How I went from painting beginner to competition winner in 8 months

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Here's all the steps i took to become a competition winning Warhammer miniature painter in 8 months!
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Amazon Affiliate Links to stuff i use(As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases you do after following this link - at no cost to you):
Canon M50 (the cameras i use)
USA: amzn.to/2MWGIN9
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DE: amzn.to/2PA1Nio
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Anycubic i3 Mega (the FDM printer i use)
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UK: amzn.to/2xu0Hsz
DEUTSCHLAND: amzn.to/2JdquvX
CANADA: amzn.to/2YA95CW
HARDER STEENBECK EVOLUTION SILVERLINE (the Airbrush I use)
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GERMANY amzn.to/2LmurOD
CANADA amzn.to/2NGv3S2
Phrozen Sonic Mini (the Resin printer I use):
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USA Amazon: amzn.to/2FuFsyl
Phrozen Sonic Mini 4k
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Emil On
Instagram / ageofsquidmar
facebook / ageofsquidmar
Twitter / ageofsquidmar
Painting miniatures for your warhammer & d&d games. Age of sigmar and warhammer 40k. Space Marines, Space Wolves, Stormcast Eternals, beastclaw raiders, ogor mawtribes, cities of sigmar, chaos space marines, painting scale models, miniature busts! How to paint NMM. How to paint warhammer, how to paint d&D figures.

[@SquidmarMiniatures]

Have you seen the coolest nerd wear on the internet? :D teespring.com/stores/squidmarminiatures

[@raggeh063]

This is the only channel that i dont skip the sponsors in the video since they are so funny and creative

[@Verza488]

@@raggeh063 if you like good sponsors you should watch internet historian :D

[@Morghan129]

Purchased two T shirts for my husband who is a "big" lovable guy 😉 The 4XL size was perfect for him, he loves them both!

[@Rabbit-the-One]

Nurgle is THE army to analyze details. Sigmar, 40k, Blood Bowl, whatever. You'll catch serious detail tips in good Nurgle.

[@ketxyz]

Its cool you show how you progressed :)

[@VinceVenturella]

Thanks for the shoutout brother, all the best and can't wait to see what you can do with the new space. Hope you and the family are well. :)

[@W.edgewargames]

Between you and so many other miniature painters, I've learned so much stuff in the last 4-5 months, I can't say thank you enough, and to this community for all the support.

[@vanillaicecream2385]

i dont have enough time or models to practice enough to get good

[@W.edgewargames]

@@vanillaicecream2385 one at a time, it's just repeating certain things and working on new things (for me that's NMM), it's all about practice and putting your learned lessons on plastic. Happy painting and smooth paint

[@YuzoKoshiroSan]

But I love my Agrax Earthshade!

[@niksterkai4303]

Agrax is a solution to poor mini painters.

[@angelarkcosplay4046]

@@niksterkai4303 im a good painter and i use it. Its how you use

[@tijndoesburg5008]

@@niksterkai4303 welk that’s nice

[@d-emprahexpects]

Agrax is liquid talent. Either you use that or you develop talent. And I love Agrax but its true what he's saying

[@simonm8221]

Tell that to Dana :-D

[@andreasbuehler1821]

That sad feeling when the "pleb" mini from the beginning looks better than most of what I've painted in ten years...

[@billymarroquin5246]

Thanks to Jazza for doing that collab with Emil like a year or so ago I've learned so much from this channel. Your work is such an inspiration Emil, thanks for all the tips and tricks (how'd I go so long without a wet pallete 😣)

[@Andy-mj4ru]

Started painting with a wet palette and it almost instantly made my models look better. Such a simple thing makes such a huge difference.

[@mai2015]

I've been here for almost a year and I can say with my whole heart it's been a genuine delight to learn to paint alongside Emil's videos I started mini painting just over a year ago and discovered this channel from that... Deffo one of the best things I've done because this community is so awesome and full of incredible and supportive people

[@ebbelille]

25+ year veteran grognard here. It's crazy to see how talented young people can pick up and then in a few years master a craft that you have been doing for most of their lifetime. I'm still a beginner compared to Emil and many of you talented people. Still, the most important thing is to have fun and express yourself, not to be "the best". Keep painting and don't forget to play with your minis some time as well.

