First comment:

Please upvote this by default so it stays towards the top. I'm still learning how2reddit

So I am NOT an artistic person so this is especially anxious for me. But, I needed something to keep my hands busy that wasn't masturbating, so here we are.

I have probably over studied techniques and materials, and I want this post to be a "documentary" if you will. Where someone who has no business painting is going to be doing just that.

So, I'll be documenting my pitfalls and approaches to everything here. With all of you lovely people, it'll also hopefully be a central location for someone like me or just wants to get into 40k can refer to.

Disclaimer: I'll be at work until 5pm EST. But my job is pretty cushy so I'll be adding planning details throughout the day

Tools and Such

Well, I probably overspent here. Only because I'm lazy and didn't want to make the drive to harbor freights. But then again, paying the premium to help support my local game shop is going to give me some karma in the long run. Here's the list of things that I ended up picking up:

• Wire Cutters
  
  • The game shop charged me $16 for them lmao. I hate myself. But they're used to cut the pieces out of the sprues. I was using a box cutter at first, and in no time I nicked myself pretty badly. Just buy them. Again, Harbor Freights.
    
• Box Cutter / Exacto Knife
  
  • I used it to trim off the excess from the sprues. The box cutter worked, but the exacto knife was a bit better because of the handle and the gradual width in the blade helps with control when you need it, or the finer point when you need to get into smaller areas.
    
• Paint Brushes
  
  • So, I spent a lot on one pair and then minimal on another. The A Lot pair was from the game stop ($16 for three types), I figured these would be much higher quality when dealing with the tiny pieces. I went to walmart and bought a set of 8 as well for $5. I'm intending to use these on things like terrain because they're larger in size and hiding issues from crappy brushes is going to be easier on terrain than it will be on a mini the size of 6 quarters.
    
• Filing tools
  
  • Honestly I'm not sure why these are needed. I thought it'd help get rid of the excess sprue on the models but it leaves a scratchy texture. I'm pissed about that. Unless someone here will tell me otherwise, just use your exacto knife
    
• PAAAINNTT
  
  • THIS IS THE BIGGEST THING I'LL FIRMLY PUT MY FOOT DOWN ON
    
  • If you're just starting out, DO NOT GO BUY THEM INDIVIDUALLY. Its too expensive. My local shop sells them for nearly $5-$8 a bottle. Buy THIS. Its a ton of typical colors and drops the individual price down to $2.80.
    
  • Paint sets are always going to be your best friend, from what I've found. Citadel paints for example are really expensive at my local shop (like $5-$7 each expensive) But something like this is a huge savor., bringing the unit price down to $3,63.
    
  • Shading seems to overhaul the look into something more professional, so you will want to buy two separately. My buddy suggested two different ones, Black and Brown.
    
• Wet Pallette
  
  • I am yet to have this conversation without the other person talking to me like they're running for president. Wet Pallettes are a necessity. They ensure you do not waste paint, keeps your paint consistently viable while using it, and helps with storing it. I've heard a couple of days, others say months. Who knows. I'm yet to start painting, but I'm just going to say don't even mess around and just get/build one.
    
  • Tabletop Minions has a great video to show you how to make one for the lo-lo.
    
• Mini Painting Holder
  
  • If you're not looking risk smudging the paint when you're holding your mini, then this is for you. Bonus points for reducing your chances of arthritis.
    
  • You COULD get something like THIS. But I feel that because it holds onto the sides, you can't really use it to paint the base.
    
  • What I ended up doing was buying 3 bottles of champagne, cutting off the top of one of them, and then gluing & duct taping it all together. I haven't tested out its balance yet but odds are, I'm going to have to do something so its stable and I can rest it on the table standing up without worry. Bonus, I was pretty drunk for a bit.
    
    

    Theory is Great and All (11.13.19)
    

    
    So here are my updates from actually painting.
    
    

• Mini Painting Holder
  
  • LOL. Welp. didn't turn out as expected. Glue didn't stick and I had to use so much duct tape that it looks like a toxic sushi roll. Yum. We'll see how it works when I get to the actually mini painting.
    
  • https://imgur.com/sU1bqxE
    
• Paaaaaint
  
  • Welp. I'm pretty sure I added too much water. I also definitely did not mix enough of it. I'm going for a deep green metallic look and only mixed enough for one coat..... lmao. Thankfully its just the 1st so I'm hoping when I mix a boatload of it, even if the hue is different, it won't matter much.
    
  • Wet pallete: Definitely worked out. Do it.
    
  • Because of the paint being too watery, you can see some spots where it pooled. Again, gonna take it easier on the water the second time around and hope it covers up the bad stuff
    
  • In being careful with the finer details, I didn't care too much. Some paint here and there won't change much and should be unnoticeable after a few more careful coats of the actual color I want to use, when I get there.
    
  • https://imgur.com/jiNNc1A
    
    

    Life Sucks and I haven't gotten much done (11/15/19)
    

    
    So I was only able to apply a second coat of to what I've already done. But honestly, not too shabby! Apparently I didn't water down the paint too much.
    
    https://imgur.com/gallery/lA9LV1N
    
    Also, I recently switched to a different cell phone carrier, and got a $200 prepaid card.... So I'm getting these.
    
    https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004INERK4/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A3TMLEXVMVIW94&psc=1
    
    https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002JLVM5U/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?smid=A1Y3PCPH3CY53X&psc=1
    
    There's a blog that I found (will have to find it again later) that recommended these.

Long post incoming....

So, I don't think I've seen many airbrush discounts. Badger did a nice promotion where you could buy any airbrush for $55 for their 55 year anniversary this summer, but other than that it's kind of hard to find discounts. As far as Prime Day, I doubt they're going to have discounts on airbrushes, that's a pretty niche product they don't really get into. If you want to get started with that, I'd do something like this:

• Paasche D3000R Compressor this is the one I use... it's held up over the past 10 years quite well, painted some ~12,000 points of Marines, Guard, Knights, and Chaos with it.
  
  
• Iwata Neo Airbrush Iwata airbrushes rock... I use an Iwata HP-CS, which is really good, but like 3x more expensive than this. This would be a good starter brush that should do the job though.
  
  
• Airbrush Hood You can put this on your desk and you just spray into it. It has a fan which pulls paint dust through the filter in the back, very important to prevent you from breathing paint and getting colored dust everywhere.
  
