How GW SHOULD Teach Miniature Painting

[@acrylicchemist1432]

The old army painting saying goes "face, weapons, shields, and banners" for a reason. Those are the parts of the model/army we are most drawn towards. Great video Ninjon :D

[@raxxor18]

To be honest, I think that GW's painting guides are great for one thing - they are really easy to explain and to remember to anyone new in the hobby. And they are great to learn the most basic of techniques. Also using the premixed colors for basetone, midtones, highlights helps a ton with decision making. I think GW's approach is actually one of the best ways to start because it requires zero understanding. And then of course you evolve.

[@WilhelmScreamer]

To add to this, the eavy metal style is good for making customers understand what all the details on a model look like

[@TheSteak77]

Glad I started my journey with them.

[@Ben-fk9ey]

​@@WilhelmScreamerYou could argue the opposite as they add detail that isn't there like with leather detail on things like pouches.

[@JoeHardacre]

Agreed - it's a really good starting point to hold your hand through and make you feel more comfortable tackling a model in stages rather than being overwhelmed. I know attacking GW or insinuating theyre the devil is great karma farming online, but inferring that a company is being nefarious by promoting their own products seems a tad excessive here for me.

[@tinkertoiler744]

Great for one thing…making money

[@adwag3573]

Haven't finished the video yet. But all I have to say is "wow", you actually taught folks a way to paint. A way to paint that will form a very solid foundation to efficient and scrumptious finished paint jobs. Especially the part about not slopping a wash over everything!

[@Pv2Bagbar]

I really enjoy that you actually show longer shots of close up painting and don't rely on click baity nonsense. Really enjoying your content and its helped me out.

[@wyktrowl5238]

Thank you for not overcomplicating this tutorial. I feel like I could actually replicate that. Usually paint tutorials have me trying to buy 80 different paints from 6 different companies to try and get an exact shade/base/etc. I really appreciate the 'use what you have' attitude!

[@foreverfornever1124]

This was an effective painting tutorial, allowing us to see your thought process on how to get quality speed for a model and army. I have recently started to experiment with contrast/glazes over metallics and I love the effect. Experimenting with them more has sort of unlocked a cheat for a hybrid of TMM and NMM effect that I need to work out more

[@carlstanford7607]

Yeah it’s a cool look

[@CyberDagger003]

It's what I'm doing with the Alpha Legion I'm working on right now.

[@foreverfornever1124]

@CyberDagger nice! Oh I bet those blues and greens will look amazing

[@pmk4609]

To be honest GWs love of jibbly bits break up the surfaces so much that even just painting the details a little makes them look great. And the fact that the skin and face are not cluttered calls them out even more. Great work.

[@MannnisEi]

Ninjon: Use 2-3 hours on the skin and 2-3 hours on everything else Me, who uses 1 hour on the whole model max: 👁👄👁

[@DankGit]

It sometimes takes me days to finish one model 😂 it’s because I either don’t like how a specific part turns out and I’m also very tedious. And taking long breaks in between as well

[@Jebu911]

He is amazing painter for sure but i gotta say if this took 4h im not impressed by the speed.

[@chrisl4999]

I love that this was more about crafting the approach to painting than the paint itself. And, yeah, i think my eyes focused on the well done parts which formed my opinion of it.

[@sstankfish]

I know I've said it before, but I'll continue to say it. Please never change your intro. The chair spin with the goofy face is priceless.

[@Micsma]

The best intro of any mini painter tbh

[@reiner72]

Having a solid concept of composition of the model definitely influences my painting. I focus effort on areas that draw the eye or I want to draw the eye. I take inspiration from Renaissance era dogs in paintings 😂

[@JoeHardacre]

Doing all metals silver is an approach I started a while back and I've never looked back. Silver goes on so much better than most other metal colours, it's made metals much nicer to work with

[@seanclarke8015]

This is probably one of your better videos lately. I'm gonna try that combo for the flesh.

[@markchristy9704]

I appreciate your exploration of different techniques and systems of painting, especially with the goal of getting "good enough" results in a reasonable time frame. It's really helped me improve as a painter while still enjoying the process since I don't get too bogged down in getting everything "perfect".

