Dave Rates His Worst Paint Job

[@ShabririChirugh]

All I hear when I see the mini is "MARINES!"

[@Wargamefrog]

Right in the nostalgia

[@JoeDaly983]

That lil dude takes me back to my childhood

[@WanderingswithAdamLaw]

Great video, brings it back to first days seeing your heroes in vids

[@LadyValrethgames]

I see someone who is starting out with painting. Yes, the way your Chaos Marine looks terrible for your standards of today, but as to your beginning, it is better to look and see that it has lots of messed up flaws it is normal. I started back into the hobby in January last year, and I have greatly improved, but only through learning and watching others here on KZbin. So, I thank you for looking and asking because you're still teachable and approachable to learn.

[@latros_sacrum]

Dave always keepin' it real. Thats metal.

[@the98themperoroftheholybri33]

The only response to "you can't say that" should be "well i just did"

[@KeroHiro-Lil]

That Champion reminds me of the old days of 40k painting around 4-8th edition style. Old hammer-style paint jobs are what really got me into painting. There is a charm to having hundreds of your models together. For that legionary, the basing is the first thing I see that needs to be fixed. A model is never, EVER, finished without the proper basing. Second, the Metallics need some work, it looks like it just lead belcher and retributor and that's it. Iron Warrior is a good metal for power armor joints. And where is my shade washes! Third, that plasma pistol NEEDS the rule of cool treatment, it can't be just one color, if that's what you were going for then very well. Does this help?

[@Vichyssoise1000]

Wow.. That bleeped expletive caught me off guard. It's like the first time you hear your parents swear..

[@MWG_Dave]

Haha I love you 😂

[@flannelmann]

​@@MWG_DaveI dare you to unblock me.

[@cvtuttle]

Real Talk here - is there some "toxic positivity" out there? Sure. Absolutely. Are there some real jerks out there? Yep. Absolutely. I think we should all agree that extremes in either direction aren't helpful or are downright bad. That being said (and as you stated), unless someone is asking for comments and critiques, I don't bother. There are also miniatures out there that are painted SO well I cannot really offer any critique. Usually if I see something posted that clearly needs help, I often just ask "Are you open to some suggestions here?" Then I give them a few easy tips to elevate what they have. There is a difference between supportive and dishonest. However, in this day and age I feel like a large number of comments are just mean and hurtful for the sake of being a jerk.

[@cvtuttle]

Oh and btw - no one should be calling this model you are displaying the best paint job ever :P But I do have some nostalgia for this guy from your earlier videos.

[@MWG_Dave]

Couldn't agree more with this.

[@TheCheftal]

Full honesty from a non professional mini painter. Its a good job from WHEN you painted it. Now, that time has passed and you have gained and learned about styles, and techniques it is a paint job that is lacking. Is that a bad thing? No its not. Most all paint jobs are good from the time you painted them from a learning stand point.( unless you were attempting to do a bad paint job on purpose) Thats why people tend to keep things positive as its a way for people to be encouraged to continue what they are doing. Straight up bashing someones art/paint job runs the risk of making someone doubt in their ability to do something and then learn from it, which may lead to them completely stopping in the long run. If this was a first time impression of meeting you and this being presented to me I would say this. First did you have fun painting it? what was fun about it? I like the way you experimented. Dont be afraid to use more colors and make mistakes. Have you thought about XYZ. Are there any questions you would like to ask on how to try something with the next one? Its not about being fully negative or fully positive. I feel its about what can I say or do that will encourage and continue something that I see someone may have a growing passion for.

[@NathanielGarro40K]

Okay, you asked for it Dave! Forget the paint job, the guys on stilts! 😂

[@Jmann-jj1jo]

It’s captain slaughter! Abaddon the despoiler could never improve this iconic character. As for the paint job, it is showing its “welcome to painting minis” starter look. The only way to get better at painting is to keep painting, you learn to thin, you learn to layer and highlight. Drybrushing, washes, nmm, slapchop, contrast all methods you learn from just painting again and again

[@cory7328]

Easy fixes like you said. Complete the base. Remove the tac, and run the paint thinner in the future. Now with simple contrast paint you can make the plasma gun pop on the coils easily.

[@noddindogproductions]

I think it looks quite good for a first try. Yes it needs touching up and it was a bit heavy on dry brushing. Thing is No matter how hard you try, no matter how good you are, there's always someone whos better. So be happy with what you have.

[@SeaOfGrey]

Captain slaughter? More like Captain slaughtered... Boom roasted!

[@thesigmaritepainter7803]

The charm of an 18 yearold paintjob!

[@mr.alphonse2894]

DAVE!! There's a charm to it, it shall bring you Glory!!

[@junkpunchhero]

Its better than my skill level, so I have nothing to add to topic... so take this comment for the algorithm and a good job sir... mumuhajaja toxic positivity for the win hahahahajaja

[@The_Betrayer.]