  You then need a cleaning pot, some cleaning fluid, and an airbrush hose All told, that's like $300.
  
  Then you need paint, paint brushes, a hobby knife, super glue, a mini hand drill, some small drill bits, sprue cutters, basing materials (cork board, model railroad ballast, etc) and I find a pair of tweezers helpful. That could add up to another $200 in materials (and obviously can cost way more, paint is expensive). So of your $550 budget, you would then have $50 remaining for models... which will buy you one model kit. So if you're looking to get started for $550, I'd probably forget the airbrush for now, and just get paints that can be used with one later. I recommend Vallejo paints. The eyedropper bottles work great for airbrushing, and you can just thin them with water. I haven't met one yet that doesn't work. A paint set like this would set you up nicely for doing an Imperial Guard army.
  
  As far as what army to play... Guard is fun, but if you like the modern military aesthetic, Space Marines might be more what you're after. The new Repulsor Executioner tanks look awesome, and the new Primaris marines are great looking models... some of the best GW has produced. The Guard kits are looking kinda... dated IMO.

Hello friend, I just got into magnetizing and have done all my research and my models came out great. The best magnets to get are made by "Primal Horizon". For swapping out weapons use the 1/16"x 1/32" sized magnets

1. I bought mine on Amazon and it came with 140 magnets of varying sizes (I have some small enough to swap out my plasma pistols, bolters, power swords etc...). I bought off Amazon to get started: HERE. They all use standard drill bit sizes, so any kit of drill bits should suffice.
   
   
2. The depth of the magnets is not a concern if you get the ones I linked. They are all the right depth for each respective application, just make sure you are not boring the holes too deep and let them sit nicely. On a lot of models you will end up drilling through the model and it will be a hole, get some green stuff! The citadel green stuff that comes in the bottle I found worked the best. Place the green stuff in the whole and fill it completely, let it settle for maybe 2-3 minutes then place in your magnet. Let it settle for another 10-15 minutes and make sure the magnet is flush (or sometimes it is nice to have it pop out a bit depending on the look you are going for). Last step is to place a very small coat of superglue over the green stuff to make sure you have a layer to keep the green stuff and magnet in place. I cannot tell you how many times I let the model sit overnight only to have the magnet sucked out (these things are very strong for their size) and negate all the work I had just done.
   
   
3. Size matters!! As I said previously, there are different magnets for different applications. Once you get the magnets, it is very easy to tell which size to use for which application. The nice thing about the small sized magnets for replacing arms, hand weapons and even being able to swap out combi-weapons is that the magnets seat perfectly without using green stuff or superglue, although a thin layer of superglue never hurts :)
   
   
4. If you have the citadel set of drill bits, they will include the smaller bits needed for the smaller magnets. The sizes of the magnets are all standard drill bit sizes, so your basic drill bit kit at any hardware store should do the trick. When you start to get to larger diameter magnets, a low RPM drill is very, very time saving! Not only will it save you time, but it will make a nice clean hole allowing it to sit nice, neat, and flush with the model. You could purchase a Dremel tool since they are relatively cheap and easy to work with. If not, use any powered drill, or heck, do it manually! Remember, low RPMs...do not go drilling holes quickly as this can crack the model seams and create more problems later such as having to fill in around the magnets with green stuff and more superglue which equals more mess and cleanup before painting.
   
   My final note, and this is my BEST piece of advice! ALWAYS CHECK POLARITY! I cannot tell you how many times I had everything set, magnets on both ends of what I was trying to adhere together and then arrrggghhh.... wrong polarity. The best approach to this I found is keeping the magnets stacked and stuck together... kinda like this > [[[[] I hope that crude picture helps haha. What I would do is keep them stuck to a piece of metal that has a good surface area, place my first magnet into the arm socket of the model while they are still stacked and then let the first magnet settle and dry. After that, remove the tool in which the magnets are stuck to and with the other piece you are trying to attach, just simply put the magnet on the opposite end into the hole on the piece in which you are attaching. This will ensure polarity is correct. I am sorry if that was a crude way of explaining it, but I would be happy to take photos and link them to explain this process.
   
   Most of all, have fun! There is no better feeling being able to swap out all my Dread weapons, melee weapons on squads etc... I also put some magnets on the torso of my Dreads to give it some nice movement and rotation (almost makes it feel like a ball bearing). If you have anymore questions or need any clarification please let me know and I would be happy to help ya out, upload photos etc..
   
   Good luck, have fun!!

Just in my experience:

Tamiya Extra Thin Plastic Glue

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B017R6V4UE/

Less than $10. I've used it to assemble my ~3000pt Ork army and I've only used about half the bottle

​

Mudder 21pc Pin Vice Set

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XG1FY8P/

About $12. Slightly more expensive than the absolute cheapest pin vice you can find...which I purchased and had a drill bit snap in less than a week. Then I bought this one and haven't looked back. The set of bits has a great size range, too.

​

Woodland Scenics Basing

https://woodlandscenics.woodlandscenics.com/show/category/GroundCover

Depending on what sort of basing material you want, it can be much, much cheaper to get it from Woodland Scenics (or other train hobby sites). Their containers are cheap and large, so if you find what you like you can cheaply get enough to last you a lifetime (or close to it).

​

Akro-Mils Storage Container

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003P0XRH0/

About $25. This was a bit of a splurge purchase, but it's been pretty nice for me so far. Before I got this, I just had bits organized into Ziploc bags. This was a nice way to organize everything and still make it accessible. Helpful for me because I've been doing a ton of kitbashing. If you're building following the instructions and kits 100%, you might not need this.

​

Army Painter Paints

https://shop.thearmypainter.com/products.php?ProductGroupId=16

They're on Amazon, too. Generally cheaper than GW paints, and pretty decent. Amazon has some other kits like one for Dwarves and one for Goblins, etc. Depending on the colors you want, you could probably save some money by buying the colors individually or buying a couple of those sets that have what you want. I've really enjoyed their metallic paints and their washes. If you get their Strong Tone wash and their Dark Tone wash, paint your model, brush the Strong Tone on clothes and skin and the Dark Tone on anything that's metal and it'll come out looking really good.

>He mentioned that your armies go obsolete like every 2 years! Is this true?

No, not really. New rules will come out every few years, which may force you to alter the roster of models and wargear you’re fielding, but models are almost never written out of the game.

