A Real Painters Armie ?

[Deadlift]

So I am looking at starting something a bit different. For starters no power armour, shocking for me I know. What I am asking is what armies you guys consider to be a proper painters army ? Which race has models that you can really go to town on ? That offer a nice "canvas" to experiment with.

I love using my airbrush at the moment and as a tool it's fab for OSL and neat effects. At the moment I am considering Tau, Eldar and Necrons. All seem to have some cool models that have large flat areas where some nice painting effects can be achieved. Eldar really appeal to me and I am thinking of going for some wraith lords, guardians and even a seer.
Necrons I think lend themselves to some really cool OSL and Tau, well I just like their models. Crisis suits and Broadsides are very cool looking in my book.

So what do you think, yes I know all models can be painted really well, just seems to me these 3 armies lend themselves a little bit more to having some "flair" yes especially the adrongenous space elves. :cool:

[Rev. Tiberius Jackhammer]

If you're looking to do airbrush art, Eldar would work, since their vehicles/fluff gels with that approach. Then again, doing some cool airbrush patterns on Necron or Tau vehicles would be a lot more "unique" since those armies typically don't have much design beyond OSL, could be interesting.

Regardless of the army, vehicle-heavy would be the best bet, since it'd give you more "canvas" to work with.

[Chaoschrist]

I'm going to say Orks... at least in terms of mixing materials. Leather, metal, battle damage, rust, trophies, and let's not forget patterns like the checkerbord thing you see a lot.

As for "unique" and new schemes I think it's both Eldar and Dark Eldar... might consider Harlequin models.

Daemons in general might be a fun way to experiment with blends, especially if you're going the Tzeentch route.

Marines, both Chaos and loyalists can be done pretty well, if you're into freehanding stuff on banners and tanks. Lots of flat surfaces to do big "murals" on. (and of course Sisters and GK; they fall under that category of doing big freehand pieces)

[lobster-overlord]

A mixed IG army can be a great work of art. I am currently working on an army that consists of models from GW and other companies (Like Urban Warfare models and some Reaper).

I use Vostroyan as a large section of troops. Steel Legion as Veterans. Cadians as conscripts. Kasrkins, UW, WGF Shocktroops and more fill in various niche units. I have a ton of tanks that are getting full camo treatments.

Each type of model will be different in paint scheme, but there will be uniformities that will link them all (like the camo on the fatigues will be the same throughout, the armor of cadians and kasrkins will match the coats of the WGF and Steel Legion) and they all in turn will match the fatigues of my Blood Angels Scouts, which will tie them to the BA Chapter I'm building.

I don't have an airbrush any longer, but I have the spray gun for applying the broad camo patterns to the tanks, and the camo I'm doing on the fatigues takes about 30 minutes per figure.

It's a laborious process, but the results are fantastic (although small so far).

[Emerald Rose Widow]

Orks relaly do well with airbrushing, between battle damage, weathering, messy tires, plates of metal in weird places, odd weapons, rust, everything, you have a lot of things you can do

[Tzeentch's Dark Agent]

I've recently started an Eldar army and I really like it. Cool models, lots of details.

[DrLove42]

I'd have to agree Eldar as well.

Lots of opportunity for airbrushing work, large flat areas for free hand and a lot of vareity in the different aspects.

Same thing can be said for their dark cousins as well

[Tzeentch's Dark Agent]

I hate Dark Eldar, TOO MANY CHOICES!

[Deadlift]

I think it is going to Eldar. With what I have seen on Forgeworld and the current crop of rumours from Natfka's site.
The new models if accurate sound nice. I like the idea of a wide spread of colours across the range too.
I will post some progress pics as I get stuck in.

Cheers

Dead.

[SotonShades]

Eldar (and DE) are probably the airbrush artists army. As has been said; flowing lines, great flat space, highly cultured with a penchant for aesthetics... blah blah blah.


Orks are most deffinitely THE painters army though. Sure the models as they stand don't usually have large areas for free hand, but it is easy enough to add in small conversions to give you the banners, flat plates, whatever you want to work on that will allow you to do that. If you do decide you desparately want to work on an Eldar or Tau vehicle (to really let your airbrush go wild!)... well, what else is a looted wagon? No other army even comes close to the variety of shapes and textures on the models themselves and how many can you paint where each model is in a completely different scheme and yet it gives the army a coherent feel overall? Add into that the amazing variation in the expressions of the faces of the models (especially once you can paint faces well) and you really have got an army that almost begs each model to be painted up to character level.

[Deadlift]

Eldar (and DE) are probably the airbrush artists army. As has been said; flowing lines, great flat space, highly cultured with a penchant for aesthetics... blah blah blah.


Orks are most deffinitely THE painters army though. Sure the models as they stand don't usually have large areas for free hand, but it is easy enough to add in small conversions to give you the banners, flat plates, whatever you want to work on that will allow you to do that. If you do decide you desparately want to work on an Eldar or Tau vehicle (to really let your airbrush go wild!)... well, what else is a looted wagon? No other army even comes close to the variety of shapes and textures on the models themselves and how many can you paint where each model is in a completely different scheme and yet it gives the army a coherent feel overall? Add into that the amazing variation in the expressions of the faces of the models (especially once you can paint faces well) and you really have got an army that almost begs each model to be painted up to character level.

I see what you did there :)
I do like Orks and they are very charismatic and easily have the funniest codex.
I was convinced with Eldar, but now :).
You bugger.

[SotonShades]

Ther is a reason one of my friends has asked me to be the PR man once he has staged a cultural and political revolution in the UK ;) And possibly foreign envoy... But that may be a bit too much for one man to handle.

[Tzeentch's Dark Agent]

Orks are quite cool to just hack and slash conversions together, an Ork vehicle always gets respect.

[Asymmetrical Xeno]

Eldar without any doubt. Definitly.

With all those colourful and varied Aspect Warriors and great looking vehicles, I think they provide a higher amount of in-army painting diversity than any other faction.