lightning,
These are pretty good for a ten year old just starting out. I am 12 now but started painting armies rather than single minis at 10 too. (some members of the forum may not believe this but it is true)
My advice would be to practice, practice, and practice some more! If you work hard in small sessions, you will find the hobby more fun, and fun models are quality models, if you get my meaning. Like others have said, the tutorials on http://www.dakkadakka.com/ are very helpful, I used one or two when I was starting. If you do this, and are patient, you can achieve this quality of minis:

After a few months of practice. Then there is no limit to what you can do!
I quite like your scheme, although perhaps the silver could be replaced with a grey. The metallic paints tend to be very thick and 'chunky' in texture once dry, so a grey would be easier for you, and better looking on the models. If you do opt to keep using a metallic scheme, Thin down your Boltgun/chainmail considerably, and use 2-3 coats.
The weathering is a nice touch but it is a little overdone. try using a drybrush as it will make a more realistic 'splatter' of mud rather than a 'drenching'.
Hope you find that useful and good luck with the rest of your cadre!

Witheraf, 12? I thought you were MUCH older than that! Just goes to show, you shouldn't judge a book by it's painting skills!

I thought you were 30! Excellent twist!

I think you'll find a few members of this forum aren't quite what you'd expect...
Dun-dun-duuun!

Twelve? You should be at least 20, you're three times better than me!
By the way, like your new signature, Helios !

don't worry, in a few months you should be much, much better!

Yea i'm only 14 and I just started but I can already see my improvement!! Especially after checking out this website its an infinite bank of knowledge. So good luck and keep it up you'll be a golden demon winner in no time!!

Cool, we're all youngbloods! Witheraf and Lightning are the only two here that can enter though, seeing as GD is over, bummer eh?

Lightning, yeah it's great isn't it? Really profound.

If GD's over, how can me and Witheraf enter? Do Youngbloods do their's seperate? If they are, I'm gonna start working on a converted entry right now!

Not too fast, I meant in next years GD

Guys - although it's great to know we have so many quite mature youngsters at ATT, let's stop the going off topic and comparing of ages, ok? The topic is about Lightning's cadre.

Carry on, carry on.

E.

Gawww... ok sir...

*shuffles out the door*

But all kookoo-ness aside, I think that grey would make a good replacement for silver, even if it's only used on the especially dark units, like sniper drone teams, stealth teams, and pathfinders.

Hmmm...
*shuffles out of door to join Helios*
I suppose I might buy some Skull White some time to add better highlights to any new models, so then I'd be able to make almost any shade I want... Might mix up a batch of Codex Grey-ish colour and use it on Sniper teams and Pathfinder teams. Mainly Pathfinders so I'd be able to easily look and see them as different to the Fire Warriors.

Weathering can really improve the look of a model when done right. However, in this case I think you are trying to run before you can walk (painting wise). For a ten year old your painting is average, so don't worry there. I do think at this stage you need to focus on getting your colour on neatly. Then look at washes, drybrushing and highlighting. Weathering usually comes after that.

This thread has some pictures of something similar to what I'm talking about:
http://www.advancedtautactica.com/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=11618
If you can blank out the lines, you'll see the colour isn't too thick and isn't really highlighted at all. Aim for this level first, as it will give you a good looking army and a solid group of skills to build on.

If you are able, pop into a GW store and arrange a painting lesson. There's nothing quite like having someone actually show you what to do. (Weekdays after school are the best time, because it's quiet and you'll actually get some time with the staff. Saturdays are really too busy, especially at this time of year.)

Thanks for the tips... I'll look into it when I get more models, as I don't want to obscure the detail on my current ones, and I've tried stripping paint before. Nearly ended up with headless Fire Warriors!
The only problem is that I can't go anytime but Saturdays and Sundays. I don't live anywhere near a GW and go to one every three weeks when I stay at my dad's.
I currently use a small wash of thinned black- I'll go back and redo it, it was incredibly thin-, and drybrush some bits. My Stealthsuits were originally painted Tin Bitz with a drybrush and it looked about 75% better close-up. But far away they looked almost black. I've tried and edge highlighting looks rubbish with metallics, at least the way I'm trying it. At the moment I'll try and wash the models then get a 'far away' picture- close up my models are pig poo but far away IMHO they look really good.
I'm trying to go for a quick-to-paint army- I started off with 40k 90% painter 10% gamer, but now thats changing. There are these really arrogant SM players who I really want to beat, so I'm practicing on some friends. One plays Black Templars, the other two are beggining Ultramar's forces.

If you are going to ever use silver in the future, always ink them with blue ink. The blue ink brings out the details.

ps. im 12 too, but don't continue the discussion of our ages lest the unfathomable wrath of the Moderators befolds upon us

Erm, well I'm not sure what to do. Half of me says do these black/brown/possibly blue washes and leave it at that. The other half is itching to take my time, strip these models, and paint them slowly with decent washes, highlights and weathering. What do you painting gurus think?
One thing I know I've overdone is the mud on the infantry. To quote DakkaDakka, 'the weathering as overwhelmed the presence of the miniature'. I do think if I strip these models I'll manage to take my time and get them right. Any thoughts?

I think it depends purely if your happy with the end result, but if you want me to be honest, in time you will improve and probably want to repaint them any way so I would strip them down, think of a good colour scheeme and paint them, taking your time.
http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/fwp.php I would use this website as a template, get a good colour scheeme that you like, print it of, take it to your local GW shop and ask one of the staff if they can find and recommend the paints you will need for it.

By the way I think you have done really well so far and they are far better than any of minitures in my childhood, stay confident, be patient and do your research and you could find yourself at 18 working for GW as a pro model painter.

I've decided on my scheme, seph-jones. I just want to re-do the washes and weathering, but to do that I've gotta strip the entire model
Thanks for the tips everyone. And the DakkaDakka articles have inspired me loads.

That's fine as long as your happy with it.