>Should they just start with A Start Collecting Pack?

Yes. Start Collecting packs are fantastic.

>This pack would be a 500pt or 1000pt?

Start Collecting packs are closer to 500 points. There isn’t an exact point number because you can change the number of models in a squad or give them different wargear.

>Co worker also suggested taking them both to GW to see if they can even get their head around playing the game as the rule book is pretty intense…

Yeah, going to a game shop and having someone experienced walk you through the game is a pretty good way to get a handle on the basic rules. GW shops love new people, although they tend to be very pushy salesmen.

>Or should they get a Rule book to read. Then their codex. One wants Necrons the other Dark Eldar. And then decide on a 1000pt army and start buying/building/painting etc?

I’d say see if a game shop can give them a demo first before you commit to models and books. This stuff is expensive.

Don’t worry about what a 1000 point army is. It takes time to get there. I say…

1. Start with a demo. If they like it, move on to…
   
   
2. …the Start Collecting boxes, a small-format copy of the core rules from ebay, and the Codexes for whichever armies they chose. You'll also want primer, paint, brushes, plastic glue and/or loctite superglue, a pair of sprue cutters, and some small files.
   
   
3. Once they’ve got a handle on the basic army rules that cover what they already own, use the codex to figure out what you’d need to add to build a good 500 point list, then 750, then 1000. Your ideas about what to include in your army will change as you gain more experience with your opponents.
   
   (Also don't let them buy new boxes unless the ones they have are already built.)
   
   Good luck!

Three variations on the theme:

Mountain Creek:

Shopping List

• 25mm Hollow Blank bases
  
• Elmer's white glue.
  
• Gray Talus in Fine and Coarse (1 bag each)
  
• Earth Blended Turf (1 bag)
  
• Reaper Stone Grey (or any other medium grey paint)
  
• Reaper Brown Sand
  
• 5 Minute Quick Cure Epoxy
  
• Either Mod Podge or Liquitex Medium Gloss Gel
  
  This will provide enough material to do hundreds of bases. Really the only limit is how many of the Hollow Blank bases you buy.
  
  Instructions:
  
  

1. Prime the base black.
   
2. Paint the interior hollow of the base with the grey paint. Paint thin streaks of brown sand over the grey. Make sure all of the streaks flow in the same direction. You want a pattern like this. The streaks should run parallel to the direction the water flows.
   
3. Using superglue, glue the Space Marine into position on the base.
   
4. Using a cheap brush, paint roughly 40% of the bottom of the base with the white glue. Leave roughly 60% of the bottom clear.
   
5. Sprinkle a small amount of the Coarse talus onto the glue. If you can, paint the glue on in streaks like you did with the brown.
   
6. Sprinkle a small amount of the Fine talus onto the glue. Always sprinkle the Coarse talus first, then the Fine, as this will create a more natural looking clumping of rocks -- small rocks pile up around larger rocks, large rocks don't sit on top of piles of smaller rocks.
   
7. Sprinkle a small amount of the Earth Blended Turf onto the glue. This will simulate organic debris caught up in the rocks.
   
8. Allow the glue to dry for 24 hours.
   
9. Mix up a small amount of the epoxy and fill the hollow blank up about halfway. Allow this to cure for one hour.
   
10. Using a cheap, disposable brush paint either the Mod Podge or Gloss Gel (henceforth "texture") over the epoxy. The Mod Podge is easier to work with, but will tend to settle more, so use the Mod Podge if you want to simulate slowly moving water, and the Gloss Gel if you want choppier, faster-moving water.
    
    In either case, paint the texture over the entire surface of the epoxy, then go back and using a wide brush (a cheap #4 Filbert is perfect) create waves by making short, quick strokes. You want these brush strokes to go in the direction that the water is flowing, but you want to work your way backwards from the outflow point to the inflow point so that the crests of your "waves" overlap properly. Here's an image showing what I mean.
    
    Swampy Pond
    
    Shopping List:
    
    

• 25mm Hollow Blank bases
  
• Elmer's white glue.
  
• [Green Blended Turf]http://woodlandscenics.woodlandscenics.com/show/Item/BT-GB/page/1) (1 bag)
  
• Reaper Olive Green (or any other medium grey paint)
  
• 5 Minute Quick Cure Epoxy
  
• Parsley Flake
  
• Gloss Varnish
  
  Instructions:
  
  

1. Prime the base black.
   
2. Paint the interior hollow of the base with the olive green paint. 3. Using superglue, glue the Space Marine into position on the base.
   
3. Using a cheap brush, paint roughly 40% of the bottom of the base with the white glue. Leave roughly 60% of the bottom clear.
   
4. Sprinkle a very small amount of the Parsley Flake onto the glue.
   
5. Sprinkle a small amount of the Green Blended Turf onto the glue.
   
6. Allow the glue to dry for 24 hours.
   
7. Mix up a small amount of the epoxy and fill the hollow blank up about halfway. Using the end of a brush, add a little texture to the epoxy as it sets. You can "draw" concentric circles radiating out from the Marine's legs to simulate the movement of the troop through the water. When the epoxy begins to form "strings" it's time to move on to the next step.
   
8. Before the epoxy sets completely, sprinkle a very fine amount of the Parsley Flake on the surface of the epoxy. Allow the epoxy to cure for an hour.
   
9. Paint over the Parsley Flakes with the Gloss Varnish so they look properly wet.
   
   OCEAN BEACH
   
   Shopping List
   
   

• 25mm Hollow Blank bases
  
• Elmer's white glue.
  
• Fine Buff Ballast (1 bag)
  
• Reaper Golden Blonde
  
• Reaper Brown Sand
  
• 5 Minute Quick Cure Epoxy
  
• Liquitex Medium Gloss Gel
  
  Instructions:
  
  

1. Prime the base black.
   
2. Using superglue, glue the Marine into position.
   
3. Paint the bottom of the base with white glue.
   
4. Fill the hollow with the fine ballast then pour it out so that all of the glue is covered. Allow this to dry completely.
   
5. Paint streaks of white glue across the bottom of the base. These streaks should run perpendicular to the direction of the tide. Sprinkle more ballast over these streaks. This will create a ripple effect in the sand, like you see along beaches.
   
6. Paint the sand with the Brown Sand paint.
   
7. Drybrush the sand with Golden Blonde. You want to paint the tops of the ripples, but leave more of the Brown Sand showing in the bottoms of the ripples.
   
