Model Paint!
 

I love playing 40k but I am a fantasy nerd at heart, so when I found my old DND miniatures and 4e demanded them, I thought it would be for the best if I painted up a few PCs.

So I did.

I've also had some fun doing Tyranids for 40k, pictured Here.

Also my new Eldar army, pictured here.

Show me your paintings!

Those look really nice! I really like the guy with the cape. I tried my hand at model painting this summer with my brother and it's a lot harder than it looks! But yours look really good. How small of a paintbrush do you use? Do you usually paint one color, let it dry, and then do another on top?

Anyway, great job!

Those are really great! I especially liked the Tyranids. Really good color scheme there.

I've always wanted to get into miniature painting (because I'm a big nerd) but I don't know where to get unpainted ones for DnD...and because 40K minis are ungodly expensive and I'm perpetually poor...

Kudos, though, color me impressed.

I attempted to show you some of my PCs I painted up, some of which I am very proud of the details I got on, including a beard/moustache, etchings on a sword, laces on boots, and pupils done with a needle dipped in ink.

But my damned digital camera blurs out too much when I got close to it, or too far, or try to zoom.

SO the best I can do, is tell you that your stuff looks great, and that you have a lot more miniatures done than me, but I end up spending a week or more on one miniature. I never got a 40K army in table-shape before everyone stopped playing, so now I get nowhere with it. And I have an army of unfinished minatures tailored to characters or campaigns that got nowhere. So, youre definately doing great on that!

I can recommend, however, that citadel paint, while very premium grade, isnt totally necessary! Its about 4x the cost of ordinary acryllic paints that actually do just as good. The main thing you get with Citadel thats hard to find elsewhere is really great looking metals. Also, if you havent already; take some of that money and invest in 30/0 brushes and some brush oil to preserve them. Nothing details better!

Also? A spray can of Krylon Crystal Clear Matte clear coat. Its not shiny at all, too thick or runny. It totally preserves the colors. In essence you cant tell it there at all. A coat (or two) of this stuff, and every single detail of your minature is preserved, it wont chip, or scratch, or bleed with water. Ive tested it on a 6 foot drop. Just whatever you do, dont touch it when its drying. It literally bonds into the paint, so it will smear if touched. After that though, even the finest details are set in stone. I love the shit!

D'oh, forgot they have names.

The dude in the checkered tabard is Orim, This is Darren, Alex the Warlord Captain, and Drake the rogue.

Also, I am so absurdly happy with the tabard I can't even begin to tell you guys.

Why thank you.

I have several different brushes - for the basic coat I have a wider brush tip, and for precise detailing like the eyepatch on Darren or the shoulder strap clasp on Alex I have a super-fine brush that has stiff bristles. I usually paint, wait about five minutes for detail painting or ten for entire body-coats, and work from there.

I can't claim all the credit, I had lots of tutorials from the Warhammer gang around here - the platemail on Alex and the chainmail on Drake are both a neat trick I learned. If you paint it black and then paint silver over it, it looks more realistic (Since linked chains usually are kind of dark inside).

Funny thing about Darren; his staff originally had a giant pigface on the end. Like, no joke, there was a snout and ears and everything. I put a big wad of putty on the end, painted it white, then used purple ink in one watery coat and gave it a liberal gloss varnish to finish.

Paints I use are all of the Citadel paints for use with 40k and Fantasy models. I happened to have enough from my time building Eldar and Tyranids that I could paint the DND guys with no new purchases. I would go get more acrylic paints but I've already got like 40 bucks worth of pots, and they're all still really full. I'm a fantasy nerd at heart so I can't wait to get started on my Wood Elves Fantasy army.

You mentioned you liked Alexander's cape, it was loads of fun. Drybrushing is where you dip some paint, wipe it off into the can, then start to wipe it off the rest of the way onto a piece of tissue or paper towel until there's only the smallest amount. Then just brush over it gently until you get a three-dimensional effect. It was how I got the red/bright red/orangey look on Darren's cloak.

An extension of that is edging, where you prepare a dry brush but instead paint parallel to the groove of the brush. It was how I did Alex's cape. Also, damn, this is confusing to explain over the 'net.

And seriously I am so happy with Orim's tabard you guys, you don't even know, but I'm going to tell you again.
Ugh, I know, but he was all out when I went to go pick up some. These guys are chipping like crazy so I need to get some ASAP. I need to use them on my Eldar especially, since I'm starting to get worried about them fading.

Well, thats why I was recommending shopping around when you have a bit more cash. The Citadel Paints are $2.50-$4 for little pots, and the 'Foundations' series can go for more. Thats fine, but they are little pots! But I will say, that if you already got them, they are a good purchase. Its not too thick, with strong pigmentation, and 'sticks' well. It IS a premium paint.

As for painting tricks. Use dark primer for grittier models, like DND ones, or Orks, Space Marines, and the like. Use light primer for the knights in (literally) shining armor, Tau, Eldar, etc. And again, Citadel is the best, but look to pay upwards of $7 for a full sized spray can of it. Armorty Paints, at most game shops, is a good second. This is one situation I dont recommend going to a craft store or hardware shop for cheap stuff. Its just too thick. Use primer of the proper color because it does tend to show through a little bit, and obscure details you might not be able to reach with a brush are at least the right contrast (dark or light) and dont stick out.
Mix water with paints to make it go into cracks. Or use ink, it works better. Thats for the lines between the plates in armor, like the Space Marines, Eldar, and Tau often have. And again, right color of primer and you wont even have to worry about it.
Dry your brush out by wiping most of the paint off for getting the high details, like ornamentation, chainmail, etc.
You can also mix white or black in witrh your paint (or since youre using citadel, another shade of the same color). That allows you to make a more realistic model. Its hard to do on pewter DND miniatures, but its prime stuff on 40K models. They have LOTS of blank space, to throw on dirty armor effects, bright highlights, etc. Best advice I can give is to experiment. You can always paint over it, if you dont like it.

Truth be told, I am actually better at modding miniatures to make them unique than anything else. For this, I cant recommend anything better than Loctite Super Glue Gel for stubborn pieces that wont stay stuck (or anything, this stuff is STRONG, and sticks FAST). Krazy Glue is good too. At first looik, it doesnt seem like its that strong, but it sticks fast, and does suprize you how strong it is. Basic modelling glue is fine, but it doesnt do crap on Pewter, and melts plastics slightly. And its a sticky mess.
For chopping and modding peices to fit (and look good) where they werent meant to go, I actually use a Dremel tool. Everything else, an X-Acto Knife, and a 1/4" file set. I use the files to remove mold lines and defects, rather than a knife. You dont put knicks and the like in there with a file. They are also good for shaping peices by removing material, should I decide the dremel is overkill. To put together heavy Pewters, like my Dreadz, Warchief, and Mega Armor Nobz, beleive it or not: 1,500lb. Epoxy. But god is it messy. But you get a bond that needs to be cut off.

Thats all I know!

Im an Amateur (very, very amateur) Painter. I play 40k a bit, when I can aford to, but mostly I just convert/repaint D&D minis. my latest project is making all of my favorite characters from the Gleemax Roleplaying area on the WotC website.
This is Darkdragon, my character.

I...I want 12.

Well painting tons of squads sucks anyway, unique models are fun.

And god, Eldar tanks were awesome in the beginning but holy christ, everything is based on the Falcon and I'm getting tired of painting them.