Hello!

Here is my first attempt at doing some miniature painting. Star Wars Armada is my first miniatures game, so having never done anything like this before, and not having all the "right" tools at hand. I decided that some practice and getting into it is better then no practice and wishful thinking. Some paint is better then no paint!

I only got five different colors, mainly because I don't have space to keep a ton of paint around, so you'll see much of the same but I tried to keep it different looking.

Took me three days "just" to get all my rebel Squadrons done and at some point I'll update in the future when I do my Imperials and Capital Ships.
Pictures aren't all that great and they don't show some of the "finer" detail I tried to put on the minis. Like Engine color, droid color, blaster etc.

Rouge's and other Rebel Squadron 2 craft.

Z-95's and E-Wings

B-Wings

Y-Wings

A-wings

X-wings

X-Wings 2

All together now!

Apply a dark wash over the entire mini and they will pop. Trying searching YouTube on how to apply a wash to miniatures. Don't go nutz, you can simply generously apply a black wash over the entire mini and clean up the excess areas and BOOM, done.

Thanks for the tip! I'll head to my FLGS and pick up a black wash to do my models before I place them out on tables this weekend!

I posted a reply to this that got swallowed by the new forum, so a summary;

-It's not terrible painting. You've done really well with a limited palette and made everything different. It's also neat and live 'kept in the lines'

-Definately apply a black wash. It will do wonders and put shading in.

-Post a pic after the wash for comparison!

-And that's how my big paint collection started. Then you find you 'just need' this, then this...then this... until you've a few boxes worth!

That is a very good start! Three days for that many squadrons is a respectable pace. Check out this site for getting started: http://www.how-to-paint-miniatures.com/

Don't get wrapped around the axle with all the minutiae and focus on what his basics. Pick a technique and practice. If you mess up, throw the model in some Simple Green to strip it and start all over. Have fun.

To be the voice of descent, washes are not magic slap on and go, they do much more used as selective shading. Personally, I feel the rebel fighter pack 1 does not benefit greatly from their use with very few exceptions. I would never recommend 'generous' application of a wash on a product expecting to be finished at that point.

16 minutes ago, Darthain said:

To be the voice of descent, washes are not magic slap on and go, they do much more used as selective shading. Personally, I feel the rebel fighter pack 1 does not benefit greatly from their use with very few exceptions. I would never recommend 'generous' application of a wash on a product expecting to be finished at that point.

Some examples would be great, if you have the time for suggestions? I'm willing to experiment.

Also thank you everyone for suggestions! I'll be sure to post pictures when i do the washing.

For me, washes provide the weathered look. Right now, those all look very brand spankin' new off the assembly line. Granted, I don't do much traditional painting of minis, but the thought is the same.

If you like that bright poppy colors, then seal them and forget it. If you want them to look lived in, get some nuln oil and give everything a brushover of it. I agree just putting a ton on isn't necessary or wanted even. But a little goes a long way at making them look used.

29 minutes ago, Darthain said:

To be the voice of descent, washes are not magic slap on and go, they do much more used as selective shading. Personally, I feel the rebel fighter pack 1 does not benefit greatly from their use with very few exceptions. I would never recommend 'generous' application of a wash on a product expecting to be finished at that point.

Its easier to learn step one, and its benefits and limitations, to understand how step twelve works better than step one

Agreed, go out and grab a $3 pot of black wash.

If you go to a Hobby Game store, I recommend GameWorkshop's " Nuln Oil "

Apply this directly to the fighters. You might mix a drop of wash with a drop of water to cut it a bit, but even straight it may look good. Then just brush this onto the miniature, use the brush tip to push around the "pools" of wash or pull "pools" off. It will add immediate contrast and depth. Experiment, play around with this technique. Try it on one ship at a time and see how you like it.

I've been painting at a "pro" level for about six years now (assuming "pro" just means I've painted stuff on commission for others), and to this day I paint something and think "Ugh, this looks like utter rubbish" when I'm finished before hitting it with a wash, then I apply the wash and like magic it'll turn the rubbish miniature into a work of art.

Here are the pictures of the after washing (been dry for 2 hours.)

I did end up using Nuln Oil. I went ahead and washed everything in it just so I could SEE the effects a wash has and on the colors as well. As a certain Hydra member on Marvels Agents of SHIELD would say.

"Discovery requires experimentation."

I went with (as much as is possible) a very gentle coating of the Wash. I didn't just slap a ton on and leave it, I made sure to put on even strokes on one, pick up and do another one, go back to the one I just did to rebrush and absorb the excess back into the brush, and then brushed the 2nd one I did. Resulted in pretty even coats at that pace.

Overall I'm pretty happy with how they came out from the washing, it really dulled that bright "sheen" (especially from the gold) and helped to give it a more worn look. The wash worked WONDERS on anything that had a gold base. They look great. Other colors came out looking pretty good for the most part.

The only thing that came out looking kinda worse was anything I had painted with the green. It dulled the sheen, but left them "smudged" looking. But I think that's more the fact that, that bright of a green with a dark shade was not going to turn out well, but now I know!

