12 SIGNS you are a BETTER miniature painter than you THINK

[@TheeYellowDart]

Coming from a scale model background I can say that I continue to use washes, shades, oils and dry brushing a lot. I even enjoy the heck out of my modified "slap chop" where I use my airbrush to blend the chalkiness. I'm no artist, I don't have the eye for it like some of my friends do. But I am content with what I create. I get a lot of joy out of painting minis. This isn't to say I won't try new things...but I am happy being with the other 95%

[@asafoetidajones8181]

I'm easily a better mini painter than 99% of people. 99% percent of people who paint minis? Mm, not so much.

[@GunMaster114]

me who paints for i think 3 years now still smothering everything in null oil xD but i still like my results then bc they feel way darker and kinda more fitting in to the grim dark theme atleast for me xD

[@Uratoh42]

I hit most of these, I was surprised. I am however hopelessly addicted to nuln oil, and lately I've just been painting Dark Angels for relaxation instead of currently making my own color schemes (though I have in the past). I suppose I'm at a weird point where I could improve further but I'm not massively inclined to due to generally painting for relaxation currently. I did hit far more of these than I thought I would, though!

[@vladimirpotrosky7855]

Incredible timing on this video. I just won my first painting competition award today! I was honestly stunned by how far my painting has come, and how good it looks when compared to models that AREN'T the online beast painters. It's easy to lose perspective on your own work. But I would say I solidly have 10-11 of the things on your list! It's so exciting to hear such a great artist confirm that I'm on the right track.

[@ataraxiapainting]

Oh dude!! Congrats!! Ye social media comparison is definitely bad… also taking pics can be hard and usually big painters know how to do it better than most..

[@cwj138]

Consistency one is big, you explain well. Sometimes get really happy with a mini at 3 hours spent, other times I spend that long doing over and over and still never happy.

[@vandals4873]

This my favorite inspiration channel. You help me finish my armies!

[@PeteOfDarkness]

Sign no.0 - you paint your minis more than 3 colors and do any basing. Also known as "Battle Ready". And you actually have fun while doing that! You would be surprised how much people go with grey minis and how much people hate painting. If you paint and don't consider it a chore, you're already waaaaay ahead.

[@AngusMcIntyre]

playing against grey knights is the worst. I really struggle to differentiate unpainted models.

[@PeteOfDarkness]

@@AngusMcIntyre Every army is "Grey Knights" without paint!

[@TheGiltanas]

I am bad painter. Pretty much all time beginer. I have little time to paint and so I progress slowly. I have finished only handful of miniatures, and many of those with speed paints (Vallejo Xpress to be precise) and all I learned from it that I want to paint by hand. It does not feel good when I am done. So I started painting by laying and even if it hasn’t come out as good as I wanted - I was happy to managed what I wanted to do. Only time I was happy with speed paints was when I base coated space marine with black gunmetal, dry brushed silver highlights and than put Xpress color over it (metalic slap chop). I loved how it came out and it was something I couldn’t achieve withe techniques I know. To say it short. Painting the “proper” way is much slower, but it brings much more joy to me. Though its about what one needs from it. I will probably never be able to field painted army :)

[@Offpalettepainting]

I like your channel cause it reminds me of Bill Nye, the science guy and his energy he had on his show, with a passion to teach people, and I appreciate your videos cause it’s not always a guide to paint something but more of the day in the life of miniature painting

[@miguelcm8812]

Thanks a lot, Ataraxia, I really needed to hear that I'm going the good way

[@ataraxiapainting]

You’re very welcome 😉

[@reflexdogtraining1337]

Great video - I think a lot of us needed to hear this

[@soupcake3092]

I do still use washes for most of my models. I'm an artist before a gamer but I still paint to have armies. When I do paint a special model tho i do like to use actual shading instead.

[@soupcake3092]

then there's 16 year old me. (4 base colours, no dry brushing, no highlights, no shades) "Wow that's really good, I don't think there's any way I could improve on this." My psychological issue was struggling to feel i was improving. I didn't remember how good my old paintjobs were, just how happy i was with them, which was pretty happy. But after digging up my old models and looking at them recently i can see I've improved alot.

[@jorgemontero6384]

I am very disappointed by the mention of 'not use nuln oil', because washes are still very useful in relatively high level painting when you are in a bit of a rush. Yes, you aren't going to just be overloading a big brush and drenching the entire miniature in a wash with no control, but there's still many reasons to go fetch the shades, if just because they are already close to the consistency you want. And there are areas where they almost always win anyway: Chainmails? Furs? I ain't shading the whole thing from first principles, just start with a shade then fix it. Sometimes it even saves time in other areas, as you can go too light with the basecoat, and then treat the shade as a glaze that gives you the actual midtone you wanted in the first place. Nuln oil itself is rarely the right one to use, because it's so boring, but something like Athonian Camoshade or Carroburg crimson will be used in parts of competition-winning entries.

[@ataraxiapainting]

Yes yes, I understand that! It’s more of a general thing, like you aren’t relying ONLY on washes to paint your models. I mostly use contrast paints for Metallics and stuff like that, but I didn’t mention it because I was afraid of being confusing! Thanks for the input!

[@rccarguy3696]

Hey….I like slap chop and null oil! 😢 Actually, I use different methods for different models depending on what style I’m looking for. I even bought a set of AP speedpaints! 🙂

[@thanasisgeronimos9124]

all these i already know , but many of these steps apply to people who want to go to pro painter as a full time job...for me that i already have a 10-6 job the ammount of time that these techniques are not feeasble ...there is simply not enough time to do all that...i do some of that depending on what i am painting...but usually i cut corners...then again i dont go for Golden Demon

[@Warghoul]

I have a ton of regular acrylic paints and won’t be slap chopping any time soon.