8. Mix up a small amount of the epoxy and fill the hollow blank up about halfway. Allow this to cure for one hour.
   
9. Using a cheap, disposable brush paint the Gloss Gel over the epoxy. Paint the gloss gel over the entire surface of the epoxy, then go back and using a wide brush create waves by making short, quick strokes just as described under Mountain Creek.

Proper brush care: rinse the paint out of your brushes in a cup of water as you work. Keep rinsing periodically so paint does not completely dry on the bristles. Then brush out the excess water on a paper towel and THEN put paint on the brush (preferably from a wet palette rather than directly from the pot). Don't stand your brushes in the water cup or any other cup. Never let the weight rest on the bristles.

When finished with a painting session, clean your brushes using this stuff: The Masters brush cleaner

Basically just run the brush under some water, then stroke it over the tub of soap (it will bubble a little bit), then make sure to work the wet soap into the bristles. Then rinse under the sink faucet. Repeat as many times as it takes to restore the spring and get all the paint out of the bristles.

Never ever get paint or anything else (besides water) into the ferrule (the part where the bristles go inside the brush housing). And when you're done cleaning the brushes after a session, replace the protective cap on the end.

You can go el cheapo on pretty much any kind of brush except a detail brush. Drybrushes, base coating brushes, layering brushes, feel free to go as cheap as you want and it doesn't really make that much difference..

But with fine detail brushes, I'm talking the ones you do eyes and teeth with, you REALLY need a sable-hair brush. And that's gonna cost a bit more. A Windsor and Newton Series 7 might cost about USD$15 but it's worth it:

https://www.amazon.com/Winsor-Newton-Kolinsky-Sable-Watercolor/dp/B0013E68TO

The reason you pay the big bucks for a detail brush is because when you're working with details that small, you need to be able to finely control the amount of paint you have on your brush, and you need your brush to keep a good point, and you need the brush to stay wet rather than drying out - sable hair is great at all of these things.

If you really want to spoil yourself, you can get sable hair brushes for all your other brushes too, and you'll definitely notice a difference, but it makes the BIGGEST impact with detail work.

As for drybrushes - there's going to be some staining of the bristles even if you're super careful. That's just the nature of drybrushing.... as the name suggests you have to get the paint quite dry before you can begin (it's really more like "dusting" the model with dried paint than painting). So it's probably not going to be possible to keep a drybrush in perfect condition, but you can at least restore the spring of the bristles with brush cleaner - any stains, especially red ones, are likely permanent. No big deal, just keep that drybrush for any future jobs with that color or similar colors.

I just went through this myself and am very happy with my purchases. This is a complete entry level set with the tools you will need to maintain it. Assuming you're US based, you could have everything Monday with Prime shipping.

• Airbrush - $27 - This is a basic brush with the ability to change between 0.2, 0.3(most common), and 0.5mm tips. This gives you the flexibility to go from precise to blanket applications.
  
  
• Compressor - $120 - I opted for a model with a tank to help regulate the air output. The compressor still ends up running most of the time during extended applications so I'm not sure how much it helps but I didn't want to take chances. You could save ~$40 by getting a model without a tank. You could always add a tank later if you feel the need.
  
  
• Cleaner - $12 - You need this before you even think about starting. One cleaner seems about as good as another so pick whatever.
  
  
• Tools - $7 - You will need to clean paint from the internals. Some of these brushes will work for that. There seems to be differing opinions in the community over how useful these are but I opted for them and use them every so often.
  
  
• Cleaning Pot - $15 - You will need one for your station and everyone uses this one. Definitely spray the cleaner through into this.
  
  
• Wash Bottle - $6 - 500 mL bottle you fill with water. This will allow you to rinse the pot at your station without having to go to a sink (though you still might use one often). Get a bucket or tupperware container to rinse into.
  
  This will allow you to setup a bare-bones station. You could also get a fume hood or just spray into a box in a well ventilated room. Get a good white led light (if you don't have on already) to illuminate your workspace and you're good to go.

>Would you have a guess at consistency? Does a base coat like 50 paint / 50 water? Just an idea of an amount?

Depends on how thick the paint is, really. It can change from color to color, and even pot to pot. Varies with age of the paint too.

There is no magic ratio that I have found. It has to be mixed where it's thin enough to flow but still be able to stick. Too thick and it sputters, too thin and it goes on like a wash.

It's not that hard, just make adjustments as you're spraying.

>Damn! haha. Do the metal flakes give the brush issue?

Yes sir! Hit that one on the head.

>What is better? Do you use them both?

I use about 50/50 bottled water/vallejo flow improver.

Flow improver isn't cheap, but makes the paint stick a bit better.
Water is cheap, but turns the paint to a wash. 50/50 seems to work for me.

Kenny Boucher is the one that turned me on to the flow improver/water mix. He calls it "Gangsta Gumbo"

>When you say badger specific parts, do you mean replacement parts? How often do you have to replace pieces on them?

Mainly the oddball thread size where you connect your air supply from the compressor. The air hose was hard to find locally. Still ended up having to get some stuff from home depot to make it fit the compressor.

I think Iwata uses standard threads.

Replacement parts too, though that is true of any airbrush.

>What primer would you recommend using in your brush? I generally prefer a matte black.

Vallejo Surface Primer all day, baby! They have it in quite a few colors. I usually go with black.

http://www.thewarstore.com/product67987.html

>Are these small enough to place on my desk? I don't have much extra room in my office. Link to a decent one?

I find mine to be invaluable, I would not airbrush any other way. It is about 30" wide x 16" tall x 24" deep + hose that runs to the window out of the back of it. You will need a light for it.

edit After looking at the measurements on Amazon, it appears my memory for scale is borked. Is smaller than I said above.

http://www.amazon.com/Master-Airbrush%C2%AE-Portable-Airbrush-Extension/dp/B00B2TESUQ/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1463499481&sr=8-3&keywords=airbrush+station

>Thanks so much for taking the time to spread the knowledge!

No problem bud! The airbrush has saved me a ridiculous amount of time and made my models look far better.

No worries mate, the tutorials online are good but if you want to check out the other ranges then this chart is very good https://www.dakkadakka.com/wiki/en/Paint_Range_Compatibility_Chart I personally recommend Vallejo Game Colour for brighter colours and model colour for more realistic hues. They come in 17ml bottles instead of 12ml and are cheaper. I only prefer GW technical paints and washes over Vallejo, but each to their own.

