Are You Trying Way Too Hard?

[@flawlessvic]

1:06 my dad (30 years ago now) used to take the lawn mower 30 minutes away to get worked on. Sharpen the blade, change the belt, replace the muffler. 2 weeks later goes and gets it. I did all those things last year in a few hours after watching YT vids. While listening to a podcast on historical Byzantium. Incredible. Mixing of miniature hobby and philosophy is my new favorite thing, love this channel.

[@Siej]

Come for the painting tips, stay for the philosophical applications of them

[@tabletopminions]

That’s the plan. Thanks for watching!

[@jstroketillyayoke]

That and his awesome hand talking ahahaha. He has his own sign language 🤟

[@cwoyce]

Warning! This video contains a double “pachow!” Please exercise caution and follow all safety procedures before attempting to watch.

[@santiagolozoya4940]

change your profile picture its depressing

[@blaked7532]

My advice to new painters is usually something like 'dont worry about mistakes, just throw down the paint, finish the mini and go on to the next. the more you paint, the better you get. picking up new techniques comes with time'.

[@GeorgeHale1984]

In the same breath, practice doesn't make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect. If you lower your standards too much, make too many compromises that become normalized, and allow yourself to "practice wrong" you will be on that learning path 4-5x longer. I think the only reason we need this discussion is because so many people are unfamiliar with the concept of having a set of self expectations or standards.

[@Badartist888]

@@GeorgeHale1984 While this is true, there is a bit of practical sense for some of us with anxiety (and perhaps without, I wouldn't know) that we need to just, not care and treat it as basic practice. Like I've been all but throwing paint on and am still quite new. However I can already tell things like my basic brush control and general understanding are so improved from my first 25-30 miniatures I've painted (as an adult, similar decades ago) that I soon will feel comfortable working on specific skills.

[@whinemax]

Painted my first miniatures over the last two days; 6 hours spent in total for assembling, prepping and painting 3 Easy-to-build Plague Marines. It was fun, but the duration of the sessions definitely drained me. The ability to put the pencil down and say 'This is good enough' is important and one I hope I can improve on

[@blackriderbob8053]

you know when you said that you shouldn't expect all your models to be golden demon winners when i was starting out i had that problem were i thought everything had to be perfect it really made me lose motivation, i think its important for people to learn that its ok to mess up and to make mistakes especially starting out its just part of the process and the faster you learn that the faster you'll get better

[@theviper5952]

BlackRider Bob same here I've got past in now though

[@thomasselby7117]

Same, I started to accept that my rank and file dudes don't need to be the best. And I'll get better just by painting more, so instead of trying to be a try hard and make one dude perfect and get burnt out and disappointed with myself that it sucks, just keep painting dudesmen a they will just become better. Plus I'd rather have a squad of table top quality guys rather than one model painted 25% better.

[@joshjohnston7388]

I threw perfection to the wind and weather the shit out of everything now. I love it. My stuff looks great and I've developed my own distinct style.

[@berndbrakel1956]

I am usually fine with tabletop quality. For all but (special) characters. But that is mainly due to having slightly shaky hands. So even getting a base coat on nicely is a pain and takes a long time. What I find that helps is batch painting. As in doing 1 part of the model (like the weapons) and then do it on all similar models.

[@giantorres3352]

check out the batman board game on kickstarter it comes with lots of miniatures

[@lewisharris3400]

Thanks for the advice. I like to think I am a fairly competent painter, and a couple of weekends ago I tried to teach my nephew to paint his first miniature. In retrospect, and after watching your video, I think I was going about it completely the wrong way as I was trying to teach him step-by-step the way I painted a model. I don't think either of us enjoyed it as much as we should have, we both found it a little frustrating for different reasons as I was trying to impart advanced techniques onto someone that had never picked up a brush before. Next session I am going to put on my beginner's hat, and paint alongside him some miniatures using only a couple of easier techniques like washes and drybrushing. In ordinary circumstances it might not be a paint-job that I am happy with, but I know they will look awesome to my nephew. Cheers!

[@LeSanglierQuiRit]

Just wanted to take a moment to say thank you for your videos and for sharing the knowledge. I leave your videos playing in the background while I am building and painting and have found them full of good information, relaxing, and entertaining. Hope you keep them coming!

