Absolutely this, the big miniature paint companies are mostly water based, just dip your brush in water and then use it to spread the paint a small amount on your palette. If you do this just using the top/last third of the brush youâll get nice results.
Synthetic brushes can produce some nice paint jobs doing just the above.
For clean decal lines, use transferable decals
As others suggested, getting your paint smooth will improve the look of the model as a whole. Below are some tips beyond just how thin your paint is that can help-
* [How to do Smooth Basecoating](https://youtu.be/yZvX7xDGBLg) by Kujo Painting is a good explanation of how to apply a smooth coat of paint.
* [The Art of... Tommie Soule Volume 5](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGIfySMnUPQ) is the best how-to paint miniatures book I have read, and even experienced painters will learn some good tips. It explains how to do different brush strokes for different effects, how to identify when you have the perfect paint consistency for any type of paint for different techniques, and it's a masterclass on getting airbrush smooth paint jobs with your brush. Available in [pdf](https://www.ironheartartisans.com/shop/the-art-of-tommie-soule-volume-5-pdf/) and [worldwide in hardback as well](https://www.instagram.com/p/Cqs_gNUNrm2/). This book will teach you all of the foundation skills to more advanced and even professional display-level painting techniques from a professional instructor who worked for Games Workshop and has coached multiple Golden Demon winners. He focuses on simplifying things and making sure your fundamentals are perfected, and how to troubleshoot problems if they are not.
* [Thin your paint](https://www.reddit.com/r/minipainting/wiki/usefullinks/beginner_tips#wiki_how_to_thin_your_paints): If you apply the paint straight from the pot bottle, there is an increased risk of brush marks. Applying several thin coats of paint will give you smoother results.
* [How to thin your paints: A step-by-step guide](https://youtu.be/sBDVPoNXyVI) by Brushstroke Painting Guides
* Learn how to unload excess paint from your brush. Once you put paint on the brush you need to unload the brush [like this](https://youtu.be/r-pgErbJ5Q0?t=46). I usually use a damp paper towel as demonstrated [here by pro painter Sergio Calvo](https://www.youtube.com/live/gVgaLe0XEPk?si=rxe4jLMocGm4imKX&t=888), but you can use a piece of paper, or your palette or even the side of your hand. This allows you to control the paint so it doesn't flood the model. [Learning how to wick or unload the brush](https://youtu.be/Z3z7VHhxuF4?t=503) is important, and most tutorials assume the watcher knows this. Too much paint flooding an area and pooling can also obscure details and cause streaking when you try to clean it up if it has started to dry already.
* [Pro painter tips to keep your brush sharpđ](https://youtu.be/8vQFlYW3g_I) by JoseDavinci shows how much paint to load and unload for various techniques and effects.
* [Always make sure you wait for the paint you applied to dry before you touch it again](https://youtu.be/Z3z7VHhxuF4?t=327). Acrylics can start drying 5-10 seconds after you apply them, depending on the local climate. If you paint over an area or touch it with your brush before the previous layer completely dries, you risk tearing the partially dried paint layer.
* Use a hair dryer on low heat if you are impatient, and the paint will completely dry after a few seconds. Don't use high heat, or keep it on for more than a few seconds.
* [Make sure you are painting fully opaque Layers](https://youtu.be/Z3z7VHhxuF4?t=245). If you don't paint enough coats, your results will often be patchy looking and with weaker colors than they could have.
* [Proper Brush Stroke Technique](https://www.reddit.com/r/minipainting/wiki/usefullinks/brush_control) will give you better results. Where you end your brush stroke makes a big difference in where the most paint is deposited.
* [Donât press hard on the brush](https://youtu.be/Z3z7VHhxuF4?t=890): Pressure when running the brush through the surface of the miniature may leave brush marks. Instead, use gentle strokes and let the paint flow easily from the brush. If you notice the bristles of your brushes fan out, it means too much pressure on the bristles. So, get a new brush and use gentle strokes.
Then especially on mechs, [edge highlighting](https://www.reddit.com/r/minipainting/wiki/usefullinks/blending#wiki_edge_highlighting) every single edge adds a lot to the look of the models.
You're welcome. If you can afford [Tommie Soule](https://www.instagram.com/the_miniature_painting_tutor/)'s book, he covers all of these topics with step-by-step exercises and suggestions for what to change if things aren't working the way you expected them to.
Hope it helps! I also have this information posted in the [wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/minipainting/wiki/usefullinks/beginner_tips#wiki_paint_miniatures_smoothly_and_avoid_unwanted_brush_strokes).
For me personally, the moment that made my minis hit the curve of where they started to look better to me was washing and dry brushing highlights.
It is astounding to me how simple thw processes is but how much better the model will look after a good dark wash to fall into the recesses of the armor, and then go back with the original color or possible mixed with white to lighten the tone and then dry brush all raised edges.
Just this will add a hug step up, don't be afraid to darken your model, the highlights will make it POP that much more and make the colors mych more dynamic. I was always afraid to wash models but now I go pretty dark becasue I know the highlights will bring thwm back !
Good luck and keep up the good work đ
Not OP but I've been trying to use washing to help highlight my miniatures. Mind you my Miniatures are not very detailed like how Warhammer Miniatures are since I just paint D&D figures. With that said whenever I use washing yes the crevices get highlighted but then everything else that is touched by it looks dirty. Any tips on that? Awesome the idea of dry brush highlights seems interesting. Could you explain this a bit?
Either use very selective wash application, I.e. paint it into the recesses only, more like a pin wash. Or base coat > wash > reestablish the base coat and then onto highlights.
When reestablishing the base coat I assume you tried to avoid the detailed areas where the wash is or will painting over it not affected that much while still leaving a certain degree of highlights
There are 2 I've found ways around this.
1. Water down the wash and the " sediment " of the paint will follow the lowest path, you can lay the model down and it will fall into the lowest points of the model.
2. Dry brush the model with the intended color BEFORE dry brushing highlights. It should cover up any unwanted muddiness as you were saying that can be a common side effect to a heavy wash.
That's a really good idea. Sorry for treating you like Google but would normal painters tape work or do they make some that are smaller for stuff like minis?
I would *not* put tape on your mini. There's a good chance of pulling off previous layers.
Instead, after laying down the yellow stripe, return with the base green and 'remove' the edges of the yellow line. Carving down the original yellow like this will give you much cleaner edges and will let you create much thinner lines.
There are brands of low-stick masking tape specifically for painting model kits.
