Get Creative! I found after painting up my Mahud (see this link viewtopic.php?f=50&t=24921 ) I could have been a bit more creative. Though I do like the results I have achieved.

I prefer the Chaos Black Primer from GW for my evil forces.

I have read that the white is good to get a brighter color.

Personally, I would go Chaos Black, and if needed spot in a white where you thought you would need it. my $0.02

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Thanks! And ya I'd be happy with those kind of results too :p

I use to always use white when I first started, (back then all the painting guides said use white) but when black came into vogue, I gave it a try. I have never looked back.

Especially as you are doing orcs, I'd go black.

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I think a drug habbit would be cheaper...

So you think black is better for good forces too?

I'dd say yes, middle earth is a rather realistic setting, so you'll see a lot of greens and browns, for which a black layer is perfect.
There are of course a few exeptions (shadowfax for example), but generally, even if you start experimenting, a black undercoat is a good start.

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“People often claim to hunger for truth, but seldom like the taste when it's served up.”
My wip

oh yes black,

If you spray minas tirth white, you then turn around and paint 95% of the model black to paint the armour and weapons and shield.'

Just spray black to begin with. I just painted a Galadriel who is almost all white and I still sprayed her black.

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I think a drug habbit would be cheaper...

Seriously, Just. Use. Black.

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When you are staring out just use black. "Army painter" also has a nice line of color primer that you can look into when you get some more experience.

A quick comment on beginner highlighting is
1. Base the main colors that you want
2. Wash black or brown
3.Highlight with the original base color (since the wash darkens it)

Once you are comfortable with that you can always add a little white to mix with the base color and add one more highlight.

A couple great places to watch painting tutorial videos (not LoTR's mostly but the technique is the same)

Girl Painting http://www.youtube.com/user/girlpainting
Awesomepaintjob http://www.youtube.com/user/awesomepaintjob

Have fun, cheers

Thanks guys!

And very nice, thanks for the advice and links AcasualDream.

Oddly enough i use grey as my undercoat colour. I generally use Army Painter spray paints, but sometimes resort to a grey etch primer spray paint can I have that I use for resin models (it sticks to resins much better than normal sprays).

Grey undercoat gives brightness where it's needed and if i want to go dark, it's just a thin wash of black or brown away.

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Dagster

I too use grey and, having used black before, I find it a much better colour to work with.

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'Though my memory's fading, I remember two things very clearly: I am a great sinner and Christ is a great Savior'
-John Newton

My current method for priming is spraying with Vallejo's Surface Primer (light grey), which is not a spray can but just very "flexible" paint that can be brushed or painted with a spray gun. Then I paint or spray with black wash over that for instant shading. I use a simple spray gun for both (not the expensive and low-quality Citadel Spray Gun).

Black is nice because you get instant shading in all places you don't paint. White is nice because you get brighter colours. Grey and a black wash is nice because it combines the good sides of black and white but requires one more work step. Even red is nice when you are painting Blood Angels.

-- Pasi

Thank you for your inputs!

When I do heroes, or more showcase units I use white or black (depending on my intended color scheme.) When I do rank and file I just started using the Army painter color that is closest to what I am looking for (I play Warhammer so I often have a "lot" of units to paint). I am in the middle of finishing 40 Pink horrors and by priming red I have saved a fortune in paint, and more importantly time.

Here is a couple pic's just show what was talking about in the above post. These are a primed red, I do all my base colors, wash black, highlight skin bal red, 2nd hightlight Red whitened. A touch of Mythril Silver on the metal and a light blue on the jewels. Teeth, claws, eyes, done! It is hard to tell in the pictures, but I don't hightlight the legs at all so they look darker. When I do the base it will be a muddy field so the legs will match better being dirty.




Its easier than it looks to have great looking models, and you don't need 100 paints to get started. Have fun with it, Cheers

I got my Mahud, Half Trolls, and Warriors of MT all painted with about 24 colors. You definitely do not need 100's of paints to begin.

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Good points, thanks!