Love how there is so much disagreement between them.

The main thing I learned in this video: Sam absorbs his painting skills through drinking his brush cleaning water.

I'll say this: You're one of the few miniature youtubers that hit the holy trinity. Interesting content matter, no poop quality/seven year long intros, and a voice that doesn't remind me of rapidly and repeatedly shoving a screwdriver wired to a car battery into my ear. Keep making this stuff, and I'll keep watching it!

"Adapt what is useful, reject what is useless, and add what is specifically your own." - Bruce Lee

I'm glad I watched this to the end. "I didn't look like this when I started painting." Priceless!

As far as quality of materials goes, I have a little saying. The difference in quality between a 50 cent pen and a five dollar pen is far, far greater than the difference between a five dollar pen and a $150 pen. So always buy the five-dollar-pen version of what you need.

If I learned one thing from this video is that there is no one right answer to any question, it appears whatever works for oneself is the right answer

I like how Sam always grins like he's plotting something mischievous.

I love Sam. 'Can't accidentally drink your paint water if you drink it on purpose.' [Roll safe]

14:36 Jessica Rich: "Man, that red and that blue look awful together..." Cut to Cathy Wappel with red and blue hair. "I don't know, everybody always told me that all my clothes clash all the time, so I never really had a good sense of color..." Nice.

This video blew my mind. I was aware that there was some truth to the whole ''There's no real answer'' thing with regard to painting, but that there was no real answer to almost anything painting is just... Wow... It's really given me a confidence boost, I think. Just knowing that there're countless ways to achieve a good looking result

i totaly agree...especialy with the contradicting answers ^^

Wow, as a brand new painter, this was one of the most inspiring videos I've seen. Thank you!

Value of all the advice aside, this is just a brilliant video. Excellent idea, perfect execution. You should be really proud of this, it's like a mini-documentary. Seriously the best thing I've watched all week.

The way you edited contradictory answers is a beautiful lesson in Contrast. :D

The best part about this was that everyone mentions getting glue on their brush, so now I dont feel like an idiot.

i love vince how he can see both ways but has his own

Pure gold. Love it that they disagree on topics but each providing a reasons answer that's right for them. Just totally proves the advice in the there that painters should look to find their own way instead of treating one person's opinion as gospel. Great insight into the painters as people too, that you don't get so much in their tutorials.

I love how much they contradict each other. Really shows the art side of painting and how in the end, humility, practice and effort are the things that teach you.

Really great information here and shows all the opinions painters have even at the top! -Sam

re-watching this after having been back to the hobby for a year... I love seeing the pros I've come to know and respect and on this being so consistent in their messaging; Vince Venturella, Sam Lenz, etc.

Contradicting advice isn't really contradictory because there are multiple ways to succeed and this this video really illustrates how artist have different approaches for what they do and can do to be successful. Awesome content Atom!

It is super illustrative how in almost every question, there are contradictory opinions of the painters, showcasing how there is not a single right answer to any art related question but it is all about experience and gut-feeling.

It's art, so much of it is subjective that all of these answers are right, it just depends on the artist. Great vid, Love hearing about painters journeys.

"Perfect is the enemy of good."I know you've said that in at least one of your videos, but hearing it again in this one just happened to coincide with me putting on what I've decided are the finishing touches for a Liberator Prime. It's turned out better than I expected, and futzing with one thing just causes something else to need fixing, so I'm calling it done.Another interesting part of the video was the part about painting individual models or groups all at once. My current strategy is to paint one at a time, and compare it to the last one I painted. In what ways is this model better? What did I do differently on this model that I didn't do on the last one? Etc, etc.Great video. Thank you for posting it.

Best youtube wargaming channel ever. It is so good to listen or watch this videos while painting. Thank you from Russia.

Best part was finding myself siding with some artists over others at first, then wanting to follow some and crap on others - this vid made me want to take a stance, which is pure gold! Kudos to you, friend!!

Sam is awesome dude, so positive and intuitive. This was a great video, I knew a lot of this info already thankfully but it was fun to see perspective from so many different artists. You don't get this in depth stuff too often from them.

I love this!! It's always so nice to see different opinions on topics. It just reinforces the fact that there isn't a "right" or "wrong" way to paint. Just get in there and do your own thing! Thanks for the awesome video!

14:46 love that response. I quickly found out that the clashing of colours is really in the eye of the beholder. And that is it. Same goes for food - people have different taste buds so anything goes. The rest of colour theory about mixing and complimentary colours is important. That would be what I would say to look up as a beginner.