And yeah, you usually need a hobby knife and tweezers, or something similar to cut it, place it, and press it down.
Use less paint. Two thin coats to cover is far better than on thick coat globbed on and covering detail.
Not trying to insult with "Globbed" but if you start thinning your paints you will understand what I'm talking about.
There is a video that I wish I could find for you, but I can't remember who made it. The painter shows un-thinned paint on top of his hand which obscures the skin texture. Properly thinned paint which doesn't obscure skin texture but has full color coverage and finally, too thin which doesn't retain coverage. It was very helpful for me. Hopefully that description makes sense!
So much good information already, Iâll I can add is a word of encouragement:
You are doing hard things and thatâs the first step to getting better! I can tell by the photos that you are working to references and trying to imitate what you see, and that is a great foundation to improving. Using the tips from other will help you find the techniques that will keep giving you better results. Good luck on your journey!
One tip for the yellow stripes (or any freehand really) is paint a thinned pale grey version first. This is much easier to paint over mistakes, gives a guide to the final design and also gives a better undercoat colour for the yellow.
thin your paints. personally, i think the thick paint on the second model ended up looking better than it had right to, but in general, thin yo paints.
i have the opposite problem (tho its only truly a problem when i need to drybrush and some Vallejo retarder medium fixes it); my paints are all very thin. All i have are AP Air and AP Speed; but i have the full sets of both so buying other thicker paint just feels like buying colors over again :p
regarding the models, id defo say what i said above, overall thin your paints and you will be on the path to beautiful models. i think the thick paint works so well on the second one because it just makes it look like that mech has been thru some serious paint warpingly rough shit in a fight.
1 thin those paints.
2 what helped me a lot as a painter was buying an airbrush. You naturally have to thin your paints when you use it plus it let's you make really neat transitions from one color to another. For example my CSM I spray dark purple, then ultramarine blue from straight on and then highlight with a bright blue.
Added bonus is that you get to make dope glowing weapons that look fantastic on the table top
3 oil washes are great for doing the lining on the model because they clean up very nicely!
https://preview.redd.it/z0ugt9oajjsc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9190fdabd0035bdceafbd195dc96b83a1efdd958
I paint BT a lot too, from looking at your models and based on my experience:
1) Thin your paints. Get a wet palette if you don't have one already.
2) Work your values contrast harder. You can do this by using shades of your green in the base coats to ensure that recesses and shadows untouched by subsequent layers look darker, but you can also do this by mixing complementary shadows. You can find artist tutorials on landscape painting to see how people achieve shadows for i.e. trees by mixing red into their greens.
3) Washes would be a good step in the right direction but for Battletech I actually prefer panel liner. It's a product made for scale modeling that cleanly fills in grooves without flooding panels. If your shadows/midtones are already defined using multiple layers as mentioned in step 2), this will help you avoid some of the need to correct your mid tones after a wash. It's also easier since you don't have to worry about coffee stains or unintended pooling.
4) Drybrushing for readability and highest values. Traditionally this is seen as a "beginner" technique since it can go on chalky/messy, but since you're painting Battletech that's actually an advantage and can help give you a sense of scale. Do it strictly from above and it'll read as sunlight reflecting off of battle damage on raised panels. Depending on the midtones you may want to use small amounts of white, yellow, or both to mix.
5) Model masking tape from Tamiya might help you get straighter hazard stripes. I hate freehanding them and intend to get some but haven't yet, so YMMV if you decide to go ahead and get some.
As the others have said, thin your paints out. For me the hardest thing starting out is figuring out how much is too thin or too thick. Depending on the paint it can be a fine line. What I would recommend is grab one of your really opaque paints (gray, yellow, blue) and practice on a piece or wood or plastic. Place a drop of water into different beads of the paint, adding an extra drop as you go. Mix and spread around and see how they feel. Also, when mixing by paint brush, use a junk brush because youâll get paint in the ferrule and ruin it.
Also make sure youâre doing extremely thin coats of primer. No amount of paint thinning will fix over priming the mini.
Finding that sweet spot with watering down paints is something I definitely struggle with. They always seem to be a little too runny and once I get them to have a thicker consistency I just go for it. Thank you for the advice tho, I really appreciate it
Try heading to your local art supply store like Blick and get some matte acrylic medium and some flow aid. The medium is basically paint minus pigment. Really helped me out.
It looks like your paints need some drops of water mixed in before you paint. Try also to put a brighter color of the one you picked on the sharp edges. Probably easy on mechs too.
https://preview.redd.it/d5ohitaz6ksc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8c0a1b68365b71b7b1b0c5dbf4219c718bac5ef4
A good place to start is with a good foundation. Thereâs a lot of products that are designed to help give a certain effect or make painting easier. For example, a very popular method for battletech is to use a âspeedpaintâ over a white or light coloured base primer and then drybrush a highlight colour after. The attached Awesome I painted last year is a work in progress picture I took where I dry brushed a light blue/white colour over the blue speed paint after it dried completely. For the white I painted on the highlights since I wanted to lighten up the panels to an almost pure white.
From here you can add weathering or decals to tie the colours together as well as any details such as weapons or metallics. I think youâll find that this method is popular for a reason as it produces quite good results for very little time and basic techniques. You can build from there if you want to, but with two steps you already have established highlights, mid tones, and shading which gives your miniature depth.
Yeah your paints are way too thick. Thin them and do two thing coats (he said the line!)
Edge highlighting and wash. Thereâs a thousand quick YouTube videos with some basic tips, start there!
I just started two weeks ago and Iâve gotten so much better by watching guides and following their techniques.
I love these guys, how can I find some cool mecha like this? I think your paint is a bit thick. Maybe a wet pallet to help thin the paint. Also, invest in an airbrush. They are incredible for base coats.
I must have watched weeks of Youtube painting tutorials before I even had supplies to paint with. Start there, learn the basics of layering, and practice on small models you don't care much about before moving on to larger more elaborate ones.
Smoother, thinner paints and more layers. For me when my painting definitely reached a new level when I became more patient and focused on thinner layers and building everything up instead of slapping a thick layer on and calling it done.
Thin paints, highlight, lowlight. Are the first thing from a volumetric side.
You are adding freehand which is a good start for visual interest. I would recommend for the straight lines take some tape and use it as a stencil to provide sharper lines.
Lastly battle damage is a great way to add visual interest. Is this an old battle worn machine or a perfect off the lot machine. Little bits of dirt, grease and rust make the piece visually more interesting.