[@johnherrera5261]

Watching how good you are at painting just intimidates me when I start thinking about painting my miniatures

[@WizardOfDC]

Can we all acknowledge that there is no one better than Emil at sponsor spots?

[@Barnesy727]

Hey man, completely new to Warhammer but have been glued to your video's all week. Just wanted to say thank you for introducing me to this fantastic hobby and looking forward to purchasing some sets of my own and getting creative.

[@whitecreamymilk8436]

How's it coming

[@gowiththeflowbee8053]

Think the big issue for me in not being able to improve is not painting regularly due to work/life in general. I get to paint 1 or 2 models every 2 to 3 weeks but I have fun doing it which is all that matters 😊

[@adipsia6154]

Same here! The great thing about the hobby is that the models will be there for you whenever you have time, and there's no rush at all (unless there are tournaments or competitions you've joined or something haha)

[@RandomGamer1984]

At least you get that many painted lol, so to the same reason I might paint 2 minis a month.

[@notnubilous3804]

@1:52 what we will all look like entering a GW store after the pandemic is over

[@RageWraith]

so true XD im dying

[@leont.3556]

I wanna say you and your videos were a big inspiration for me to start mini painting a year ago! I feel like I got such a headstart with all the tips I learnt from you and those in turn helped me understand tips from other painters as well. So thank you, and great that we are all in this minipainting journey together! What a great community 😁

[@deaconblack8939]

Thanks for what you do, my painting is getting better each time I watch and rewatch your videos!

[@shirahoshi1857]

Thanks so much for this video! It gave me new motivation and possitivity to go further in my miniature painting without as much worries as I was used to. I'm on the right path to become a better painter - you reminded me of that.

[@TheDurabun]

Hey Emil, been following your channel for a while now. Just wanted to stop and say that your vids have helped me push myself to try new techniques and even though I'm not the best I feel like I'm definitely improving. Thanks for all the content!

[@michaeltuite5510]

I just discovered your channel a few days ago, and am just getting into painting....this video gives me such hope. thank you for the inspiration!

[@unaskedforcritic3812]

Nice! Thanks for the great content. Always nice to see your work!

[@andersnothzen8145]

What a journey! Such great work and progress! Put in the time and results will come, must apply thisbon my own hobby!

[@johnathanrhoades7751]

A mastery of light is what makes a miniature look amazing to me... I have so much to learn there.

[@gp8718]

Emil! Your channel is the best and you are a credit to the miniature painting hobby. Inspired me to get into the hobby and have learnt so much from your videos. Thanks man.

[@kiesminis]

Painting almost daily, (pretty much everyday) I have found that I've come on leaps and bounds since I got back into the hobby 11 months ago. Thanks for being one of the catalysts to me getting back into the hobby.

[@bkromatic5921]

So helpful, thank you again Squidmar!

[@MarcusPoireau]

You inspire me to take up painting again which is probably something you got told a lot but watching you work and your creations have given me such powerful urges to take the brush again that I will have to give in and get back to it all... thanks for being a muse to a lot of artists out there on this great Planet !

[@opeyboy22]

Best damn painting minis video on youtube!! Thank you for providing these videos i have learnes alot alread

[@RJAMiniatures]

Needed this video today! Thanks Squidmar!

[@jeffreywarden5704]

Simply Thank u..for all ur hard work. I always enjoy watching.

[@Cj2329]

i've always used others tutorials ever since i've started painting minis and now i'm learning to highlight thanks to videos like yours and my minis are improving like crazy! thanks for the work you put into teaching us how it's done xD

[@shahabaga1371]

Thank you Emil for inspiring us. One of the things I really love about the content you share in your videos are the baby sounds in the background that are unintentional but always make me smile like in 11:54 and to see your reaction to it. Peace and God bless 😁✌️

[@timothyh7005]

This was incredibly helpful (as is many of your videos), thank you!!

[@EvolutionPCGaming]

A valuable asset for understanding volumes, lighting, and colour theory is the Figopedia book. It's fantastic for understanding what you're doing with examples applied to miniatures.

[@robsonribeiro7552]

Super inspiring video, thanks once again!

[@tassosmoukas5247]

This video is a bliss! GJ Emil!

[@youadiabatic]

Thank you for your videos! They are very inspiring and useful.

