The first time I tried to paint a miniature, I absolutely and totally botched it. The poor model (a Cryx Cephalyx Overlord) game out blotchy, spotted, and all together horrible looking. I thought that I had no talent, and pretty much swore off painting models, figuring that an otherwise decent artistic skill didn’t actually apply to things on a 24mm scale.
I came into work and complained to everyone about how hard it was, and how much I sucked.
Monday Night Painters to the rescue!
“What kind of paint did you use?”
“Uh…I dunno? It came in bottles? My friend loaned it to me.”
“Ah.”
The next Monday::
“The paint I used? It’s [very very very off brand]”
“That might be part of why it was so hard. You said a friend loaned it to you?”
“Yeah, it’d been sitting around in his garage for something like three years…”
“Ah.”
Apparently, this was my problem. Old paint, as it turns out, doesn’t work very well. Especially old paint, stored in the heat, that was an off brand to begin with. You can’t mix it, and it goes on all lump. With decent paint? I’m actually half decent at this model thing.
My color schemes are non-traditional. I’d rather paint my models bright green with orange highlights, or shades of turquoise, or Avril Lavigne pink and black with glitter. Sue me. I’d rather have something pretty to look at on the table. And pretty, in my book, means color.
My personal preference is the P3 paints from Privateer Press. They’ve got incredibly intense, bright color, which I adore. I like that they have wide mouthed pots as opposed to droppers. They dry out faster, but given that I like to paint straight from the bottle, it’s a lot easier to use.
Anyway. I don’t suck at painting, and thanks to the Monday Night Painters, I’m actually getting pretty decent at it.
Consider this a generic and long winded plug for beginning painters to come down on Mondays and get ideas!