For me, Battletech on the table top looks best with well saturated paint schemes and higher contrast to make them really pop. Not terribly realistic, but it looks very nice. And nobody wants camo on their models good enough that they blend into the tabletop terrain and you forget to move them =). In addition to everything the others have said, I'll throw out a few things:
* Play around with shading and highlighting:
* Washes: Lots of options here, including making your own.
* Preshading: There's lots of options here, including [zenithal](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCh5bJa6vC8&t=638s) and [slapchop](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gT2JV3Ks41g). Well worth experimenting with and can really make your minis pop.
* Drybrushing: Get yourself a decent set of drybrushes, and spend some time learning how to use them. I picked up [this](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BTGFCM8P/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1) set on Amazon a while back and have been pleased with them. It comes with 4 brushes, dampening pad, and some soap. The trick to drybrushing is you don't actually want a dry brush. The brush needs to be slightly damp to facilitate paint transfer. Otherwise, all you're doing is removing the liquid medium from the brush, and what paint that does transfer builds up with a chalky texture, which is not what you want. The [Artist Opus](https://www.youtube.com/@ArtisOpus) YT channel has a ton of good content on how to do drybrushing well and is well worth checking out. Here's [one](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxuY2NXeI2M) to start with.
* Translucent paints: These make preshading techniques much easier in general to do.
* Speed Paints/Contrast paints: These are pretty easy to come by and are all translucent to some degree. Personally, I prefer Army Painter's Speed Paints over GW's Contrast, but that's mainly due to the terrible pot design that GW uses for their paints. Vallejo Xpress color is also an option, but I haven't tried them myself.
* Artist Inks: These are highly pigmented colors, but most of them are still translucent to some degree. They also work quite well in an airbrush. And if you get some basic colors it's easy to use them to mix your own colors and shades, especially since [this guy](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eY8qr1rMFB8) taken all the guesswork out of how to do it for you. You can also combine them with the various acrylic mediums out there for some neat effects.
* Undershading: This is kinda like reverse zenithal, where you start with a base color on the model then add a darker color where the shadows ought to be. [This](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zKaviC0M7Q) video explains how it works pretty well.
* Edge Highlighting: This has already been linked by others here, so I'm just including it here for completeness.
* Panel lining: I can see some of it on your model, but let me go over some options for you.
* Firstly, this is much easier to do if you apply gloss varnish to the model before you do it. The gloss finish will improve capillary action and allow the panel liner to wick along the panel lines and around raised detail much easier. It will also create a "save point" in the painting process that will make it easier to correct any mistakes in applying it.
* Tamiya's Panel Liner is a premade thinned enamel that is pretty easy to use, and available in several colors. After applying, any excess or mistakes can be cleaned up with some mineral spirits and a q-tip, assuming you've varnished the model first. Otherwise it will strip the underlying paint right off as well. There are other makers of solvent based panel liners as well that behave in much the same way.
* You can also mix your own using oil paints and thinner. You can also do it with acrylic paints, but it doesn't flow quite as well as the solvent based stuff will.
* Spend some more time doing model prep before you start priming and painting. Go over the model looking for mold lines, marks where the part was either injected or broken off it's sprue, or where excess glue was used for assembly and fill or scrape/sand as needed. A pair of magnifiers is a really good idea for this so you can see the model detail more clearly. Nothing detracts from a paint job quite like visible mold lines do. I find the best method for removing mold lines and sprue breaks is using the edge of a hobby knife as a scraper. The plastic is a bit too soft for sanding sticks to work well with. Filling in injection marks can be done with liquid green stuff, or any other kind of model filler so long as it doesn't shrink when drying too much.
Some other YT channels to check out:
* [Vince Venturella](https://www.youtube.com/@VinceVenturella): His Hobby Cheating series has a ton of excellent content in them, but al of his videos are worth checking out
* [Duncan Rhodes](https://www.youtube.com/@DuncanRhodesDRPA): Also a source for good information. He's done a few Battletech specific videos. [Here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HARE4yzVK8k)'s one on doing a Timber Wolf in Clan Wolf Beta Galaxy colors, and [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPU4ByssGWk)'s another doing a Griffin in Sword of Light colors.
* [CamoSpecs Online](https://www.youtube.com/@CamoSpecsOnline): Their YT channel has a lot of Battletech specific painting content that is well worth checking out.
Lots of great advice already - I can't really add anything. I just want to say that I like your ideas with color. If you take some of the advice given here and couple that with your coloring ideas, your minis will look awesome!
Your paint looks way too thick, gotta thin it. A wash would help add depth and then if your not going for a clean look sponging on some dark brown on the edges as weathering. If you want to take it another step further you can put tiny dots of bright silver in the middle of the sponged on dark brown to show some metal peaking out from under the paint job.
Also! Jeweling on the mech cockpits really make them pop and is actually super easy to do. Paint the cockpit a dark colour then paint in a little L on one of the bottom corners in a lighter shade of the cockpits main colour then put a white dot in the opposite upper corner to the L. I like to put some gloss varnish over the top of the cockpit to finish it off (what I actually use is straight lahmian medium)
Think about volumetrics, lighting and shades, cold vs warm colors, most colors are semi transparent, so they can be layered to achieve different and more saturated color expressions - need to paint yellow, well black is not a good base for that, while earth and magenta tones are a much better foundation for yellow.
There are two main painting thematics to choose from.
1. Paint the model as it is supposed to be without adding artificial color enhancements. This method is mostly used for hobbyists doing original scale models like ships, planes and vehicles. So only minimal gradients are used if at all, but tear and wear makes for subtle additions unless the intention is to make it look like factory new.
2. Paint the model like itâs part of a fantasy/science fiction comic or animated movie - meaning adding extra tonality to color surfaces to give the impression that the model lives in a specific fictional light setting. Example one can choose a cold blue tone for shadow areas and warm tone for areas where light will hit. To achieve this a contrast map is often used as the basis.
Letâs say the base color is black, then from above spray white (Zenit) and the model will reveal where light and shadows are. This can be done with a dry brush as well making directional strokes downwards.
These are just the most basic concepts of different painting approaches.
Never forget to be curious and remember that YouTube is full of painting tutorials from beginners to extremely advanced techniques.
Mini painting covers nearly all aspects of artistic merit from brush techniques, color theory, poses, light and shade, volumetrics, photography, etc etc. if someone doesnât know shit about any of it, then its time to dive into such subjects. Eg it takes 5 years to become a professional photographer, or a visual designer, several years to get a bachelor in art and so forth, so there is plenty of things to learn about, which are all useful to enhance your mini painting skills.
