My #miniaturePainting #warmonger painting has sharply improved over the last few years, so here are my top tips that helped me: 
Tip 1: wicking.
Wicking is where you load your brush with thinned paint/wash/ink and then touch it to some paper.
The excess moisture is wicked away, leaving your brush with a thin coating that won't flood or drip, allowing you extremely good paint control.
Wicking is where you load your brush with thinned paint/wash/ink and then touch it to some paper.
The excess moisture is wicked away, leaving your brush with a thin coating that won't flood or drip, allowing you extremely good paint control.
Wicking utterly transformed the way I paint, giving me the ability to hit fine details and add hints of color with precision.
Think of it like this, you mini is absolutely tiny, and so even a dip of paint is too big. Wicking scales down the paint on your brush.
Think of it like this, you mini is absolutely tiny, and so even a dip of paint is too big. Wicking scales down the paint on your brush.
Tip 2: add a teeny amount of dish soap to your water pot.
Acrylic paint sticks to your brush. By adding a detergent, the paint surface tension breaks and the paint flows easily off your brush onto the model.
You will feel the differene as the brush glides paint on smoothly.
Acrylic paint sticks to your brush. By adding a detergent, the paint surface tension breaks and the paint flows easily off your brush onto the model.
You will feel the differene as the brush glides paint on smoothly.
Tip 3: thinning isn't a formula.
Acrylic paints all have different properties because the pigment they contain is a different substance. One colour may be thick and opaque, another runny and transparent.
So saying "2:1 water to paint" isn't a solid rule, you have to adapt.
Acrylic paints all have different properties because the pigment they contain is a different substance. One colour may be thick and opaque, another runny and transparent.
So saying "2:1 water to paint" isn't a solid rule, you have to adapt.
This means you will need to thin by eye, and learn what works with each paint. I found a bit of test white plasticard helped me learn to see what was actually on my brush.
Your thumbnail is also handy for this if you don't care about your nails.
Your thumbnail is also handy for this if you don't care about your nails.
Tip 4: drybrushing and overbrushing are different things.
Overbrushing is wiping off most of the paint and scrubbing the brush over the raised areas.
Drybrushing is far more delicate, subtle and precise. You wipe off the paint, but then let it dry so you have basically pigment
Overbrushing is wiping off most of the paint and scrubbing the brush over the raised areas.
Drybrushing is far more delicate, subtle and precise. You wipe off the paint, but then let it dry so you have basically pigment
left behind. The pigment can then be stroked on gently onto the model, and the effect builds up over a few applications.
People say you can't drybrush space marines... but you absolutely can. You can't get a nice effect from OVERBRUSHing them.
Scrubbing isn't drybrushing
People say you can't drybrush space marines... but you absolutely can. You can't get a nice effect from OVERBRUSHing them.
Scrubbing isn't drybrushing
Overbrushing is brilliant for rock, fur, chainmail and so forth.
Drybrushing is great for subtle edge highlighting on busy details
Drybrushing is great for subtle edge highlighting on busy details
Tip 5: contrast is everything.
The minis that look best on my shelves have strong contrasts. This can be between light and dark shading, hot and cold colors, saturated and desaturated colors and even soft shading vs crisp edges.
Strong contrast adds pop at distance.
The minis that look best on my shelves have strong contrasts. This can be between light and dark shading, hot and cold colors, saturated and desaturated colors and even soft shading vs crisp edges.
Strong contrast adds pop at distance.
For example, the underbelly has strong edging and highlights with rich deep segments.
The head has dark eye sockets and shadowing and a mid tone that is dark enough to make the highlights pop.
The head has dark eye sockets and shadowing and a mid tone that is dark enough to make the highlights pop.
On my older minis, the colors, saturation and materials are murky and similar. Like on these Reaper Battle nuns.
But on my later space orc each material is separate and pops out with strong contrast framing the face.
But on my later space orc each material is separate and pops out with strong contrast framing the face.
You can see I used contrast to make my skin, horns and hair stand out against each other, they "read" at a distance, and most minis are seen at a few feet.
Tip 6: vibrant colors are great, but pick one to be the most vibrant block of color and distribute the others lower in saturation, brightness or area.
This Grenadier Demogorgon steals the show on my big shelf. Vibrancy isn't always garish.
This Grenadier Demogorgon steals the show on my big shelf. Vibrancy isn't always garish.
Tip 7: find and exaggerate details to draw the eye to them.
The sculptor often adds rips, wrinkles and little textural touches that get lost at distance, by giving them shading and a pop of warmth or highlight, you get to enjoy these as part of the overall effect.
The sculptor often adds rips, wrinkles and little textural touches that get lost at distance, by giving them shading and a pop of warmth or highlight, you get to enjoy these as part of the overall effect.
Tip 8: shade pronounced and edge strongly, you can always use glazes to pull it back.
All the highlights on this demon are in bright apricot, but I then glaze down with transparent orange red. I repeat this several times and soften down the bits I don't want crisp.
All the highlights on this demon are in bright apricot, but I then glaze down with transparent orange red. I repeat this several times and soften down the bits I don't want crisp.
Tip 9: be bold and experiment- you can always strip the model.
It's easy to remove paint, so just relax and have fun. You will make a mess but it won't cost you the mini.