LOVE how so many of these BRILLIANT PAINTERS have such contrasting opinions on the questions posed... I guess it just proves that there is no 'ABSOLUTELY CORRECT' way to create fine art/craft... All of them basically said, "Do what you think works for YOU in what you're going for..." (And THAT is Good Advice!!!) xx SF

Wow...I just lover the differences and the complimentary opinions here. Just goes to show how subjective this all is, and how there isn't a "right" answer for everyone. Such great questions too.

Turning the handle of your paint water so you don't actually drink it is the most helpful professional level advice

I love Vince's advice the most.

I have watched this video like 3 or 4 times, and I keep on picking up new things that I am using in my everyday painting. So much good information that you will never absorb in one viewing

Really really helped me. Only been painting for about a year or so but this video allowed me to be happy with just ‘getting in there’ and actually painting. No more paralysis by analysis. Thanks for taking the time Atom.

As a new painter I have watched dozens of KZfaq tutorials and videos related to minipainting, trying to learn new techniques and set myself up for success. I can honestly say that this was one of the most interesting and thoughtful out of them all, and I would gladly have watched at least another hour of it, or several "sequels." Thank you for the outstanding upload, Uncle Atom!

Easily the best advice video on getting back into the Hobby. Absolute gold. Well done sir.

Great and informative video for the ages! My tip for the day: If you are working with plastic (or others) miniatures in sub assembly, whether space marines with arms seperate or something larger. Apply on liquid mask to the areas that will receive adhesive and be joined when the model is put together. A lot tidier and more precise than blu-tac/poster putty and easier to remove after painting without it leaving some trace behing you have to keep dabbing at. [Remember painters, elbows on your desk or work surface while painting the liquid mask, for extra control and steadyness!]

Thank you for this. I love their different and sometimes opposite opinions, but what makes it worthwhile is that each person is explaining WHY they have that opinion. That way you can see that they are all correct, but you have to connect their reasons to yourself.

This is one of my favorite videos. I revisit regularly on my journey into the mini painting hobby, at different stages of my journey. And it always proves to be motivating, reminding and entertaining. Of I hear or understand some things better at later date than initially. This video is based on such a great concept it should not be a one-timer. You should make it a regular series. Maybe sets of questions for different broad themes... like air-brush... zenithal highlights... basing.... you know, themes a beginner will sooner or later turn their attention to and ponder...

Thanks Adam! Best thing I've watched on the internet in months. And many thanks to all of you fantastic artists for participating.

Wow, pretty amazing how pretty much every painter has a vastly different theory from the others.

Excellent video. It's great to see the varied responses. Shows art is not science and this is an art.

The comment at 8:17 is spot on. Don;t let bad stuff get in the way!

Love this so very much thank you. The biggest take away for me on this is... everyone is different. Everyone progresses differently and learns differently. The real journey is trying it all and figuring out what works best for you. And best for you is what's most satisfying to you. 17:07 with Jessica Rich is my absolute favorite comment and follow that up at 2:28 with Kris Belleau's comment on record keeping combos it to be my absolute favorite advice that I'll echo to any new painter who asks me for advice in my community.

Awesome vídeo! This is so enlightening. As a beginner, this is the best video/tutorial i have seem in months! Thanks! ✌🏻

Awesome vid. Loved the clash of big painters ideas; masterfully edited to say 'learn everything, even if it clash', to 'There is no ONE right way'. Everything in between was candy. A great painting vid for sure. Thank you.

I'm not sure how I got to a miniatures video but I am a fine artist with a degree and my biggest advice to any artist is to just Practice, even when you have an art block practice. Because when you push through block you usually improve and get better. Paint a little bit every day and just do it. So many people get discouraged from the arts because they compare themselves to others. Don't do that! Compare yourself to your past self and you will see improvement.

This video demonstrates different strokes for different folks. Just enjoy painting and find the best way for your self.

Great video - love picking their brains and learning from their experiences

I'm so glad that that lady mentioned using grey as a primer. I've only been painting miniatures for a few months (painted a little as a young lad) and I'm struggling with black as a base. I seem to spend a lot of time trying to brighten them up afterwards so I'm going mid grey.

on the batch painting question....I've always treated learning things the same way. You discover and experiment and reach new heights when focusing on a single target. Come up with a concept, set yourself a new challenge, and focus on doing that work on a single mini, and take notes while your coats are drying on what you did. After you achieve a result you love, take your notes, and paint a batch of them, to build your consistency. Batch work and single target work are two totally different strategies achieving different goals. use both, and use them when appropriate. Just like video game strategies, you experiment and mess around and try new things until you hit on something that is a revelation. Then you focus on making that result repeatable to hone that new strategy so it isn't just luck. That's how I would approach it.