[@scytheme]

10 of 12. I am getting there. Fabulous vid and great for level check!

[@joelpaultre7440]

The only thing I do well while painting is pick colors

[@Warghoul]

Love that dark angel NMM!!❤

[@kenupton4084]

If you have painted a 2000 point 40k army, you are better than 99% of mini painters.

[@ataraxiapainting]

I swear I have done that before and painting the same thing over and over didn’t make me a good painter sadly

[@nilvenet1346]

Cool video thanks :)

[@zeus5136]

05:26 that's what she sai... what a second!!!!!

[@wizardof54]

I just discovered your channel and love it, almost saw all videos ! Grazie mile ! I just might have one question regarding this one specially : I would like to move from drybrush+contrast into layering but it is hard for me to know which specific color to buy, do you have any advise of good pack for exemple ? Grazie

[@ataraxiapainting]

Thanks!!! So I think army painter has a smart system for beginners with the triads, but I never actually tried the range. I have a video on this topic tho, something like “don’t buy any paints before you know this” or something! Should be on my channel somewhere!!

[@wizardof54]

@@ataraxiapainting Lo trovato, grazie ! Sto guardando i Army Painter e chredo che vado a comprare il "Fanatic Most Wanted Set" (ci sono due tinte per colori)

[@highlordalcadizakyr1479]

people pls dont stop useing dry brushing and washes, thats a realy bad advice, just practice and get better in this techniques, there are planty of ultra high lvl painters that use these and no i dont mean byron when i say high lvl

[@ataraxiapainting]

Never said to stop dry brushing and for washing it was just meant as general advice to try to place the shadows yourself :)

[@necpwnz]

Can you name some works of ultra high level painters that used washes and drybrushing in thier ultra level work?

[@highlordalcadizakyr1479]

@@necpwnz Kirill Kanaev and Bogusz Bohun Stupnicki are using dry brushing in their work. josedavinci, Sergio Calvo and marco frisoni do use washes in different forms

[@necpwnz]

@@highlordalcadizakyr1479 My friend, Jose and Marco painting units (!) at a time and practice/teaching speed painting. It is not an "ultra level" of painting. Sergio never uses washes(and drybrush) in any ways, only glazes and actually never using "shade" bottles of any kinds in a years. Cannot say for Stupnicki. About Kirill, I know him in person AND I asked him in person and NO, he almost NEVER using drybrush and washes in his works. He will not tell you WHEN he last used this techniques. So Iam afraid you are not quite right. For total beginner, Marco speedpaints also looks like very high level paintjob (which it actually is), but I cannot say his speedpaints are ultra level ones. Do not take this as an offence, I just know what Iam saying mate :)

[@highlordalcadizakyr1479]

​@@necpwnz i literally saw a video of sergio useing drybrushing and washing in the same video 9 month ago, iam not linking it here, you have to find it by your self. and what does almost mean? i never said they use it in every work, but do they use it? yes they do, techniques are tools in your arsenal and u have to know when to use it

[@HappyHobbying]

Great video! Made me feel like I might actually be a decent painter 😂

[@szolek5688]

4:53 hnngh, that green. Any chances for you telling us recipe?

[@KingWodan]

I'm the 5% finally :(

[@channelsofash]

If you are knocking down the pile of shame then you are more artist than the people who only let the pile grow. If your stuff looks better than the WizKids pre-painted figures, then congrats you aren't bad. But saying you can't use tools like washes seems like it is discouraging people because it's treading too close to ideas like you aren't a real painter if you use slap chop to paint up 40 goblins.

[@ataraxiapainting]

You clearly missed the point

[@channelsofash]

@@ataraxiapainting encouragement is great and we have all needed the stop fretting over every mistake and look at all you did right talk. But people can get weird like the guy who gave me a hard time for saying someone's work was table top awesome.

[@MagkeitoMaten]

I never used washes they are to expensive lol

[@Hawkseir]

You're only annoying when you're right. I haven't read other comments, so I hope I'm not the only one to say this.

[@mutejoe]

❤

[@LuciusEvil]

PRIMOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@Walican132]

What was that naked vampire/demon model at 0:20

[@ataraxiapainting]

Mindwork games the witch but I think it’s out of production sadly :(

[@shanewebb5561]

What paints did you use on the model?

[@electrictrojan6719]

One of the most powerful sales techniques is encouraging people to think they're better than others for taking a certain action. "Successful people never rent, so get a mortgage!!!"

[@ataraxiapainting]

Is that a good thing or a bad thing??? Sryy I’m dumby

[@tanman729]

umm first point you talk about mastering edge highlighting and then in the clip you're not doing it right? its not edge highlighting because you're highlighting the edge, you use the edge of your brush instead of the tip and catch the edges of the panel or whatever piece you're doing it on.

[@ataraxiapainting]

Fine, tanman, expect a call from my mum!!! ;;;(

[@popcorngenerator1925]

Um no it's definitely because you "highlight edges". The side of brush is just a good way to do it where you have the room to do so.

[@ZX-ou5op]

Yeah, that's incorrect. Whenever it's possible, you can use the SIDE of your brush (not the edge - a standard round miniature brush doesn't have an "edge") to highlight the EDGES of the area you're painting, hence "edge highlighting."

[@knfczae]

6:00 damn... i hoped #9 was about consuming large amounts of energy drinks