Miniature Painting tips


Miniatures


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Hey peeps! I'm just now getting into painting miniatures. Do any of you have any advice on the best places to buy paint or websites to give tips on painting techniques?


Head to cool mini or not, they do great work.


There is a forum here on this messageboard for mini painting.

There is tons of advice there.

The Exchange

One of my favorite sites for tutorials is http://blog.brushthralls.com.


Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber; Pathfinder Starfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

The Reaper miniatures website as a number of tutorials on basics that I found really handy as well.

Dark Archive

Thin your paints.


I second the Reaper recommendation, have a nice order coming tomorrow.

One tip I can pass on is that you should spend the money on a black wash. Don't bother trying to make your own.

For paint, hit up your local Micheal's or Hobby Lobby and score some cheap acrylic paints. The emphasis here is on getting started without spending a lot of money. Once you get into painting and choosing colors, then you'll have a better idea of what colors you do like and want to spend the money on. Right now, I like Citadel paints. We did just pick up some Testor's acrylic paints for testing purposes.

Oh yeah - don't abuse your brushes!


Clean rough edges off the mini before you spray on primer. I wish someone had told me to thin my paints when I started. Make sure you have more than one size of brush, and treat them well. Later on after you have some experience, look into washes and dry brushes for finishing touches. If you have some pieces you are proud of, spray it with a clear coat to protect it.

Oh, and practice, practices, practice.


If you use Hobby Lobby paints (I do) then the "thin your paints" advice is very good advice. Hobby acrylic paints are much thicker than miniature paints. You can thin them with water, but you can also purchase acrylic paint thinner which is, of course, better. I personally use a mixture of future floor polish and water to thin my acrylic paints. It's worked for over 400 minis so far.

Also, while I don't recommend getting a $40 brush right off the bat, get a decent brush, don't buy a $2.50 pack with a dozen brushes in it and expect to be able to paint any fine detail. Get a decent brush which will hold paint and maintain a sharp point.

I tend to use a paper plate to mix my paints. I have a decent plastic paint palette and a very expensive wet palette, but somehow I seem to always end up with a paper plate... Unless I am doing something very special. Or trying to anyway.


Oh, and if you have aging eyes like mine, a hobby hands-free magnifying glass is a godsend. Or at least some fairly strong reading glasses.

And grab some cork or something you can use tacky glue to put the miniature on so you can move it around without touching the mini.

Um.. .and.... oh yeah, definitely clean off any flash (bits of metal or plastic left from the molding), wash with soap and a toothbrush (to remove any possible demolding compound which is also pretty effective as de-painting compound) and prime it before you paint it.


Thanks for the advice guys, can't wait to get started

Grand Lodge

Release your primer! When done primering, turn the can upside down and spray to clear it. Do this until it releases a 'puff'. You will know when.

Otherwise the primer sprays clog and tend to be expensive 1 shot wonders.


Don't be afraid to kit bash. Want an Elven archer astride a horse? Get out your clippers and a dremel and make it so.


Ravenbow wrote:

Release your primer! When done primering, turn the can upside down and spray to clear it. Do this until it releases a 'puff'. You will know when.

Otherwise the primer sprays clog and tend to be expensive 1 shot wonders.

Actually this is good advice for any spray product that could clog, including paints, sealers and spray adhesives.


Adamantine Dragon wrote:
Ravenbow wrote:

Release your primer! When done primering, turn the can upside down and spray to clear it. Do this until it releases a 'puff'. You will know when.

Otherwise the primer sprays clog and tend to be expensive 1 shot wonders.

Actually this is good advice for any spray product that could clog, including paints, sealers and spray adhesives.

On the subject of primer, you might consider having both white and grey. The white will help bring out lighter colors and the grey is good for everything else.

/ some folks use a dark grey/black primer, though I can't think why.

RPG Superstar 2015 Top 8

Evildmn wrote:
Hey peeps! I'm just now getting into painting miniatures. Do any of you have any advice on the best places to buy paint or websites to give tips on painting techniques?

The place I order most from is the Warstore, though I also order from Paizo as well. Or buy at local hobby stores. For tools I go to Micro Mark.

For painting tip Websites, I like Dr. Faust's Painting Clinic. Google searches will give you many other results. Wargame communities are another place to look--a lot of people there are very serious about the painting hobby and can provide a lot of insight and advice.