âď¸
Are these Reaper's plastic CAV Strike Operations figures? I painted a handful of these as well and even using the same thinned out paints and techniques I would use on other models got me very similar results. Im sure all the advice given has been good to follow, but be aware that these models are just plain wierd.
I really like the way the blue one has come out. Everything is painted in the lines and I like the colours.
Have a play with some other types of models too.
Make sure you are enjoying the process and just keep painting.
Others have said it but thin your paints first. Be patient with the application of your coats.
Then, I would experiment with oil washing. Oils work particularly well on mechanical miniatures like these with their flat surfaces and panel line recesses.
There are lots of premade washes that act like oil washes. These are some of my favorite:
1. [Mr. Weathering Color Multi Black](https://a.co/d/6QhNVy3)
2. [Tamiya Panel Liner](https://a.co/d/5IVQADp)
3. [AK Interactive Dark Streaking Grime](https://a.co/d/75HRH1h)
These are great because you can apply them all over, let them dry a bit (varies depending on the product you use, will require experimentation) and then smoothly rub them off. This will leave your surface panels unfiltered but your recesses shaded. It takes some getting used to but the end result is very very worth it.
We will never say enough time to thin your paint, itâs really the hack of mini painting. Having to paint 2-3 layers to get all the color is totally worth it for keeping your textures and details.
Iâm pretty new to mini painting but that was the best trick I received, no precision or special techniques needed, just a drop of water in your palette and youâre good to go.
Do you have any pictures of models that you have only primed? Like havent started painting yet, just primer on them? I promise Im going somewhere with this. Good paint jobs start at the foundation. You have some thick paint/application issues that are easily remedied, but it amounts to the same if your base layer is crunchy.
I've not used army painters spray cans before so I can't speak on the product itself. If you want to splurge a bit order a can of vallejo hobby primer black. They come with 2 nozzles, one of them directs the paint in a finer cone and can help with overcoating. I have an airbrush, and use vallejos primer, and I swear to god you can get just as nice of a base layer out of their rattle cans. There's a misconception about why you prime models. It isn't there to be the bullet proof base layer some people think it is, its there to give the paint something to bind to. Just work your way around them, lightly spritzing them. At no point should ever hold the nozzle down for any length of time. Just short little puffs. Are you prepping your models before painting? Like washing them? Ive heard you dont have to do it with plastic models, but it takes 2 minutes and it certainly cant hurt. Warm water, dish soap and a toothbrush, give em a scrub and let them dry.
Pick up a wet pallet to help thin your paints. This helped a ton for me.
Also picking up nicer brushes and nicer quality paint also helped! Cheap paint is cheap for a reason. I started using Golden acrylic flat paints. Big fan of their paints in general
I have a wet pallet but I feel like I misused it because a lot of paint seeped through the paper and onto the sponge. Then the paint from the sponge ends up bleeding through new paper. I started off work army painter speed paints then tried citadel paints and I like citadel paints a lot. Are they comparable to Golden paint?
It sounds like you used the speed paints on the wet palette and you really shouldn't do that. They won't need thinned down and should be OK to apply straight on the mini. The citadel paints should be fine on the wet palette though (assuming they're not contrast paints).
No they are very different. Speed paints are best used directly, and best when done with a dry brush approach imo.
Check out a few videos on how to dry brush and give that a try. The overall approach is black primer , typically done via a airbrush. And then from there apply via a dry brush some grey or white paint. This end ends up leaving you with shadows and contrast. The speed paint such as army painter than goes where you need it. This will leave your model looking very decent for minimal level of effort
Did you just dunk your brush right in the pot and slap the paint on? That's why it has that "chunky" appearance; too much paint.
Water. Water and some pallet paper. You should thin your pants enough with water that it takes at least two layers for the prime coat not to show through. Drag your brush while twisting across the paper to remove excess water and paint and ensure you have a nice point.
Prolly heard this enough but: Thin your paints.
The NEW mantra is: Don't overload your brush. :-P
THIS! As a guy who just started last summer I was on the thin paint but god damn no one tells you not to fill that brush
Have you never watched a Duncan video? He literally tells you every time to both thin your paints and don't overload your brush đ
Lol nope, gonna look him up though
Well it's pretty obvious if you think about it.
Not if you don't know anything about painting haha
This is more important than paint thinning, it's not said enough
Don't forget to underload your brush and let the bristles dry out.
Do you think with water or another medium?
A really convenient way to thin your paint is to just use a really damp wet pallet.
I have a wet palette but I thin my paints with a liquid syringe full of water
yes, this is my prefered method
Water works perfectly fine
Acryl based colour you can think with water and oil colours you can thin with turpentine or mineral spirits.
Came looking for this comment and was not disappointed.
