Motivation

Hi at christmas i got 70-100 awsome looking orcs but iv got no motervation to paint them because there the first models i would of painted and my mum and teachers say i suffer from low self esteem and that im a perfectionist, i want to paint them but dont want to ruin the models any tips because its the same with everything. Thanks.

Doc

I would start out with just one model if I were you. Make sure that it satisfies you and note down all the steps you took to get it to look like that.

Now repeat this on the other orks, I usually paint about five of them at the same time, allowing a lot of time for the first to dry. Make sure to get your hands on enough paint, because those are a lot of greenskins you got there!

And remember .... it's a hobby. Don't overdo yourself

G/L

Well, just embrace the fact that you will indeed most likely ruin the models, but that is not a bad thing at all. There is no way you can paint them perfectly for starters, hell, probably not even in 10 years. You will need the practice to become better and making mistakes is the inevitable way of learning. In fact, you'll learn more from your mistakes than anything. By the time you put the finishing touches to the orc #100 you will probably see a notable difference between #1 and #100. Just keep practicing and in a few years there might be new models that look even more awesome and by then, thank god, you can slap some paint on them and make them look better thanks to your experience.

Nobody paints perfectly from the beginning and very very very few ever do. And that's no bad thing. The process is meant to be fun. It's a hobby so have fun with it. Even a not perfectly painted, yet fully painted army looks a ton better than a silver/grey/black primed one.

So jump into it. Post photos and ask for tips to improve your skills if it helps and encourages you. But have fun whatever you do!

1) Realize that like with anything in life, superior results requires practice. And since nobody produces expert results right out of the gate, if you want to be a good painter you have to be willing to work at it for a long while before you finally achieve expert results.

2) Make sure you have the correct tools. You should only paint in good light. And by good light, I mean a desk lamp 12 to 18 inches from your workspace. Do not rely on either overhead lights or sunlight. Also, make sure you have the correct brushes: fine brushes for detail work and larger brushes for grunt work. Keep those brushes in good repair by cleaning them often in clean water. Try not to let the paint get any further than 2/3rds up the brush hairs of the brush. Otherwise, paint will get into the ferrule, dry, and ruin the brush. Change your water often. Change your water each time you are done painting a metallic color or else flecks of that paint will find their way into your non-metallics. At the end of a painting session, clean your brushes with water and shampoo. Also note that you don't have to spring for expensive Games Workshop brushes. I buy all of my brushes from local craft supply stores at a fraction of the price GW sells them for.

3) Use good techniques. First, make sure your model has a good, smooth coat of primer on it. You can find tips on applying primer by doing a Google search. If you screw up the primer, strip the model and start over. Next, it is important to note that most people do not have hands steady enough for detail work. Consequently, when you paint rest the sides of your hands, your wrists or forearm on your painting table. Also, never paint straight out of the pot. Instead, use a toothpick to transfer the paint to a non-porous pallet (I use small sheets of aluminum foil) and then slightly thin the paint with a small amount of water. Applying 2 or more thin layers of paint will produce smoother results than one thick layer. Also, paint thinned to the correct consistency will give you better control of where that paint goes. Finally, pay close attention to 'brush load.' This is defined as both the amount of paint AND the shape that the paint makes on the tip of your brush. Too much paint or paint that is too thick creates a blob on the tip of the brush and reduces your control.
For detail work, keep the tip of your 'loaded' brush finely pointed. As a general rule, the smaller the detail you paint, the less paint you want on your brush.

4) Start with the basics. I always recommend that a painter learn to paint clean (i.e. staying within the lines) before he or she moves on to more sophisticated techniques. A model that is painted cleanly but with basic techniques will look better than a model painted sloppily with more sophisticated techniques. Also note that nobody can stay 'within the lines' 100% of the time. So when you do paint 'outside the lines,' and you will, after the paint dries go back and fix the mistakes. This can be done by first applying a very thin coat of white to the mistake, and then once that is dry, paint over it with the correct color. Repeat this process as many times as necessary. I for one make tons of mistakes and find myself repeatedly going back afterward and fixing them.

One thing I am attempting to make a rule for myself is painting up my henchmen first, and saving my heroes for last. They are normally my real motivation to finish painting my warband, and they're the ones I want to look the best.

The others have given plenty of good advice, so I would just like to add the following: If you're playing sometime in the near future, make up a plan for a small force of greenskins. I find that when you know that you're going to use the models in a month or so, you find more motivation to actually paint them. So, if you know what thirty or forty models you are going to use, you might find it easier to start painting them! Good luck, and have fun!

I recommend starting with the metal models! They clean off easier than the plastics, should you have to strip them. :3

I bought about 1,000 points worth of High Elves back from the 3rd/4th edition days, about 15 years ago. I painted them up with mostly flat colors, using far too much paint straight out of the pots, and generally made a mess of things.