I agree that paint jobs can absolutely be poor quality and the fact that it's seen as toxic to give tips or being honest in the community annoys me as well... toxic positivity is very hurtful imho as it doesn't allow people to improve in any way... you can't push yourself to new heights if your work is never critiqued.

[@Jagunco]

I remember being in a games workshop shop ages ago chatting to the lad who worked there and there was a load of kids in painting. I had to hide a smirk when one of them rolled up with one of the worst pain jobs I've ever seen and said 'What do you think of that? I think it looks mint!' The poor bloke didn't know what to say. He pretended to examin it for a bit while he was choosing his words and came up with a few suggestions for next steps. I thought he did well.

[@itwassean]

Ok Dave. You asked for this... When I see this mini I see.... I see a mini painted for play. One that was made to be viewed on a table alongside hundreds of compatriots charging into battle for chaos. And that is incredibly fair. To take this mini to the next level I think that you could use some tried and true advice from across mini-painting reddit and KZbin: Apply 2 thin coats to get smooth and covered base-coats. The paint here is thick and clogs detail. Use colors that add contrast to your mini, separate details and create focal points near the head and weapons. A good system is base coat, shadows, and highlights. Here it looks like paint was slapped on to get the barest definition or idea across. "Tongues are red, so here is some red. Oh and here is THE SAME RED in the exhaust of the backpack" Base your mini! I see minis shared all over social media that don't have base materials. It makes the mini look unfinished. I think you're right, this looks amateurish at best. But I hesitate to outright call things bad. Not out of respect or anything, lord knows I don't respect you ;) But instead out of a need to use more descriptive language. Bad is final, judgmental, and unchanging. Amateurish is descriptive, indicative of a time, and able to be evolved. An Amateur can become an intermediate and expert painter over time. A bad painter has a less clear path to success. Criticism is good and useful, but only if it is targeted and descriptive. Criticism for criticism sake is not helpful, but can be cathartic.

[@DagsTheBarbarian]

@@itwassean got a better idea, just tell people they fucking suck, it's their job to figure it out further, stop sugar coating things, you're still being overly positive.... smug dickwaffle

[@AlterumVeniet]

As an EXTRAORDINARILY LAZY PAINTER- I'd improve it by priming black, then priming white primer from overtop. Then I'd pbase with whatever speed paints, wash, then use a layer paint on raised areas, clean up any mistakes I've made, and paint any details. I say it's lazy, but it still takes like 6 hours for a squad of 10 guys... (damn AdMech and all their fancy details). But I wouldn't strip it and start over. It's important to keep some of those old, rookie painted models around so you can see how far you've come.

[@Nusphigore]

I still like the adventures of old Sgt Slaughter and his band of chaos guys

[@Killacodycollects]

As a tattoo artist earlier on some advice on improving and constructive criticism really really helped me out

[@Talos8th]

So I’m late to the party lol but hopefully this will still be seen. The paint job is on the rough side however I do love 1st mini paint jobs because they are such an anchor for our improvement in our hobby and painting skills. Here are the things that could be improved. 1 the melta bomb, please put some paint on that bad boy. 2 the plasma pistol you can do the plasma itself with some careful dry brushing or a airbrush white ink and a fluorescent paint even hit it with some osl make it pop. 3 mold lines the horns and legs have some obvious ones for example. 4 the tongue on the back pack, dark red blended up to a bold bright red. 5 skulls/bones definitely go back and recover with white and a contrast then highlights or standard acrylics and a wash with highlights. 6 the armor itself, I recently painted a black Templar and I found a dark blue black with black recesses gave a nice transition in the armor values. 7 trim the bane of chaos lol just tidy up trim and do some edge highlights. Add basing and varnish after painting your paint will last so much longer. I’ll send in some pics of mine when I have moment later today. Thanks for the opportunity to be honest and I hope I return the favor for you to be honest about my work. Have a great day Dave! Ps my deffydont have a banner either and was my first mini. I’ll send pics!

[@DarkDrake-ec9cu]

I love them it reminds me of my own first miniatures, maybe one day I’ll be able to let go of them lol. Really I agree though could use the plasma glow and basing but I think most people have lots of minis just like this that have their own sentimental charm :) or just put to the side for another project lol

[@alexknott1696]

Ok, so let's address the question you've asked and in the way that you want it, honestly. Overall, the paintjob is very muddy. The dry brushed blacks have a tendency to merge the details into each other. The black armour plates and piping aren't helped by being the same colour. The red details are either too thick or lack any lighter primer colour and so seem washed out and dull. The base is the base, quite literally. It seems he is stood above the base for some reason, which isn't ideal. The bone colour also suffers from being painted over black by the looks of it, and the highlights seem quite chalky, I'm guessing too much white paint and not using other colours for highlighting. The melta bomb I actually don't mind, just pull the sucker off. That all said, by your own admission, it's an early paintjob. The older Chaos models weren't easy to paint by any stretch. I think a lot of the problems the model has are prep issues more than anything. I'm very much in awe of your bravery here, I'm not so sure I'd put my work up for scrutiny so readily. This is said by someone who is, at best, an averagly good painter and probably a critique that's not really worth being too bothered by. Great video, and I can't wait to see how the series goes.

