WIP

WIP is an acronym for the term "Work In Progress" and is used on /tg/ to refer to a thread General where posters are encouraged to share info on their current projects, or ask questions in hopes of getting advice. Said projects are often, but not always, related to Warhammer 40,000 and Warhammer Fantasy by virtue of popularity.

Modeling

Below is a short summary of advice usually given in WIP threads.

Purchasing

Models do NOT need to be first-hand. Bartertown and eBay are popular resources for obtaining secondhand miniatures. Remember to factor in shipping, as this may be what decides if and how much cheaper buying used is. It is important to remember that in Games Workshop rules, only models made by them may be used. A convenient loophole is Games Workshop does not care what the particular model is. A player wanting Zombies may want to get creative with Empire State Troops, or a player wanting Space Marines may decide to give Dwarfs Pauldrons. Even older lines, like Four Winds (which predated Warhammer) or pre-slotta models are viable. The only requirement in Warhammer Fantasy is correct base size. Models which are cheap due to a bad paintjob can be stripped via a day soak in Simple Green (for plastic or un-lacquered paint) or Dettol/Super Clean (for metal models, or paint that just won't come off) or similar products, and a scrub under warm water with a toothbrush.

Supplies

Generally speaking, a hobbyist interested in miniatures needs the following supplies: sandpaper and/or metal files, sprue cutters, a hobby knife, small paintbrushes, a mixing palette with wells, and paints including primer. Further supplies advanced hobbyists find useful are a supply of kneadite or greenstuff, a magnifying glass or a crocodile-clip magnifier, and music to set the mood for the models being worked on.

It is important to remember that the company which produced the supply does not matter; a hobby knife from Revell is the same as a hobby knife from Privateer Press or a hobby knife from Games Workshop. What DOES matter is that model paint designed to work with Revell-style hard plastic models is different from the paints used for softer plastic miniatures. The former is caustic and can melt the details of the latter type of models and do not blend as well. Container can also make a difference; some cheaper paints may come in containers which are of low quality and let in air despite the paint itself being the same. If you happen to use up paints which come in containers you like, consider saving some to transfer paint from bad containers to (or to mix up a large batch of a custom color you use in bulk).

Flash

Removing the imperfections of a model is the first, and surprisingly often skipped even by "pro painters", step in finishing a model. Mold lines and the remainder of sprues (or "parts trees"), called "flash" by some, are to be removed via scraping with a hobby knife, sandpaper, or files. All three are viable and come down to preference. What your desired result should be is anything you do not want on the final model to not be present, as the Wash step makes these details very visible, ruining otherwise perfect paintjobs. When choosing metal files, be sure to pick one with a diagonal pattern over a dotted one. The former can wear out fast. Due to the importance of removing flash, very few (if any) models should be painted on their sprues.

Priming

Before any paint is applied, any hobbyist should apply a layer of primer to their model. Primer gives a base color which makes further layers more visible, and helps them stick to the model. Metal models should be washed with warm water and let dry prior to this step. Some models should be partially or fully assembled prior to priming (see Assembly below).

There are two methods to priming; spray-on, and brush-on. Neither is actually better than the other, and comes down solely to preference of the hobbyist although spray can save time on large model or lots of small models that can be done at the same time. The color of the primer does not matter either. If a model is predominantly a color, then using primer of that color can save time. Some hobbyists prefer to start with dark colors first, and paint lighter in layers and do any Wash steps last, and thus prefer black primer. Some do the opposite with the Wash after the priming and base colors, and use white or a light gray. When deciding, it comes down to your plan for painting your model (you do have one, right?).

Spray primer requires an area set aside for the spraying. Cardboard, not newspaper, should be placed well around the area to ensure you are not coloring the ground. Follow the directions on the can (usually to shake well, spray the cardboard until the color comes strong (this is not a waste, it is necessary), clean the nozzle, avoid open flame, not to hold the can between your legs and stab it with a knife on a drunken bet, and not to eat it). Remember, LESS IS BEST and hold the can further rather than closer to achieve the best results. You can easily spray too much primer causing a blocky resulting look due to thick paint gluing the cracks that makes your model look horrible, requiring you to spend time soaking the model in Simple Green and scrubbing it with a toothbrush or putting the models up for sale for someone cheap to deal with. Do not touch the model to turn it over fir spraying the other side(s) until it is fully dried or you may end up with a fingerprint for heraldry. Brush-on primer is much less complicated. Simply follow the instructions for painting below, and cover the whole model. The rule of not touching the painted portion still applies.

Assembly

The most straightforward part. Remove the flash, glue together as desired. Glues have a lot of names and qualities, but the simple version is that it comes in two types. The first kind is a cement, and somewhere on the label should be the words "cyano acrylate". It will result in glued elements that you can still split if you use a bit of violence if you need to disassemble the model in the future. The second will say "plastic solvent" or "Warning: solvent". This kind will melt plastics slightly, and is much more permanent.

When gluing metal models, use the cement glue and a small single layer of tissue paper between the two metal surfaces. This will make the glue stick.

After assembly, use greenstuff or kneadite to fill in cracks and make the model look like it came in one piece. You should now be ready for priming (the reason you assemble and paint prior to priming is because you don't want a pattern to end between arm and shoulder or body and wing, and priming then assembling pieces that need crack filling require you to then prime again, resulting in a double-primed overlap at the edges).

Painting

Thin Your Paints. No, seriously. It is not a meme.

See, paints will slowly begin to dry out and get thicker. This results in a chunky, extremely amateurish look that is akin to a crayon drawing of stick figures in the world of miniature painting. There's no set rule to how much to thin. Paint will dry at different speeds, and is obviously not all going to be made the same day. Generally, you do not want to thin in the paint pot itself unless you are trying to extend the life of your paint. Use your palette and put some paint in a well. Add a few drops of water and mix it, then brush the side of the well to observe consistency, which you want the same as milk.

Games Workshop arbitrarily changes the names of their paints periodically.