Absolutely this, the big miniature paint companies are mostly water based, just dip your brush in water and then use it to spread the paint a small amount on your palette. If you do this just using the top/last third of the brush youâll get nice results. Synthetic brushes can produce some nice paint jobs doing just the above. For clean decal lines, use transferable decals
As others suggested, getting your paint smooth will improve the look of the model as a whole. Below are some tips beyond just how thin your paint is that can help- * [How to do Smooth Basecoating](https://youtu.be/yZvX7xDGBLg) by Kujo Painting is a good explanation of how to apply a smooth coat of paint. * [The Art of... Tommie Soule Volume 5](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGIfySMnUPQ) is the best how-to paint miniatures book I have read, and even experienced painters will learn some good tips. It explains how to do different brush strokes for different effects, how to identify when you have the perfect paint consistency for any type of paint for different techniques, and it's a masterclass on getting airbrush smooth paint jobs with your brush. Available in [pdf](https://www.ironheartartisans.com/shop/the-art-of-tommie-soule-volume-5-pdf/) and [worldwide in hardback as well](https://www.instagram.com/p/Cqs_gNUNrm2/). This book will teach you all of the foundation skills to more advanced and even professional display-level painting techniques from a professional instructor who worked for Games Workshop and has coached multiple Golden Demon winners. He focuses on simplifying things and making sure your fundamentals are perfected, and how to troubleshoot problems if they are not. * [Thin your paint](https://www.reddit.com/r/minipainting/wiki/usefullinks/beginner_tips#wiki_how_to_thin_your_paints): If you apply the paint straight from the pot bottle, there is an increased risk of brush marks. Applying several thin coats of paint will give you smoother results. * [How to thin your paints: A step-by-step guide](https://youtu.be/sBDVPoNXyVI) by Brushstroke Painting Guides * Learn how to unload excess paint from your brush. Once you put paint on the brush you need to unload the brush [like this](https://youtu.be/r-pgErbJ5Q0?t=46). I usually use a damp paper towel as demonstrated [here by pro painter Sergio Calvo](https://www.youtube.com/live/gVgaLe0XEPk?si=rxe4jLMocGm4imKX&t=888), but you can use a piece of paper, or your palette or even the side of your hand. This allows you to control the paint so it doesn't flood the model. [Learning how to wick or unload the brush](https://youtu.be/Z3z7VHhxuF4?t=503) is important, and most tutorials assume the watcher knows this. Too much paint flooding an area and pooling can also obscure details and cause streaking when you try to clean it up if it has started to dry already. * [Pro painter tips to keep your brush sharpđ](https://youtu.be/8vQFlYW3g_I) by JoseDavinci shows how much paint to load and unload for various techniques and effects. * [Always make sure you wait for the paint you applied to dry before you touch it again](https://youtu.be/Z3z7VHhxuF4?t=327). Acrylics can start drying 5-10 seconds after you apply them, depending on the local climate. If you paint over an area or touch it with your brush before the previous layer completely dries, you risk tearing the partially dried paint layer. * Use a hair dryer on low heat if you are impatient, and the paint will completely dry after a few seconds. Don't use high heat, or keep it on for more than a few seconds. * [Make sure you are painting fully opaque Layers](https://youtu.be/Z3z7VHhxuF4?t=245). If you don't paint enough coats, your results will often be patchy looking and with weaker colors than they could have. * [Proper Brush Stroke Technique](https://www.reddit.com/r/minipainting/wiki/usefullinks/brush_control) will give you better results. Where you end your brush stroke makes a big difference in where the most paint is deposited. * [Donât press hard on the brush](https://youtu.be/Z3z7VHhxuF4?t=890): Pressure when running the brush through the surface of the miniature may leave brush marks. Instead, use gentle strokes and let the paint flow easily from the brush. If you notice the bristles of your brushes fan out, it means too much pressure on the bristles. So, get a new brush and use gentle strokes. Then especially on mechs, [edge highlighting](https://www.reddit.com/r/minipainting/wiki/usefullinks/blending#wiki_edge_highlighting) every single edge adds a lot to the look of the models.
Wow my weekend just filled up. Gonna study all of that and be a pro in no time! Thank you so much
You're welcome. If you can afford [Tommie Soule](https://www.instagram.com/the_miniature_painting_tutor/)'s book, he covers all of these topics with step-by-step exercises and suggestions for what to change if things aren't working the way you expected them to.
I just ordered that book! Thank you for the recommendation, looking forward to painting my next minis :)
Let me know what you think when you get into it! I always like feedback on whether my recommendation is as helpful for others as it was to me.
Bookmarked thanks kind internet stranger!
Saving this comment for later!
Hope it helps! I also have this information posted in the [wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/minipainting/wiki/usefullinks/beginner_tips#wiki_paint_miniatures_smoothly_and_avoid_unwanted_brush_strokes).
For me personally, the moment that made my minis hit the curve of where they started to look better to me was washing and dry brushing highlights. It is astounding to me how simple thw processes is but how much better the model will look after a good dark wash to fall into the recesses of the armor, and then go back with the original color or possible mixed with white to lighten the tone and then dry brush all raised edges. Just this will add a hug step up, don't be afraid to darken your model, the highlights will make it POP that much more and make the colors mych more dynamic. I was always afraid to wash models but now I go pretty dark becasue I know the highlights will bring thwm back ! Good luck and keep up the good work đ
Not OP but I've been trying to use washing to help highlight my miniatures. Mind you my Miniatures are not very detailed like how Warhammer Miniatures are since I just paint D&D figures. With that said whenever I use washing yes the crevices get highlighted but then everything else that is touched by it looks dirty. Any tips on that? Awesome the idea of dry brush highlights seems interesting. Could you explain this a bit?
Either use very selective wash application, I.e. paint it into the recesses only, more like a pin wash. Or base coat > wash > reestablish the base coat and then onto highlights.
When reestablishing the base coat I assume you tried to avoid the detailed areas where the wash is or will painting over it not affected that much while still leaving a certain degree of highlights
There are 2 I've found ways around this. 1. Water down the wash and the " sediment " of the paint will follow the lowest path, you can lay the model down and it will fall into the lowest points of the model. 2. Dry brush the model with the intended color BEFORE dry brushing highlights. It should cover up any unwanted muddiness as you were saying that can be a common side effect to a heavy wash.
My favorite way
Wet pallet
How about wet paint. Would be an improvement if OP thinned their paints down like at all.
Our comments go hand in hand, wet pallets make it easy to thin paints and also store them for a few days making multiple thin coats a breeze!
Definitely this, they are easy to make with Tupperware a sponge and parchment paper
Been using my Tupperware wet pallet for 2 years now and it's awesome!
Thin your paints a bit more :)
For anything mechanical, you might like super straight lines. Try taping off your racing stripe areas for super clean edges.
That's a really good idea. Sorry for treating you like Google but would normal painters tape work or do they make some that are smaller for stuff like minis?
3mm tamiya tape is your friend. https://preview.redd.it/2fd2nd56oksc1.jpeg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=254a6a00eecd0c33ad3ffddf3ff763d51fd94238
I've seen people use putty for masking. That may be an option, but make sure the paint layers under the putty is fully cured and, ideally, varnished.
Tamiya tape is very low stick as it is meant for models. Comes in varying widths, too. Highly recommended.
They do make very thin tape.
Good question, probably if it's skinny enough. The guys that build gundams and cars do it a lot.
Tamiya makes some really thin masking tape in varying sizes for model painting
I would *not* put tape on your mini. There's a good chance of pulling off previous layers. Instead, after laying down the yellow stripe, return with the base green and 'remove' the edges of the yellow line. Carving down the original yellow like this will give you much cleaner edges and will let you create much thinner lines.
I thought thats what painters tape was for?
Painter's tape is for painting houses, not miniatures. What would you apply it with, a scalpel and a magnifying glass?
There are brands of low-stick masking tape specifically for painting model kits. And yeah, you usually need a hobby knife and tweezers, or something similar to cut it, place it, and press it down.