[@bruhmoment5020]

I never understood why people insist to always be positive about what others do, it actually kinda annoys me how I cannot get an honest opinion when asking about my own minis because everyone is either silent or like "yeah it's great :)" but I know I can do better and want tips on what I did wrong, not blanket statements that are supposed to make me feel good.

[@kirkmawditt8795]

Good ol' Captain Slaughter, he has seen better days for sure. Personally i wouldn't say it's garbage but simply a product of your skill set at the time. If you were to paint Cap'n Slaughter today, after gaining all these years of experience, then sure, the paint job is going to be lightyears ahead. We all have good minis and bad ones. Half broken yet still functional ones. Even the mish-mash minis that who knows what we there thinking at thime when building and painting em up?! They all have there place in our collection. As for Cap'n Slaughter, Deffy and the whole Chaos Crew.... I know how they looks is hitting a nerve with you, but... now that you've brought em back into the light (ew, it burns) perhaps an upgrade is needed by refreshing these models with some of the skills you've acquired over your time at miniwargaming. We all refresh our wardrobes from time to time, how bout giving the Captain (and his crew) the same treatment? ... Spa day?! I've done this with a few of my '1st' Orks that i painted all those many years ago, gave them a clean up and applied what i've learned to make em pop once again and to more match with my current style. Da Boyz like feeling pretty! If the mood suits ya, and you can make some time, snag one of these models and give em some TLC. You (Dave) already pointed out what could be done for Cap'n Slaughter, so why not give it a go?! Either way, it's good to see you hanging out with Cap'n slaughter and Deffy again, even if it was to harsh on them for how their armor and gubbinz look. So i'm gonna put my vote in, suggesting (waves hand like a jedi) that you give the Chaos crew a refesh. Just my 2 Teef.

[@GirlPainting]

Yes indeed, this model is painted bad. BUT, what all of us see when we look at him, is a miniature that is more beloved and more famous then ANY other miniature in your entire collection. Many years ago i send you an "improoved" version of Captain Slaugter, but looking back at it, it was hubris of me to try to improove perfection. Mine is just an imposter, that can never hold a candle to the real deal. and now, with the undying words of Captain Slaugther: "MAAAAAAAAUUUREEENS!"

[@someirishguy1662]

Good seeing you here GirlPainted, inspired a lot of my early paintjobs!!

[@GirlPainting]

@@someirishguy1662 glad to be of service

[@minipainting_dad]

With such a Mini and if you are not satifsied anymore I would simply re do it. But.. in a Quick way so I would not loose the fig for my games. Re prime it. Do a cenithal over it with a light bone color. Use some contrast paints for the Blacks. Wash the skulls, speed paint the trim and highlight it with a light silver. Bam i would sqy it would look better almost instantanious but with little effort

[@brandonbarshinger8162]

Do the minis look good? No. But, the models have history and I instantly remembered the old narrative campaigns with them! I have minis from when I started painting over 10 years ago and they look like crap too, but I didn’t strip or repaint them because I can see how far I’ve come as a painter. You can buy another of the same mini and can compare them in person or take pics of him before you strip and repaint

[@vinfeugolol7401]

We all started somewhere ^-^ I never knew about thinning my paints, never knew about moderation with washes. I just used what I had at the time 😅😅 Took 16 years to get as good as I did, Is the model perfect? No Does it need improvement, sure But the caviat is, we all started somewhere ❤

[@TheSupporter76]

Tbh its mainly its just a old paint job on a old mini that even still with would be hard to look at with the new techniques, would fall into needs to be redone. Also that the newer minis are just better to look at when painted the various techniques that have developed since then.

[@adampatrick9639]

I love the aesthetic of the 3rd edition csm

[@mcyolicjones9081]

I'm also a little surprised at how well some of my 25+ yr old, non-based, unvarnished, broken weapon (hey you asked for a tip..) paint caked minis have held up. Even my worst is far better than any VHS recorded from that era.

[@CommanderBohn]

Good ol'Slaughter. Brings back the times 40K was genuinely cool. Not what it is today. Edit: Garbage? He has soul!

[@Puggymonkeybaby]

I dove into the 40k mini world after being a 40k fan literally 3 days ago. Went and got some space marines I thought are cool from a shop I found since I’m on a work trip and have been painting in my hotel room. Gonna send mine in to get judged lol, I definitely wanna learn to do better!

[@auretioustaak6579]

'JuanHidalgo Miniatures' here on youtube. You are in a contrast age. Go watch his tutorials and the results are staggering but presented in a way pretty much anyone can replicate the results. It's important to note that Dave's model above is in a pre-contrast age of paint technology. It was an undercoat/layer then a wash then dry brushing and maybe some line high lighting for most people. His model above is very clear in it being painted in that era of paint tech.

