I just finished up on my Rebel and Imperial troopers. I gave them a mix between an Endor and Scarif paint job.

This is my first time painting miniatures and suggestions and comments are welcomed.

Luke

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1fTI4AXacoqfndeNkBPVwZbM5kuUhzJmW

Rebel Troopers

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1MT8BrXnxBMINoSUzCMUotM7sKnZlVB34

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1NDtkNvwc4hfwGcvyYdBCO6syNuJhBgC8

https://drive.google.com/open?id=12QEcylCrK6ealkR4pjgRpf3_yd9M26eh

AT-RT

https://drive.google.com/open?id=114CxOc0Dv2bXEq5Amtj9M6X9Hq0fkPKk

T-47

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1zosHZjxN2w7t3ic9ulZ_BLbVc2HY_lrT

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1ombpsu4R1cZ8gxbWgF8IeY4fZBrBRamo

Shock Trooper

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1oeYbrcHODZWUTS8rd8AF8EjaAvEqoAHK

Darth Vader

https://drive.google.com/open?id=16NADhnOQmc6Tx2Fi6el8SNe50qe5Xmhk

Storm Troopers

https://drive.google.com/open?id=18mFPTXbjYrBSBkTkxDul_nxQ7i7thM6M

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1Pka2SadNp9Rtfc7g_rUxW1U7p6nISWQd

Looking good. Just thin your paints a bit next time to help preserve some of the finer details in the sculpts and you'll be golden!

Good first try. A few things:

1) When taking pictures use more light aimed directly at the miniatures. You're putting a shadow on your subject and that makes them harder to see.

2) It doesn't look like you did any washing. Is that correct? If it is I would highly recommend you learn joys of washes.

Keep at it.

I did not use any washes. What would you recommend?

Thanks for the comments.

41 minutes ago, Fort Defender said:

I did not use any washes. What would you recommend?

oh boy. Well, Citadel makes good washes, start with nuln oil and agrax earthshade (black and brown respectively).

Basically you use a wash to deepen the colors and define the recesses. then you use lighter colors to build up highlights where the light his the model (think like how the top of a hat is getting more sunlight than the bottom of your legs when you're standing up. But even if you don't highlight when you use a wash you're making the model look 100% better. I've even heard people refure to washes a "liquid talent" for how much better it makes things.

Go to youtube, start watching some tutorials. I'd recommend Sorastro (everyone here would). He's got tutorials specific to the legion models. You can also learn a lot from his other ones even if you aren't painting those models.

Also, as a tip don't use the wash directly from the bottle, take out a few (3-10) brush fulls from the bottel and put them on a pallet. You will spill it. Just trust me. You will.

Here, I'll give you a check this out for comparison.

Look at the body on this guy I just did (the face has already been based, washed and highlighted)

Now look at him after he's been given washes in the different parts. This is mostly brown, with black over the black and metal bits (and coat) and a cammo green over the trousers. See how there are shadows in the folds now? The figure looks more real and lifelike

Later I'll be going over parts of this with thinned and lightened tones to increase the contrast and to brighten the areas that should be brighter.

Thank you for the helpful tips.

Looks good, first try or not, and thanks for sharing.

Your painting is very neat for a beginner as well. No amount of fancy techniques or supplies will get you far without basic brush control, so you’re off to a good start!

If you handed these to me and said “make them look better” I’d do three things to them, so here’s my hopefully constructive feedback.

1) basing can make or break the army. The first thing I’d do to your armies is base them. It’s amazing what a decent and unifying basing can do. Lots of companies make all kinds of products for it, some are more beginner friendly than others. I personally like the products that Warlord Games either makes or stocks.

2) I’d use washes on them, carefully. As Zrob has already shown washes are an effective way to get some nice detailing on your minis. They’re also easy to misuse though, and IMO too many new or newer hobbyists just slop strong tone/Agrax or black tones all over their minis. Check out some of the YouTube videos from TheWarGAmer (TWG). I think he makes excellent use of washes, and importantly you can see how he thins them down most of the time to various strengths rather than just slopping it on.

3) Dont forget to varnish these little guys! A quick matte spray will extend the life of your painted gaming pieces many times over.

again, thanks for sharing and welcome to the painting side of things.

14 hours ago, Zrob314 said:

... start with nuln oil...