The fact that there are many contradictions are great, and show different things work for different people.

That last guy tried to sell me some towels.

Regarding base coats: One answer that I was surprised none of them gave is that quite often it's good to paint specific colours as your base rather than just using black/white/grey. For example, I'm painting a bunch of GW Khorne Warriors at the moment, and since they are red and gold, it's been very beneficial to base coat them gold and work from there.

Amazing video. Thanks so much for putting this together. And man, Sam just brightens my day anytime he's on camera!!!!

I really agree with what the fellow said about the thin your paints thing, and the priming white or grey. When I started priming white/grey, learned from your videos about thinning and wet palletes, my quality shot up dramatically. Still learning and practicing forms of highlighting.

Late to the party, but this video has been amazing as someone who is just starting out in the hobby again (after 20 years off!). Thank you for all the brilliant content, it's going to take me a while to get through it all...

I was fortunate to be able to watch and talk with James Wappel while he was doing the paint-off of Victoria Miniatures "Matilda" in the Trenchworx booth at Adepticon, and he blew my mind. Everything he did was pretty much in direct contradiction of almost all conventional miniature painting wisdom. It was a fantastic time and I'm still trying to process everything I saw/learned.

Love this channel! Been painting seriously around 3 months... going to search colour theory!

Vincent Venturella is the most valuable advisor of this video... every answer he gives is smart and useful.

That first comment about keeping a record of what paints were used etc is priceless. I've learned that from smoking and BBQing, and getting to a decent level then forgetting what worked the next season.....

As a painter this is one of your best videos.

Fantastic video. As a person getting back into the hobby after a 20year break so much has changed in technique. Really interesting to hear their thoughts & contrast with my own experience relearning old techniques & integrating new ones to my work flow.

My favorite piece of advice is to not copy better painters but to find your own way. I got so frustrated trying to mimic the pros, but had breakthroughs when I did my own thing. You can learn tips from others, but copying completely is folly.

Lots of mixed opinions but we can all agree that the advice at 22:37 is defiantly the best advice here. Practical, smart, applicable. Ultimate life hack.

I was so happy the lady said, "no black undercoat". I have only painted in art school. It was always the suggestion to think ahead and then, work from your lightest color to the darkest. (shade wash, is bit different, maybe the exception). LOL, there is a reason why paper is sold as white!!! Sure there is can be a reason to start from black but I can't think of why. If anything, It really makes more sense to start in the middle (grey or off white, even) than black. Black paint is so hard to cover!

I do agree that good quality helps. I painted miniatures for years with cheap craft paints and Wal Mart brushes, then switched to Scharff & Kolinsky sables and Vallejo colors. Also started using GW shades and SW washes instead of thinned paint. This made a huge difference for me. Stronger pigment, more brush control. But that is just my opinion. This is a great video with tons of useful info. Thanks.

what helped me was to create a theme for my death korps army. i wanted to paint an army looking like a "real" one. so i got into oil colors, pigments, structures, airbrush and so on. this was 6 years ago and i still learn how to combine those elements. but what REALLY helped me was the two masterclass books from angel giraldez. when u discover something new for you and then u read another option about that stuff, it is amazing. like how you can use your airbrush to get to some effects and not just use it to basecoat and highlight your minis.

This is the single best contribution to the hobby I've viewed.

Great stuff! I love getting lots of feedback from different people. It truly shows that there is no definitive guide on how to paint.

It's interesting because in my own painting journey I've somewhat followed some of the advice. I started with Blood Bowl miniatures, and my first one was really bad, but I kept following Duncan's painting tutorials. The first 4 or 5 linemen were drybrushed but toward the end of the 12 I had I had stepped up from single paint edge highlights to double edge highlights, and on every single part of the model, so you can literally see me trying new stuff and transforming from the first model to the 12th. I also paint 1 model at a time trying to make it the best I can possible get instead of several models all at once.

One of the greatest videos on painting minatures ever made. Thanks for serious enlightenment. :D

I've never sipped my paint water because I use a mug that I accidentally broke the handle off for it. 1996, still going strong. No chance of mistaking it for my coffee. Now I'm not advocating going around breaking the handles off of perfectly good mugs but...