[@hamzahsayang]

I can't do that Dave. I'm Australian. We say what we think. It's an average paint job, but neat and tidy. Good first-time work, terrible if you have been painting for decades. Okay if you just don't like painting and just did it to get it on the table. As for improvement - there are as many approaches to painting as there are painters to paint, so if you really want to improve it, find a style you like, and learn the ins and outs of that style. Personally, I hate everything being airbrushed. I find it lazy. I have always preferred doing everything with paint brushes. I think it looks more 'real', even if it is sometimes harder to do than a quick spray. I am also not a fan of those GW wash paints. They smack of lazy painting and needs just as much skill to make look good as any other kind of painting. But hey, that just me. I'm a 20+ year vet of commission painting (retired). Best to find your own way that makes you happy.

[@herrschatten7680]

For me, there is no bad paint job. Every Job is showing me my Progress and im proud of it. :D

[@TheNetterRiese]

In the way that it can be improved a lot I think it's kinda flawless. :)

[@joshuaaspinall5524]

This is so true! Whenever I look at Reddit, it seems that bad paint jobs get more positive interaction than the good ones, and all I see are people who aren't being offered beneficial help, just congratulations. Never mind the fact that my feed is full of low-tier schemes instead of good jobs or interesting conversions etc. Edit: Actual appraisal: I mean, tbf, for an obvious newbie job, the lines are all clean and everything is where it should be (melta, tack and mystery sprue bits on base aside), and the fundamental recognition of tonal gradients and layering is there, with an understanding of different paint type mechanics (ie drybrushing and washing etc). I also like the desire to create something unique while also trying to put a stamp on it. That all being said... THIN YOUR PAINTS, I mean obviously. Another thing that might be of interest is the use of dead space. New painters often find comfort in the dead space that black primer creates, assuming that they can ignore some details that will get lost between elements that draw attention, but as you said, the melta and particularly the plasma coil really damage the scheme. Blacked out details shouldn't be something a new painter hides behind, they should be an opportunity to put your stamp on the model, something younger Dave evidently wanted to do. Also, that Khornate shoulder pad on a BL marine is straight sacrilege, how dare you.

[@jonathanmenzies4145]

I have a very similarly painted defiler from back when I first started 40K :D with a non glued on arm

[@mightychewwy6795]

I’ve only been painting maybe a year or just over. Having not touched a mini in 20 or so years when I was 14. I look at the minis I painted a year ago and I’m like wow that sucks lol myself and brother in law ave both got back into warhammer and we both challenge each other. When one does something Bette than the other we try and beat it and when we don’t we take the piss out of it lol

[@TheGuyWhoDidSomthing]

Stop dry brushing all over. Use several layers, high lights, and clean the black. Most important take your time with the mini. It’s not horrible. It looks better then gray plastic and that’s the nr 1 most important thing for a painter mini in my opinion. It’s old, and worn. That just happens nothing to much to do about that. Raining is 3.5/10. I believe you can do better if you take the time. Looks like you don’t enjoy painting as much as playing 😊 Is that what you wanted Dave?

[@Townguard13]

Dave out here Representing Malal with that black and white beard and hair. For the paint job i would recommend not putting the base coat on with a paint roller. Thin your paints.

[@bretts2356]

First- Dave having to bleep himself was not on the list of things I expected to encounter today, but here we are. 2- the paint job isn't BAD per-se. It just looks amateurish. It looks like one of someone's first paint jobs. The BIGGEST thing you could do for improvement is put something on the base- even if its just some texture paint and a drybrush of a grey or off-white over it. Next- get something like a magnification headset so you can actually see the details on the model. A lot of the details that are painted are only partially done... at least get the gold on ALL of the part that you painted half gold. Lastly, while I remember LOTS of videos featuring Captain Slaughter (and Deffy, of course) from back in the day... he is just a Chaos Space Marine. He is not meant to be looked at by himself. He has a squad that he needs to be put in. Find an appropriate group of his brethren and paint them up in the same way he is, particularly the basing scheme and the rim, and look at them as a collective. He will look MUCH better. OH... and paint your plasma coils and drill you barrel. Obviously these won't turn it into a great paintjob, they will make it look better.

