Tabletop Warhammer?

I rely on things like this for recommendations, but also see if there are common patterns with people leaning towards particular paints, usually it's divisive but some things are consistently lauded.
Truth be told nearly all manufactures have brought their A game and it just depends on what you like.

The Metal color line is universally loved. (Slivers) I believe their golds are poo
 
So basically just buy all the paints ever.
With normal paint its just coming down to what finish you want and colour. AK,Two thin coats, pro acryl and new game color all very similar with a matte finish.

Satin is GW, new army painter line and Vallejo older lines. Now GW have a greater spread from brilliant paints like rhinox hide to complete poo like their whites!!

Every line might have the odd dud. I don't know much about the other brands like P3, Darkstar, TTC, Scale 75(love their golds), reaper and so on

Metallic are all over the places. fantastic to rubbish from most of the lines
 
With how bad I am at painting I wonder why I keep bothering. Guess I'm hoping for some kind of skill breakthrough lol.
Tell you one thing, I find it much easier when I don't use a wet palette for some reason. I just can't get the consistency of the paint right on one of those.
 
Last edited:
Yeah but I was reading and I see Model Air Silvers mentioned frequently as one of the best available, maybe I should get one of those too. Also Mecha Colour Dark Steel and Mecha COlour Steel as good alterantive to Leadbelcher and IH Steel/Ironbreaker.
edit: I got a lot of metal coming up :(

Something to watch out for with the metal colour paints is that they're not suitable for drybrushing with at all really, I think it's because they're so fluid.

Knight skeletons take drybrushing extremely well and it's a proper piece of cake.

I am a fan of Scalecolor metallics personally I just find them quite easy to paint with whereas a lot of metallics just feel really gloopy and horrible to me and I can't get them smooth. I've bought a bunch of AK ones recently to try but haven't used them just yet. Heard they're good though.


So basically just buy all the paints ever.

Yes this is my tactic :D

With how bad I am at painting I wonder why I keep bothering. Guess I'm hoping for some kind of skill breakthrough lol.
Tell you one thing, I find it much easier when I don't use a wet palette for some reason. I just can't get the consistency of the paint right on one of those.

Behave yourself. Just got to push past the "Oh god these look awful what was I thinking" stage. It's the last 20% that sorts the model out every time.

You've been doing quite a lot of quite hard paint schemes, Iron hands is what, black power armour which is hard (imo) with white weapons which is hard, you did Imperial Fists I think before that? That's hard too! And nothing you're painting looks bad, I don't know why you stopped with your Salamanders because they were looking pretty sick imo. Did you strip them or are they still painted Salamanders?

You're way too hard on yourself.

Oh also I think the Salamanders have pretty much the worst, ugliest, stupidest colour scheme of all the main SM chapters, but yours looked really good so you can make of that what you will!
 
Last edited:
I haven't dry-brushed anything yet, but a video I was watching did just that on the knight metal parts.
I stopped with the salamanders for a few reasons, mainly because when I actually played I realised the playstyle I prefer does not suit the theme of them (noting the colours mean nothing and don't stop you playing as whatever detachment). The Terminators are still here :) they are the best I've done (and finished) so won't be changing them, plus the battlefield looks more interesting with multiple colours.

Another reason was I fluked the Salamanders, I sprayed them with a DA green equivalent and then the Salamander green on top like a zenethil I guess, this came out well but I couldn't replicate it on the next set of models which was heavy intercessors (which are now Iron Hands per photos). I did not use the brush for any of the green parts on them. I don't know/can't do transitions from shadow to lighter so my only hope is if I spray with two colours.
I see pictures in say the codex and even zoomed in the paint looks so smooth, like it came out the factory like that, this makes me dislike all my models where the imperfections are obvious up close and why I strip so many of them.

So yeah, unrealistic standards far beyond my capability are the main reason I get demotivated (also the SM's are really bloody boring models), also why I am desperate to attend one of the cult of paint beginner classrooms, I am not going to get some of this stuff without instant feedback. Also I am not, nor am I probably prepared to invest any time in all the oclour theory and stuff that a lot have. I would never think to use a paint to: 5 parts contrasts off my own back, I just follow guides and if I can make it look half decent that way then I'm happy. I cannot paint a model without some reference, I just get paralysed by colour choices etc.