[@adamtomlinson918]

this is awesome! keep up this kind of content. id love more videos about analyzing miniatures and identifying light falling

[@HolyMith]

"It's completely free" *games workshop has entered the chat*

[@1die204]

This is the first time I've seen this video. All of these are the same things that helped me go from noob to winner in 12 months. Awesome to see others on the same journey.

[@ArawnNox]

Thanks for being an inspiration Squidmar. I picked painting minis back up last year when my friend got me in to 40K and I've been really thinking about challenging myself to get better and maybe eventually take that step to put my work out there and maybe even start making videos of my own. You and other painting channels have been a huge help and inspiration along my own painting journey.

[@Jampire]

Your photography work is outstanding! Wow.

[@MrJartsgamer]

i don't even collect or do anything related to 40k, but i gotta appreciate this guy. Man he's just flaring up for his hobby and puts so much time and love into all his pieces and videos and it really shines through. He's really giving the 40k community a completely new appeal, and making the hobby cool. i honestly love watching these videos.

[@maxbrooks5468]

This was a really helpful video!

[@PrenzlBalla_5000]

@squidmar: apart from the amazing content of your Videos on painting, you are the ONLY PERSON on KZbin who‘s „sponsored by...“ announcements i actually like to see! 😃 (squarespace...so much awesome 🤣)

[@taylord6043]

Awe! Thanks for this one Emil! Your commercials are so funny. Can’t wait for your bust to come in the mail so I can add a bust to my Repertoire. I got a lot of work to do still to get better but your discord helps so much. Oh wow didn’t realize that was a David Soper, thanks I jus started following him because of you. I love how you’ve used previous vids to make this one it’s so cool. I wish one day you’d do commissions for us Canadians cuz I’d love a Squidmar original. But with that said it’s jus rad being part of your community. Cheers.

[@badfelix007]

Thanks for sharing, your approach can be applied to a lot of other skills!

[@docbun]

I'm really liking your #5 + #6 combo here. Have to think about it! Thanks!

[@gnometroll1717]

We definitely NEED a tour once the new studio is ready. :D

[@danielpheasant4778]

Superb advice as ever. Thank you :)

[@0zboz609]

I ordered my first miniatures yesterday and you and Midwinter Minis have helped me understand what I'm going to do and how to do it

[@0zboz609]

That was quick :)

[@daecazu]

im just here for your crazy sponsor segments hahaha, good job Emil thx for sharing your journey.

[@mikespaintedminis5100]

I totally agree that sometimes you just have to dive in because it’s always going to be an experience to learn from and sometimes you can surprise yourself which will give a confidence boost

[@WilliamMatthewRobertson]

The ditching shade paints tip is huge! I tried it just after watching, and my skin painting improved immediately!

[@gingerlyza]

Great tips. I'm ready to level up my painting.

[@13Robzilla]

Very insightful video, thank you for sharing and please stay safe.

[@danlagerman5301]

Just ordered my first Warhammer Ork box set. Can't wait to set the figures up and attempt to paint them!! I know mine won't be the same quality, but you content helps me feel optimistic that it won't look like crap when I am finished.

[@whitecreamymilk8436]

How'd it go

[@alexstout8888]

I swear this is one of the few channels I refuse to skip the sponsorship ads on, always so good 😂

[@jaredking380]

wow...... thank you my man... i have always been a bit down on my skills with a brush because of some of the amazing photographed minis out there , but one of the shots you flashed up showed me just how much of what we see is in reality made to look even better by the pictures taken..... i do seriously lack application in colour theory

[@Kieran0410]

I've been floating around your content on and off for the last year. My kids have now started showing an interest so going back through now, and Pleb to "Less Pleb" got such a laugh out of me that I've subscribed. Well done sir!

[@SquidmarMiniatures]

haha thanks mate

[@milesmatic2872]

Great Artwork!

[@Reqqles]

Watching your vids only fuels my excitement for getting to paint my Tau army soon

[@Dazron]

Awesome video sir. I’m on a similar journey myself. Painted when I was a kid, returned to it this year. Hope I’m somewhere near as good in six months as you were!