[@SB-io2lf]

I think it's a great video. I've had the issue for years of not wanting to skimp on how I try to paint models, even rank and file Empire State Troops, and it's been the bane of my existence. I also struggle with having confidence painting differently as I'm happy with the quality I'm getting just not the time or the fact that I'm rarely able to finish anything. I like the idea of doing models to a decently high standard by focusing on the main areas and then taking less time over the others. In reply to your question at the end of the video, yes my eye is drawn to the more detailed areas first and foremost. I can't speak for anyone else of course but I do find my brain telling me that even the less refined areas are high detail because they're obviously complete and have the same approximate range of tones. It's a great thing to see, as most of the time I look at completed models they're all done the same way, either high-detail and time consuming or rough and ready. It's refreshing and inspiring to see that mixing does work this well! Thanks!

[@TheFyllekajja]

I really like that metal tip, paint all silver and then use washes and shades! I will try that 🤟

[@MediocreHobbies]

big fan of this video and the message in it is so true. keep knocking it out of the park.

[@MetalKingStudio]

This painting guide is an instant classic. Excellent work!

[@Blackchance]

Painting like this is essentially applying a photography technique to your mini. You're drawing the "focus" of the piece to the important parts, and bringing out lots of little details. Then, the things that are not "in focus" can have their details slightly lower and faded. In short, it's a very smart technique. 👍

[@Lokathor2]

My eyes are most drawn to the points of contrast. The bits of white on the black blade, the bright lenses on the dark goggles, the shine on the chain armbands. The skin/face/pants are almost the last thing I look at.

[@richi95]

I think you made a good point there. My approach isn't much different. I try to think how much detail I need to put in each miniature part so I can be happy with the results, and put the necessary work there, no more, no less. With my black templars, I try to use three layers in the clothes, two edge highlights for each panel, and wet blending 4 reds in the cloaks, because that's the minimum effort I need to put in so I can have the results I want. But I only do one highlight for the weapon and leather, and just a wash for the metallics and the inner suit; I'm happy with how those look that way. The end result is the more impactful parts have more work, and saved some from the small details

[@malachairosmino8747]

Dude , love your videos. You and miniac have made me find my passion in painting, thank you

[@omfgximjustin]

All great points here, emphasizing highlights, and a thoughtful mix of contrast vs traditional paints. Had a little trouble getting into it when the title suggests GW should push this style for everyone, and then you immediately jumped to airbrush, but I'm glad I stuck with it.

[@savagex466-qt1io]

Hes so cool. Nice job. I love how he has many of dog tag that he wears with pride !

[@ted.paints]

This broke me in a good way. I’ve been painting for a few years. I’ve been doing commissions. I’ve been feeling overwhelmed lately, and this video made me rethink my entire process. Thanks again!

[@paulkielty8385]

Honestly, this is a fantastic paint job. Thank you for this, I can spend *hours* on a single model at times because of the issues you're talking about. I will try this next time I give it a go.

[@ScytheNoire]

I agree with you completely, and the figure came out great. I think Orks are a great starting army for new painters, as it's okay if it's a bit messy or the color scheme is a bit crazy, cause that's just how Orks are by nature. I also think it's the smaller details, the highlighting, shading, stippling, and wear marks that make the biggest difference.

[@kallsing]

I've been using this painting approach for a long time, it's great! Experimenting on what you can speed paint and still have the model looks great is a journey. And it's destination is both fun and productive 😁

[@maverickman6486]

Same here. However, I try to save the unique miniatures till the end of painting que. That way the most polished version of the paint scheme gets on the most unique model. Those experiments are done on the peons so I don't feel like I have to redo or fix them.

[@SatyricSaint1999]

I love how your "quick" paint jobs still make most others look like a child finger painted them. Nice job, always love new tips and tricks.

[@JamieCottle1]

This is a great system for getting nice models on the tabletop. A nice middle-ground approach that keeps the skills growing.

[@DaEzChez]

The well painted skin makes me kind of infer that the rest of the paint job took the same effort as it

[@sieg4607]

Very relatable, the same goes for painting seraphon. The first things you notice are the scales and shields, so putting the most effort into those makes sense

[@D00M3R-SK8]

Going into the warm/flesh colour highlights on Orks is a really good thing to teach... You are 100% correct in that it brings it to life more. You can go even further and use a crimson/purple sort of colour and glaze it into areas like inside of wounds and the inner lips. I'm just getting into painting Orks, and really I think this is the Army I have been waiting for... Learning a lot from these guys. I was looking for something to paint to teach myself glazing properly, and Ork Skin is perfect for it... The fact they are pretty big minis as well is great.