But you know, the next paints I buy will definitely be the ones that help me :cry:
edit: Another demotivator is seeing how easy people on YT make it look, Warhipster is a good example, no idea how he applies contrast like he does without the smudging. Then again, sometimes I wonder if it actually is there but I am looking at my model from 6" and it won't get picked up on a YT video even at 4k.
 
Last edited:
I see pictures in say the codex and even zoomed in the paint looks so smooth, like it came out the factory like that, this makes me dislike all my models where the imperfections are obvious up close and why I strip so many of them.

Those are professionally painted, professionally lit and photographed, and professionally retouched product shots made by a multi-million pound global company, that sort of end result isn’t achievable for many people at all.

I really appreciate how good they are but I also personally don’t really care for the style that much, I don’t like they way they do edge highlights where there’s no edge and various other things like that, they do it so you can see every detail because they’re selling models but it’s unnecessary for any normal person.

I really like the cult of paint army painting series and nick stuff from them all the time. I think they’re quite realistic and achievable, not to their level for me but Henry has some really good methods for stuff especially Marines.

I find his voice extremely soothing as well for some reason
 
Talk me through those shiny green balls. Is it a green contrast type paint over a metallic?

Vallejo air metal color 77.724 silver as the base. You can also use 2 layers of stormhost silver or necron compound to get the same extremely bright silver.

Then draw up some striking scorpian green into the brush and dab it onto a tissue quickly to ensure the brush isnt too wet, and then effectively glaze it on. It should go on so thinly that it almost dries instantly, if its pooling at all (even where you pull the brush away) then you have too much.

Add layers until you get the color you are after, those orbs are 2 layers.
 
Just to add, I would suggest using a white bristled synthetic brush such as the GW layer S. Not for any other reason but it helps me see how saturated the brush is and if its too loaded up or not.
 
Interesting. I have a medium layer brush but I don't think it's synthetic because of cost and it's not white as you just said. Good tip though.

PS: Speedpaints tempting me, I'm a sucker for a full collection and I think well if you're gonna get the mega set, at that point why not go all in.
 
PS: Speedpaints tempting me, I'm a sucker for a full collection and I think well if you're gonna get the mega set, at that point why not go all in.

Honestly wouldnt unless you found a mega deal like someone selling an unwanted gift on ebay. I think the RRP for the complete set will leave you somewhat disappointed.
 
Honestly wouldnt unless you found a mega deal like someone selling an unwanted gift on ebay. I think the RRP for the complete set will leave you somewhat disappointed.

I thought it was ok value at £250 for 90 paints.
My TTC wave 1 was £218 for 60 paints albeit with the rack as well which sells for £30.
I guess the smaller set could do but inevitably I'd want a colour that doesn't come with it.

New tutorial from one of my favourites, even if I can't replicate his paint consistency for ****.


Watching a CoP video and sometimes it makes me think I want an airbrush again. But then I remember the fannying about with it and cleaning etc and I come back to my senses.
Sometimes wonder if I could get away with one of those portable ones just for applying base coats with.
 
Last edited:
With how bad I am at painting I wonder why I keep bothering. Guess I'm hoping for some kind of skill breakthrough lol.
Tell you one thing, I find it much easier when I don't use a wet palette for some reason. I just can't get the consistency of the paint right on one of those.
Your being to hard on yourself. I didn’t see much wrong with your last attemp. Nice bright contrasting, textured base would love sweet.

Rule one is never measure yourself against other painters. It’s your journey. You will hit skill walls but only practice and more painting will you break through them.

Codex and box art is a lie. They sell it as base coat, shade then highlight which it’s not. Many many hours have been put in on one model which various techniques by pro painters.
 
@Noxia

With regards to why you stop painting lizard boys. The codex has change so you can take any tactics that you want. Lots of space wolves players don’t use the Space wolves codex and just use the normal codex.
 
@Noxia

With regards to why you stop painting lizard boys. The codex has change so you can take any tactics that you want. Lots of space wolves players don’t use the Space wolves codex and just use the normal codex.