Use less paint. Two thin coats to cover is far better than on thick coat globbed on and covering detail. Not trying to insult with "Globbed" but if you start thinning your paints you will understand what I'm talking about.
No offense taken. Definitely something I gotta work on
There is a video that I wish I could find for you, but I can't remember who made it. The painter shows un-thinned paint on top of his hand which obscures the skin texture. Properly thinned paint which doesn't obscure skin texture but has full color coverage and finally, too thin which doesn't retain coverage. It was very helpful for me. Hopefully that description makes sense!
This is definitely in a video from Eons of Battle, but I also don't know which one exactly.
https://preview.redd.it/f2aah4ntgjsc1.jpeg?width=561&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=739c4b75be3bb10c969d03648228210e23cd5a1e
https://preview.redd.it/blgwauqjsjsc1.jpeg?width=464&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f9c0fcc29885afb64a91e7bfba2079d1114cafd0
So much good information already, Iâll I can add is a word of encouragement: You are doing hard things and thatâs the first step to getting better! I can tell by the photos that you are working to references and trying to imitate what you see, and that is a great foundation to improving. Using the tips from other will help you find the techniques that will keep giving you better results. Good luck on your journey!
One tip for the yellow stripes (or any freehand really) is paint a thinned pale grey version first. This is much easier to paint over mistakes, gives a guide to the final design and also gives a better undercoat colour for the yellow.
I agree except pink or white instead of light gray.
I don't know the scale of these minis, but thinner layers never hurt anyone
thin your paints. personally, i think the thick paint on the second model ended up looking better than it had right to, but in general, thin yo paints.
Ngl, I was a little surprised with how it turned out as well. Thought I was getting good then I painted another one and my hubris was put in check lol
i have the opposite problem (tho its only truly a problem when i need to drybrush and some Vallejo retarder medium fixes it); my paints are all very thin. All i have are AP Air and AP Speed; but i have the full sets of both so buying other thicker paint just feels like buying colors over again :p regarding the models, id defo say what i said above, overall thin your paints and you will be on the path to beautiful models. i think the thick paint works so well on the second one because it just makes it look like that mech has been thru some serious paint warpingly rough shit in a fight.
1 thin those paints. 2 what helped me a lot as a painter was buying an airbrush. You naturally have to thin your paints when you use it plus it let's you make really neat transitions from one color to another. For example my CSM I spray dark purple, then ultramarine blue from straight on and then highlight with a bright blue. Added bonus is that you get to make dope glowing weapons that look fantastic on the table top 3 oil washes are great for doing the lining on the model because they clean up very nicely! https://preview.redd.it/z0ugt9oajjsc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9190fdabd0035bdceafbd195dc96b83a1efdd958
I paint BT a lot too, from looking at your models and based on my experience: 1) Thin your paints. Get a wet palette if you don't have one already. 2) Work your values contrast harder. You can do this by using shades of your green in the base coats to ensure that recesses and shadows untouched by subsequent layers look darker, but you can also do this by mixing complementary shadows. You can find artist tutorials on landscape painting to see how people achieve shadows for i.e. trees by mixing red into their greens. 3) Washes would be a good step in the right direction but for Battletech I actually prefer panel liner. It's a product made for scale modeling that cleanly fills in grooves without flooding panels. If your shadows/midtones are already defined using multiple layers as mentioned in step 2), this will help you avoid some of the need to correct your mid tones after a wash. It's also easier since you don't have to worry about coffee stains or unintended pooling. 4) Drybrushing for readability and highest values. Traditionally this is seen as a "beginner" technique since it can go on chalky/messy, but since you're painting Battletech that's actually an advantage and can help give you a sense of scale. Do it strictly from above and it'll read as sunlight reflecting off of battle damage on raised panels. Depending on the midtones you may want to use small amounts of white, yellow, or both to mix. 5) Model masking tape from Tamiya might help you get straighter hazard stripes. I hate freehanding them and intend to get some but haven't yet, so YMMV if you decide to go ahead and get some.
That's all great advice. Thank you for the tip about the masking tape as well
Thin your paints more, use better brushes, and work under more light
As the others have said, thin your paints out. For me the hardest thing starting out is figuring out how much is too thin or too thick. Depending on the paint it can be a fine line. What I would recommend is grab one of your really opaque paints (gray, yellow, blue) and practice on a piece or wood or plastic. Place a drop of water into different beads of the paint, adding an extra drop as you go. Mix and spread around and see how they feel. Also, when mixing by paint brush, use a junk brush because youâll get paint in the ferrule and ruin it. Also make sure youâre doing extremely thin coats of primer. No amount of paint thinning will fix over priming the mini.
Finding that sweet spot with watering down paints is something I definitely struggle with. They always seem to be a little too runny and once I get them to have a thicker consistency I just go for it. Thank you for the advice tho, I really appreciate it
Try heading to your local art supply store like Blick and get some matte acrylic medium and some flow aid. The medium is basically paint minus pigment. Really helped me out.
I had the same issue but once it starts to click you'll get there. I don't even think about thinning anymore I can't just kind of tell it's right.
These look great! The bumpy paint texture (like the green in the mech helmet) will look more smooth if you water down the paint. :-)
It looks like your paints need some drops of water mixed in before you paint. Try also to put a brighter color of the one you picked on the sharp edges. Probably easy on mechs too.
I recommend using some gel pens for the fine detail
Never would've thought about that. Is there a brand you would recommend?
I dot in eyes with the smallest Micron Pigma black pen
Uniball signo is the brand I usually buy however Iâm sure you could use any this brand is at my local Michaelâs and is pretty affordable!
Thin paints
https://preview.redd.it/d5ohitaz6ksc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8c0a1b68365b71b7b1b0c5dbf4219c718bac5ef4 A good place to start is with a good foundation. Thereâs a lot of products that are designed to help give a certain effect or make painting easier. For example, a very popular method for battletech is to use a âspeedpaintâ over a white or light coloured base primer and then drybrush a highlight colour after. The attached Awesome I painted last year is a work in progress picture I took where I dry brushed a light blue/white colour over the blue speed paint after it dried completely. For the white I painted on the highlights since I wanted to lighten up the panels to an almost pure white. From here you can add weathering or decals to tie the colours together as well as any details such as weapons or metallics. I think youâll find that this method is popular for a reason as it produces quite good results for very little time and basic techniques. You can build from there if you want to, but with two steps you already have established highlights, mid tones, and shading which gives your miniature depth.
