Paying for Painting - Advice?

[Once was Mortimer]

Hi there.

So its been awhile since I touched my HQ stuff, looking at it now I did rather a hash of a paint job, I've been looking on ways to remove it and have a few ideas. But more to the point, has anyone ever gotten their mini's professionally painted? Any recommended services? any I should avoid? is it worth the cost?

Any advice/experience would be great.

[Anderas]

It's expensive. If you want the painter to spend two hours per model (the minimum to make it good), you can calculate the cost per model.
There are painters who are much cheaper than that, but i wouldn't trust them.

[Goblin-King]

At least HQ has a very limited set of miniatures compared to a Warhammer army.

[Tott]

It would probably be a lot cheaper to by a unit of GW models (goblins are about £20 for a box of 20 - a pound a model!) and some paints and just practice. There's plenty of great painting guides out there to help. however crap you (think you) are now, you're probably at the same level even the best painters were when they started.
plus the GW boxes give you a lot of options, so you could make a goblin champion, shaman or something if you wanted.

[Thantos]

Can put you in touch with a fella who paints well for around £5 a mini if you are prepared to wait a few months for em xD ?

[tasoe]

I did paint a a couple of HQ sets in the past for some guys. I think the final price was $150 for the lot, which is a bit less than $5 per figure. To be honest, that didn't even come close to paying for the actual hours I worked on them, but since it wasn't really a profession for me, I was happy to do it then.

Whatever person you find, be sure to request pictures of their work beforehand, and if possible make a deal for a few figures first, and if you're happy with the result then do the whole set.

[Goblin-King]

Whatever person you find, be sure to request pictures of their work beforehand, and if possible make a deal for a few figures first, and if you're happy with the result then do the whole set.

EXCELLENT advice. This... Listen to this.

[Baylor_OgreBane]

Usually price depends on the time that is spent per model and to what quality that you want the end result.
I charge a lot, but then I can.
I agree with tasoe and GK to get pics first, ask around and see what is out there first.
But to be honest there are quick and easy ways to do it yourself, like have you ever considered dipping?

[Once was Mortimer]

like have you ever considered dipping?

Dipping?

[Anderas]

Dipping is white or grey spray paint from a distance for priming,
Then you paint the model in base colors.
Then you open the tin can with sepia or black thin dipping color and you dip the model in the color.

Then you let it dry for some hours.

Maybe you spray paint matte varnish from a distance afterwards.