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Painting Mini's

jeddy leejeddy lee Registered User regular
edited January 2010 in Help / Advice Forum
I recently aquired through Ebay a piece of my childhood, the Milton Bradley published, Games Workshop designed gem "HeroQuest". The game features a lot of plastic mini's that could do with some paint, and though I've done a lot of gaming, and a lot of artwork in my life, I've never painted mini's.

here's what the game looks like:

pic229637_md.jpg

So what are some good resources for diving right in to learning how to paint mini's from scratch? I realize that due to these having limited detail and my lack of skill, they will never be the works of art that some people throw on the 40k table, but it would still be nice to have some color other than red for good guys, grey/green for bad guys, know what I mean?

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Posts

  • MoSiAcMoSiAc Registered User regular
    edited January 2010
    There used to be a thread dedicated to painting mini's in the Critical Failures section of the forum. I would check there for some basic tips and paint advice. If it's still there.

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  • CorporateLogoCorporateLogo The toilet knows how I feelRegistered User regular
    edited January 2010
    This is the thread in question:

    http://forums.penny-arcade.com/showthread.php?t=101731

    It has a lot of good advice and links for people just starting out.

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  • SpindizzySpindizzy Registered User regular
    edited January 2010
    The first tip would be to undercoat those bad boys - painting onto red plastic will be soul destroying, white or black depending on your tastes, matt car spray can be used if you can't get GW's spray paints, or watered down white and black out the pot.

    Painting with acrylics on models is alot like using watercolours. If you can get games workshop paints using their inks range is a great way to bring out detail quickly. Also GW do metalic paints so that takes alot of pain from painting metal etc.

    I'd also recommend going over the models with a scalpel/modelling knife to remove seams and other imperfections which will make a smoother paint job much easier.

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  • jeddy leejeddy lee Registered User regular
    edited January 2010
    Any reccomendations on some beginers kits with a couple brushes, primer, and a selection of paints?

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    PS2
    FF X replay

    PS3
    God of War 1&2 HD
    Rachet and Clank Future
    MGS 4
    Prince of Persia

    360
    Bayonetta
    Fable 3

    DS
    FF: 4 heroes of light
  • SpindizzySpindizzy Registered User regular
    edited January 2010
    I'd recommend the GW paint and brushes - really the best thing for their own stuff. I can't seem to find a gamesworkshop in Alaska but i'm sure they'd ship there. They do beginner kits with the basic colors, i'd recommend a black ink too.

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  • NogsNogs Crap, crap, mega crap. Crap, crap, mega crap.Registered User regular
    edited January 2010
    Watch every video on this youtube channel.

    i guarantee you will become a miniature master

    http://www.youtube.com/user/miniwargaming?blend=1&ob=4&rclk=cti

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  • iMattiMatt Registered User regular
    edited January 2010
    Hero Quest! Jesus I'd forgotten that - the teenage hours I sunk into that thing!

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  • MrDelishMrDelish Registered User regular
    edited January 2010
    Spindizzy wrote: »
    I'd recommend the GW paint and brushes - really the best thing for their own stuff. I can't seem to find a gamesworkshop in Alaska but i'm sure they'd ship there. They do beginner kits with the basic colors, i'd recommend a black ink too.

    GW paints are great, but I use the cheapest black spray paint I can find at Wal-Mart and buy my brushes at anywhere but GW since they and GW's spray paint are so expensive.

    I haven't painted anything recently, but these are some of my dudes, just so you know they don't look terrible:

    cassius.jpg

    edit: you'll also want a clear spray paint so you can coat the figures after you're done painting them. Also regarding brushes, I pretty much just use one very small brush (for eyes), one small brush, and one slightly less small. You may need to buy several sizes and experiment with them to tell which suits your painting style.

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  • WheezerWheezer Registered User regular
    edited January 2010
    One thing I would like to point out is how fast one progresses while painting miniatures. The first miniatures most of the time look very very amaturish at best after one has painted for a while. I would ask you to reconsider - finding a decent condition Hero Quest is a feat in and of itself. Perhaps you could paint something else as a starter?