[@kick8175]

I'd say this philosophy applies to all artists. I started out this way with painting miniatures, expecting too much out of myself, stripping paint off because I was never satisfied... and as a result, I only got to finish 25 miniatures out of the hundreds that I have. I also dabble in sculpting, and looking back, I realize that I also beat myself up for not coming up with amazing sculpts. up to this day sometimes I catch myself going back to the same habits from before. Just be gentle with yourself and allow yourself to make mistakes. It's how you learn and improve. and sometimes the mistakes make the end result even more interesting :)

[@tenchimod]

I've been revisiting my painting style after several years. When I first started I had the "Golden Daemon" mindset you mentioned - if it's not perfect right off it's not worth doing. It was causing me too much stress and I didn't like painting. Now, I approach painting like a zen meditation thing, and it's become fun to try different techniques and be satisfied with the results. You won't learn until you try, and if you try too hard you won't learn anything from it. Now I just have to learn how to be more efficient with basecoating minis so that a single model doesn't eat up a few hours.

[@readylockenroll]

I think I needed this video, my club is mostly artists and highly experienced painters but they dont really know how to talk or teach to intro/ midlevel painting.

[@Shemp3791]

Sound advice I'm so guilty of this from the get go, I find I'm too much of a perfectionist and it can stop you from learning.

[@toro3002]

I'm prime my first models yesterday, so thank you Uncle Atom, this video is perfect to start to paint.

[@alclewley9309]

I am your target audience for this video! I last painted in the early 90's - 1st Edition WH40K. Just bought myself a Space Wolves Venerable Dreadnought, with high ambitions. Having watched a million video's about technique, I was rattled. After watching your video here I'll probably buy some Grey Hunters or something to hone my techniques before I mess up my nice Dreadnought model. I have some metal Marvel miniature collectables (pre-painted, probably in a sweat shop) that were not very well painted out of the box, and some have been damaged over the years, so I'm getting going by adding some highlights, washes, and dry brushes to those to practice. It's fixing up and improving my existing models, teaching me new skills, and letting me make mistakes on display pieces that looked shabby anyway, so I've lost nothing. Not going to start my Dreadnought ASAP as I intended, having watched this video. Thanks! Now an avid subscriber.

[@markmcdowell2733]

Really enjoyed this. I started with a Raven Guard 1000 points, but jumped in too fancy for my skill set. Now developing a Death Guard army and learning a lot on the pox walkers I've bought as a foundation course for painting.

[@OniWanShinobi000]

I use quite a bit of Apple Barrel paint. Works just fine for me. It can be difficult but these last two years it's be fantastic paint. I've painted all of my AoS Bonesplitterz with it. Not the only paint I use but it's been fairly reliable.

[@jbriggsiv]

Great advice. I was intimidated to paint minis for use in D&D combat scenarios. I watched a couple of very basic beginner videos and found I could be very happy with the results. I basically followed the advice in this video, do some basic base colors, and then add a wash. I also used good advice from another video of starting with a simple mini like a monster that had fewer details to worry about and that it's OK to use the supplies you may already have on hand. I found I had a lot of what I needed from building scale RC cars (the kinds that have real details and figures in the, not just lexan bodies with decals). I didn't have to go out and spend another $100 or more on new paint. I just bought a wash and a few finer brushes and I was off and running. These videos are great for helping those of us who are new or casual hobbyists. Thank you for putting out great content.

[@Mikeyb2k]

Good advice. I've had a 22 year gap from the last time painted! Done one large piece and feel my level is the same technical wise. I've got the added patience that has come with age too. Now got myself in a good position to start again with more advanced techniques after having the extra info from all the internet!

[@sulmenite6938]

As a commission painter I often don't have a lot of time to work on my own miniatues. So lately I have just been painting until I'm satisfied with my own work. I go the extra mile for my clients but for my miniatures unless it's for a competition I've learned to just enjoy it and appreciate the time I've given to my hobby.

[@ryanbright7496]

I'm getting back into miniature painting and was overwhelmed by all the techniques. This video is practical and encouraging!

[@derekdrake8706]

I plan on painting my first miniature soon and this is probably the best advice I've found so far because I did plan on trying to get it perfect but I think you're right, I should focus on the fundamentals to begin with.

[@quietside3734]

I'd start with glazing, because it helps teach you how to thin your paints, and you waste very little in the process. Great video, as always!

[@flawlessvic]

I've been reading about glazing. Will take a look at it to start off.

[@bill9163]

This video sums up my current progress, came back in 8th and I'm constantly debating when to strip models / start again... I have a hard time leaving something if I notice mistakes!