In the SW I think the best place to get your paints would be online. https://www.darksphere.co.uk/ or https://www.waylandgames.co.uk/ have always stood me in good stead. The paint packs are always the best value but what colours you need depend on what army you're painting.

As most of the models are plastic now I'd recommend cutters and a modelling knife. You get much finer precision than a Stanley Knife. I've been using this set for 4 years https://www.amazon.co.uk/Modelcraft-9-Piece-Plastic-Modelling-Tool/dp/B001TH8LAY/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1549923613&sr=8-4&keywords=modelling+kit and it is sooo much cheaper than the GW stuff.

Looks like a solid start to me! I would recommend not fully assembling your models before you paint them, some places can be hard to reach when fully assembled.

1. The army painter range of brushes is a solid starting point, I think they have a starter pack with a few essential brushes. Get a tub of brush cleaner and clean your brushes throughout your time painting, I like to clean them when I change colors. This will keep in good condition and extend their life!
   
   
2. I like the GW plastic glue, it melts the pieces together for a strong connection! Super glue is also good and if you need to change a model up you can freeze them and they will snap apart.
   
   
3. I like the GW brand primers, though they are expensive! I've used army painter before and had mixed results, some good some terrible.
   
   
4. I do not have any experience with sealers.
   
   Necessary Hobby Items
   
   

• Brush Cleaner
  
• Hobby Knife
  
• Cutters
  
• Pin Drill
  
• Desk Lamp W/ Magnifier
  
  
  

My advice? Start with cheaper paints and better brushes. GW paints are high quality but prohibitively expensive when starting out. So you get your 'must haves' - black, white, leadbelcher, your base color and a couple washes - then fill out the rest with cheap hobby paint. Replace those over time with higher quality GW or Vallejo paints as you get more involved with the hobby.

Brushes though are so important - painting with a high quality brush just makes such a huge difference. Your brush quality is what's going to determine whether you have a relaxing time painting or you're crying with frustration. GW brushes are... ok. But certainly not worth the premium prices they charge.

You really only need a size 1 and a size 0 for painting infantry. A dedicated drybrush for bases, but the drybrush can be a cheap $1 brush from the local craft store. This is what you want for your primary brushes:

https://www.amazon.com/Winsor-Newton-Kolinsky-Sable-Watercolor/dp/B0013E68SU/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1495811846&sr=8-3&keywords=sable+brush

Commonly regarded as THE best brush for miniature painting, it's now super affordable. And you'll want a good brush cleaner too, to care for your fancy brushes:

https://www.amazon.com/Masters-Cleaner-Preserver-Ounces-Carded/dp/B0027AEANE/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1495812254&sr=8-11&keywords=brush+cleaner

BTW if you end up painting Blood Ravens, PM me. I spent quite a lot of time experimenting with color pallettes for them and can give you some more detailed tips.

Most people will suggest skipping GW for paint and hobby tools to save money. I suggest hitting amazon for a pair of flush cutters, set of needle files, and pack of testors model cement. Krylon camo black spray paint is a fine substitute for expensive primers. Vallejo paints are a top reccomended brand, and there is a conversion chart to convert old and new gw colors to vallejo colors.

A set of just standard tac marines is a great place to start, you'll use them for sure and theres plenty there to work on technique, hit up the warhammer youtube channel, as they have painting tutorials that are really great, watch as many as possible as each has something you can use even if they aren't painting space marine models.


http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00FZPDG1K/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1459352340&sr=8-1&pi=SX200_QL40&keywords=flush+cutter&dpPl=1&dpID=414t7uLh8KL&ref=plSrch


https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0013E68SU/ref=yo_ii_img?ie=UTF8&psc=1
(Starting out you should be fine with just a zero, but if you really have moneh burnig a hole in your pocket a 1 and 00 would also come in handy eventually. Never leave your brush sitting in your water cup, don't let paint dry in your brush, and keep paint out of the metal part.)


http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0013D53CS/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?qid=1459352997&sr=8-2&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=testors+model+glue&dpPl=1&dpID=51QQU8wrc-L&ref=plSrch


https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000NPUKYS/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?qid=1459352697&sr=8-2&pi=SX200_QL40&keywords=needle+file+set+for+metal&dpPl=1&dpID=412lincr%2B5L&ref=plSrch

Add an xacto and tube of superglue from your local superstore and you have all the tools needed to crank out perfectly acceptable models. I'll admit the brush is a bit overkill, but you're saving so much money on the rest of the tools, and a good brush makes the experience much more enjoyable, I suggest splurging there. Also don't bee fooled into buying a basing kit, regular old sand does just fine,

here is my set up. nothing to complain about. and the badger 105 is a great starter. its use of good machining means it only has one o-ring and its dead simple to clean.

https://www.amazon.com/Badger-Air-Brush-Patriot-Gravity-Airbrush/dp/B002W84GTO

https://www.amazon.com/Master-Airbrush-Fitting-Conversion-Adapter/dp/B0038NJYHG/ref=pd_lpo_vtph_201_lp_t_3?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=9CTBV4FN6C10RQSFJXPG

https://www.amazon.com/AIRBRUSH-COMPRESSOR-Airbrush-Published-Exclusively/dp/B001738DXU/ref=sr_1_4?s=arts-crafts&ie=UTF8&qid=1505354405&sr=1-4&keywords=master+airbrush+1%2F6

then you will need cleaning supplies such as

https://www.amazon.com/Naturebelle-Airbrush-Cleaning-Holder-Nozzle/dp/B01D41W04U/ref=pd_sim_201_12?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=3SG1JR28SAK6TVWHEZ03

https://www.amazon.com/Iwata-Medea-Airbrush-Cleaner-16-Oz/dp/B003TJA0SQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=arts-crafts&ie=UTF8&qid=1505354507&sr=1-1&keywords=iwata%2Bairbrush%2Bcleaner&th=1

I'm pretty happy with the quality of everything and it makes painting a base coat of pure white or yellow super simple. also makes painting a color shift or pattern very easy. if you have the cash i would highly recommend it

here are some of my projects i have completed with it

https://imgur.com/a/N4mhr

Sharpie makes metallic paint markers that make metal edging super easy. Use the normal metalic markers, not the paint ones.

https://www.amazon.com/Sharpie-1829201-Metallic-Permanent-Assorted/dp/B007QNWC3M/ref=sr_1_3?hvadid=77996660315767&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvqmt=e&keywords=metallic+sharpies&qid=1565661426&s=gateway&sr=8-3

​

Also a shot of alcohol like 20 minutes before painting and every hour or so after can help with the shaking. Fun fact, alcohol in a limited amount is a performance enhancing drug in competitive shooting because of its effects on steadying your hands.

