I'm interested in getting into modding my models, and I figure the easiest way to start is by adding greenstuff
I do a lot of conversion and other work on my models. Here's how I'd recommend getting started, in order:
1. Pin your models. Take models you like as-is and pin them when assembling. Pin all the limbs, pin all the weapons, pin them to the base. Pin everything. They'll be a lot sturdier and the pinning skills will be useful in later conversions. For example,
Mortenebra gets flack for having lots of little spider legs that are hard to glue on. I pinned them all. And her four thin mechanical arms. And her smokestacks. Pin all the things!
2. Magnetize your multi-kits. If you have a kit that can be made into several different warjacks (for example), magnetize the parts so you can switch them out reversibly. It'll make your collection (and wallet) go further.
3. Improve your models. The casting process places limitations on what models can be manufactured, but they don't have to limit you. A little after-market work can go a long way. If there are guns or smokestacks or open pipes, drill them out so their openings have some proper depth. If there are sharp-edged weapons, file and scrape the edges to make them truly sharp. If there are mechanical pieces that should have clean, defined edges, scrape and file anything that's too soft or rounded over. If there are places where one material is overlapping another, scrape out a little gap between them for definition. If there's cloth that should have deep folds and recesses, carve out any places where those have been smoothed over (like the undersides of coats and robes). If there are places where's it's not clear where one part of the model stops and the other part starts, carve out a defined join. You shouldn't need to compensate for any vagueness in the model when painting it. A little model improvement can make making painting easier and more enjoyable.
4. Base work. Decorative bases for your models can be good way to start sculpting. It could be rocks, plants, paving stones, skulls, whatever. I prefer to make my bases less decorative and more like chess pieces, letting the table and terrain create the narrative for the model's environment. So I fill in the whole recessed area on the top of the base with plastic card, fill in the gaps, sand it smooth, pin the model to it, carve out small notches for the model's front arc, and paint the base an even flat black. Then, for more stability during gameplay, I glue a steel washer into the bottom of the base, fill the rest with epoxy putty, and finish it off with a thin layer of cork. Do whatever makes sense to you.
It's at this point that epoxy putty starts being useful. For straight gap-filling, I prefer Milliput because you can smooth it over with an old wet brush and file, sand, and carve it once it's cured. Milliput has a consistency like clay and cures hard but doesn't always want to stick to your model. Greenstuff is more like used chewing gum and sticks very well but is a bit flexible even when cured. Many people recommend mixing them for the best of both worlds. I've tried it and liked it, as well. Aves Apoxie sculpt is kind of like Milliput, is cheaper, and gets good reviews. I haven't tried it yet. Don't ever buy the "tape" versions of putty. The part where they touch will already be cured and unusable. Always buy putty where each component comes in its own separate packaging. The normally available sizes go a long way. We are, after all, talking about tiny toy soldiers. When I'm not actively using my putty, I store it in the freezer for longer shelf life.
5. Re-pose models. Take a model you mostly like except for the pose and turn into a model you fully like. Usually this involve cutting it apart in a few places and re-pinning them together differently. For example, I wasn't fond of
Deryliss' "spooky ghost" pose, either how it looked or how sturdy it was. So on my model I reposed his arms so he's dragging them along the ground after him. Way creepier and way less likely to bend or break off. Filling gaps becomes very important here.
6. Kit-bash models. Take pieces from one model and make them pieces of another. This is really useful for creating "alternate sculpts" of something you have multiples of. You can bash together different
scrap thrall sculpts, for example, using pieces from other troopers and undead. Or add variety to your Cryx and Cephalyx units by cannibalizing Dark Eldar
pain engines. You want to be careful, though, that other players can quickly, easily, and accurately identify what your model is. Read over the conversion rules in the
steamroller tournament documents. When converting my models, I try to identify the most iconic elements of a model—what makes a Cryx
scavenger different than a
shrike for example—and make sure they're clear and prominent in the conversion.
7. Add newly sculpted bits. If I do this much, it's usually to make some other part of a conversion work better. Adding armor plates, pipes, and hoses to a warjack, for example, to better integrate a kitbashed part. Or belts and clothing when I want to give human models more realistic proportions than the stubby "heroic scale" grimderp that's so common. Maybe you like everything about a model except for one part. Make that part what you think it should be!
