.  Artistic ability:  This will develop through study and experience.  Mine is close to zero.  

The best painters excel at all three of these, but being solid at just one will allow you to produce minis that look good on a table.  I would concentrate on developing a technique your comfortable with first and foremost and start cranking out Minis.  Bigger models like BT are great for honing your skill because your mistakes are obvious and you're motivated to figure out how to improve.

[Ravinsild]

15 minutes ago, Richelieu said:

There are really three factors to consider when talking about the skill of a painter.

1. Technique: this is the easiest to acquire for people like me who have never spent an hour in an art class in their whole life.  Paint models and you will naturally gravitate towards a style.  For me that style is glazing because it doesn't punish my poor brush control as much as GWs Classic style.  

2.  Brush control: some people naturally have it, others have to practice practice practice.  I am in the latter category.

3.  Artistic ability:  This will develop through study and experience.  Mine is close to zero.  

The best painters excel at all three of these, but being solid at just one will allow you to produce minis that look good on a table.  I would concentrate on developing a technique your comfortable with first and foremost and start cranking out Minis.  Bigger models like BT are great for honing your skill because your mistakes are obvious and you're motivated to figure out how to improve.

Hell yeah! I love this break down! 

I know the technique I want but I don’t know how to get there: there’s a guy at the local GW who has the sickest blood angels army ever, it looks like a comic book drawing with bold thick lines and bright colors, everything is distinct and I would love to be able to do it like that on the ‘Eavy Metal expertise level. So that’s the style I’ve been practicing and trying to recreate on my own. 

My Brush control is ok but to me my edge highlights especially on my Thrower still look kind of squiggly. 

Luckily I have a lot of innate artistic talent and ability so that’s probably a boost! But I’ve kind of not flexed those muscles in years. 

I attached a free hand picture I drew a couple months ago, and before that I have not drawn anything since highschool and I graduated in 2007, so I guess it’s not trash considering such a long hiatus on an unused skill haha. 

 

[Richelieu]

The style you're talking about was really popular in the late 90s.  There are two ways to achieve the look.  First, always prime your models in black.  

Option 1: slow and steady.  Start very dark and keep away from edges between colors/model sections.  Always pull your brush strokes away from the edge, toward the center of the section, this way the pigment is brought to the raised area, away from the crevices that you want to keep dark.  Then build up thin, progressively lighter coats.

Option 2: quick and easy.  Base coat in color of your choice, then use a very thin black paint or wash and paint along all the crevices between model sections. Highlight as desired.  

I use option 1 followed by option 2 when I invariably mess it up.  

Here's a WiP sequitor.

[Redking]

Another trick is to keep your paints a little thinner and if you see you lines getting too thick, then quickly brush away the excess with your finger and start over.

[ten ball]

Tidy work.  ?

Keep at it and your skill levels will keep improving. 

[Bloodmaster]

First, what you have shown so far is very good, especially for your first minis! I've seen much worse from painters with years of XP under thier belt. As already pointed out, Duncans videos are a good start. He covers the basics very well and in a huge variety of models. but on the long run you want to add other sources. If you are up to a challenge start to incorporate zenital light early on, it makes stuff easier on the run, as you don't have to relearn certain approches, techniques and theories.

 

THE place for good tutorials and theorie articles is, first of all, Massive Voodoo. These dudes are spot on and some of them are real beasts with brushes.  And Roman/Jarhead repeadetly demonstrates, that you don't need a crisp clean blending for wounderfull effects. Less technique and theories, but beautifull inspiration can be found at Le Blog dé Kouzes or at stockholm warpainters. Both are more on the GW/'eavy metal side of painting stils and several of the authors are working for GW nowadays.

 

If you are mor of a video tut guy, youtube is full of good videos. Painting Buddha has some free videos up, with Ben Komets at the brush - but they are sadly out of buiseness so there is no new material coming. Also a good place to get started is the chanel of Miniac, he evolved as a painter during his youtube years and presents stuff not only in a comprehensive but also funny way.

 

But no matter where you get you infos, one thing is most important: Practice. And don't give up if you don't evolve as quick as you hope, many of the top painters have more than 10-15 years of painting under thier belt, and that is the time they where active and successful in competition. Others like David Soper where already painting in the early 90s and winning demons back in the day, and look how much they developed scince then. Its a steady process. Oh and if you have questions or want direct input feel free to PM me.

[RuneBrush]

The approach I took with my bloodthirster was brush highlighting on the flesh and drybrushing on the wings.  The end result was the flesh was pretty smooth (and good brush practise) and the wings had a slightly more rough leathery feeling.  As weird as it sounds, I generally thin my paint down with drybrushing too, which tends to help me get a much smoother finish.  For metallics I also cannot recommend enough Rub n' Buff paint for drybrushing and a soft drybrush, it's a wax based paint (so takes a while to dry and you need spirits to clean your brush) and the end result is a super smooth finish.