Don't be afraid to ruin things. You will.
It's easy to remove paint, so just relax and have fun. You will make a mess but it won't cost you the mini.
Don't be afraid to ruin things. You will.
Tip 10: get the boring stuff all done quickly with a big brush, then neaten up just the mistakes.
This is faster than carefully painting each bit one by one.
Mostly leather? Whack on brown, dry brush the whole figure then go back and pick out the skin, cloth and metal.
This is faster than carefully painting each bit one by one.
Mostly leather? Whack on brown, dry brush the whole figure then go back and pick out the skin, cloth and metal.
Tip 11: undercoat your bright areas with a titanium white.
Don't kill yourself layering bright colors over a black undercoat. Paint the area white first, then your base colors. You can always work down to darken shadows, but getting that crisp bright finish is worth it.
Don't kill yourself layering bright colors over a black undercoat. Paint the area white first, then your base colors. You can always work down to darken shadows, but getting that crisp bright finish is worth it.
Tip 12: every surface is a canvas.
Even 'boring bits' of a miniature can be used to add interest, details and sell a material.
Even something boring like a weapon's wooden handles can show wear, varnish flecks, bloody handprints, mold, little twisted spirals or patterns.
Even 'boring bits' of a miniature can be used to add interest, details and sell a material.
Even something boring like a weapon's wooden handles can show wear, varnish flecks, bloody handprints, mold, little twisted spirals or patterns.
Thanks for supporting me whilst I am off work sick. I appreciate every ko-fi!
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Tip 13: glossy minis can be made matt by brushing on matt medium such as Lahmium Medium. Glossy paints are hard to paint ontop of, and difficult to see what you are doing. A few coats of matt medium and the model has a microscopic rough finish that takes paint well.
Tip 14: darken teeth and eyes so the highlights pop. Eyeballs aren't white, and they are usually shaded by the eye sockets.
Tip 15: inks make deep shadows.
Ink and contrast paint are highly pigmented, so if you want a very dark, rich shadow, reach for inks.
Tip 15: inks make deep shadows.
Ink and contrast paint are highly pigmented, so if you want a very dark, rich shadow, reach for inks.
Black acrylic is nowhere near as black as black ink.
However for really dark effects, pick the complementary color ink to the main color and add that to the black. So magenta into green shadows, yellow into blue shadows etc. It will create an optical illusion of depth.
However for really dark effects, pick the complementary color ink to the main color and add that to the black. So magenta into green shadows, yellow into blue shadows etc. It will create an optical illusion of depth.
Tip 16: I spend more time on midtones these days, establishing crisp, slightly brighter mid tones before I go for the highlights and shading.
Before I was all about highlights and shadows, which made my work murky and hard to read.
Now I make sure more midtone shows through.
Before I was all about highlights and shadows, which made my work murky and hard to read.
Now I make sure more midtone shows through.
Tip 17: just the tip.
When painting details deeper into the model, clean off your brush and just load the very tip- that way if you bump into another part with the side of the brush you dont get paint on it.
When painting details deeper into the model, clean off your brush and just load the very tip- that way if you bump into another part with the side of the brush you dont get paint on it.
Tip 18: light. Lots of light.
But you want white diffused light.
I have a cheap poseable stemmed LED panel from Bunnings and it gives even diffused light, especially with a wax baking paper sleeve.
It is far better than my expensive old heavy magnifier arm lamp.
But you want white diffused light.
I have a cheap poseable stemmed LED panel from Bunnings and it gives even diffused light, especially with a wax baking paper sleeve.
It is far better than my expensive old heavy magnifier arm lamp.
Having lots of light is extremely important. It saves your eyes, it lets you see actual colors and you can make out details much easier.
A few LED strips, a couple of LED lamps and some white reflecting surfaces and you have a great paint station.
A few LED strips, a couple of LED lamps and some white reflecting surfaces and you have a great paint station.
Tip 19: change your water often. And whilst you do that, make sure you get up to do it. Those continual water fountains strike me as a bad idea as they discourage breaks.
And finally:
Tip 20: paint for your needs.
If you are painting an army, paint it to look good at a few feet. If you are painting as a hobby, relax, the majority of paint jobs you see are hyper professional designed for selling miniatures. You don't have a big team.
Tip 20: paint for your needs.
If you are painting an army, paint it to look good at a few feet. If you are painting as a hobby, relax, the majority of paint jobs you see are hyper professional designed for selling miniatures. You don't have a big team.
If you want awards, focus on a few figures and spend weeks on them.
If you want to impress your friends, spend a couple of nights or so per figure.
If you want a nice collection, try to finish a batch of four to eight in a couple of evenings.
Ignore speed painting videos.
If you want to impress your friends, spend a couple of nights or so per figure.
If you want a nice collection, try to finish a batch of four to eight in a couple of evenings.
Ignore speed painting videos.
They give a false sense of how long things take. Relax and enjoy your silly little hobby with your silly little murder dollies. Stretch, laugh, listen to podcasts, pet your cat.
You don't have to be the best, just enjoy yourself. X
Big hugs and thanks for reading.
You don't have to be the best, just enjoy yourself. X
Big hugs and thanks for reading.
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