[@travis8106]

I like keeping my mistakes. I value all of my paint jobs. My first ones serve as a reminder of where I started, my new ones always give me pride and something to show off, and everything in between shows how I got to where I am.

[@TheRunesmythe]

This is some great advice and I would highly recommend it (and this video) to anyone worrying about things like this! If you keep pushing yourself to not only try but also master a whole bunch of techniques right away, you're setting yourself up for some serious hobby burn out *very* quickly; there's already a certain amount of frustration inherent in starting this hobby that comes from a variety of sources, so adding more on top of it is never a good idea. When I came back to painting, I almost made the opposite mistake; I'd started in the hobby before the internet was really such a big source for knowledge, so coming back in I didn't really even think about searching out articles/tutorials. Then one day, just for the hell of it, I decided to do some searching and browsing and came across so many valuable resources. Its a double edge blade that can either help or hurt you depending on how you use it.

[@TheTriforcemonk]

I use apple barrel just fine. I've won contests and people were really surprised that's what I used. To be fair, I use a huge mix of paint (like citadel whites and flashgitz yellow are awesome) but some of that cheap paint is usually just fine as long as you thin it

[@adampender8813]

Jajkon theDestroyer same here. People compliment me all the time on my models and are surprised when they see me use craft paints. I've branched out to using Citadel and Vallejo paints but I use craft paints as well.

[@demonthault]

Yeah, I've heard Uncle Atom say that craft paints = chalky a few times now and I have no idea why. If you learn how to use craft paints properly then there is no problem.

[@joshjohnston7388]

Yeah i find craft paints are fine. They even tend to cover really well. On gunpla! HOWEVER. For some techniques that require a lot of thinning like some washes or lines results in a VERY grainy finish. I suspect it's larger sized pigment particles. But for regular coats of paint, they're fine. One of my go-to greys is a ten year old bottle of americana.

[@GeneJordan]

I used craft paints for terrain/scenery/bases, but I use a mix of P3, Vallejo, Army Painter, and Citadel for my models themselves.

[@chaosslayerofworlds6020]

I totally can get behind this, I use Apple Barrel "Christmas Green" mixed 50/50 with Anita's "Foliage" and I get a flat version of Citadels "Snot Green". I don't even know if Citadel makes that color anymore!

[@adrianwarner8686]

I was fortunate to have a friend who's commission painter teach me. Step by step is the way to go, this is very sound advice.

[@blackballgaming2895]

Thank you so much I've just started and I have been over thinking painting my first model so much wanting to be instantly perfect. And this video really helped again thank you so much.

[@ronraducanu9633]

I love this vid. I've been painting for two years now, and started to try to push my painting to the next level by learning NMM techniques and "shiny" armor recently. It's HARD! I practiced this for about a month, and realized I needed to step back and paint something without those techniques, just to take a break. So I went back the the simple basics and am really enjoying myself. Not that I wasn't enjoying learning and practicing the new techniques, but it was very intensive, both mentally and physically to learn those. Going back to the beginning was refreshing and I think will help with the advanced techniques when I go back to practice more.

[@noctelingerlandsturm7995]

I've recently come back into the hobby mainly due to the fact that ALL my spare time had been taken up with Medieval reenactment (except for the winter months). I started with 28mm but realized that after 8 years out of the hobby my eye sight had deteriorated and even if i did a decent paint job i just couldn't see the detail of the miniatures on the tabletop, it was just a blur unless i got down to eye level with the little buggers! Yes i wear glasses for painting but could never get to grips with using other aids such as magnifiers, something really disconcerting about suddenly seeing your brush appear in view like a giant shovel lol....I'm now experimenting with larger scales, 40mm and even 54mm although the cost is somewhat daunting but so much easier to paint and really impressive to the eye. Great vids by the way!

[@GiftofChaosStudio]

Same has happened to me, now I use a jewlers magnifying visor with an led light to pick up the detail. It helps in a big way.

[@havokblast]

As someone who literally just bought their first set of 40k models ever, this video was definitely VERY helpful. I've been wanting to do so much with these guys and had all kinds of ideas for things I've wanted to try, this definitely helped put things into perspective for me for how I should begin painting... I'm definitely going to take things nice and slow now instead of rushing to make them the best ever right off the bat. (The models are Deathwatch Kill Team Cassius and an Eisenhorn model if anyone was curious, I'm excited!)