But the sharpies work great. Youtube metallic sharpies 40k for some tutorials.

You may want to invest in a couple nicer sable brushes and some brush soap to help clean em. Stuff like:

Winsor & Newton Series 7 Kolinsky Sable Watercolor Brush https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0013E68SU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_sUgOBbBD2VWYV

General Pencil 105-BP The Masters Brush Cleaner & Preserver 2.5 Ounces Carded- https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0027AEANE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_EZgOBbP7Q1W7N

Maybe get the brush cleaner first and then get the sweet kolinsky brush ;-)

I started with the army painter set on Amazon. Was like $80 but came with 50 colors some washes and a few metallic paints. They are fairly easy to use because they come in dropper bottles and are pretty thin on their own. I'll try to find the Amazon link if possible.

https://www.amazon.com/Miniature-Painting-Bonus-Wargamer-Regiment/dp/B01MTXRUUT/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1550464178&sr=8-2-spons&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=army+painter&psc=1&smid=AU

A little more expensive then I thought but is good bang for your buck. It is less then $2 per paint. That is very cheap for the quality and amount you get.

I was in the same boat as you. This is all the stuff I bought: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0067BAYNO/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1, https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001738DXU/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1, https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KS1II96/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1, https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003TJA0SQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1,https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004BN5RUU/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 .

I also bought an assortment of paints I thought I'd need. I went with the Vallejo Game Air line. If you look around, you'll see the stuff I bought recommended by many people for novice airbrushers.

Also, when I bought all that stuff, I signed up for the Amazon Prime credit card as well, so I ended up getting like $120 off that order. It worked out pretty well.

Well, let me help you with the tools.

This is what I have it has served me well for the past 7months of this hobby.

This is all you should need for the starting of the models.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Revell-39604-Contacta-Professional-Glue/dp/B000KJPUL0/ref=sr_1_cc_6?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1421508285&sr=1-6-catcorr&keywords=humbrol+model

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Revell-39604-Contacta-Professional-Glue/dp/B000KJPUL0/ref=sr_1_cc_6?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1421508285&sr=1-6-catcorr&keywords=humbrol+model

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Humbrol-No-00-Triangle-Handle-Detail/dp/B0089W1LQS/ref=pd_sim_k_h_b_cs_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=1PVXTVM1HZWBV99J5A22

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B001MTHQ0U?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B004OIAVJY?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00649ON36?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sandpaper-Waterproof-Highest-Quality-STARCKE/dp/B009QZEQKK/ref=sr_1_16?ie=UTF8&qid=1421508669&sr=8-16&keywords=sandpaper+sheet

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Modelcraft-9-Piece-Plastic-Modelling-Tool/dp/B001TH8LAY/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1421508555&sr=8-4&keywords=model+file - this has a tiny cutting map and some other crap, but the cutters and the file are amazing IMO

Above is all the basic stuff you need for this hobby, I might of missed something, but don't think so.



Get the models and paints from https://www.darksphere.co.uk/pgc.php?c=1106 as it could literally mean for example, in my case, I can buy 3 manticores(the thing with a load of rockets) for the price of 2 manticores from the offical site or shop of gamesworkshop.

Everything is about 30% cheaper than offical places but literally the same stuff.

Also, look on ebay daily as they have some great deals sometimes, also would really pay to get some cheap shitty model and practice on it, rather than getting some nice and new model and using it as practice.

Hope this helps:)

So speaking from experience here, use those for base coats and such, and buy one single winsor newton series 7 size 0 brush. Not the one for miniatures. You will fucking thank everyone who's ever recommended them to you. You literally do not know what you're missing until you use a high quality brush. You don't even need to get a winsor newton. You could try the princeton select series first.

Winsor & Newton Series 7 #0 - $13

Princeton Select Rounds - $4

Trust me... Please god trust me.

I used a hand pin vise drill https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07FJ6VD2P?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_pd_title

The drilling went really well and wasn't too hard but getting started on the shoulder was tough because it was round. It kept slipping off but eventually it stuck. The holes the biggest drill bit made fit these magnets perfectly https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B076CJL649?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_pd_title

If you are in the US and have access to a dollar store, look for a bottle of LA's Totally Awesome all purpose cleaner. I've used this in the past to strip models and it worked fantastically -- and it's CHEAP. Fill container with cleaner, place models in container, let sit overnight and then scrub with an old toothbrush.

Bottle of cleaner looks like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Totally-Awesome-Purpose-Concentrated-Cleaner/dp/B007P0TH0M/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1525975866&sr=8-3&keywords=la+totally+awesome

As I said though if you have access to a "Dollar Tree" or similar, they will likely carry it for extremely cheap. Otherwise, Simple Green will work too albeit a little more pricey (still fairly cheap considering).

You can. Primer sticks to models better, but die small areas you can use black.

The best primer I've ever used isn't gw primer.
It's badger Stynylrez.

Badger Air-Brush SNR-410 Stynylrez Water Based Acrylic Polyurethane 3-Tone Primer, 4-Ounce, White/Gray/Black, https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00K3KGUME/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_6Uk-BbQ7R6B6D


When you get further into the hobby that stuff is great. For now, you're fine.

For example, this box set contains almost all the colors you will ever need (other than specific ones). https://www.amazon.com/Miniature-Painting-Bonus-Wargamer-Regiment/dp/B01MTXRUUT/ref=sr_1_4?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1524496671&sr=1-4&keywords=army+painter

Obvious colors for these models - army green for the green armor, necrotic flesh for highlighting the armor, skeleton bone probably for the pants (may need to add a little brown depending on the color you like), and one of the flesh tones for the skin. They primarily used the dark tone (black) wash on the basically the entire model, I think we could do better. Recommend, flesh wash for skin, dark tone for weapon and armor crevices, and soft tone (brown) for the paints. Khaki pants and black detailing is just too much contrast for my taste.

