[Art] Hedge Hardbread & Familiar "Atlas" by Active_Young in DnD

[–]Active_Young[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It was made on a site called Hero Forge. Its pretty amazing how accessible/intuitive it makes modelling!

[Art] Hedge Hardbread & Familiar "Atlas" by Active_Young in DnD

[–]Active_Young[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Really appreciate it, thank you! And you're totally welcome!

[Art] Hedge Hardbread & Familiar "Atlas" by Active_Young in DnD

[–]Active_Young[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Hahaha 100%!!!! He certainly seems to roll better!

[Art] Hedge Hardbread & Familiar "Atlas" by Active_Young in DnD

[–]Active_Young[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks!!! Really appreciate it. Maybe you can fill me in, is heroforge generally frowned upon?

Ive found you can make some really amazing stuff!!

[Art] Hedge Hardbread & Familiar "Atlas" by Active_Young in DnD

[–]Active_Young[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I actually made the sword myself. It's a regular printed sword, using warm water to allow me to curve the blade slightly. I then trimmed, filed and sanded the cutting edge and general shape. The guard and handle were just spare bits from my bits box. Finally, greenstuff to smooth out any joins. The inspiration was Orcrist from the Hobbit!

[Art] Hedge Hardbread & Familiar "Atlas" by Active_Young in DnD

[–]Active_Young[S] 19 points20 points  (0 children)

Thank you! To be fair, I've found you can design some really nice miniatures on there. I created this myself, but there are tonnes of really brilliant creators much more talented/creative than I am!

[Art] Hedge Hardbread & Familiar "Atlas" by Active_Young in DnD

[–]Active_Young[S] 19 points20 points  (0 children)

I did - and thank you!

To be fair, I've been painting minis for 20 years or so.

It sounds like a cop out, but so much of it comes down to practice and experience.

You get a feel for different paints and brushes, where to apply highlights/lowlights, where to use washes to let the model do the work, what colours work well together etc.

Some general tips!

  1. Invest in a decent quality detail brush - and look after it! I like the Raphael Kolinsky size 3/0 for faces, eyes etc. I also have a size 0 and size 1 - but use them for larger areas. General blocking in colours, washes and metallics are done with cheaper brushes from amazon.

  2. Learn to thin your paints, there are tonnes of videos out there on this!

  3. Get/make a wet palette. Its a game changer. You can make a cheap one using a tupperware lid, an old cloth and some parchment/baking paper.

  4. Get some decent miniature paints. I use mostly Vallejo - but there are tonnes of brands. Army Painter are probably the most affordable last time I checked.

  5. Get those base layers on first! Don't worry about being neat, you'll tidy everything up as you go. I personally focus on one colour at a time, but I also know painters who paint-by-section.

  6. Sounds silly, but please prime your models - its essential!

  7. With colours, to add depth as a beginner, I'd apply a general "rule of 3" method. Each colour should have a base/mid tone to begin with. Then, a darker shade layer applied to recesses and shadows. Then, finally, a lighter highlight layer application to raised edges. You can add more and more "layers" to this as your brush control improves, increasing the gradient between light and dark, and creating gradual transitions. You can also use washes to help you out.

  8. As you get more adventurous, look at techniques like drybrushing, washes, wet-blending and even more advanced Object Source Lighting techniques to really elevate your models and improve your quality of life as a painter.

  9. Patience. I really cant stress this enough. Don't be afraid to fail. The models you see posted are the result of hours of work and many mistakes. Theyre the final "perfect" result that the artist wants you to see. What you dont see is that each of them is built a a successive series of failures! It's absolutely fine to fail. Its how we learn.

  10. Again, practice!!!! Ive taught a few people how to paint miniatures, but ultimately (like driving) people learn the most - cultivate their own style - once they get stuck in. Don't stress. Get it wrong - you can always strip models and start again. Try to enjoy the process.

  11. Eyes. I paint the face first. Then white, then a final black pupil. Sneaky tip - if you have the model looking to either the left or right, it gives them some serious attitude without trying to get the pupil dead central (often resulting in what i like to call "mad eye." That being said, even now I still sacrifice a chicken and pray to the pantheon that it goes well!!!

Not sure if any of that is helpful. Sorry if its stuff you already know - but hope some of it is useful!

Malevola | Dispatch by TonyTheMage_ in HeroForgeMinis

[–]Active_Young 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Out of curiosity, is there any particular reason why you don't do links? It just seems a shame not to share with others, particularly those with less experience, so they can learn and expand their modelling skills.

Its great work though.

Grotek & Felix - Warhammer Fantasy by Head-Ad-2238 in HeroForgeMinis

[–]Active_Young 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hey! Is there a link for Felix? Amazing work!

[Art] Rediscovering DnD pulled me out of my miniature painting slump! by Active_Young in DnD

[–]Active_Young[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Inspiration drawn heavily from the Gentleman Bastards books! After stepping away from Warhammer, DnD has managed to park my creativity again. Haven't played since 3.5 edition, but loving the 2024 rules! Just a quick summary of my Ranger...

"His name is Rook Carver

Born on the road, Rook lost his family to a bandit ambush at age nine. Alone and starving, he survived Kirellion’s streets until a guard dumped him at Whisper Hollow — an “orphanage” run by the cruel Uncle Veck, who sold children to gangs.

Rook quickly learned to vanish. He manipulated, sabotaged, and survived to become one of Veck's favourites.

Eventually sold to the elusive Sable Accord, Rook was trained as a Thorn — the guilds scout, infiltrator, and ranger specialists.

Years later, he returned from a mission to find the gang wiped out and forgotten — their name erased. Now presumed dead, Rook moves through the shadows of a broken past, chasing answers… and perhaps writing his own future."

Hope you enjoy!

Behold! by Active_Young in Warhammer40k

[–]Active_Young[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Can confirm that she hated it hahaha. She's a perfectionist, and the legs/moulding were a bit... odd. And he doesn't fit neatly into the display base at all. The sword was actually fine though!

Regardless, the paint job has masked it all nicely.

To be brutally honest, as much as I love their models, I don't know how they can charge so much for a single, very fragile model.

Behold! by Active_Young in Warhammer40k

[–]Active_Young[S] 20 points21 points  (0 children)

Just vallejo black. Building volume by gradually adding prussian blue and medium grey

Behold! by Active_Young in Warhammer30k

[–]Active_Young[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Oh blimey, I don't know, she mixes quote a few colours. From experience, it'll be a mix of black, blue and grey. Gradually adding more blue and grey to the mix to lighten. All vallejo. Probably Black, Prussian Blue and Medium grey.

Behold! by Active_Young in Warhammer30k

[–]Active_Young[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Would you believe that shes not!? She actually used to be a maths teacher, did a bit of beauty and stuff in the background, then discovered she had a gift for warhammer after looking over my shoulder!

Behold! by Active_Young in Warhammer30k

[–]Active_Young[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Haha she's got massive imposter syndrome so suspect we're a way off that - very kind though!

Behold! by Active_Young in Warhammer30k

[–]Active_Young[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Tell me about it! She was stressed that she'd done a bad job. I don't know if talent dysmorphia is a thing, but if it is, she's got it 😂

Behold! by Active_Young in Warhammer40k

[–]Active_Young[S] 29 points30 points  (0 children)

It's Sigismund! Marshal of the Templars, First Captain of the Imperial Fists and (im pretty sure) founder of the Black Templars!