[@jooshjooshministhetics8048]

I first started painting back in 2008 when I was in high school and I forced myself to do all these techniques as quickly as I could. While the results were...decent at best, the whole experience burned me out really badly to the point of me holding off painting for several long intervals. Eventually learned to take ot slow and pace myself properly.

[@Grisomsun]

Thanks man, was a lapsed painter and have been over whelmed by painting whych faces. Really been frustrated and was ready to give up, feel better after listening. Thanks!

[@technolich4092]

Dude... You need to look into voice acting because you've got an amazing voice for it. Also awesome shirt :3

[@Nl9ETEEN]

Seriously. He could narrate the process of making toast, and I'd watch it.

[@mleet3125]

Glad I found your channel, and this video in particular. I'm mentally preparing for my dive into this hobby. I may have been preparing to do too much on my first batch. Thanks again and Merry Christmas :-)

[@T3CH33]

For practice by a bag of plastic soldiers (100-200 for like £5) and practice on them. Saves a lot of hassle as, if you mess up minis, it can be a pain to strip and reset the whole process.

[@dadefrost2059]

Nick Davidson practicing on models you don't care about can be really useful. Particularly if what you want to do is test out a new technique. Some of my "unfinished" models never will be because they were only to test one technique.

[@waynegoldpig2220]

I'm yet to commence painting my first miniature. I'm good for paints as I received a full citadel set for free. However, I intend to zenithal highlight and basecoat by airbrush right from the get-go. So I am practising my airbrush technique on paper at the moment.

[@OwlskiTV]

When jumping into anything you're new/inexperienced with, it's always best to pace yourself. Otherwise you set your expectations too high and can become easily discouraged/frustrated and (even) be turned away from the hobby. Good video!

[@soviet_idiot]

What I did when I was first starting out was practice on cheap army men.

[@13Robzilla]

That is actually a really good idea. I use army men for paint scheme planning (to see how they look next to each together) I actually use lawn bark broken in to small pieces to try out individual colors or remember a good one when I find it. Great for being able to say like this and show someone and they go oh I like it (or god that's awful.)

[@gavinmillar]

Historical miniatures can also be relatively inexpensive (~$1 each), and often usable for fantasy as well, like the Perry Miniatures War of the Ring line, Gripping Beast or Fireforge.

[@MrSJPowell]

That's brilliant. I may steal that for continued practice once I get through my zombicide set.

[@willyum3108]

Gabriel?

[@robkaminsky9736]

I practiced on an 8$ pack of 4 Ork Boyz

[@Reaperking66]

You are the best, all your videos have helped me get back into both (main) Warhammer games. Thank you Uncle.

[@alphaleigpyne]

I normally find basecoating my models followed by washes and surface layering the most easy part of painting, including drybrushing. Those are the first things I started of before I got into some more adavnce stuff like edge highlights, adding some smaller details on certain parts of the models and wet blending. It took some weeks and months before I was able to master those skills to paint them well before I move on to newer techniques.

[@stevemonczka1089]

This is a great video, with some fantastic advice to beginners and those of us who are coming back to the hobby. I would suggest anyone in those categories watch this video.I think you are slowly becoming the elder statesman of the hobby. Please keep up the good work.

[@TatoTheButcher]

totally get this, thanks for pointing it out. I overloaded my brain with all these techniques and then tried different ones on different minis but now I've realized I have handfuls of half-painted minis and little actual experience painting.

[@Talbaz]

I would add don't be afraid to try new techniques, and you can always try them on a small part of a model. I recently started to try wet blending by using it on the bone part of the plague Marines I'm working on. Great way to play around with technique while not having to worry about screwing up an entire model

[@area_surveyor_k2217]

Always happy with your content. Thank you.

[@kariechaos5382]

I'm older than most of the folks I know who play these games (I'm in my 30s, all my friends are at least a decade or more younger than me) and I've been painting minis off and on since I was 12 and playing D&D. I still like to just, prime, drybrush, wash, drybrush, wash, possibly hit a few really high tips of spikes or weapon points with a drybrush of an ivory, and then start layering thinned out colour over that. It works and makes me happy.

[@cjmcdiesel8195]

I agree to a large extent. I just picked up some models to get back into war gaming and while I am stripping paint and refurbishing them I looked over what I want my end results to be using a lot of how to vids and realized that my skills used to be about mediocre 10 years ago. Now I'm probably only half as good and it'll take some practice to get there.

