I'd gladly help you with my modest skills but I am pretty sure you could improve alot with first advice and some trials first (assuming what you showed above is where you start from) :
Preparation :
One of the most crucial phase, is you screw it you'll keep a poor result all th eway and no painting skill can save that.
- if you start from a stripped model, make sure it is properly stripped and that there is no traces of paint left, use different baths of stripper of th eforst one doesn't work, you may have to scrub them a few times and make multiple baths to make it work. Sometime a stripper can only take off one part so you can also change the stripper. There are plenty pf products to chose from : Dettol , Glanzer; Acetone, fairy power spray, simple green, every country has its own best products really.
- Prepare you model carefully, remove all flashes, mould marks and those little injection sausages you get at the tips. Use a modelling knife (always a fresh blade) and some files or some sand paper (nail files also work really great). Do not rush on this part because anything you'll miss will be there forever (and you do NOT want to file a painted model).
- Prime with care. colour is a personnal choice depending on what you like, white or black they both have pros and cons, grey is a good compromise since most colours have a good coverage on it. De not try to make it in one go if you can't, make passing sprays to leave just a thin layer and then make it another time if you've missed some spots. better have 2 thin layers than 1 thick. if there are still crevices unpainted, use a brush a very diluted paint. Priming is important because it helps the paint stick to the model but you have to be careful not to obscure any detail.
Painting :
- Always use a brush with the adequate size, you can get very good and affordable brushes from places like Rosemary and co so get a set if different sizes so they each have their purpose (keep one especially for drybrushes for instance)
-THIN YOUR PAINT : noone will eve emphasise that enough, NEVER use paint straight from the pot unless you're already a skilled painter (like Nico here) add water until you have the consistency of milk. It will make the coverage worse and you will have to make more layers but in the end you'll have far more control, you'll not obscure details (meaning it will be easier to paint them) and when you highlight, you will blend teh colours more nicely without having to do much. if you're having issues with working woth this consistency, you can add some matt medium with the water+ paint mix. There are many things to add in the mix (dish soap or PVA glue plus a hell load of flow improvers and retardes but let's leave that for the moment)
- Try to paint with the edle of your brush when working on edges, placing teh brush perpendicular to the edges and working with the edge will make it easier to highlight than to use the tip trying to be parallel
- when working on washes, inks, dips and those sorts of products, do NOT drown the model.It is very tempting and can sometimes works but most of the time it won't and can make some parts filled with dried medium or pigments or bubbles.
conclusion :
- I would recommend varnishing (I tend to prefer antishine matt from AP but it's up to you taste) because it seals the paint and makes it less fragile and it also ties the paint job. It will kill the shiny aspect of inks too for example.
- Leave the last touches like grass tufts and painting the base rim for after varnishing.
OK so with those advice, I think you can already try to work by yourself. these won't get you any further than an average level but at least it will make you familiar with the sensations. i believe it would be best you try those by yourself first before hand so that you can really apprehend any tips from a skilled painter afterwards.
I hope it helps, I'm actually not far from the italian border and apart from that I'm pretty sure you could find talented painters nearby (there are litteraly tons of Golden Demon winners everywhere to be found).
Note : Obviously, I'm not the best painter around here, I'm more an average-good painter (just check my blog to see) but I 've tried to think about what a beginner needs as a base to build on. I hope th efar more talented folks around will correct or complete these !
And my son. And all his fluffy toys. And all my fluffy toys.