[@donovanbush3854]

I’m new to 40K and painting minis in general (I’m a DM so painting skills will come in handy there too) and this guide made it so much less overwhelming. Thank you for this!

[@MarketResearchReading114]

Ninjon, has shown me the ways of the air brush! Once I start getting back into painting proper (winter season here in the midwest) I'm going to be pulling out that little electric charge-able airbrush and base coating in-doors. I mean that's how its going to start at least...then I will eventually try to find a budget condenser and look into really spreading my wings with air brushing once I finally get the hand-to-knowledge of just how vital and useful this tool is.

[@TheRealPlato]

i'm new to the hobby and haven't spent much time highlighting yet. the tip to limit the highlight pallette is all the motivation i needed to do it

[@roryhatfield6696]

You are correct. I like this procedure that you came up with. I especially love the way you painted metal. I will be using this from now on

[@toasthammer]

I definitely agree with the thesis of this video that concentrating effort on one highlighted portion of the model elevates the whole thing to another level, but I think doing things like spending time edge highlighting every surface (especially when it comes to something like a rank and file troop) can get superfluous and overly time-consuming.

[@Bishop0151]

A great idea. I have been wanting to play around with single coat paints, so just spring for some Vallejo Xpress. But wanted a little more than slapchop. I think you have found a great middle ground. Slow and more traditional where it's most impactful, quicker use of single coat where you can get away with it. With a good if not great overall look, as you are drawn to the more detailed and impactful parts. I need to find something to experiment on.

[@Magicguy33]

The color choices were amazing and you’re totally right with the place to focus on

[@loganoneill504]

Great video for getting a good understanding on painting skin. Love the no BS tutorial.

[@scooteroo1701]

I have never even thought of using fireslayer flesh or iyanden yellow over silver to make different metallics. This is absolutely going to change some of my painting! I think the model looks great and I especially love the pinks/reds that are placed on his elbows and knuckles. Really sells the "blood under the skin" vibe.

[@RandallMcDangle]

Closest recipe i've found for GW's ork skin is a base of Elysian green, a light recess shade with Biel'tan green and layer on Ogryn Camo mixed with base for highlights. For a personal flair I usually do a final highlight by mixing in a bright yellow into pure Ogryn Camo to make the whole thing pop.

[@michalcross8600]

This is great! It's all about the faces and bases.

[@Eric-jt8yx]

I like your videos because you share your own tips and tricks that work. Like how you just choose a set of colors or how you paint all metallics and then use contrast over the top. Thanks

[@AwkwardlySatisfying]

You’re so gosh darn good at what you do!!

[@reluxor]

That violet strap on the handle is great. The black -rambo- knifes too

[@SteveKfpv]

I love this. You're totally right. I've found the models where I paint each part with whatever technique works best has always ended up more enjoyable.

[@steve101968]

I've been painting orks for a long time. I have both a aos and 40k army, and to be honest I learnt alot from this video. Probably more than I should admit.

[@Alex_The_Raptor]

I am starting to paint literally this weekend. I aspire to be this good and have my models come out like this. Wish me luck!

[@TheVashjer]

Literally the best tutorial I've seen! Thanks, saving so I can watch multiple times for reminders.

[@legionnaireminis]

Legitimately some of the best advice ive seen in a painting video in a long time. Do these methods in batches and you'll have a whole unit/army done before you know it

[@mhbjarkistef]

I would honestly pay for a series on this. Mixing exposure to a teacher and practice by myself would really make getting this balance of time and effort really natural and intuitive.

[@MrDjpaulh1982]

You said the rest of the paint job could be just fine. no part of that paint job that could be considered fine. It’s an amazing pant job. Great video as always Ninjon.

[@adrianhall7822]

Great video. Would love to see more videos about painting models using ONLY the stuff in painting starter kits. My wife got me an army painter kit which had a paintbrush, 20 paints (2 washes, 2 metallics) and the videos that TAP provides don’t go into enough detail for starters. How do you thin the paints properly, angle of the brush, how to load that one brush you have, and beginning to mix to get good colors for edge highlighting? The total beginner video using a set. Thanks!