From the aspect of improving the first thing as has been said is very much practice like nobodies business.  The more hours of brushwork you get in, the better you'll get.  Also keep an eye out for the 'Eavy Metal Masterclasses held up at WHW.  They ran a set of 3 this year (first one was last December) and they sold out in moments - I'm keeping my eye out for anther run.

[Ravinsild]

18 hours ago, RuneBrush said:

The approach I took with my bloodthirster was brush highlighting on the flesh and drybrushing on the wings.  The end result was the flesh was pretty smooth (and good brush practise) and the wings had a slightly more rough leathery feeling.  As weird as it sounds, I generally thin my paint down with drybrushing too, which tends to help me get a much smoother finish.  For metallics I also cannot recommend enough Rub n' Buff paint for drybrushing and a soft drybrush, it's a wax based paint (so takes a while to dry and you need spirits to clean your brush) and the end result is a super smooth finish.

From the aspect of improving the first thing as has been said is very much practice like nobodies business.  The more hours of brushwork you get in, the better you'll get.  Also keep an eye out for the 'Eavy Metal Masterclasses held up at WHW.  They ran a set of 3 this year (first one was last December) and they sold out in moments - I'm keeping my eye out for anther run.

Oh wow, to go to Warhammer World 'Eavy Metal painting class would be top notch dream material.

Is Rub n' Buff a company or paint brand? I've never heard of it. What's the difference between a soft and hard drybrush? The bristle type? Also does Citadel/GW sell different kinds aside from sizes? What kind are their drybrushes? Also is brush highlighting the layering method duncan usually teaches with the like base coat, then shade, then slowly paint up with thin coats to get a brighter color and dodging all the darkest recesses? I think it makes sense for the wings to be rough and leathery because well....the plastic even looks like it's supposed to be rough and leathery, but the skin doesn't really look like it would be all that hard and leathery. I guess it just kind of looks like normal people skin, but red, and muscular. Like a body builder type skin, but red. I've tried getting my paint wet for drybrushing but that did not go well for me ?

[RuneBrush]

1 hour ago, Ravinsild said:

Oh wow, to go to Warhammer World 'Eavy Metal painting class would be top notch dream material.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed on a second run of them (selling a kidney most likely to fund it ).  One thing that is always very good (if you're in the UK at least) is going to Warhammer Fest or one of the Open Days.  Generally you've the 'Eavy Metal & Army Painter teams there who you can talk to and get advice, suggestions and inspiration.

1 hour ago, Ravinsild said:

Is Rub n' Buff a company or paint brand? I've never heard of it. 

It was a tip given to me by Mark Bedford the beginning of the year. It's the paint brand I believe.  Here's a link to the Silver one on Amazon UK - there are quite a few different colours though!

1 hour ago, Ravinsild said:

What's the difference between a soft and hard drybrush? The bristle type?

Quite literally the softness of the bristles.  Generally you can tell how soft a brush is if you gently stroke it on your lips (which are more sensitive than a finger).   GW drybrushes (they do small, medium, large & scenery) are all what I'd term "medium" softness, with the massive scenery one being fairly stiff.  Quite a few people use cheap make up brushes (not the big fluffy ones, the smaller ones) as they're really soft and ideal for drybrushing.  Always make sure you clean out your soft brushes else they'll end up a matted mess

1 hour ago, Ravinsild said:

Also is brush highlighting the layering method duncan usually teaches with the like base coat, then shade, then slowly paint up with thin coats to get a brighter color and dodging all the darkest recesses?

Sort of - I'll be honest and say that lots of people use different terminology for different things, but when building up thin coats leaving the dark in the recesses, is what I'd generally call layering.  Brush highlighting (again is pretty literal) is using a brush to apply a highlight to something.  So if you were painting a cloak you'd base coat it one colour. Wash it using a shade.  Layer thin coats and then apply a highlight to the edge of the cloak and the peaks of the folds.  Hope that makes a bit of sense.

Here's the bloodthirster I did (should be clickable for a bigger image) and I used this method on the skin.  So the veins etc were highlighted.  The horns were base coated, washed and then drybrushed up with greys.

1 hour ago, Ravinsild said:

I've tried getting my paint wet for drybrushing but that did not go well for me

The way I do it, is to put some paint onto my palette using a big brush, add a tiny amount of water to it.  You don't need much, just enough to ensure that it isn't gel like.  I'll then use a different (dry) brush for the actual drybrushing.  I tend to use blue roll or paper towel to wipe the excess paint off as it's absorbent but not fibrous.