[@Mandrewlochner]

No, dude. He needs to start with a new model or use this one for stripping practice. Every mistake, even the ones that require stripping the whole model offers opportunity to improve or learn new skills. Either keep it as a personal reference as a milestone, or strip and do over. Neither solution is a bad one. As long as you're moving forward and improving, you'll find at least a grain of fulfillment. That space marine in the beginning looks like raw ass. Almost as bad as my own best paint jobs. I hate toxic positivity and live for improving out of spite. Saying my garbage paint jobs look great will only stagnate my learning and convince me that I'm doing something objectively good, when in reality I'm committing to practicing and reinforcing mistakes and processes that don't get me a result that *I* wish to achieve. Lots of my models come out fuzzy, so I should probably THIN MY PAINTS BETTER. If all I got was compliments, I wouldn't even know to thin my paints until I've painted over $2000 worth of product. Let me give you a hint on why that sucks. I don't really want to practice stripping on $2000 worth of models all at once. Echo chambers suck. Give your local artist the gift of real feedback. What I never want to see on my minis is "caked, fuzzy, splashy, uneven, shiny, etc". All 14 of the minis I have painted so far look like they're my first 14 minis, and I'll probably never do anything to change or seal them. As I handle them for games the paint will start to rub away and reveal the primer underneath. I am so excited to see how they look after a year, and to compare them with the minis I paint at that time. That being said, I don't need 145 minis to look like dooky as a reference because I never got good feedback until a whole year into my hobby.

[@Mandrewlochner]

Adding something for the base is just making a whole new project to slap onto the existing one. That bad boy needs to exist as is, or be stripped for extra love.

[@bretts2356]

​@Mandrewlochner I told him what I thought of his model and the best ways to improve it. Anyway, I don't think Dave is looking for "Strip it and start over" advice. But maybe he is. You should tell HIM that if you haven't already- not me.

[@Mandrewlochner]

@bretts2356 yeah. I did. I disagreed with you because your suggestion was milktoast so I followed it up with my own. I hope Dave appreciates my lack of toxic positivity. Cheers.

[@bretts2356]

@@Mandrewlochner Cool. Its milquetoast, btw.

[@ScottFriel]

The best painted job is done. Hideous or not, your worst paint job is a paint job. Granted, priming, thinning the paint for a smoother application, a little colour theory, a little glazing, edge highlighting, basing and a flat black rim goes a long way.

[@rawrawr6666]

Stripping it would be a good start.

[@ninneplug]

Well, it is painted. Painted is better than not painted. It would be fun to see you strip this guy and repaint him with what you know now.

[@jamieprior3167]

Yeah the melta-bomb needs painting, but the fact it's actually painted and not grey plastic already makes it good. If you had fun it's also good. Then you can aspire to get better after then. That's not toxic positivity, it's the truth.

[@schizosamurai8840]

The saddest part would be the gun not being painted to any degree of detail, its just metallic. Its especially noticeable, because the gun is in center of attention. Moldlines. The melta needs no comment.

[@Donnyjohnsonbooks]

Can we get the uncensored version please 😂😂😂

[@kevlonk]

I will not hear slander against Captain Slaughter! He is practically perfect in every way, Abaddon's number 1 guy. His black armour could use some highlights though.

[@Tuttermuts]

Once wrote a post advocating against speedpainting because I feel it robs you of the enjoyment of the painting itself. => once your army is done it’s done. And to me that comes with a slight sadness. That was a mistake. Angry reactions almost like I insulted their mothers.

[@gregbauer2158]

Dont change it .... enjoy the first minis. But i think you know that 😊

[@christopherthompson4026]

Please do not repaint Captain Slaughter!! He is permanently placed in my mind as the coolest chaos champion ever. My younger years were spent watching your videos and I would go into mourning if you change him! Long live the old sculpt chaos marines!!

[@TheSlophouse]

Please, never paint that mini. Its shittiness should be preserved.

[@tyrant4798]

I have seen some god awful first few paint jobs, this really isnt that bad. Its rough and simple but good for army painting a starter army. Honestly id say get better brushes for finer control and detail and water your paint down a bit/try contrast or speed paints for a simpler flow.

[@eiszapfenkobold]

Its needs definition and a bit more patience. Oh the day i learned to highlight and darken metallics too. I love constructive criticism if its not overwhelmingly long and it has to be somewhat neutral. Everyone can improve. And sometimes you get blind in your concentration. Was surprised, when i politely suggested something to enhance someones sewn clothes, they were great but i thought maybe she could be interested in some inspiration to add --- i got bashed and banned. Over suggesting embellishment on a dress. Weird. I try to join painting challenges even as beginner mini painter because i know i am not a pro, but every mini is going to be a bit better than before....most of days *lol And its boring to see the same artists in contests.

[@justinstorm1976]

Ok, 1 not a pro painter , and painted less than a hundred models. But I would say the model looks cartoonish? Or cell shaded. Light sources not coming from any point. Needs some detailing. But over all. Solid 6 out of ten. No where near the worst, but as you said. Lots of room to improve. I think you should either do the touch ups you think it needs, or do a full redo and update the color scheme. Believe in you man.

[@giominus7402]

I will say, most of the time when I'm commenting on a paint job I like to keep the context in mind before telling them how they can improve. That said, good lord please give that man a make-over unless keeping him as a piece of history is important.

[@RolandoRatas]

The worst thing I could possibly imagine writing about your worst minis is: ... .. .. .. .. "Even my granny can paint better than you !"