Morning! Yeah I did acknowledge this in one of my posts but you probably did what I do sometimes and just sort of skim read :)

I've decided to give the airbrush another go. I have watched a lot more tutorials now and realise why I went wrong and actually some of it was simply because I didn't have a simple things like those tattoo style squeezy bottles with the little neck for my cleaning stuff.
I do not think an airbrush is a replacement for my lack of brush skill. Heck, it's a whole talent in itself. However, what it will allow me to do is get to the majority of the basing done which is something I often struggle with and get frustrated with. It will also allow me to do easier prime/shading/zenetith and see the results.

Also, it gives me an excuse to buy some new paints. According to that thing I linked the best airbrush paints currently are the army paint ones and the full set is reasonably priced. Noting you can use any paint if you thin it but it removes another barrier initially and less chance of me clogging my airbrush straightaway.
Still got my cleaning kit/spray bottle thing and some thinner and retard medium.
I have decided to stick with a 0.4. I think that will be plenty for what I want to do. I shall also be paying a bit more for a more compact compressor so I can hide it all away.
Really looking forward to trying it again tbh.

I am quite comfortable/enjoy doing smaller details, it's the larger stuff I don't get on with so hopefully I can be average at both which should result in some decent models.
 
Last edited:
Morning! Yeah I did acknowledge this in one of my posts but you probably did what I do sometimes and just sort of skim read :)

I've decided to give the airbrush another go. I have watched a lot more tutorials now and realise why I went wrong and actually some of it was simply because I didn't have a simple things like those tattoo style squeezy bottles with the little neck for my cleaning stuff.
I do not think an airbrush is a replacement for my lack of brush skill. Heck, it's a whole talent in itself. However, what it will allow me to do is get to the majority of the basing done which is something I often struggle with and get frustrated with. It will also allow me to do easier prime/shading/zenetith and see the results.

Also, it gives me an excuse to buy some new paints. According to that thing I linked the best airbrush paints currently are the army paint ones and the full set is reasonably priced. Noting you can use any paint if you thin it but it removes another barrier initially and less chance of me clogging my airbrush straightaway.
Still got my cleaning kit/spray bottle thing and some thinner and retard medium.
I have decided to stick with a 0.4. I think that will be plenty for what I want to do. I shall also be paying a bit more for a more compact compressor so I can hide it all away.
Really looking forward to trying it again tbh.

I am quite comfortable/enjoy doing smaller details, it's the larger stuff I don't get on with so hopefully I can be average at both which should result in some decent models.
I can recommend the Sparmax TC610H Plus silent compressor, I have had it for 2 years now and not had any problems with it at all.

Its quite a small unit with a built in air tank not silent but under a desk you dont really notice it, the only thing I do is after using it is to let all of the air out of the tank.

Hope this helps ;)

Cheers All
 
I can recommend the Sparmax TC610H Plus silent compressor, I have had it for 2 years now and not had any problems with it at all.

Its quite a small unit with a built in air tank not silent but under a desk you dont really notice it, the only thing I do is after using it is to let all of the air out of the tank.

Hope this helps ;)

Cheers All

Hey. Thanks for the recommendation, by chance I was looking at that one anyways so your recommendation is helpful :)
Not getting into analysis paralysis and spending energy reading up too much on that. Noise won't be an issue for the amount of time Ill use it.
 
Last edited:
yeah that's the fancy ones :D Best silvers you can get. Just be carful as they are very fluid not to flood the part you are painting.

I've struggled a bit with their silvers recently :( Find that a few times when i've applied them on something wide and flat they've ended up having this really flat/matte finish which looks more grey than silver.

This was either Steel or Gun Metal, I can't quite remember!

I think it's because the paint seems to separate SO quickly on the palette, you almost need to give it a mix with your brush every time you go back for more paint.

Just took delivery on TTC Sir Coates Silver, but think I need to look at Iron Warriors for my orks. Want a really dark silver/metal for weapons which I can then accent with other golds/bronze and then highlight/drybrush in a lighter silver, so give that grimdark, rusty, cobbled together Orky look!
 
Back
Top Bottom