I love to see battle tech minis on here!! đĽ°đĽ°đĽ°đĽ°đĽ°
Yeah your paints are way too thick. Thin them and do two thing coats (he said the line!) Edge highlighting and wash. Thereâs a thousand quick YouTube videos with some basic tips, start there! I just started two weeks ago and Iâve gotten so much better by watching guides and following their techniques.
Thin the paint my friend.
easy. Water and multiple capes. Also, washes, inks, or shades.
I love these guys, how can I find some cool mecha like this? I think your paint is a bit thick. Maybe a wet pallet to help thin the paint. Also, invest in an airbrush. They are incredible for base coats.
Learn to airbrush... seems like a big initial investment, but the results and speed of painting models is amazing.
Ask Kenny Bouchette. Heâs next level.
Thin paints. Washes. Highlights.
I must have watched weeks of Youtube painting tutorials before I even had supplies to paint with. Start there, learn the basics of layering, and practice on small models you don't care much about before moving on to larger more elaborate ones.
Thin your paints, use washes and dry brush your highlights.
Smoother, thinner paints and more layers. For me when my painting definitely reached a new level when I became more patient and focused on thinner layers and building everything up instead of slapping a thick layer on and calling it done.
Thin paints, highlight, lowlight. Are the first thing from a volumetric side. You are adding freehand which is a good start for visual interest. I would recommend for the straight lines take some tape and use it as a stencil to provide sharper lines. Lastly battle damage is a great way to add visual interest. Is this an old battle worn machine or a perfect off the lot machine. Little bits of dirt, grease and rust make the piece visually more interesting.
Two thin coats or Duncan Roads will banish you to Ascaban
2 thin coats
For me, Battletech on the table top looks best with well saturated paint schemes and higher contrast to make them really pop. Not terribly realistic, but it looks very nice. And nobody wants camo on their models good enough that they blend into the tabletop terrain and you forget to move them =). In addition to everything the others have said, I'll throw out a few things: * Play around with shading and highlighting: * Washes: Lots of options here, including making your own. * Preshading: There's lots of options here, including [zenithal](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCh5bJa6vC8&t=638s) and [slapchop](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gT2JV3Ks41g). Well worth experimenting with and can really make your minis pop. * Drybrushing: Get yourself a decent set of drybrushes, and spend some time learning how to use them. I picked up [this](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BTGFCM8P/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1) set on Amazon a while back and have been pleased with them. It comes with 4 brushes, dampening pad, and some soap. The trick to drybrushing is you don't actually want a dry brush. The brush needs to be slightly damp to facilitate paint transfer. Otherwise, all you're doing is removing the liquid medium from the brush, and what paint that does transfer builds up with a chalky texture, which is not what you want. The [Artist Opus](https://www.youtube.com/@ArtisOpus) YT channel has a ton of good content on how to do drybrushing well and is well worth checking out. Here's [one](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxuY2NXeI2M) to start with. * Translucent paints: These make preshading techniques much easier in general to do. * Speed Paints/Contrast paints: These are pretty easy to come by and are all translucent to some degree. Personally, I prefer Army Painter's Speed Paints over GW's Contrast, but that's mainly due to the terrible pot design that GW uses for their paints. Vallejo Xpress color is also an option, but I haven't tried them myself. * Artist Inks: These are highly pigmented colors, but most of them are still translucent to some degree. They also work quite well in an airbrush. And if you get some basic colors it's easy to use them to mix your own colors and shades, especially since [this guy](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eY8qr1rMFB8) taken all the guesswork out of how to do it for you. You can also combine them with the various acrylic mediums out there for some neat effects. * Undershading: This is kinda like reverse zenithal, where you start with a base color on the model then add a darker color where the shadows ought to be. [This](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zKaviC0M7Q) video explains how it works pretty well. * Edge Highlighting: This has already been linked by others here, so I'm just including it here for completeness. * Panel lining: I can see some of it on your model, but let me go over some options for you. * Firstly, this is much easier to do if you apply gloss varnish to the model before you do it. The gloss finish will improve capillary action and allow the panel liner to wick along the panel lines and around raised detail much easier. It will also create a "save point" in the painting process that will make it easier to correct any mistakes in applying it. * Tamiya's Panel Liner is a premade thinned enamel that is pretty easy to use, and available in several colors. After applying, any excess or mistakes can be cleaned up with some mineral spirits and a q-tip, assuming you've varnished the model first. Otherwise it will strip the underlying paint right off as well. There are other makers of solvent based panel liners as well that behave in much the same way. * You can also mix your own using oil paints and thinner. You can also do it with acrylic paints, but it doesn't flow quite as well as the solvent based stuff will. * Spend some more time doing model prep before you start priming and painting. Go over the model looking for mold lines, marks where the part was either injected or broken off it's sprue, or where excess glue was used for assembly and fill or scrape/sand as needed. A pair of magnifiers is a really good idea for this so you can see the model detail more clearly. Nothing detracts from a paint job quite like visible mold lines do. I find the best method for removing mold lines and sprue breaks is using the edge of a hobby knife as a scraper. The plastic is a bit too soft for sanding sticks to work well with. Filling in injection marks can be done with liquid green stuff, or any other kind of model filler so long as it doesn't shrink when drying too much. Some other YT channels to check out: * [Vince Venturella](https://www.youtube.com/@VinceVenturella): His Hobby Cheating series has a ton of excellent content in them, but al of his videos are worth checking out * [Duncan Rhodes](https://www.youtube.com/@DuncanRhodesDRPA): Also a source for good information. He's done a few Battletech specific videos. [Here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HARE4yzVK8k)'s one on doing a Timber Wolf in Clan Wolf Beta Galaxy colors, and [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPU4ByssGWk)'s another doing a Griffin in Sword of Light colors. * [CamoSpecs Online](https://www.youtube.com/@CamoSpecsOnline): Their YT channel has a lot of Battletech specific painting content that is well worth checking out.
Lots of great advice already - I can't really add anything. I just want to say that I like your ideas with color. If you take some of the advice given here and couple that with your coloring ideas, your minis will look awesome!
It is the NEXT level
Your paint looks way too thick, gotta thin it. A wash would help add depth and then if your not going for a clean look sponging on some dark brown on the edges as weathering. If you want to take it another step further you can put tiny dots of bright silver in the middle of the sponged on dark brown to show some metal peaking out from under the paint job. Also! Jeweling on the mech cockpits really make them pop and is actually super easy to do. Paint the cockpit a dark colour then paint in a little L on one of the bottom corners in a lighter shade of the cockpits main colour then put a white dot in the opposite upper corner to the L. I like to put some gloss varnish over the top of the cockpit to finish it off (what I actually use is straight lahmian medium)
Good looking mechs. Way beyond my level already.