[@MrDevilFlash]

My biggest problem: forcing myself to paint everyday. Too much procrastination :(

[@theresalwayssomethingtobui944]

I try to paint something every day, no matter if it's 2d or 3d. I can't get out my colours and brushes and stuff out every day. but, I can get my alcohol markers and shade on paper for 15 minutes in a break. I learn stuff about shades and volumes, but I don't go through the hassle of all the supplies. Maybe this helps you too.

[@badfelix007]

I don't paint, but a good trick that helps to build habits is to start small. If you give yourself the objective of painting for 10min you are more likely to do it and usually you will end up painting for more than only ten minutes. If you associate painting with an 1h task/job it will be harder to find the time. This is a concept covered in the book "Atomic Habits" from James Clear.

[@lategain3588]

Relax.

[@flyinglobster9552]

It expensive to paint everyday think how much you would have to spend on miniatures in a month

[@darktigre2686]

sigdmar being humble is the best ‘’from pleb to less pleb’’ instead of saying pro because we all learn at our speed so dont feel rushed that you are a leonardo or something like that. anyways great stuff keep on the videos and lovely painting

[@StarBoundFables]

Awesome advice, thanks! I'll save this one, & delete the washes from my list of equipment to purchase

[@jonasols]

I loved the Squidspace ad!

[@nilohernandez4167]

The music on your videos rules out here, love it, as your videos

[@sqrl6451]

squarespace should give u some extra money your ads are so enjoyable to watch XD

[@maximus0928]

Really really great vid thanks for sharing. I will say that is a lot of hours of practicing your craft and you have kids too which is inspiring to us who do as well. I like what you said about getting rid of your washes for more control. Mainly b/c miniatures are expensive so want to do them right as much as possible.

[@helenmck3357]

Love this, thank you, really helpful tips. Starting painting in March, so if I don't win a competition in November I'm gonna get real sulky now 😂

[@kjnash4149]

It’s because of you and zumikito miniatures I started painting! Hopefully one day I can enter competitions like you did! Would love to pick your brain more 😅 thanks for all the content you post 🙂

[@Seeuthere]

Thanks for the video, good tips🙂

[@Toque92]

Your ads are always on point. 👌

[@markgnepper5636]

Great stuff friend 👏 👍

[@jnoyes9986]

This inspired me to really commit to painting every single day.

[@hanswurst7727]

thank you so much for sharing your knowledge. i just bought nuln oil, agrax earthshade and flesh wash and thought i am super cool..

[@tailshhgaming94]

They don’t call washes “liquid talent” for nothing. I’m not ready to part with them yet lmao

[@xxelaxela333]

I'm surprised you didn't mention your shovel knight! It's one of the cleanest, best-looking paint jobs I've ever seen from a mini painting youtuber, without exaggeration. The blue just looks so good! I have a print of it with my hobby stuff for the day I decide I really want to tackle NMM and stop batch painting table quality chaff.

[@Marco_Polo2]

Your soo good at painting

[@FrigidBirostrixRay]

IDK how others would use washes, but I personally find them to be extremely useful if I want to create subtle colour changes in a model, or Nurgley stuff. I mean, for the dirty sickly bunch, starting with a light base and then slapping on thinned layers of Seraphim Sepia, Atonian Camoshades, and whatever else not in the methods of washing did wonders. As for literally everything else, I just start with pure-pigmented paints and mix as I go.

[@RuleRule-xh7sh]

I love your videos😍

[@uriance88]

Emil's video about looking at other painters is what got me to go onto Instagram and follow painters - which has definitely helped my understanding of concepts of light and volume. Thanks to the FLGS 'wall of Reaper minis' I have lots of low cost choice so I can pick ones that will require a technique I want to try and copy (Emil's red orc armour for example) or a technique that I want to challenge me (skin, sheer clothing, OSL). (and some of the 'classic' white reaper minis have 'soft' enough details to present their own challenge)

[@tassiasmith]

It's funny because copying others works as studies is a fundamental learning tool in most other art mediums. It's definitely something I recommend for mini painters as well because learning theory is one thing, attempting to put to practice with a practical example that is a fully realized piece another more skilled artist has created will teach you so, so much about implementation. Someone can tell you why they used what colour where and what technique they used, you can even watch them put each stroke down, but sitting down and doing it yourself and puzzling things out engages critical thinking areas of your brain and will teach you so much more. definitely something that can really level up your own work. But yes, it is incredibly important to give credit where credit is due; the original artist created something original, you need to acknowledge that and celebrate it. :)

[@sebastianknop1899]

Awesome video! ❤it!