About two years ago, I dug them all out, stripped off the paint, bought some new models to go with them, and I've been having a blast painting them and have surprised myself at the growth I've made. Looking back on my old models, they're very poor by comparison, but if I hadn't done them, I'd have never amassed the experience required to do anything greater. That, and now I have a whole bunch of models that most people can't acquire easily any longer.

I fully expect that in another 5 to 10 years, I'll strip the paint off yet again, and do an even greater job on them, and I'll look back on my work with the same feelings. I'm a perfectionist at heart as well, but the sooner I realized that true perfection doesn't exist, the better off I was.

You can always get better in anything, and if you think you can't, you've just temporarily plateaued or you're just plain arrogant. Similarly, if you think you can't do something, well that's just not true - what one man can do, so can another. It's just a matter of time, effort, patience, searching out better methods, and inevitable f**k-ups. If you can survive that, it doesn't really matter what level you're at or if you're moving at a slower pace than those around you. Compare yourself to your former self, and provided you put in the daily effort, you'll always make progress.

Keep in mind that the rockier your start, the more opportunities you have to learn what doesn't work. The person who experiences the most difficulty, provided he can stick with it, has far more knowledge and experience than someone who coasts along on potential and natural ability. Just save your models and keep in mind that they can be easily and safely stripped with simple household cleaners (there are guides on every forum) - you really don't have to fear wrecking the models in the slightest.

Finally, I'm available to shout 80's slogans, catch phrases, and movie/infomercial quotes at you via messenger. Master your ass! Reach over the top! Onward and upward! One step at a time! Don't fear failure! Death smiles at us all, all a man can do is smile back! Freedoooooooom!!!

What you could do is go to your local GW shop and ask them for some painting lessons. In my experience the peeps that work tehre are very helpful. Or maybe you can paint with a friend that has some experience and can give some hints and tips.

But the most important thing is to just... paint! Grab a model you don't like so it's not so bad to mess it up and do some experimentation. I also did 4 or 5 testers before I was satisfied with the colorscheme of my beastmen.

Get some fellow painters together to start paintin'. When I started painting (back in the ol' days) we had a group of 4 guys painting and we got together regularly (once or even twice a week, man I had some spare time back then). This also gives you a good solid trigger to keep painting. Some good music to go with the painting and of course some snacks (we tried beer but that was no good for me). I had some really good painting evenings (nights when we were on a roll!).

Well, I'll reiterate that no one's perfect on their first attempt at painting, and Koyote's probably really onto something with his 4th point (for starters, it's fine to just paint "within the lines"). Don't worry about drybrushing, highlighting, washes, etc. etc. just yet. Doing this will give you a little experience just in terms of how to hold your brush, make strokes, how much paint to get on there, and so on and so forth. Also, having done that, you will have a good base to return to, should you want to try some of the more advanced techniques later on.

One little trick that I can offer - if you do start out by block painting, a technique called blacklining can make a big difference. The idea is simply that you leave a very thin, small amount of black undercoat between two areas that are supposed to be different colors. This will accentuate some details, and give the model a bit more depth.

I don't think that I could add anything to what's already been said other than this: No matter what, never, EVER, get rid of the first model you ever paint. Don't re-paint it, don't throw it out, don't sell it, nothing like that. Keep it where you paint, in plain sight.

I've been painting for fifteen years now, and I still have that first Empire/Tilean Swordsman sitting on my desk. It's worth it just to see how far you've come.

Grumm999 wrote:

I don't think that I could add anything to what's already been said other than this: No matter what, never, EVER, get rid of the first model you ever paint. Don't re-paint it, don't throw it out, don't sell it, nothing like that. Keep it where you paint, in plain sight.

I've been painting for fifteen years now, and I still have that first Empire/Tilean Swordsman sitting on my desk. It's worth it just to see how far you've come.

WELL SAID!!!

Remember that if you screw up it's only paint and can be painted over as many times as is necessary. Also inks are your best friend for greenskins. Plain green basecoat + green ink + drybrush will give you a very nice model with very little effort and not much skill needed. Good luck!

I just slaped the paint on no undercoats or any thing like that (hell I still don't do undercoats, and I'v beed painting for three years!) Just go with your gut and paint them how you want. If it looks like crap keep at it, by the 2nd year you'll be a pro

sartori wrote:

One thing I am attempting to make a rule for myself is painting up my henchmen first, and saving my heroes for last. They are normally my real motivation to finish painting my warband, and they're the ones I want to look the best.

GOOD IDEA! I've seen quite a few armies & war bands whose "elite" units are the WORST, MOST GOD AWFUL minis in the collection.
I also can't add much to the pearls of wisdom already laid before you, but I will anyway: If you can, post WIP photos for advice &, more importantly, some kind words of encouragement. There IS NO SUCH THING AS PERFECT; believe that you can do ANYTHING & you probably will come pretty close to achieving it. SO...go get 'em!