[@Joe-pz7cg]

Omg! This is a video all non-pro painters need to see! I repainted so many minis because they weren't perfect. It took a long time for me just to put it down on a table and say "yep, at arms length it looks good and I'm ok with that". Thank you for this message.

[@williampowell6067]

I got back into painting miniatures about three years ago after taking a long hiatus. This is where I fail every time. I'll paint something then will research the mini, then will compare to something say an expert will paint...good advice tho. Take this hobby one step at a time. I wish i had this advice when i was younger. Tho we didn't have computers back then. Thanks!

[@JPWestmas]

I didn't know what you mean when you say "trying too hard" but good video! Don't overwhelm yourself. . .yes don't do that. Try perfecting one thing at a time but don't forget to have fun.

[@Mabufu381]

as an artist as well as a mini painter, this is a massive hurdle for me that affects both hobbies, i expect myself to be perfect because i feel i need to be, with all the knowledge i know and can have available to me, its that 'other people my age are already super good i need to catch up' mentality. I dont like baby steps, i like god steps, and its took me ages to realise this and change to be more productive. I think this vids gonna help a hell of a lot of people Uncle A, thanks 👍

[@munkeeboy808]

completely agree. I learned to paint by following the $1.50 citadel painting guide I bought when I bought my first minis and paints in 1988. Haven't strayed to far since. But I don't enter competitions or sell my services. I Only paint my own stuff.

[@adamfox1669]

Aaahhhh apple barrel and grumbacher acrylic paint....reminds me of my beginning days. Another great topic. Thanks

[@Valandar2]

About wet-blending... When I was getting started in painting, waaaay back in the 1980's, I used those old White Dwarf issues (the ones with two-digit issue numbers, wowsers) as a source for info, and stumbled across the term, and a reference to it as "blending the colors directly on the model while they're still wet". That's the sum total of knowledge available about how to do it. And, silly me, I was still using Armory paints, and not thinning them down at ALL... Yeah, you can guess how my efforts turned out. :D

[@docwombat248]

Thanks a lot for making this. I recently got started in Star Wars Legion, and I'm a beginning painter (painted exactly 3 Warhammer minis for a filming assignment). I might have fallen into that trap and given up. Now I actually want to paint them even more.

[@duogemstone]

There are a ton of Technics I need to learn but I'm focusing on layering and highlighting and eyes, I don't overwork it if I can get to a place I'm happy with I'm good. there are a few I've painted where I can look at it and point out where I messed up or something could be better but it still looks decent and that is good enough for me

[@beerenmusli8220]

Thank you so much for all the philosophies to learn from you!

[@elizabethmilward8301]

I didn't have any metallic paints when I painted my first couple of minis, so I tried non-metallic metal. It sort of kind of worked, but I knew it was supposed to be a more advanced technique so I wasn't expecting miracles. Now I have gold and silver and I am very fond of them. But I'm trying other techniques as I go. Current project: not using an allover wash - I didn't like how dark and greyed out it was making the miniatures. Instead I'm doing shadows by hand in darker versions of the paint I was using for the basecoat in that area of the model. It works pretty well in most places, but the cloaks are being a pain.

[@petersatzer3010]

Very great comment as always. One sentence was kinda funny for me: "if you can get a nice even base color, and some wash and then maybe some drybrushing for edge highlighting, thats pretty good for your first models". I'm what you could call a seasoned wargamer (been in the hobby for more than 15 years). That's still basically what I'm doing with almost all of my models. Yes I paint power swords in some different techniques, yes I tried basically everything from wet blending, feathering to non metallic metal, etc. or also army painter quick shades (I love em for some jobs). But if it comes down to not "trying something new on a special model", for the bulk part of my painting, it is still: Base, Wash, Drybrush (or depenting on the model Base, Drybrush, Drybrush oder Base, Drybrush, Wash). That's not going to go away, especially if you are not only painting 1 model each month to a showcase standard, but have to finish an army and want to get playing.

[@xdevantx5870]

I think this ties in great with the "Knowing when to stop" or "Knowing when your done" topic.

[@fledge31]

I’m considering getting into painting 40K or AOS and it can definitely feel overwhelming. Reminders like this are really helpful!

[@prestonchilders8240]

That's why I enjoy historical, all the painting is pretty simple for beginners (since it's mostly green, brown and black) plus you can get away with slight mistakes as torn clothing, chipped helmets, etc.