Side note, Army painter's paint brushes are decent but there are other options. I recommend the Virtuoso paint brush set, that will give you every kind of brush you would need. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01M3PSN8T/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

FIRST, Read this guide (It should answer most questions)

https://miniarmyhugetimesink.wordpress.com/2014/05/15/so-you-want-to-airbush-a-beginners-guide-part-1/

Then, My intro recommendations: (I've included Amazon links, but you can likely find better prices elsewhere)

Badger Krome (a solid intro airbrush) https://www.amazon.com/Badger-Air-Brush-RK-1-Additional-Regulator/dp/B0078MEXX8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1494523163&sr=8-1&keywords=badger+krome

Compressor (make sure it has a moisture trap and hose or purchase these seperately)

https://www.amazon.com/AIRBRUSH-COMPRESSOR-Airbrush-Published-Exclusively/dp/B001738DXU/ref=sr_1_5?s=arts-crafts&ie=UTF8&qid=1494523192&sr=1-5&keywords=airbrush+compressor

Respirator (a must have for safety):

https://www.amazon.com/3M-07193-Cartridge-Respirator-Assembly/dp/B00079FOK0/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1494523296&sr=8-3&keywords=respirator+mask

Cleaning pot (pipe cleaners optional)

https://www.amazon.com/Naturebelle-Airbrush-Cleaning-Holder-Nozzle/dp/B01D41W04U/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1494523444&sr=8-6&keywords=airbrush+cleaning

Other things you will probably want

• Airbrush medium for thinning paints
  
• A spray booth
  
• pipettes for transfering and mixing
  
• wash bottles for cleaning
  
• airbrush cleaner (I use windshield fluid)

Can you get this in the UK?

I've never encountered anything as good as this.

La's Totally Awesome TRV185098 Purpose Concentrated Cleaner, Multi, 32 Oz https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007P0TH0M/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_hSjYDbT2GM2BX

A few things are going sideways here.

​

First of all, you don't need every paint. You just don't. Even if you want all the colors, there are other paint companies, I'll link a few. Everyone has their own opinons, of course, on the quality of the various paints. These still range from 1-200 dollars for the paints, but still, a far cry less then you must be paying GW.

​

https://www.amazon.com/Miniature-Painting-Bonus-Wargamer-Regiment/dp/B01MTXRUUT?ref_=bl_dp_s_web_7513501011

​

https://www.amazon.com/Reaper-Master-Bones-Paint-Complete/dp/B01NAEA1YC/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1540331060&sr=8-5&keywords=reaper+paint+set&dpID=51wdGAzIDyL&preST=_SX300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

​

https://www.amazon.com/Vallejo-Game-Color-Basic-Paint/dp/B009LH0YTA/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1540331110&sr=8-8&keywords=reaper+paint+set

​

In addition, you can get all the brushes you'll need, in good quality, here

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HC8H4EI/ref=sxts_kp_tr_2?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=8778bc68-27e7-403f-8460-de48b6e788fb&pd_rd_wg=hHPTk&pf_rd_r=0GT4KSMPYRA7JT2FMDYE&pf_rd_s=desktop-sx-top-slot&pf_rd_t=301&pd_rd_i=B00HC8H4EI&pd_rd_w=fbRI0&pf_rd_i=army+painter+brush+set&pd_rd_r=52c35bd8-add2-476d-9143-b6dcc068755e&ie=UTF8&qid=1540331250&sr=2

​

If you go for the Army Painter large Paint set, the Army Painter Brush Set, and get Dark Imperium for around 135.00 on Ebay or Amazon, you are looking at 270.00. You can find pretty much every tool that Citadel sells much cheaper elsewhere in the off brand. I don't even use a scraper for example, I use files and cheap craft knife.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OT7I0U2/ref=sr_ph_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1486410646&sr=sr-1&keywords=15ml+dropper+bottle

yeah, i ordered about 100 last time, got like 40 left. I also got some nail polish agitators which work in these well enough. I just ordered another 250 agitators as I need to add them to my Vallejo and Army painter paints. Plus there's some paints where the consistency makes me want to toss like 2 in.

They aren't perfect - I largely discard the lower ring that the cap is attached to. Also sometimes the caps are fused and might need to be cut free. So your likely going to loose like 4-5 to attrition. Plan accordingly. 15ml should be sufficient, I believe the other companies are using 17ml for theirs. Also don't fill it past the upper area. To make life easier I also processed all the caps, put the tips in a baggie, then put agitators in all the bottles and capped them. This makes bottling stuff later pretty easy.

I use the #000 #00 #0 and #1 and these brushes have lasted me quite awhile!

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B0013E68TO/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Also, get some of this if you haven't. Helps clean and preserve the brush.

https://smile.amazon.com/General-Pencil-105-BP-Masters-Preserver/dp/B0027AEANE/ref=pd_bxgy_img_2/131-2149549-6038615?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B0027AEANE&pd_rd_r=533843ec-7519-49ee-a39c-81fa8611380e&pd_rd_w=ZuAym&pd_rd_wg=0i5GD&pf_rd_p=a2006322-0bc0-4db9-a08e-d168c18ce6f0&pf_rd_r=5NSS7XH1XETBK19CAXCD&psc=1&refRID=5NSS7XH1XETBK19CAXCD

You can't really go wrong with brushes so long as you use the right kind for the right paint. Hope whatever you get him he enjoys!

I've been using one of these for airbrushing (as well as using a mask) and it seems to work well. It should help glue fumes too if you vent it to outside.

https://www.amazon.com/Master-Airbrush-Portable-Optional-Extension/dp/B00B2TESUQ/ref=sr_1_4_acs_ac_3?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1541446955&sr=1-4-acs&keywords=Master+Airbrush

I use these.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OT7I0U2/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00__o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1


Citadel pots are 12ml. These are 15. Add a few drops of liquitex flow improver to get the last of the paint out of the bottle and to make your paints flow better.