One important thing to note is that there is no one right way to do anything. Experiment and find what works for you.

I know you didn't ask, but general advice I would give:

1. Remember in addition to paint and brushes you will also want the following:

- A needle file or two to remove mold lines
- A hobby knife (such as a standard Xacto knife) to remove "flash"--stray bits of metal or plastic that don't come off from the mold.
- Superglue (cyanoacrylate+) for metals and plastic glue for plastics. I hear good things about Gorilla Glue too.

2. Use good paint brushes for any work that isn't undercoating or drybrushing. I buy Windsor and Newton Artist Color Kolinsky sable brushes from places like Plaza Art and Michaels (online the best place is Dick Blick's), who often put their brushes on sale. These are expensive brushes but the thing is -- one $8.00 - $10.00 brush that is well cared for will last you a long long time. One cheap, synthetic $3.00 brush will lose its shape fast and need replacing within months--ultimately costing you more money in the long run. And moreover, the good quality brushes keep their point and make it much easier to apply the paint smoothly without brush marks and paint small details.

1 good quality #2 brush is all you need to start with. Again, cheap brushes are fine for undercoating/hand priming and base coating.

3. DO use primer. DON'T let other people bully you into what is the "right" color for primer. This is inexplicably one of those things hobbyists get pissy about when it's all about your own painting style and what works for you. Some like white because it keeps colors bright (but it may be hard to get proper shadows in recesses), some like black because it provides your own shadows and you just need to layer up (but you sometimes need to use a lot of layers because it mutes color). Some like grey because it's halfway between (but with none of the advantages either). Other people even use different colors--if something is going to be very red, they might prime it dark red.

For spray primer, you want a flat/matte color of your choice. Google some suggestions (don't use Citadel, it costs way more and is no better than stuff like Krylon). For brush on primer, personally I use acrylic gesso (you can get it at craft stores); some paint lines also sell brush on primer.

4. Use thin layers of paint, rather than slathering on one thick layer. Buy some paint thinner--ESPECIALLY if you are using craft acrylics and not miniature hobby acrylics. Another option is "magic wash", i.e., various concoctions mixed with Pledge with Future Shine (I don't use magic wash but I know Sean Reynolds and other folks here do and can tell you more about it than I can). Some hobby acrylics like Reaper Master Series can be adequately thinned with water.

My personal preference for paint is Reaper Master Series, YMMV.

Good luck.


Moved thread.

Sovereign Court

Direct links to the reaper tutorials mentioned:

http://www.reapermini.com/TheCraft/32

http://www.reapermini.com/Thecraft/37


DeathQuaker wrote:
Evildmn wrote:
Hey peeps! I'm just now getting into painting miniatures. Do any of you have any advice on the best places to buy paint or websites to give tips on painting techniques?

The place I order most from is the Warstore, though I also order from Paizo as well. Or buy at local hobby stores. For tools I go to Micro Mark.

For painting tip Websites, I like Dr. Faust's Painting Clinic. Google searches will give you many other results. Wargame communities are another place to look--a lot of people there are very serious about the painting hobby and can provide a lot of insight and advice.

One important thing to note is that there is no one right way to do anything. Experiment and find what works for you.

I know you didn't ask, but general advice I would give:

1. Remember in addition to paint and brushes you will also want the following:

- A needle file or two to remove mold lines
- A hobby knife (such as a standard Xacto knife) to remove "flash"--stray bits of metal or plastic that don't come off from the mold.
- Superglue (cyanoacrylate+) for metals and plastic glue for plastics. I hear good things about Gorilla Glue too.

2. Use good paint brushes for any work that isn't undercoating or drybrushing. I buy Windsor and Newton Artist Color Kolinsky sable brushes from places like Plaza Art and Michaels (online the best place is Dick Blick's), who often put their brushes on sale. These are expensive brushes but the thing is -- one $8.00 - $10.00 brush that is well cared for will last you a long long time. One cheap, synthetic $3.00 brush will lose its shape fast and need replacing within months--ultimately costing you more money in the long run. And moreover, the good quality brushes keep their point and make it much easier to apply the paint smoothly without brush marks and paint small details.

1 good quality #2 brush is all you need to start with. Again,...

Thanks a lot I took all your advise. I appreciate it!

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