[@LegoYodaX]

Got to admit. I have literally just fallen in to this trap. edge hilighting is way to hard for the first few models..... but i kept having the mindset of "these are expensive, they have to be good". Stepped back, watched a few of your videos. practiced the basics. got better!

[@jaycobeyre4910]

Amazing video you have helped me with some great ideas such as the curriculum idea as I definitely tried to create pieces that were beyond my level so I will head back and work on simple things first thankyou

[@SkullyTheHypnoSkull]

Yes yes yes yes yes and yes to everything in this video. Just focus on the nice clean base coat, when you get good at that you will have developed your skills so you can move on to washes and highlights. But you need to know how to choose the correct base coats too, because when you shade and highlight the base colors will change.

[@RodgeRules]

On every new project, I try out one or two new techniques or methods. The rest will be tried and true methods, palettes, etc, that I've already got down pat. The speed and morale boost from painting with established skills helps offset the often frustrating and slow learning process on the new stuff. It's important to keep expanding your skills but you don't want to get so bogged down you give up!

[@Bokogi]

you should make a video of your entire miniature collection

[@DMB00085]

Just started and really need this

[@beavisemojihere]

I made a lot of mistakes when I first started painting minis. I also come from an art background, so I thought I knew it all--i knew how to do a wash for textured surface, I knew how to dry brush. However, I quickly found it that paint acts differently on plastic mini models, and that a single brush stroke that doesn't smooth out can ruin a model if the model is really tiny. I expected to use acrylics like I was making a painting....noooo. I upgraded paints and started thinning them especially when painting smooth things like skin, and practice, practice, practice. How-to You tube videos and more practice, and a lot of patience. I consider myself fairly good now, but my expectations at the start were not accurate for sure.

[@TheAurgelmir]

I don't think I even washed my first minis, it was Base color, dry bursh, details. (Oh wait I washed faces and hair). Then I went onto trying layering etc. In the end I went back to mostly doing Dry Brush highlights, but more focused, and washes, as I think it looks "Good Enough" for the table top. Drybrushing and washing gets a bad reputation as "easy mode", but it also takes a lot of practice to get to a point where it looks good. With washing for instance I remember seeing my first "how to" video on "recess shading" and it blew my mind. For so many years I always washed the whole model, then went back in with the base color and layered it, now suddenly I had this slightly more fiddly technique that I could use on specific models. I stopped doing blending etc because it just takes too long imo. And when you are painting 90 poxwalkers you want it quick and easy, not slow and amazing.

[@KossolaxtheForesworn]

well if you got that many I suppose u could always go with the army painter step by step, spray, paint, dip, done. very standard tabletop quality with pooling and bubbles lol. tho its what I would use if I had to paint a more than 10 of them, maybe I would just bother adding different shade of green as base color but thats really it. also I agree that washes do get bad rep for being the "easy mode", I have used it on all of my models at some point, like when I accidentally made some blanchitsu robes.

[@aaronbeardsell4964]

I was taugh drybrushing and washbrushing by my local games workshop in the first month of tabletop wargaming. Starting earlier makes it so much easier later on!

[@PatGilliland]

Block paint, dip. matte coat and go. Table top miniatures gaming does not _have_ to be about painting. It can be sure, and if that's what brings you pleasure then go right ahead. However, if that's not the case, then just paint to a standard that _you_ feel comfortable with. It's your hobby, you decide your limits.

[@KossolaxtheForesworn]

true, some like to paint and some like to game, but no one likes to look at bare plastic models.

[@p_serdiuk]

I think it's best, for a start, to select a single solid technique for every major piece or physical material on your army units, write out the guidelines, and stick to them for a while. Most minis of grunts only have a limited range of features that might require something like metallics or blending anyway. Then, after painting a lot of grunts, use all of these techniques on character models while introducing something new and advanced. Then maybe switch your army, do the same thing again, and only later start practicing advanced techniques on whole minis, like source and zenithal highlighting or glazing.

[@alika6855]

Thanks for this video! I'll probably watch this many times just to remind myself.

[@521wallace]

When I started AoS almost two years ago now, I went for it. 3 color highlights on every part of the model, threw in some drybrushing, etc. And it looked like someone new to hobby decided to do all of those things to a model. I am getting into 40k now and realized that my models look better with a smaller amount of highlights that are down well. I rushed into doing the cool stuff that would take a model to the next level without getting the basics down, so my models didn't go to the next level.