So, you could start with this (this is what I started with, and while it tends to clog, it does the job):https://www.amazon.com/Master-Airbrush-Multi-purpose-Dual-action-Compressor/dp/B001TO578Q/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1520958546&sr=8-4&keywords=masters+airbrush

But if you want to dive in head first...I recommend the below:
https://www.amazon.com/AIRBRUSH-COMPRESSOR-Airbrush-Published-Exclusively/dp/B001738DXU/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1520958546&sr=8-12&keywords=masters+airbrush
& https://www.amazon.com/Iwata-Eclipse-Hp-Cs-W-Airhose/dp/B00695CY54/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1520958642&sr=8-2&keywords=iwata+hpcs


As for accessories - get yourself some m3 masks, gloves, medea airbrush cleaner https://www.amazon.com/Iwata-Medea-Airbrush-Cleaner-16-Oz/dp/B003TJA0S6/ref=pd_sim_21_1?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B003TJA0S6&pd_rd_r=ZNFGCQKPJZHMJ0HX1Y51&pd_rd_w=sFOW8&pd_rd_wg=8bTp7&psc=1&refRID=ZNFGCQKPJZHMJ0HX1Y51, and one of these https://www.amazon.com/Airbrush-Cleaning-Needle-Nozzle-Holder/dp/B0154HN2NA/ref=pd_sim_21_3?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B0154HN2NA&pd_rd_r=ZNFGCQKPJZHMJ0HX1Y51&pd_rd_w=sFOW8&pd_rd_wg=8bTp7&psc=1&refRID=ZNFGCQKPJZHMJ0HX1Y51

If you're looking to spend a little less, I have the Neo, and I'm very happy with it.
Then again, I don't do anything crazy with it whatsoever, mainly for basecoats of light colours or large models.

I used: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B076CJL649/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

They work pretty well, two of these under a space marine keep from sliding around.

Pretty good. There are a few things for you to consider though.

The paint set is likely a bit overkill. I'd pick paints based on what faction you're most interested in from the set. For example, I'd grab a black and white for sure, then whatever color you'd like the armor to be and a few metallics. You can get a lot done with just those and then expand your paint library from there. If you order that set you will end up buying a lot of paint you will never use.

You likely don't need all those brushes. You'll be better off getting one or two high quality brushes and a bunch of mediocre ones. Most people swear by Winsor Newton series 7 brushes for mini painting. I'd also pick up a cheap brush for dry brushing, I suggest cheap here because drybrushing tends to destroy brushes fairly quickly and you don't need a great quality brush for the process.

I'm not sure what's in the tool kit set but make sure you get some plastic glue for more permanent and seamless melds.

Edit: I just realized I linked a size #0 brush. Get a size #1. #0 is just too damn small.

> For example, this box set contains almost all the colors you will ever need (other than specific ones). https://www.amazon.com/Miniature-Painting-Bonus-Wargamer-Regiment/dp/B01MTXRUUT/ref=sr_1_4?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1524496671&sr=1-4&keywords=army+painter

These paints are great. I bought the same set and the dropper bottles are perfect for painting with a wet palette. I've grown to hate the GW paint pots. You can also use test tube holders to organize them at your painting station.

Out of my 3 airbrushes I seriously still find myself using this bad boy. It's easy to clean (paint well screws off) and it's not very expensive at all. https://www.amazon.com/Gravity-Feed-Dual-Action-Airbrush/dp/B004INERK4

I used these, pretty cheap on amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007QNWC3M/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00__o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Primal Horizon Super Pack of... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00A6VZ832?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

This is pretty good value if you really want to cover all your bases colour wise, then pick up some brushes and a can of primer.

I would however suggest going slow so you don't end up with a bunch of paints you don't need, I started with this, a little pot of citadel primer and those 4 brushes because it had all the colours I needed at the time. Now I just buy colours when I need them - normally a dark base and lighter same colour for highlighting. You don't really need $100 of paints when you can just buy what you need. Put whatever is left over towards an airbrush and compressor even if you only use it to prime.

I only have 14 colours, 3 shades, 1 environment, 2 mediums, a varnish and 2 primers and I use them all but never really feel like I am missing colours so don't waste money on 50 paints when half that will do.

To be honest good brushes are kinda expensive. This brand and range is referred to quite often by people who have been painting a while and as someone who owns one, you get what you pay for. While you can find cheaper brushes, they'll fall apart, lose their point, and by the time you've replaced them a couple of times you've actually spent more money.

are you talking about this? https://www.amazon.com/Miniature-Painting-Bonus-Wargamer-Regiment/dp/B01MTXRUUT/ref=sr_1_4?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1526122414&sr=1-4&keywords=army+painter

Apologies in advance if this breaks any sub rules, but I got these. for the troops I use the smallest size in the hands, and the next size up for the arms.

That would be the chaos black right? I can just use that for everything instead of getting green for the death guard and blue for the marines?


I'm probably just going to order this:
https://www.amazon.com/Mudder-Pieces-Twist-Precision-Rotary/dp/B06XG1FY8P/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1521211768&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=pin+vise&psc=1


I do have some hobby knives.


You're stuff looks great, I hope to get there someday. What all would I need to get that dirt/sand texture you have on your bases?

The things I use a lot:

• W&N Series 7 Brushes - size 1 and size 0
  
• Cheap brushes for non-detailed work, or washing
  
• Cheap stubbly brush for drybrushing (its an old brush with the tip cut off)
  
• W&N Acrylic Flow Improver
  
• Basic pallette
  
• Citadel paints for all basic colors & washes
  
• Vallejo liquid gold paints for copper/bronze/gold
  
• Swann-Morten Scalpel
  
• Steel Ruler
  
• Sprue Cutters
  
• Pin vice
  
• Dremel Drill Bits for Vice
  
• Cork Sheeting for basing
  
• Model Railway Ballast or Sand for Basing
  
• Self Adhesive grass tufts
  
• Various Glues (Superglue, poly cement, PVA) - any brand
  
• Metal Sculpting Tools
  
• Cheap Green Stuff
  
• Cheap car primers
  
• Scenic Rust Kit
  
  Think thats it?

no, its impossible to drop a few drops on a painting board, mix with water and other colors..check out what providers do ->

https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B009LH0YTA/ref=cm\_sw\_em\_r\_mt\_dp\_U\_xX-OCbJTMCEVR

https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B01MTXRUUT/ref=cm\_sw\_em\_r\_mt\_dp\_U\_cY-OCbKJNJB6C

what's this? i can use these to drop dot(s) of paint on a painting board and control the amount of paint being used...this, this is...heresy...contact the emperor! shocking i know..but alas there are better paint containers than these POS's.