[@seananderson2195]

Amazing video as always, and ironically something I was looking for as I go into building actual teams (Blood Bowl). I really appreciate the idea of doing the model in two parts as you mentioned. To answer the question, in the case of this model you finished I am initially drawn into the skin and mouth. The attention to detail there did make me feel as though the entire model was painted to that level, even though you did find shortcuts with areas such as the metallic areas. Thanks again for the great video.

[@hadrienvesseron5321]

One of the bets advice and take on this question of where to focus on. And how. Awesome work again :)

[@HansBohr]

At the end of the day, every techniques, approach, painting philosophy, etc. is good if 1) it make you enjoy the painting and 2) it make you finish models. The rest of the journey is up to you.

[@EthanSly]

This is such a brilliantly in depth but not overwhelming tutorial. I'll be sure to try and use these techniques in my own mini painting :) Great work!

[@itsio7188]

I think you're right. Your beautiful skin takes my eyes and I judge the rest accordingly. Thank you.

[@loupiscanis9449]

Thank you , Jon . 🐺

[@carnosaur93]

my eyes are drawn to the face and the blades. luckily the blades look really good, even if simple! complicated doesn't always look better! also a lot if nor most of this is very close to my own paiting style that i've just sorta organically found myself sliding into and getting comfy with over the years

[@kendo5862]

Beautiful… that highlight to the sword really zips!

[@tokoloshgolem]

Peak Ninjon awesomeness. This is the reason your channel is the best.

[@AYYOFLOCKA]

Mega agree with you here, having some deviation in my army recipe keeps everything fresh, I practice different techniques in more depth on various squads/characters. You can tell when you zoom in but they all still look great on the tabletop 😊

[@jamiem9490]

This was a really helpful video - the territory in between 'painted quick (looks like ass)' and 'I am never ever playing a game with this/edge highlighting until i die' is a tricky one to navigate - this gave me some really good ideas for approaching painting a 28m scale army while integrating a bit more finesse (intelligently) rather than just contrast paints / washes everywhere or base coat/wash/done. nice one.

[@d4dave669]

Looks great. I am always amazed at how much edge highlighting works.

[@alexcutler4738]

Great vid mate. I had thought the GW painting guides were long gone, but now will need to go searching again. I really like the idea of spending time on one thing to catch the eye. Good tip for the metallics also. To answer your question, I think you may need to say to spend time on one thing on each side of the model. My eye was drawn into the backpack on the rear of the model and the time you spent on that felt like it had a good effect.

[@jessdd6040]

That little bright dot at 6:41, brilliant.

[@Nukenstien5119]

Backpack and the face are the focal points for me. That’s a great job!

[@auricolour7862]

Great tutorial! To answer the question at the end-- You did a good job of making the skin and face a focus, especially the high colour and value contrasts of the mouth that really draw the eye. Unfortunately the skull "loincloth" on this particular model is bright enough to also draw the eye a bit because it's such a contrasting colour and value, I'd say it has about the same visual weight as the face when the model is viewed side-on (but maybe not when the model is viewed from above in person). Not sure what can be done about that though! Maybe blackened skulls?

[@Wildonion1]

I found myself looking immediately at the lenses of his (night vision?) goggles, but then drifting down into the face and the chest. So, while the skin might not have been the first thing to catch my eye, it was definitely a close second! I think the bold colors on those lenses pop against the more desaturated colors of the rest of the model, which is the only reason I didn't look right at the face. Stellar work all around, though! Thanks for another great vid.

[@RussellGuldin]

Of the techniques of yours that I've tried, this one fits both my need to have deep detail with my impatience. I'm going to use this on my Deathwatch fire team.

[@TheHobbyCorner]

Bases and faces. Tried and tested. Slicer for everything metal makes sense when you can't change what it is with a shade of contrast too. Great work! 🤘😎🔥

[@DuxSomniumGames]

This video is fantastic! I've watched it about 10 times now, and it is my absolute favorite combination of all the different methods everyone shows off. Thanks for creating this for us!