[@Daealis]

I had a half-painted 4000 point Skaven army almost two decades ago. That's 50-60 models that were painted back in the day. I recently bought some paints because I saw some nice figures and remembered how much fun it was back then to do. I didn't buy those awesome models (150-300 dollars worth of epicness): I dug through my pile of tabletop games and got out a bunch of low quality zombie minis from Zombies!!!, cleaned the moldlines, primed two dozen of them, and tried painting those. I didn't even buy a wash. My total spenditures are under 40 bucks: 7 basic colors of paint, spray primer and a matt varnish, and three cheap brushes. I remember I was half decent at doing gradients, painting straight from the pot in the day. I would say I was an average hobbyist level, bordering on decent when I put the time and effort in. But that was a long time ago and a lot of what I've done since doesn't really enforce that muscle memory. I haven't even done any crafts since those days, not really. Now all the videos I've watched use a wet palette, so that's the new technique I picked up straight from the word go. I have cheap models, extremely limited palette, no washes, and just a new tool in the wet palette that makes mixing paints a lot easier. Just the jump from syrup-consistency old GW paint pots - and going straight from the pot - to a much more runny paint on a wet palette that require 2-3 coats in general (but don't hide all the details of the mini) is going to take me several figures to get comfortable with. The whole process changes when the paint is sufficiently thinned from what it was with the goop I slapped on minis back then, and after painting a christmas ornament and a handful of tiny zombies I'm starting to feel comfortable with the wet palette and blending stuff on that. Wet blending and buying a wash to make highlighting easier are the next two items on the to-do list. I feel like just highlighting nicely with more than just 2-3 different shades after a wash is an "advanced" technique when you're starting out. Object Source Lighting is something that needs you to master the paints and blends effortlessly and almost without conscious thought. You need to have an understanding of color theory, or at the very least spend a lot of time lighting the model to get an idea on how the light would behave, how it fades and hue shifts the places it hits.

[@meraduddcethin2812]

You have exceeded your normally high standards with this video, good sir. Take a few, base techniques and become skilled with them. Then, slowly add more to the arsenal. Remember that the master has failed more times than the student has tried. Thank you!

[@donwilliams8357]

All my limited budget allows for are cheapo acrylic water based paints from Walmart and Michael's. You CAN use these to good effect. Cheapo brushes are what you want to avoid!!

[@snowy5628]

5 months and over painted a heldrake, a squad of raptors and a chaos lord center piece which consisted of 3 models in total. Just started on my rubric marines and cultists, it'll take another month or 2 I think, but I like well painted models to play with :)

[@soul_vicex]

When I first started out in 2004 my models were bulky as hell, I always used too much glue and always too much paint, but I'd look through the latest White Dwarf and just expect my models to turn out like theirs, its hard to keep focused on getting better when there's all these great models around you looking better, usually people painting them like that effortlessly. Plus in 2004 we were using Citadel Inks and if you ever used them, oh boy you know already hahaha

[@LordMuzhy]

I had never heard the word whittle, so I had no idea what you were talking about until I googled it haha

[@janusvanmassenhove1083]

Me too!

[@sloughwitch]

Did you not watch the TV show about whittling last week?

[@ZacHawkins42]

Allan Sandoval Just wondering how old you are...

[@GeneJordan]

I guess the whittling hobby has really slacked off when the word for it has fallen out of use. It might be a geographical thing. Growing up in the country, it was a regular occurrence to see men whittling something out of a block of wood. The last time I saw a man doing it, he was carving wooden fish. He said they sell like hotcakes for a decent price at local craft sales.

[@ZacHawkins42]

Gene Jordan It's very relaxing to me just to sit on the porch and listen to the birds while I see what's hidden in a piece of wood.

[@meganclare7]

I only take my time on character models, but I tend to paint then wet wash mark as done come back after a few models do touch ups. Also I just don't put as much care into monster models because they get killed so fast. I just do for play models so I only dedicate about 4 hours for one

[@ImaITman]

I know this video is a year old, but that shirt is so epic that I must have it....Thank you Uncle Atom for letting me know it exists.

[@TheClergyGamer]

I have red-green colorblindness. I’ve winged it over the years, asking for advice from family (ex. asking what colors are which, how to blend them, etc.). Any advice for us? I know I’m not the only one. A vid would be helpful.