These two words appear on the painting forums almost as often as star and wars!

Thank you all for the comments. I got some black wash to use on a test mini and I will post it soon.

Great job on your miniatures all around.

I know many people have mentioned washes and I agree they can add an extra layer of detail to a miniature.

My advice is when starting out use them sparingly. It is easier to add a second layer or third layer of wash to get the desired effect then to have to go back and repaint and try the wash technique again by simply applying to much and having it "pool" in the recesses.

I only add washes when it seems like it is the best way to bring out details. Sometimes a dry brush of a lighter or darker shade will get the desired effect.

In my case I didn't use any washes on any of my Stormtoopers, which in most threads is the normal. I honestly wanted that shiny white armor from the original trilogy films and simply went with a semi-gloss white thinned down slightly and applied in several layers. You wont find a single brush stroke on my Stormtroopers. It is a little time consuming but if you do it in an assembly line fashion by the time you finish trooper #14, trooper #1 is ready for the next coat.

Keep up the great work and keep posting!

On 4/16/2018 at 6:54 AM, Fort Defender said:

Thank you all for the comments. I got some black wash to use on a test mini and I will post it soon.

so, how did it turn out for you?

I think it looks better. I will post a pic today or tomorrow and I am sorry I have taken so long. I have been designing detailed bases for all my miniatures and it is taking forever.

Looking forward to seeing the bases and the test wash.

Time/value equation is pretty tough to get right. I’m still so slow (and not very skilled) that getting the basics tends to take me forever and then when I try to put the “extra effort” into something I usually just ruin it...

I’ve been keeping my bases simple but a lot of people in here are doing really cool stuff. Looking forward to seeing yours.

The test wash mini

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1cQvVAquDYkq8rc_krS1Fb0ddWN7KFjrj

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1vHFjoOfcgTt2WWjoUukqb1i4iibk5iqt

Captain Phasma

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1SmMOl2LHAGUG0xDqD8RicWCKsCGSHv-I

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1UqZAtC1vjRBjbZoKgkKP1Fe856uGX9L_

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1CghShXeeUrXhvxFkdQhnJAe7hnRZFilB

Luke with test base

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1FiCV8p2dEF65XR6hl7rygreeyNFH-0id

Thanks for looking.

Sorry, double post.

These look great!

Thanks.

I finished up the bases on my AT-RT, T-47, Luke, and two rebel trooper units. I am still in the middle of finishing my other unit.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1BX7mkqKP5DKnltBLHYHPCYgquB7PYLc1

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1ewYKKTnW53rpzfSCaw7Mj2juPu-afmr7

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1NyaxUJRKdoHXADZjKl7f3fwufGytEmel

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1gO8v-kq2AK3vE-4X3sSVoEgjHYgNepiy

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1zYsdWaT5WJAnSHoCVP_Mu6qfiWvaUSA9

painting looks good and thanks for sharing. try mixing some paints (nothing fancy) and dry brush (remove most of the paint on a paper towel) to bring out highlights. My example is Vader's belt buckle. mix 'silver' and a very tiny amount of black to mute the silver. paint like you did and then use silver to highlight the top and maybe an edge or two. proper dry brushing seems like you are not putting any paint on the model, so it take a couple of layers to get something gradual.

Another example is the guns - paint dark silver/gray, then highlight with silver. Or paint silver and use a black wash to fill in the recesses. Second method works well for chainmail.

I was just about to try that with the guns.

I just finished my third rebel unit (the ones with the rocks and black sleeves) and the bases for all of them.

Back-up links:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1oTJoDtC_1yPKnR-jCbvteRhpz3fFOrpK

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1289bkhk6z6LeVfsS-eevyYeRCtU04453

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1PAQKoYEmL0xnxYEVffShTNwrDgYuNNNu

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1iHgG1u8AEtGGhFW6Q1rNUVmRns1fvY4t

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1yHtGqcIZZ7m_b9P-2QO4972YzStn3vGN

https://drive.google.com/open?id=19eHk7OtjT_ZjooLNKnj6EjlGhdS1_i6t

Here are my ion troopers with three different themes. Which is your favorite?

I prefer the greener one, but largely because of the greater color variety and toned down scheme. I think a wash could dramatically improve the other two, and might change my vote.