Heres the thing: I love the Orks. I think the fluff is great, the figures look fantastic, I played them to death in pretty much every incarnation of Dawn of War. There is just something about their bloody-minded determination to enjoy themselves in the GrimDark milieu of 40k, whilst all the other races treat it all so seriously.
But I have a problem - and that its that I just can't paint the damn things.
This is a Trukk for Ewan's Orky horde for use in the on-going stuggle to control his bedroom floor. Ewan enjoys playing 40k a lot but painting leaves him cold, so I occasionally end up painting bits of his army here and there when i feel like I need a break from Blood Ravens. This got rattled off in a few hours spaced over the weekend, and it shows in places. The thing is, I just can't get into painting it. I like the model - I think they look cool painted up - but I struggle to get a handle it myseld and consequently...its just a bit substandard. I mean, it's fine for charging around the battlefield being blown up by Marines, but I'm left feeling it should have been better.
On the other hand; I'm learning a lot about metal effects, which I don't use much on the Marine stuff, so its not a total waste.
But I have a problem - and that its that I just can't paint the damn things.
This is a Trukk for Ewan's Orky horde for use in the on-going stuggle to control his bedroom floor. Ewan enjoys playing 40k a lot but painting leaves him cold, so I occasionally end up painting bits of his army here and there when i feel like I need a break from Blood Ravens. This got rattled off in a few hours spaced over the weekend, and it shows in places. The thing is, I just can't get into painting it. I like the model - I think they look cool painted up - but I struggle to get a handle it myseld and consequently...its just a bit substandard. I mean, it's fine for charging around the battlefield being blown up by Marines, but I'm left feeling it should have been better.
On the other hand; I'm learning a lot about metal effects, which I don't use much on the Marine stuff, so its not a total waste.
I can understand the 'not feeling it' when painting something, especially when you know you're not keeping it afterwards (flashbacks from art class abound).
ReplyDeleteHaving started my own Waaagh! recently I've discovered a handy tip for painting truks and such: paint like an Ork. It's a handy conceptual jump when coming from another army like Space Marines; Orks paint stuff differently than the Astartes tech-servitors.
How does an ork paint? With a bucket and a fat old brush, and the brush is probably optional. Go ahead, be a little messy with the colour, it's going to get washed and drybrushed anyway.
Then, when adding chips and scrapes think about how they got there; "Got this one runnin' into some 'umie gits whot thot they could lob a grennade into me engin." Stuff like that.
Might not work for you but it's really helped me get into painting vehicles, especially ones as "characterful" as orks tend to be.
Hope this helps.
yeah, i must admit that the thought its just going to get chucked in a box by a 10-year-old makes me hesitant to spend too long on it!
Deletei do like the idea of being deliberately sloppy though, I may try that next time.