    My point is after you practice on the HQ set and progress you will either spend a lot of effort removing paint which is a hassle, or just be unhappy about how it looks.

    I recently found a Hero Quest at a local flea market for 5 euros and it came with both expansions released in Europe. I've played it with my friends and the game stands on it's on feet apart from nostalgia, but at least for me a part of the nostalgia is how the figures appear on the board. Nobody had a painted HQ as a child.

    As for painting advice, I don't have a specific link to give, but start with getting even solid colors - water down your paints enough so that they are easy to spread and use thin layers. The whole thing takes patience at first but you won't need a lot of equipment.

    As for brushes your local hobby shop will be happy to help. You will want a natural hair brush of size 1 and perhaps one size 0 for details. For larger miniatures you will wan't a bigger brush, look at a size 3. If you have a size 0 brush with a good tip you won't need a 00. The reason I don't recommend GW brushes is the cost; hobby shops will sell just as good or better brushes for less (that doesn't mean GW doesn't sell good brushes, if you don't mind the price they do what they are supposed to.)

    Remember to prime your miniatures. Unless you plan on especially light colors, a few thin coats of black spray will do just fine. GW sells primer spray, but your local hobby shop should be happy to help too. If in doubt test on a piece of similar plastic that isn't a miniature and don't spray too close.

    But in the end it just takes practice and then some. Have fun with your game!

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  • BelruelBelruel NARUTO FUCKS Registered User regular
    edited January 2010
    as for paintbrushes, if you can get a small kit of gw brushes for cheap, do so, but if you can't, just go to a local art supply store and check out their clearance brush section, i have gotten some for really cheap there, and usually if you are careful they are a lot better quality too.

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  • CorporateLogoCorporateLogo The toilet knows how I feelRegistered User regular
    edited January 2010
    Yeah, don't buy GW brushes/spray primer, they can be obtained much cheaper and usually better quality.

    Get a can of Krylon primer at Kmart/Walmart/Target/so on, it's a third of what GW spray primer costs and it works just as well. Just be sure to get the flat primers.

    Other companies that sell good paints: Reaper, Vallejo, Privateer Press(PP's metallics are terrible, though). You'll likely have to buy those online if there isn't a gaming store anywhere near you. I prefer Vallejo/Reaper, the dropper bottles are much more convenient than the pop cap bottles from GW/PP.

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  • WheezerWheezer Registered User regular
    edited January 2010
    Yes, Vallejo sells excellent paint, cheaper than GW. Regardless, OP, make sure you buy water soluble paint, you don't want to mess around with a thinning agent early on.

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  • CrowlestonCrowleston Registered User regular
    edited January 2010
    I have used 35 cent craft acrylics with nylon brushes and a clear glaze on top and ive seen little difference between the cheap paints i use and the model paints, (in quality that is)

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  • Peter PrinciplePeter Principle Registered User regular
    edited January 2010
    Best place I've found for paints is Wal-Mart. Get the Applebarrel waterbased paints in the hobby & craft section. You could probably find them at a Michaels, too (if they have those up in Alaska). Last I checked (1999, admittedly) they were about a buck a bottle. Unless you're going to be heroically productive the small 2 oz bottle will be handed down to your children. Water based paints from hobbyshops run...what, 3-5 bucks a bottle? Ridiculous.

    The nice thing about the Apple Barrel paints is that you can pop open the lid right there in the store and actually look at the paint and see if it's the color you want.

    I think I got my paint brushes at RPG hobby shops for the most part, but you don't need to buy 20+ brushes, so $3-5 for a brush is tolerable. Now, I'd probably buy those at Wal-Mart, too.

    For other basic supplies, you'll want a container full of water for washing brushes and a something to blot your brushes with. I used paper towels for the longest time, but the best I found were pieces of foam rubber - which, conveniently, usually came with the packages of lead figures I bought.

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