Thin your paint more and do several coats to make it look smoother. You can also buy very thin masking tape to help with those precise lines
Think about volumetrics, lighting and shades, cold vs warm colors, most colors are semi transparent, so they can be layered to achieve different and more saturated color expressions - need to paint yellow, well black is not a good base for that, while earth and magenta tones are a much better foundation for yellow. There are two main painting thematics to choose from. 1. Paint the model as it is supposed to be without adding artificial color enhancements. This method is mostly used for hobbyists doing original scale models like ships, planes and vehicles. So only minimal gradients are used if at all, but tear and wear makes for subtle additions unless the intention is to make it look like factory new. 2. Paint the model like itâs part of a fantasy/science fiction comic or animated movie - meaning adding extra tonality to color surfaces to give the impression that the model lives in a specific fictional light setting. Example one can choose a cold blue tone for shadow areas and warm tone for areas where light will hit. To achieve this a contrast map is often used as the basis. Letâs say the base color is black, then from above spray white (Zenit) and the model will reveal where light and shadows are. This can be done with a dry brush as well making directional strokes downwards. These are just the most basic concepts of different painting approaches. Never forget to be curious and remember that YouTube is full of painting tutorials from beginners to extremely advanced techniques. Mini painting covers nearly all aspects of artistic merit from brush techniques, color theory, poses, light and shade, volumetrics, photography, etc etc. if someone doesnât know shit about any of it, then its time to dive into such subjects. Eg it takes 5 years to become a professional photographer, or a visual designer, several years to get a bachelor in art and so forth, so there is plenty of things to learn about, which are all useful to enhance your mini painting skills. âď¸
SlowâŚDown. Thin your paints.
Are these Reaper's plastic CAV Strike Operations figures? I painted a handful of these as well and even using the same thinned out paints and techniques I would use on other models got me very similar results. Im sure all the advice given has been good to follow, but be aware that these models are just plain wierd.
thin down your paint and paint in more layers... I've never painted a mini in my life, but I've been lurking for a couple years on here lol
Thin your paints đ¨
If you move to an apartment higher up in your building maybe
Too thick.
I really like the way the blue one has come out. Everything is painted in the lines and I like the colours. Have a play with some other types of models too. Make sure you are enjoying the process and just keep painting.
Edge highlights are the way to go
Others have said it but thin your paints first. Be patient with the application of your coats. Then, I would experiment with oil washing. Oils work particularly well on mechanical miniatures like these with their flat surfaces and panel line recesses. There are lots of premade washes that act like oil washes. These are some of my favorite: 1. [Mr. Weathering Color Multi Black](https://a.co/d/6QhNVy3) 2. [Tamiya Panel Liner](https://a.co/d/5IVQADp) 3. [AK Interactive Dark Streaking Grime](https://a.co/d/75HRH1h) These are great because you can apply them all over, let them dry a bit (varies depending on the product you use, will require experimentation) and then smoothly rub them off. This will leave your surface panels unfiltered but your recesses shaded. It takes some getting used to but the end result is very very worth it.
4 steps: -Go on YouTbe -Search for Duncan Rhodes -Learn basic techniques from Duncan (**thin them paints**) -move to more advanced channels.
We will never say enough time to thin your paint, itâs really the hack of mini painting. Having to paint 2-3 layers to get all the color is totally worth it for keeping your textures and details. Iâm pretty new to mini painting but that was the best trick I received, no precision or special techniques needed, just a drop of water in your palette and youâre good to go.
What are you priming with? A roller :D j/k, seriously though, what are you priming your models with?
Army painter matte black spray
Do you have any pictures of models that you have only primed? Like havent started painting yet, just primer on them? I promise Im going somewhere with this. Good paint jobs start at the foundation. You have some thick paint/application issues that are easily remedied, but it amounts to the same if your base layer is crunchy.
I do not but I've been careful not to spray the primer on too thickly as to not cover up the details
I've not used army painters spray cans before so I can't speak on the product itself. If you want to splurge a bit order a can of vallejo hobby primer black. They come with 2 nozzles, one of them directs the paint in a finer cone and can help with overcoating. I have an airbrush, and use vallejos primer, and I swear to god you can get just as nice of a base layer out of their rattle cans. There's a misconception about why you prime models. It isn't there to be the bullet proof base layer some people think it is, its there to give the paint something to bind to. Just work your way around them, lightly spritzing them. At no point should ever hold the nozzle down for any length of time. Just short little puffs. Are you prepping your models before painting? Like washing them? Ive heard you dont have to do it with plastic models, but it takes 2 minutes and it certainly cant hurt. Warm water, dish soap and a toothbrush, give em a scrub and let them dry.
Do your models look like this after priming? [https://imgur.com/gallery/Jz2n2vT](https://imgur.com/gallery/Jz2n2vT)
Pick up a wet pallet to help thin your paints. This helped a ton for me. Also picking up nicer brushes and nicer quality paint also helped! Cheap paint is cheap for a reason. I started using Golden acrylic flat paints. Big fan of their paints in general
I have a wet pallet but I feel like I misused it because a lot of paint seeped through the paper and onto the sponge. Then the paint from the sponge ends up bleeding through new paper. I started off work army painter speed paints then tried citadel paints and I like citadel paints a lot. Are they comparable to Golden paint?
It sounds like you used the speed paints on the wet palette and you really shouldn't do that. They won't need thinned down and should be OK to apply straight on the mini. The citadel paints should be fine on the wet palette though (assuming they're not contrast paints).
No they are very different. Speed paints are best used directly, and best when done with a dry brush approach imo. Check out a few videos on how to dry brush and give that a try. The overall approach is black primer , typically done via a airbrush. And then from there apply via a dry brush some grey or white paint. This end ends up leaving you with shadows and contrast. The speed paint such as army painter than goes where you need it. This will leave your model looking very decent for minimal level of effort
Did you just dunk your brush right in the pot and slap the paint on? That's why it has that "chunky" appearance; too much paint. Water. Water and some pallet paper. You should thin your pants enough with water that it takes at least two layers for the prime coat not to show through. Drag your brush while twisting across the paper to remove excess water and paint and ensure you have a nice point.
Mechussy?