[@maloryfunction2260]

I use Apple Barrel paints and citadel metallics and washes, but I still feel called out. 3 years of mini painting with apple barrel, and I've gotten pretty good at it

[@tsarcastic3722]

Hey. I'm new to miniatures and painting (Kill Team got me), and have been watching a bunch of KZbin videos to try and get a grasp on how to start painting things. I like your videos and I think this is good advice. What I think would be really good information to have a list of some models suited toward beginners, or some good models to improve basic techniques on. While I want to paint my Skitarii ASAP I realize that's way above my head and would like to know some simpler models that can look good painted simply. After watching a bunch of videos I've decided to start with some Hive Behemoth termagaunts, because it's mostly a four color base coat and a wash. Once I feel confident enough I can even move onto some highlighting on the carapace to make them really pop. But once I get that down I still think I'm going to have a way to go until I get to those Skitarii. I'm considering genestealers, or space marines as a next step but I feel less confident about that decision. Anyway, that's it. I just know I'd love a video or series of videos covering those first baby steps and I doubt I'm the only one. Keep up the good work.

[@VictorQues]

That was a good advise. It is a common sense but a lot of people forget about it.

[@PannkakaMedSylt]

Really good video! I'v been in the hobby for 23 years now and I'v got almost all the big techniqes down to a certain degree with varying skill level, but I deffinetly could have used this tip when I started or even longer, for the first 10 years, trying to use every techniqe I heared of, and often at the same army or sometimes same model lol, instead of focusing on like 3 main techniqes to get a certain army done, since alot of the techniqes kinda overlap in their purpose and are just different ways to go about getting a similar effect. Also the Spray can / Air brush highlight techniqe of angles is called zenithal highlight :) like the rise of the sun!

[@KossolaxtheForesworn]

u have been in the hobby as long as I have been alive pretty much. I do fall to the same pit, tho I dont mind about it at all, I like the challenge and I dont really like shortcuts while painting, at times even going so far as to paint one part at a time, like having the barren prime on rest of the model while Im having final finishing touches on one of the arms. thats the kind of length of avoiding shortcuts that I go because I think it gives me the best results. I dont use my models for playing any game, aint people around who play and neither is any hobby places. so I just paint them for my self, and even then I cant really admire the final result when I need to either continue a project or start a new one.

[@MrWhite5150Duke]

I'm planning to practice painting on home made terrain, and then Caesar miniatures. Those goblin, orc, dwarf and ratmen packs are great for the price and quantity. Paint a handful, and save the rest for future practice. My valued minis won't get painted for a few years. I'm ok with using them unpainted, for now. I'm not waiting for perfection, just proficiency. Which the terrain and Caesar minis will give.

[@TheUnholyHandGrenade]

My little brother needs to watch this so bad... We have a commission for "tabletop quality" models and he's been going nuts with details. We have two squads left and a week to do them, on top of details to clean up.

[@kungfu31]

"Whittle" is what my parents used to say as a substitute for pee when I was little, so I was real confused for the first minute.

[@EstebanGarcia-nz2kq]

is taking highlight instead of drybrushing too much? I just dont like how drybrush finish is, and really like how edge highlights pops out the model

[@johnlightspeed5931]

I'm just starting to get into painting miniatures. So the 1st model was terrible (no surprises there), but something as simple as having a good base coat has made a noticeable difference in the quality of the job. I think what gets lost on some folks is it isn't about the destination, but the journey that is most rewarding.

[@larabic]

Totally dig the shirt.

[@Waffle_N1nja]

I needed this video, thank you

[@austinvickymoore3656]

Quick question... I have testors paint from my model cars... And going to be getting into Flames of War... Could i use that paint without getting the chalky/not clean crisp paint?

[@mattrondeau2]

One thing I do when helping people learn to paint, is to paint with just black, white, and grey at first. This way they're more focused on learning the basic technique than making the model have awesome colour and presence. Plus I find it's easier for new painters to practice with few paints than many. Start painting storm troopers before doing Boba Fett sort of thinking

[@mattrondeau2]

that's a part of it too. If you can paint a smooth white you can do anything :P

[@Menselot]

I will go to a store to buy Warhammer 40000: First Strike and paint my first miniature then second the third...and when i get to the 7th model i will try use more techniques !!!

[@Kalron9]

I just got back into 40k. The only thing different I'm doing is washing and highlighting. Last time I painted 40k, I was painting space wolves at like age 13 or something. I wasn't bad but my models look much better now lol

[@kittythecat8974]

I’m just starting miniature painting because I really want to paint my Scythe and Blood Rage minis. Should I start with those or find something else to paint? I’m afraid that they will turn out bad being my first time.