My miniatures... - so far!

[WhatGravitas]

Okay... these are basically my first attempts at painting (technically, a friend taught me painting on a GW dwarf, but these are first minis I've painted on my own):

I've sorted them chronologically, with the leftmost one being the first (on the first picture).
[sblock=Minis are here]

[/sblock]
I cannot draw a face, because I'm utterly unable to paint the eyes with accuracy... but I'm practising. It get's better. As well as my drybrushing and washing techniques. And yeah, my photographing.

Tips, constructive criticism or helpful advice?

Additionally: Thanks, pogre, for ypur great minis and advice threads... they were as inspirational as helpful! (in fact, I've seen the lich there the first time and decided to get it!)

Cheers, LT.

 

[Ravenknight]

If these are your first minis, I see no reason to complain. I for one don´t like drybrushing, prefere to paint the highlights, and then use a darker wash even it out.

If anything I think your minis could use more contrast between light and shadow. Especially the blue robe and the two wizards faces. In any case they look really good for a first try at painting and should look good on the gaming table. My own first steps looked terrible.

Just keep up the good work.

 

[Xath]

...yeah. I've been painting for 3 years now, and I don't know how to dry-brush, highlight, or do washes.

So..I think you're good.

 

[GlassJaw]

...yeah. I've been painting for 3 years now, and I don't know how to dry-brush, highlight, or do washes.

So..I think you're good.

Have you read some tutorials? There are a lot of good online resources.

 

[tzor]

Okay... these are basically my first attempts at painting

Not bad really for the first attempt. I notice the first mini has a fairly accurate eye, (you might not think so, but if you see good eyes they are typically done in the exact opposite way you might think they were done) and that's good. We can go into a number of techniques and stuff and ideas, but really the first step is good brush control.

I guess I would be remiss if I didn't add the mantra "thin your paints." (Yea but I thinned my paints so much it started eating through the primer!) It all dpends on the paint of course, but if you really really thin your paint you can create a "wash" which you can apply after the regular paint. Basically you can over highlight and over shadow and tone the whole thing down with a neutral wash.

Another thing is that detail on a mini really helps you in painting. Look at the first mini on the left. The details on the light blue are on the borderline of being observable to a casual observer. Here is where a light highlight and shadow can do a world of good.

Always remember that the odds are if there are 10 things on a mini, you will only see 9 of them. On the red guy with quarterstaff, there should be some "wood" where his hand is as there appears to be two wraps not one where his hand is.

The skeletal guy is very good by the way.

 

[WhatGravitas]

I guess I would be remiss if I didn't add the mantra "thin your paints." (Yea but I thinned my paints so much it started eating through the primer!) It all dpends on the paint of course, but if you really really thin your paint you can create a "wash" which you can apply after the regular paint. Basically you can over highlight and over shadow and tone the whole thing down with a neutral wash.

Oooh, thinning paint: I'm thinning a bit, but probably I should thin waaay more! Thanks.

Always remember that the odds are if there are 10 things on a mini, you will only see 9 of them. On the red guy with quarterstaff, there should be some "wood" where his hand is as there appears to be two wraps not one where his hand is.

Oops. I need to be more observant... probably, I should search for more pictures of miniatures to paint. It was pogre's mini of the lich, that made me aware of the exposed bones.

Good advice on these boards here!

Cheers, LT.

 

[pogre]

Hey LT,

You are way ahead of the game. These are outstanding for first minis - you should be very encouraged. Solid basework and good color choices. I like the eyes on your lich a lot.

Blending, etc. will come, but for now just keep on painting.

Well done!

EDIT: Go back and fix your title - these are not bad at all.

 

[WhatGravitas]

Some new stuff... both are Reaper minis, the wizard was found in a bargain bin for £1, so I couldn't resist.
[sblock=Pictures are here]

[/sblock]
The photo is worse, because it's another camera, and in my flat here, I don't get decent lighting. Well... at least I figured out how to paint proper eyes on the wizard. And dabbled a bit in blending for the purple part of his robe.

Oh, and I still have to put them on a proper base... but I'll do that later.

Cheers, LT.

 

[el-remmen]

Those are great from where I am sitting. . . but then again, I can't paint a mini to save my life.

Having seen my friends start up painting and improve with each mini, I have to say you are way ahead of most folks' "first minis".

 

[WhatGravitas]

Having seen my friends start up painting and improve with each mini, I have to say you are way ahead of most folks' "first minis".

Hmmm... I guess I had somewhat of a headstart, since I've used to paint with acrylics (albeit on canvas, instead of miniatures) sometimes. Well, since today was a Sunday (i.e. a free day), I could pour about four to five hours into another miniature - one of my favourite critters, a mind flayer!
[sblock=Mind Flayer]

[/sblock]

This time, I've went through much more layers for the blending and I'm quite content with the result.

And because I could find an extra lamp for the picture, I've shot the knight and wizard again, with better lighting and updated the post above.