[@honieebean]

I know people say face and base but I always like the weapons too. Lots of great tips in this video 😁

[@AsianViking27]

Great work, Jon. That skin turned out so well!

[@ryanskrenes6247]

I appreciate when you mention how long a phase takes you. It helps give a realistic timeline. Yeah we can contrast a mini in 45 min but the quality you show we can expect a greater time investment. Thanks!

[@grimoirworkshop6623]

Wow, that method compliments the very essence of heroic scale, most important parts should be well defined and readable even if that means they are out of proportions. It invites you to concentrate most painting effort on those parts.

[@LocalBaron]

I started Warhammer a year ago, and I gotta thank you for making me more confident in painting, the Citadel/GW system scared me when I started

[@barrycopithorne]

Brilliant video! Thank you for making it! Really helps me make proper painted Orks!

[@slanahesh]

I really like that approach to metallics, im going to have to give it a try.

[@petermillar8866]

Old fashioned base, shade and layer is king. You learn the long way and then you know how to streamline it.

[@geoffstabletoptales]

Thanks for breaking that down. Absolutely inspiring! 😊

[@tankdempsey424]

Very well articulated presentation each and every step of the way.

[@carlstanford7607]

A really great video. GWs box art painting style with all its edge highlighting and precision can be frustrating for beginners. How they say to paint and how they actually paint their models are very different. 4 rounds of edge highlights getting smaller and smaller each time combined with subtle volumetric transitions. It’s surprisingly challenging

[@wikyWargaming]

I found an addition to your metallic paint method: if you mix a few drops of Josonja flow medium with a small dollop of GW Leadbelcher, you essentially get metallic contrast that flows into all the places, and leaves a relatively smooth one-coat finish. Ready for your coloration method (which is excellent btw).

[@sabraw1277]

watching you paint inspires me to do better and keep keep painting! excellent video, gorgeous mini, and as always, helpful insights. Thanks!

[@MANCAVEHOBBY]

I haven't followed gw recipe for ages, what they say they do on the models and how they lock makes me thing their master painters have their own tricks', like all painters. nice video

[@isgibson]

I absolutely love this advice. You're a hero of my early painting journey, grounding my imagination back in reality.

[@Macrossprime]

love how you did metalics on this model, gonna try it out soon.

[@Greenkrieg]

I think it looks really good. Its basically what I've been doing with my "table ready" armies. I spend most of the time around the face or other areas that usually draw the eye then slap paint on the rest.

[@andrewphelan8066]

Amazing video , I will look at this way of tackling models in the future as you can see how its the focal points that are stronger and pull teh eye more and at the end of the day that's what you want .

[@The_Mini_Creative]

I really like this approach. This is what I’ve been doing with my Orks. The skin is definitely the most important and as long as everything else has some highlights and a shade it will look pretty good.

[@SolGladio]

Great video. I can attest to this method. I’ve been using a very similar process for almost a decade for mid-tier commission work

[@bnm1211]

I feel like your question is probably better suited to those who don’t paint, or barely do. They will gravitate to a focal point (skin or weapons) and maybe not really see things like straps, whereas more experienced painters will accomodate for most parts of the model. I’m no pro painter, but I usually tend to immediately notice colors that have the most surface area (in this case the skin) and weapons. When it comes to details, I notice things that “pop out” in color

[@Nubgan]

I have always wondered why they shoe horn into either Layering or Contrast methods and not mixing, food for thought, highly useful! Thanks :D

[@dicebot9617]

at first i was thinking "ugh, another minipainting video for beginners i cant enjoy" but the method of painting ork skin was pretty advanced and i definitely learned something

[@PoulEbbe]

You are describing the exact way I paint my models. But I just never though about it. Maybe I should be more public about my painting :b You are so freaking lovely and I love your content!

[@kristophermelin7160]

I agree that people notice the important parts, and the rest of the work just helps reinforce those keys. One thing I would say additionally is that it's good to get the weapons looking impressive (maybe even more so than skin.) Especially on wargaming miniatures ("WAR" gaming!) the kind of model naturally focuses the eye on the laser gun, sword, axe, bazooka or whatever it is he's killin' stuff with. EXCELLENT tutorial - perhaps one of the best on the subject (and I've been painting toy soldiers for almost 50 years.) Peace, brother!