So I thought I would try my hand at the painting game. I've seen a lot of great creations on these forums and thought that my fleets could use some new looks.

My question to all you painters out there is this; what would you recommend for a sort of starter kit i.e. which brushes to get, type of paint and so on. Nothing fancy, just the basics to get me started.

I know it is generally a bit of a taboo on this forums, but I usually suggest people hit up a Games Workshop store if they've never painted Miniatures before.

Don't buy starter kits... Start with a Standard Brush and a small selection of "Base" paints and go from there... If you've got a good local store, just mentioning you've not painted before will also get you a 10-20 minute hands on to actually paint a model.

Now, outside of the absolute bare basics... I usually look at some cheaper artists brushes from my local arts store, paying about the same price as GW (~$10 Brush), maybe a little cheaper... Mostly because they're generally much more hardwearing than the Cheap Brushes you can get at WalMart.

I also recommend GW paints for starting , as the pigment density in them is much higher (so you don't need to do either many, many thin coats, or end up slopping it on thickly) - you still want to water them down just an absolute touch (which the GW staff should show you how to do) - but beyond that, there are many varieties of paints - Stick with Acrylics to start with, and Modelling Acrylics in particular, because again, a much higher pigment density than a standard Artists Acrylic.

Which is generally Games Workshop, Vallejo (both in Model for Realistic and Game for Vibrant colours) and Privateer Press P3.

Both GW and PP will have "Starter" packs of a Brush and some paint, but they're generally packaged with things you don't need which may quickly erode the savings you'll have for buying them.

Dras's advice is good, a basic $8 for 3-5 small brushes is all the brushes you should need, Games Workshop's line of "Base" colors have very good coverage so you will have less issues with colors below showing through, and be able to paint with less paint and less layers.

Even from a relatively 'vet' gamer/painter (20 years as of the end of the month counts, right?) I'll echo the same thing Dras said, hit up a GW selection if you can. Most of their products are easy to use, pigment rich, good to mix, and are applied quite well while other ranges tend to be a little more 'customized' or have finicky little bits that you have to know to get good results. GW stuff is pretty beginner friendly, only their prices are relatively unfriendly.

If you happen to have a local store with a wider variety, Vallejo gives good results, Reaper is the only other one that I can think of that is better when it comes to planning choices (because of their 3 matching paint 'triad' system). No comment on P3, horrible luck with them so far but that's me and my tendencies.

Don't get caught into the trap that you need a small brush to paint every small detail, get a standard brush and it'll be good enough for most applications. If you can, get a second 'drybrush' or just a cheaper brush that you don't mind abusing for transferring paint out of the pot to a palette and using for rough applications like drybrushing or even applying wash. Otherwise you'll ruin brushes very very quickly.

Another recommendation is to pick up paint with a particular 'colour palette' in mind. If you like blues, then you might need 1-2, and a wash, you won't need a whole collection. As a person who just picked up an entire new paint line in the past 2 weeks, trust me... it's far cheaper and less discouraging to pick up something you know you need than impulse buying 'close' colours that you won't.

Oh, and don't be afraid to ask opinions and advice from others. That's why we're here and that's why, ostensibly, GW Red Shirts are there (#2 thread taboo, 9 in 10 of the GW staff I've dealt with in those 20 years have been famously good with regard to helping people get a grasp on the concepts in the hobby side of things. Be not afraid of them! Oh, and we're here too, so is the painting thread).

Thanks, very much appreciated! I've also been looking at a lot of "How To" videos on YouTube, but they mostly deal with miniatures such as those of 40k, I hope there is not much difference between the techniques with those models compared to Armada ships.

Hmmm advice. . . Advice. . . Get a wet palette. I know P3 sells one (think it's P3 anyway) which I use. It helps keep paints watered down easily enough.

I use GW paints pretty solely (likely because I am a wannabe painter), though for washes I like to get a few extra from Secret Weapons Miniatures. . . Hmmmm what else. . .

Don't be afraid of making a mistake! Make them, have fun with them! Try more and more! Oh and go buy yourself a bag of those Plastic Zombie figures. Paint them all sorts of horrible colors and see what works. Test out your paint ideas on them and visualize them on what you want that to be on (saves you money in the end)

Oh! Washes are your friend. Remember that they build up with each coat and you can do some pretty amazing things with just a white primer and a few wash layers.

Get a little tackle box or such:

Get some kitchen paper wipes, I use three and fold them up as to fit snugly into the container.

The take some baking paper (grease proof paper in the US, I think) and cut it out as to sit on the paper.

Get it all very very wet, then drain any excess water.

When I finish my painting session I can close the lid and come back days later and the paint is still usable. It will separate but it remixes and will be the same colour as when I left it.

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As for colour choices, if you are painting 40k for instance where you want a 2 or 3 colour pallet take a good look at some football jerseys. The colours chosen are designed to be seen from the back row, so that someone sitting "waaaaaay" back there in the nose bleeds can still see if their team is winning or not.

See what Amanal did and Lyraeus said? Do that. I use a sealable tupperwear container and a sponge instead of wipes, but the concept is the exact same thing. Get something that keeps water, and parchment paper/baking paper (not wax paper, that's different). It's going to give you some serious savings on paint. Cheap as chips, easy to get, and basically indispensable if you're doing anything more than just using a single wash out of the pot.

Well, what I can say is that 40K miniature painting has many aspects which will transfer over to Armada, but there are naturally differences. Don't be afraid of that, and like Lyraeus said, don't be afraid to make mistakes. It's how you learn, and people learn differently. You might not start off with a masterpiece, but you will improve quickly if you focus on trying something new whenever you can, and learning to refine it.

I digress: with regards to 'How too' videos, you'll probably get a lot of mileage out of watching videos dedicated to vehicles. 40K tanks from different races, even power armour, will likely give you some interesting ideas that can be directly applied to Armada ships. I won't say 'stay away from organics' as that can have some absolutely gorgeous effects on ships like the Mon-cals and other designs, but you'll probably see some good results from watching how people paint the mechanical tanks and the like. There's more than enough Imperial Guard and Marine based videos out there that will show the steps in achieving some pretty great results, or Eldar if you're feeling fishy and fancy (if you can find some Space Wolf stuff, you'll get some tips on achieving effects that will translate directly over to the Imperial colour scheme. Plus, they can even give you some good ideas about squadron and ship markings, etc).

Oh, and like Lyraeus said: washes are fantastic for depth and colouration. That and drybrushing are two relatively easy methods that will take you far in miniature painting.

Vykes referenced me more than twice in regards to painting. . . I am going to be beaming for the day

I likes the ease of use of Amanal and Vykes wet palettes. They work very well. It also allows you to get a container sized to what you want.

Still, it is something to consider that a Wet Pallete is Step 1 outside of the Basics. I for one, do not use one (there's little point to it here), but I used to use one for blending back home in Australia.

Wow, I really appreciate the responses from everyone. Today I'm going to go check out a local hobby shop and possibly pick up some supplies like brushes and paint based off of what you all suggested.

In another post, it was mentioned that some strip the current paint of the models, my question is, is this necessary or can I just spray primer over it after giving it a warm bath?