[@falconiguana]

I’ve sent in the Orkperium 👍

[@rhinull]

From my point of view, there is a huge difference between „being honest“ and „being rude“. If you find something, that has a big (or small) potential for Improvement, then you should point that out. But, and a big but that is, do it in a constructive manner. Instead of saying „your Highlighting is sloppy and looks like shit, thin your paints and be more precise in your painting“ maybe try out „Your technique in highlighting seems to leave some room for improvement. You could try to get better control of your lines by trying the following things…“ This applies also in everyday life 😅

[@ironwithin3875]

Oh fuck I’m awful then 😂

[@System-Update]

Get a copy, someone send Dave a copy of this mini if you have one and do a like-for-like comparison to see what difference 18 years of painting experience, improvements in paint technology, better brushes, youtube sharing knowledge & techniques, makes. You can't critique dark ages art with modern graphics. Then you can ask for a critique.

[@RevanR]

Acknowledging mistakes is the hardest part of accepting criticism, but what matter from that is sometimes it could lead to the way you are looking for

[@auretioustaak6579]

@MiniWarGamer Dave Invited brutal honesty, yeah I can do that (this'll be long - don't hold back on your thoughts in response, I won't be offended). Pre-face, I'm not the greatest painter, am average at best by todays standards, heck, I still haven't learnt to use contrast paints and that's ok. We're about the same age but I got into the hobby when I was 11 vs you in your adult years. My first models were a 2nd ed 40k tyranid termagant whom I painted white goggles on because he totally looted them to look cool. He still looks cool, is he anything special? Not at all. Layer and wash and basic dry brushing, goblin green base and flesh borer, glorious. Unlike the 6 s first genestealers whom I named on the under side of their base and whom 'Rip' (who halved 2nd ed 40k Kharn the Betrayers wounds in a single round of combat before being blatted into oblivion) had his claws drenched in solid blood red paint after doing a number on Kharn, definitely a paint job by a young kid. And that's fine. I'm comfortable with where those early paint jobs are. But you want brutal honesty and I'm more then happy to give it as you want it and I've worked in industries half my life where people swear on a level that would get them not only cancelled but buried into the earth all because swearing or not swearing the small stuff in environments where one wrong move by you or anyone, any animal or any thing around you can get you seriously injured or killed - you get over people having different opinions about you or stuff you do, all that matters is how you take their comments and how comfortable you are withj what you're doing, and knowing that any criticism is good criticism even from people who are just A-Grade A-Holes, just sort through their crap and take the useful stuff out of it, or if none, ignore it and move on. It ain't hard. Toxic Positivity, interesting concept, not at all anything new but you're completely right with people can't actually say what they want any more because dear gods, you might crack the fragile veneer of someone who has never actually experienced life shattering experiences and just don't give a damn about the small stuff and can just move on - people are allowed their opinions exactly like you are, and if people aren't breaking any laws then act mature and embrace whatever is being said and deal with it as an adult. Slight rant aside, Dave, you are not at all happy with your model that you painted almost half a lifetime ago near the beginning of your journey in an era where the internet was not really a thing for tutorials and stuff and things. That's important context which no one above me has touched upon. You also are in a pre-contrast paint era, so washes, layers, dry brushing very common and your model is painted that way. Cool, gives us a nice baseline for what we're all thinking. Let's start with the elephant in the room: 3:52 - that mold line, geez man. Why even buy models if you won't take the time to clean them up properly. The leather pouches on the leg, it's like you saw the armour and thought 'Eff me that's too thick better thin my paints down' then went and thinned them too far and produced a layer that doesn't cover well, and detracts massively from the model...it doesn't because the model looks like you undercoated it by dipping it in paint. Then you were like 'it needs more Black! More Black = More Chaos. SQUEEEEEEEEE-ack-cough-coughh-ererrrrgh...' The melta bomb - you were probably thinking 'if I stick it on with blu-tack I can take it off and flick it across the table at my opponent in a fit of rage and engage more directly with a space marine hoiking a stupidly powerful grenade to blow up vehicles. Or you had a mate who was WYSIWYG and you needed an emergency meltabomb so stuck one on temporarily and it is there to this day. You can kind of tell it was painted after the rest of the model as the coating is more consistent and not thick as. So, probably a latter addition long forgotten about. The tongue is as you say one bit of red, it uses the black for inbuilt shading but that just draws your attention to the woeful state of the face in the armour on the back. No excuses for that. You could have at least dry brushed it to make it stand out more. I just hit the point you turn around and say 'I LOVE this model, it's so refreshing to say how bad it is I love it!', great way to send mixed messages to everyone! :p Your horns, experimental, I guess the real question is, did you know how to paint strip back then? Or did you just not give a damn because like me, well, you like having all the models, and at least it is painted. The tongue sticking out of the face grill looks gronky. There, i said it. It doesn't mesh well at all. It's a grill, then a tongue with no obvious mouth piece it is coming out of. You said around the point of loving the badness of the model how the model isn't base coated. Those eyes could have fooled anyone. So back to the no concept of thinning paints. No concept of painting the full lenses in on the helmet even if most of those lenses no longer exist thanks to slather on the paint thicker then tar lads! Your backpack skulls you nailed it in your comments but ignored the most glaring issue. They are painted as bone, but have mold lines visible underneath. And not in a this is a natural sharp part of this skulls' bone. Nope, just couldn't be effed to clean up the model fully. But it's awesome so stfu! We see your experimental horns and the mold lines hurt to see. You want to know what is actually good about the model, and probably the only good thing ovverall? The khornate iconography on the shoulder pad painted in a brassy style gold. It has highlights and the colour shifts and feels natural in that shifting as you rotate the model around. Could it be better, sure, but for where you were at with the hobby, this detail is actually good. unlike the rest of the model. So yeah, there, some brutal honesty because you specifically requested it. Now don't be making the noob mistake of paint stripping and repainting that model. Be proud of each and everyone of your paint jobs no matter how bad. They will evoke memories as they are and painting over them/stripping and repaintingw ill mess those memoris up. He isn't a complicated model to replicate pose and armour part wise, so maybe make a new one and paint in the older style (no contrasts) and see how you go now, and don't commission paint it, just do it yourself. Then you can revel in how you've come (or, how far you still have to go!). Have a great day mate and hi from Australia! P.S. Tyranids are far cooler then Chaos. But not the modern era tyranids where all the models and armies look exactly the same even at the 6 to 12 foot point away from them, nigh infinite diversity of model poses yet they all look the same which sort of defeats the purpose of THE Apex predator imho.