[@deanm375]

I'm still in the "dunk the mini into the pot" stage. LOL Great video.

[@k.k.2191]

I am an acyrillic painter and never painted a figure. This was very interesting to watch.

[@KelvinEP24]

Really love your explanation! Really helpful! I hope you could make a tutorial for basic color picking and mixing? How to make lighter and darker color with limited color? And what's the "essential" Color to have for a beginner?

[@hackusationmagnet6400]

Nice award! Here's to many more.

[@CharlesMarlow1898]

Holy, f---! Mad skillz... Master Craft for sure.

[@mrookeward]

Great video - I'm just starting the journey. I've been collecting wargames minis for 50 years (yes, I'm getting old) - almost all historicals (I like ancient history). I have thousands of unpainted figures in my "to do" pile. I 'hate' painting - partly because I prefer using them than painting them, but also because I'm less than satisfied with my attempts. So I thought, I'll get myself some Warhammer and throw myself at them with a real attempt to learn how to make the most of it (because I don't really care about WH if I mess up, but the sculpts are nice). I figure, if I can get half decent I can then use that in my main interest period and finally make a real dent in the pile of lead I have sitting there. So, I watched a few paint tutorials, I've liked your's, I subscribed, and I'm eager to learn!

[@Sashakemper]

Hearing the kids in the background is adorable

[@jlrojasdegalvez]

First of all I apologize for my English. Thank you very much for your great tutorials and your contributions to the Hobby. I am very interested in the secret his painting for the red armor of the orcs, they are wonderful. Thank you very much again from Spain

[@nicolasannawn5715]

I think my main issue is to want to upgrade the oldest minis of my skaven army. But I improve thanks to one of your advice, used every mini with something new to try. I'm proud to have recently painted some new stuff better than I used to. Next step is to improve in painting worn out tmm! Thanks for your videos

[@loaneslone7168]

very interesting. thxs

[@KabinMiniatures]

Great analysis! My goal is to be brave and do more blending/feathering/glazing and maybe even do blends with oil paints. Like others have said, time constraints are also hard when you try to develop...

[@JayAndNightASMR]

I agree with washes, they're beat used for lining and doing select areas rather than putting all over

[@FrigidBirostrixRay]

I like using them for glazing tbh, especially if I need a light hue shift, or I need to change something up.

[@christiansebine7316]

Emil that is freaking awesome development on skills mate. I have to admit that I'm more on the side of watching your videos (and enjoy them) than painting which I barely do 🙈 That leads me to not being a good painter at all and dont improve too much. Whether building or converting miniatures or now that I'm learning japanese tend to avoid me to have time to paint. I will try my best to get some time for painting, at least once a week and see if I get better in handling and paint managing at least.

[@king_khroxas]

Man.. skin scares the shit out of me. Am going to step up and tackle some figures with more exposed skin. Love your content man. Thank you so much for sharing your journey with us.

[@tifauk]

I think we forget about the ultimate factor. Time. It's easy to practice day in day out when you have time, but not everybody has that luxury. That being said, your tutorials are amazing to follow. Learnt a lot even working through Lockdown.

[@viracocha03]

Your videos have helped me step up my game from the exact same thing. I base coat, maybe wash, dry brush. Now I have been working on my shading and mixing techniques, watering down my paints some, and so on. My fist small set of 8 orcs I have been working on since I got back Into painting are looking great so far but I feel like it's taking me way to much time, about 2 hours just to do skinper orc, mind you they are orc savages I believe and they are mostly naked, but I still just feel like I'm taking way to long.. Anyways, you and Geek Gaming Scenics are my 2 favorite channel. Thank you for all your help.

[@WozWozEre]

That's the biggest downside to painting amazing looking minis, it can take HOURS per mini, often days. It's why contrast paints are so popular, they give super fast results.

[@Erikjust]

I can see that your Thunderhawk video is over 20.000 likes, i am already looking forward to seeing you try your hand with the T´au Manta. It will be interesting to see whether or not the Manta is just as hard to build as the Thunderhawk.