I can see some of the points Darthain was making. *head nod* The A-Wings really don't like it, no matter what color, they just didn't look much different or better with the washing. B-Wings were a runner up but still look good.

The Y-wings and X-Wings look a million times better (Sans the green ones).

But heres the pictures! Again, my camera is kinda crap and I don't have proper lighting, so you'll see the difference in some, not so much in others. But in person there is a difference.

Xwings

YWings

Awings

Bwings

Z95 and Ewings

Rogues and other Rebels

17 hours ago, Karneck said:

Some examples would be great, if you have the time for suggestions? I'm willing to experiment.

Also thank you everyone for suggestions! I'll be sure to post pictures when i do the washing.

Let's start saying you did a good job of it above, and look to have avoided over doing it. Part of the problem with 'smudge' is likely also the fact you used black over everything.

As for an example, I don't have the ability to yellow stuff up like Vykes, but this one is pretty clear I think.

So there are only a few places I applied an ink wash there, around the top raised bit, the nose cone, and the raised wing mounts (blue ink). I use the tip any pool it very slightly directly on the intersection. Clean up as required. Generally speaking I prefer to shade up than down, so this works for me. Blue ink also was much more compatible than black, so looks more in place. I may have quite a few colors of ink as disturbed consequence, black is most versatile though.

Thats a great example!

Yup, having never done it. I really wanted to just get some experience and see what works.

And now having doneit, you can see how it works - you can work out, or at least have a visual clue, as to how a Heavy Overall wash vs. a targeted wash vs. a coloured pin "in the recesses only" wash would make differences.

Its hard to describe a wash. You can say "It runs off the surfaces and into the recesses to add depth and shading."... But until you see it, the Words don't make much sense

Nice job and learning by doing is one of the best ways. But the best thing to do is to get those bad boys on the table! Nothing like playing a game with a fully painted force!

I'm glad to be cutting my teeth on squadrons (next is my Imp's) before tackleing my ship models in the coming weeks.

Question, should i presoak the ship models and remove FFG's paint scheme or do i prime right over it?

Either./or

Starting out, lightly prime right over it. Most of the time, its thin, and honestly, getting a stripping agent to remove the FFG Paintjob isn't the most straightforward compared to other stripping agents...

The only ships I ever had issues with, in regards to original Paintjobs, were the AFMK_IIs... They were, for lack of a better term, "dusty" on their surface - as if the paint had been applied over dust, so there was so much inherent texture that a wash, applied over my thin paint, didn't run, and instead, found every little bump to pool around.

It was solved by stripping it back to bare plastic with Isopropyl Alcohol.

But 90% of the time, as long as you prime lightly, and correctly, you can go right over the FFG job (Once I've washed it with soap and water, rinsed it, and left it to dry, of course... Be pedantic. All the time. Its worth it.)

The only issue I've had with FFG ships is flash/bendy stuff on the Nebulon-B, which I think wins the award for worst sculpt/worst casting issues ever (for ships. X-wings win overall). I have 5 of these things and I spent hours with an x-acto knife, sanding sticks, and gap filling CA to correct them...

Two of my ISD's had very subtle mold errors on the ventral port side. I corrected these with sand paper and used polyurethane primer on these guys where I exposed bare plastic.

Otherwise, other than the panel lines being too dark, the FFG paint scheme is generally clean, smooth, and perfectly ready to receive paint!

Hey at least you are trying..................as they say every paint job starts with a thousand cleanings:):

I have been modeling for 42 years, and I still have the shakes when I paint. Buy a magnifying glass , then a good lamp is a must, buy a good set of brushes.

Also one good step is look for Francois Verlinden's books on model building. He is a master model builder, and model figure painter, his books teach the basics. Also a good desk area in a quiet area will really help as well.

Good results from the wash. They aren't the be all and end all but they are an easy way to improve your models most of the time.

With the A-Wings, it illustrates the principle of how they aren't as effective on flatter areas. That's a good lesson for ship repaints! Because the A's are so flat you need to do a bit more manual shading to get them on point but as they are they are perfectly fine for the tabletop.

Coloured washes or inks are a good luxury to have but if you're on a budget you can't go far wrong with black and brown.

edit; I've never had any issues painting over the FFG job directly.

7 hours ago, Karneck said:

I'm glad to be cutting my teeth on squadrons (next is my Imp's) before tackleing my ship models in the coming weeks.

Question, should i presoak the ship models and remove FFG's paint scheme or do i prime right over it?

What you may find amusing, is that in many ways ships are easier, and much more forgiving, than squads. IMO paint right over (I just lay down primer and go to work after a good scrub wash).

Thanks for the information everyone! I'm really excited to get on with my Imp Squadrons so I can do my ship models.

Doing the Squadrons for the practice and let's face it, they are the ones that need the most help in looking good compared to the models. I'll be sure to keep this topic updated on my adventures in model painting.