[@yhelanat]

Was I supposed to be more mean? My thoughts were just "It looks okay."

[@MegaSharkX]

I think the first one basically looks unfinished. Mostly base coated. Way better than my first mini. To get good feedback on this, I think you need to finish it first

[@nathananderson9255]

Mold lines on horns, com on, man

[@Squad3captain]

Honestly, the paint job is 6/10. The paint job looks like it was rushed and there is very little or if any distinction between the main paint job and the highlights to accentuate the model. It’s good, but definitely can be better

[@josesaavedramartin415]

18 years ago, did you have any idea on how to do a better paint job?

[@jester12341]

Dave, here's a critique: your video is too quiet! The audio quality is to a very high standard but I think you either need to look at your levels again or consider using a limiter or maximising tool. With that said, that Chaos Space Marine is SICK BRO! AWESOME PAINT JOB!

[@intothezombieapocalypse]

Layers. Im not a professional painter at all. But its too black. needs layering. The gun blends into his hands too much. IF your base color is black, you need a couple vibrant colors to make the figure pop. The silver and copper? I am assuming its a copper or dirty gold color, just blend in with the black too much. Makes it look like a smudged coloring picture.

[@Arctiblaine]

not that bad, couldve ended up on those THIN YOUR PAINTS montages.

[@KarlRuprechtKroenen_133]

Dave leave it. We have new sprues of CSM. Make new squad of Reject Marines

[@cory7328]

Dave I cannot give advice on painting as I have only ever painted 4 models. But I can say never color your hair. The salt and pepper look is going to only keep getting better. If you dye you hair all day it will detract from the weathering of life you have.

[@archaeolas]

DEFFY!

[@baldeagle13x]

Dump it into 98% alcohol, wait awhile, get an old toothbrush and scrub that shit off it. Prime and paint.

[@the98themperoroftheholybri33]

Any cleaner that acts as a degreaser is great for removing acrylic paints, acrylic paint uses glue and pigment, a degreaser destroys the glue so the paint just slides off the model. And it doesn't destroy plastic

[@ben_has_hobbies]

Two and a half things: 1. Saying something negative or controversial does VERY well on KZbin (and I think you know that) that's why every second video (exaggerated) has a thumbnail saying something like: "Your painting sucks! (and here is how to fix it)" 2. You can say whatever you want and others can as well. So if you are honest others can be honest about your honesty. 2 1/2. Being nice is cool and you can be nice in critiquing someone. It just takes a bit more effort. For example: I found it very brave of you to critique yourself so honestly but I'd wish your "rant" in the beginning would have been a bit more nuanced. Awesome to see that you are still doing videos, keep it up!

[@schizosamurai8840]

For me its as simple as Im not really interested in engaging with strangers in critical dialogue. Mostly because you simply dont know what is the other person gonna interpret your comments like. I will just advise my friends instead.

[@FusRoWAAAAGH]

Hi, as a new painter if its a mini 17 years old it looks ok, this would be ok for me because it would make me improve more and more, even if mini looks bad? So what? iam not a judge to decide if its a bad or not. And honestly? I kinda like how it looks like 😁

[@DagsTheBarbarian]

Just because someone is new to a hobby doesn't mean we should have to couch our critiques with "well, you're new" or "it's pretty good for a first mini"... the correct answer should always have been "so, this didn't turn out the way you thought it would in your head, did it? Talk me through your plan/scheme, let's see where we can make improvements"... I also can't fucking stand "thin your paints", thats not helpful to anyone for anything... for the love of God, just accept that you suck at what you're doing and practice to improve, that's it, that's the secret, you've always sucked you always will suck (at something in your life), it's ok to suck at things, especially things you've never done/do infrequently/don't care about/don't want to try, but whenever I say this i just get shrieked at...

