So I started painting today with my first miniature being a warrior of minas tirith. Before I wanted to progress I wanted to get a few tips/tricks and feedback.





The only thing I did so far was:

Flesh:
Base - Mournfang brown
Layer - Cadian flesh (2x thin layers)
Wash - Reikland fleshtone

Armor:
Base - Leadbelcher

However, I did not dare to do any highlights yet on the face and armor simply because well.. I can't get my brushes pointy enough..

I made a wet palette, and put my paints on there



These are my brushes (left one is S Layer and the right one a starter brush)



They are not pointy at all, I can't manage to get them pointy.. Do I not use enough paint or? I also got a size 0 and 1 W&N series 7 brushes, but I thought I would only use them until I am conformtable enough with painting. Mind you that this is my very first time! Any tips are welcome!!

You're starter brush won't get pointy. It's a starter brush. It, for lack of a better word, sucks for detail. You're layer brush should work but it looks like it has already fish hooked. The bend in the bristles is not a good sign. When was the last time you washed and reshaped your brushes?

Well the starter brush I got from paired with some sets from LOTR, it was already used when I got it.

They layer brush however, was the first time ever painted with it and I got it brand new from the store.

After first time painting yesterday I cleaned the brushes with Brush Cleaner and they now look like this:

Do you still have your plastic tubes for the brushes? Those will help protect the brush's bristles. Also, after you are done cleaning your brush, you have to reshape the bristles. This can be done by setting the bristles in a crease of your hand, close the crease, then gently twisting and pull the brush out. Alternatively, you can stick the bristles in your mouth, purse your lips then pull the bristles out, twisting slightly.

Great progress on your first mini! The colours are nice and evenly applied. You will probably want to invest in some Nuln oil (black wash) for your armour and to dull down the cloth if you over highlight it. I use India ink, but you really have to thin it with water and it's a blue-black. I'm also a consummate brush-licker.

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Washing your brush, shaping it and storing it in your plastic tube will result in a good point. This is the army painter masterclass brush. Roughly equivalent to a size 1 or zero. For sale from army painter, this bad boy retails for $9 US.

@Greatkhan Thanks! I do have Nuln Oil so I will apply that later on!

@Jdizzy I do have size 0 and 1 from the W&N Series 7

Most has already been said here, taking care of your brush is very important.

If you're afraid to use your W&N brushes already then I can really suggest Rosemary & co series 33 brushes. They are about 2/3 of the prize, they do wear out a bit quicker, but they are very good quality and very well suited for beginners in my opinion.

A piece of advice on the painting: try to draw a thin, dark line between the face and the helmet, right where the two surfaces meet. This will create the illusion of a shadowy line which separates the two surfaces and will really help with overall contrast and look of the miniature. Actually you should do this with all surfaces.

Thin your paint enough so it can really flow into that recess easily, apply carefully with pointy brush

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Thanks for the tips!

I used my S Layer as well, but right from the getgo it wasn't pointy.. How can I fix this? Maybe with the brush cleaner?

Try wetting the brush between your lips to make a good point before storing it.
Or else you can try shaping it with some brush soap and then leaving it to dry. But be sure to rinse it first before using it to paint next time

When brushes appear faulty after you buy them it's best to return them or ask for a replacement right away. New brushes are not supposed to have bent or split points, especially not with the more expensive ones...

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Since it is a layer brush, it may not form a point. Layer brushes are meant to lay down the maximum volume of paint with each stroke. You may need to find yourself a detail brush.

As mentioned before I have W&N size 0 and 1 , guess they will do