Really enjoyed this video! Only critique for your next Q&A would be to read the question as well as display it and have each person say their name on the first question as well as display it; for viewers who listen only. As a beginner myself, I thought the best advices came from Sam Lenz, Chris Belleau, and Vince Venturella.

I think this is one of the best and most helpful video ideas you have done. Very nice. Something there for beginners and vets alike!

Great video, very interesting to see how different the opinions are on most of the questions yet both sides both seem very valid. After all we're all different!

Thanks for putting this together. It was extremely interesting to see the differing opinions back to back.

Totally agree with Jessica and Vince about brushes. Get whatever for most things, but get one really good one. For some of us, getting something more expensive means we'll treat it better and make sure that it's cleaned and stored properly. For others, they treat everything like crap cuz they don't care. Find out who you are and go from there.

This was super helpful. I've been out of 40k for a long long while, and getting back in is overwhelming. this video and your channel have been very helpful. Thanks!

This is actually an incredibly amazing video and idea, it's great to see all the differing opinions, it actually makes the video!

This was an interesting video to watch; the sheer variety of opinions really covered a broad area and gave a lot of insight into the different mindsets of miniature painters.

Sam is just such a cool guy. Love his banter

This is telling just how educated some of them are in art itself... and how good they would not only be at teaching another, but in how skilled they are in their craft. Artists will always contradict each other in areas, as everyone has a different approach, but some things are pretty universal (like color theory basics are pretty important, if you want to go beyond just copying a paint by numbers tutorial). It's a little disappointing when one isn't understanding what different colored primers are for even (you don't use just one color for everything... it depends on what your color goal is). Thanks for the vid, it was informational on the artists themselves for me.

Mr Atom. Smasher, that was the singular best video you have ever made, and I love all your output. Bravo maestro.

Honestly.. i feel like the best way to get better is the same for all things in life. 1) Learn all you can learn about it 2) Invest a lot of time into practice and have fun with it 3) Experiment with different approaches, broaden your skillset 4) Find your style and aim for excellence The question that remains is: Is it actually worth investing all that time and effort into something like painting miniatures to you personally or wouldn't it be more efficient to settle for less or have someone paint your army for you in a fraction of the time and money it would take you to get that good yourself :)

I started with the 40k Dark Vengeance Set and painted the 20 Cultists (those insignificant worms may look as miserable as they want!!) with cheap brushes, which was good as I worked them up pretty fast. After that I bought a Vallejo and an Army Painter Set of three brushes each and brush cleaner and refresher. Those work for month now with only little degredation and made painting a lot easier for me.

Excellent video! I find that alcohol helps with overthinking and time wasting issues. Sometimes you're in a situation where you don't know how to proceed, and alcohol helps you care less about ruining the model and allows you to try the new technique.

Wonderful video, thanks for showing us the comparison between these pros!

@Tabletop Minions this video was awesome! Thank you thank you thank you. I haven't painted in like 4 months thanks to life and stuff and a bit of 'I want to do something else tonight' syndrome but you just reignited the flame.

I know this is a year old video, but i love the blood bowl references, love that game!

Really great stuff here. Such a great collection of artists and their feel on the questions.

Really great video Atom, super crowd of people with vast range and knowledge scope. Sam is a crack up at every turn.

Regarding the whole bit about not stopping in the middle? Definitely! I routinely have miniatures where they look horrible until you cross a certain point when everything just comes together. Maybe it is when you put the wash over it, maybe it is when you shade one particular portion. I just always see it as through most of the painting of a miniature, it is not looking like what it is going to be, and then..with a single brush stroke(literally, for me) BAM! Everything slides into place visually!

My answer to the quality of starting equipment is: It's just like working on a car. You need specific tools to do specific jobs, but as long as the tool is up to the job you're asking of it, you should be fine. Top quality isn't necessary, just enough to do the job right.

18:27 such good advice i went from black primer on my first ever model to swapping over to a grey being able to work out the brightness of the model to my liking is really helping in compairson to when i would use black primer and have to try to work up from that. great video!

Very cool way to share the assembled wisdom of the adpeticon for those who cannot attend. Keep up the clever delivery of choice media.

Yeah, I agree with others, I enjoyed the disagreement and reasons why. I learned more from that than anything else.

I for one am in love atm with working with super thinned paints in many layers over white primer :)