[@flannelmann]

Seems "thin your paints" worked pretty well for Duncan. Dummy

[@NikButler]

I am so much enjoying watching this and mostly im feeling like you need to take a trip to Scotland to really let fly with the "expression" .. Anyway long term watcher old time skeptic here but you are still my favourite spark of sucking funshine ! Keep it going. Now youve show us yours do we show you ours ... we should.

[@sorcererscircle535]

based is dust

[@Pork-Pie-Pete81]

Your paint job is not the best I've seen. There are a great deal of ways it can be improved. But it has to be improved by you. Leave Sgt Slaughter in a position that you can see from your paint desk as a reminder of how far you have come. Remember that the worst minis are the ones that have never been painted at all.

[@hagel7208]

As someone who's been in the hobby for 2 years now, I absolutely love keeping my earliest models around just to compare them and see how much I've grown as a painter. I love looking at them and going "wtf happened there". Even now that I consider myself pretty average I sometimes paint things and weeks later I think "I could've done a better job". In other words, yeah that model you're holding looks like shit but you should keep it as a reminder of how much you've progressed in the painting side of the hobby. I also agree this community has way too much toxic positivity. Like I get it, you want people to stick around especially if they're just getting started. That's fine. I'm guilty of that too, but after a while if the "errors" from that person aren't improving you should let them know "Hey here's a good tutorial on how to paint plasma effects" or "hey I know how you can make that rust effect look even better let me show you". Some people say they get discouraged when they see real pro painters post their models on Instagram but they forget those painters have been at it for years if not decades in some cases. They all started to paint like shit and through the desire to improve and have their models stand out they slowly and painfully made improvements. Doing techniques over and over and even experimenting with those techniques until they discover something that works for them and is visually pleasing to look at.

[@Tea-Time-Gaming]

MINI MARINES !!!

[@Wargamefrog]

I think this model is hard to critique for me (not because it’s a good paint job, it’s an early not great one) but because it’s a part of my childhood.

[@Goreborn]

Frankly, i never liked this much positivity. I like someone saying at first that something looks good or bad, and then giving me tips, or grievances. Heck, what i paint right now at my place aint perfect. Most of the time i say ''Undead aint meant to be perfect'', which fits, but to be honest, i cover up my mishaps and small mistakes this way, especially when painting regiments. I strive to be better, and try stuff out. I have destroyed minis, and i have saved bits that created a new mini. Most look crap, but i always want advice, on how to be better. Same, i want to say to people how some stuff can be made better, in the future. But i can at least building for that now. Dave, that champion, thought sexy, is crap. Mostly due to the thick coats and single layers etc. You know where to find me, my name is the same everywhere i have an account. By all means, come and tell me what i did shit, and what i can do better. See you on the fields of gore!

[@flannelmann]

Finally! Somebody with a brain!

[@djetronakanorte]

i think you should strip it n paint it again cos i bet your way better at painting now lol lol :)

[@ger5956]

Honestly I have more than a few minis in similar state, poorly painted, mould lines everywhere, unfinished or no basing. I’m in the process of striping them, getting rid of mould lines, drilling barrels, repainting with thin layers, shading and highlighting in whatever style suits be it edge, volumetric etc. and doing the bases! That’s my solution and I think it’s warranted in the case your mini, unless it’s sentimental or special, strip it and try do it better than before.

[@duardinranger1235]

Looks like an early paint job. I’m sure you don’t paint like this anymore. Chang if you want.

[@szymonpiecuch2304]

this is pretty bad even for the 5 year old that painted it

[@Antiheroghost]

Growing up, whenever I was in school for art, critique was always an incredibly important part of the process. It's silly to think you have to be a master painter to judge art. Plenty of professional critics have never lifted a brush. They have an eye for talent. The same can be applied to music. The more this hobby grows the less people will care about painting like a renaissance painter. Not that it wont still exist, but I doubt the average consumer will care. People just want to have fun on their own personal journey without worrying how others want them to live their life or spend their money/time.

[@WardenOfTerra]

Why Dave? You'll never paint again, so what's the point in us answering...? No answer we give will ever get you to paint models again lol

[@Bakroth85]

Curated Honesty is such a fantastic term! It's something that's everywhere but you never think about. On the model, is that supposed to be his tongue sticking out of the face grill? Because that's what it made me think of! 🤣

[@christoffertornquist3373]

is Dave transforming into Dr.Strange?

[@MWG_Dave]

It’s strange you should say that. Do you feel the magic? ❤