painted my first figure!

[Jackyboy]

Hi guys and girls! Long time no see!

So I have finally gotten myself ready and organised to paint some figures! I bought cheap orcs (20p each!) from em4 miniatures to practice on and if I am any good I will do my HeroQuest figures. My friend took me through each step and he painted the figure on the right. Mine is the figure on the left. What do you guys think? I am personally very impressed with my first figure and would be happy to paint my HeroQuest figures to this standard. All comments are welcome and any tips would be greatly appreciated

Have a look

[the_nine_riders]

I think you did an excellent job!! I'm in the process of getting stuff together to start painting my minis as well.

I'm definitely inspired by your work to get started on my own!!

[StratosVX]

Looks good for a first attempt! Better than I could do.

[Goblin-King]

Very good first try. I agree, if you paint your HQ to this standard it'll be great.

Of course there are many ways to paint a model and many preferences in styles...
Personally I like to add some dark ink/wash where two parts meet. Where the shirt meets the pants. Where the arm meets the glove.
This makes the individual parts stand out more.

It's not even a hard technique. Because it's ink, it automatically flows into the crevasses where the parts meet.

[Jackyboy]

Thank you for the kind words guys I would definitely get painting! It's an amazing feeling when you shock yourself with play worthy orcs!

Goblin king - Thanks for the advice. My friend did show me how to use an ink, it was a green one used on his arms. So are you saying a dark ink in addition to using this? on the bits between where arms and feet me clothes etc?

Thanks again guys

[Goblin-King]

Inks have many uses

Just a little darkness to these areas.
Black works fine, or if you find that too bombastic, you can also use dark brown.
The secret is to add an emphasis on defining the different parts, but not overdoing it.

[Jackyboy]

wow thank you drawing where the ink needs to go! That is really good of you thanks Goblin-King. I haven't got a black ink but will buy one tomorrow. What paints do you use by the way?

[Patroclus]

Very good.

The only think I can suggest is try to put less paint on your brush. Add some water drops on your paint and you will have a thin coat without losing details.

So, the steps are: 1. Base coat with white (black for the metal parts) 2. Watered base color 3. Use dark brown wash (agrax earthshade) 4. Again with the base color (leave 1mm from every recesses) 5. And then do as many highlights as you like (or none) with a thin (with water) base color lighted with white (or yellow... it is better for green)(after every highlight let it dry and do it again even in the same spot).

For orcs I use as base color the Knarloc Green (I don't know how they call it now, but it's a dark green as yours), for wash the Agrax Earthshade (for almost everything), and for highlights I put the yellow Ivanden Darksun (I don't know the new name but every yellow will work fine).

For goblins do the same but with Moot Green as base color.

[Goblin-King]

I mostly use Games Workshop paints - However I actually won't really recommend them anymore - I have for years...
Unless you are a really fast painter, the pots simply dries up! You buy a new pot and before you know it you have a stiff muck ready to be thrown out. A £3 stiff muck that is!

THAT being said... Their inks and washes are MOST excellent and don't suffer from the above described problems. I can still recommend those with a clean conscience.
Patroculus mentions Agrax Earthshade which happens to be a GW paint. It's a great all-round paint for shading and darkening stuff. It's the one I use myself for defining shapes.
The thing about brown is that it basically mixes well with all colors, so you can use it on anything. The same goes for blacks, but it can quickly get too much.

[Jackyboy]

thank you patroclus for some great info. I used knarloc green as it goes! my friend had it in his range (funny enough he said the same thing: "I have no idea what it is called now!")

So you ink the base colour then base it again missing out where all the edges meet right? does this give the effect that goblin king is explaining with his advice?

thanks again for the info


EDIT just read goblin Kings latest post - So I see this is the advice that will give the effect which goblin king explained.

Lovely I will get that wash tomorrow