Thread by @delaneykingrox

Tips for new mini painters: thread.

Badly painted minis are better than unpainted minis. Raw metal and grey plastic don't belong on the gaming table. At the very least, color them in.

ALWAYS prime your figures. It gives you an even canvas to paint on and the paint will stick better.
For plastics and metals I use mat enamel rattlecans. For bones you MUST brush on the first later in undiluted acrylic. Add water and it will bead off the surface.

Your first job is to practice getting neat colors applied to all the parts. Just focus on that.

It is about brush and paint control. Learning to mix just the right consistency of paint for what you are doing. For base coating, you want the paint to flow, but not pool in the cracks. Add a little bit of water to the paint and try on some paper first.

Remember, painting is scraping goop off one thing and onto another. Your brush strokes are for taking paint from the hairs to the surface. Pay attention to what is on ypur brush

You dont need to press hard, lightly move the brush and make a small stroke, see how the paint flows. Refusing to leave the brush? Try adding a little water (try flow aid or dish soap to help loosten the bonds)

Paint in straight lines. Look where you want to start and end the stroke. Angle the mini to what is at the easiest angle for your hand to stroke. Relax, make small, controlled strokes

Load your brush then touch the tip to some paper- it will leech out excess moisture leaving just the right amount on your brush to paint with without it flooding your model

Aim for neat, even blocks of color. Dont worry about details or shading yet, once you have gotten neat and even coats down, you can advance. As you want to thin your paints slightly, you will almost always need several thin coats to get an even finish.

Paint three minis at once so when one is drying you can work on the next. Tac several to a bit of wood or board so you dont have to keep picking up and putting down figures

Once you have basecoating down, your games will already look much better. Next you should try washes. Buy premixed ones to keep things easy. A brown wash will add definition to your gaming models so you can see them at a few feet. Army painter strong tone is great

If you are just wanting better results for reaper bones for your dnd, brush on a cream color, then when dry and brown or black wash. Now you can see the details as you play. Later you can color it properly and this shading will shine through.

Buy some of these. You can use them to remove any mould lines you find as you paint. The round rat tail is great for bones and mantic pvc too

Wait til paint dries before cleaning off any mould lines.

Wet palettes keep your paint from drying whilst you work. Wet a few sheets of kitchen towel on a plate and press a bit of baking paper onto this. The moisture will seep up slowly as the paint gets thirsty.

Wanna layer like a pro? Mix 2 parts matt medium (lahmium) with 1 part paint and a dot of water. This will hide your brush strokes

Keep to a disciplined workflow to begin with: undercoat, base color, wash, base color touch ups, then highlight. Move on to next bit
Repeat until finished.

To begin, it is better to work the whole figure a stage at a time then do each bit to completion. That way washes wont stray over detail work

Drybrushing is removing all moisture from your paint and leaving just the pigment particles that you can then scrape gently off onto raised surfaces.
Overbrushing is like drybrushing but wetter- you just hit raised areas but it isn't subtlr

Use a technical pen to dot in eyes and do fine details.

If you fuck up, just pop your mini in a jar of undiluted dettol for a few hours. Brush with an old tooth brush making sure not to get water on it and the paint will come right off. Knowing this lets you be bold and not worry about fucking up minis

Simplegreen and brake fluid also work.

Please read warning labels on these products and dont run with scissors across lava

Best brushes to get are sable watercolor brushes. Nylon and teklon are not as good imo and you can wash and condition watercolor sable like regular hair. Poor sables.

It isn't so much the number or length of hairs... it is the TIP you are looking for. Some number 1 brushes are better for details as some 000

The belly holds the moisture. The tip does the work. The ferrule is where you absolutely do not want paint. Never dunk past the belly. Paint drying in the ferrule causes brushes to splay. This ruins them

Always paint with lots of light. I use two bendy desk lamps and have a french window to my back

Always put your palette on your main hand side. Put water jar oppose so you dont drink it (I glue studs on mine to remind me).
Never put minis between yourself and your palette. Mix paint with a stick or an old brush- never the one you paint with.

Dont dip into pots directly unless you like throwing money at brush makers

Always assume a paints lid isnt on propely before shaking it

Paint a dot on your lid or dropper bottle cap to show you what the paint inside looks like dry

A quick wash of a dark colour or drybrush of white can bring out details so you can work out what everything is

Spray varnish is a must for gamers. Gloss is tougher than mat. Spray two coats of gloss then a few coats of testors to make mat. Apply gloss details ans blood after.

Hope that all helps!

If you are using hobby blades, change or sharpen your blades (see diamond files above) at the start of your session. Blunt blades need pressure to cut... pressure plus blade equals snappy blade shrapnel and stabbing selfage. Razor sharp blades mean less pressure

Put used blades in a blade pot and dispose of thoughtfully. Having a sharp in your hand when you empty someones trash is not fun. Trust me on that one.

Never hold a blade or pin vice when you are fiddling with stuff. Put it down each time you are not using it. Respect sharp things.

Wash brushes with warm soapy water after the session. Brush hangers are available from art stores. They help keep the tip using gravity. I use hair conditioner and brush cleaner

Alchohol wipes from harfware stores get all kinds of hobby stuff off your hands. Always keep superglue debonder next to your superglue and near your sink.

Close your eyes and look away when peircing the lid of a fresh superglue. Thank me later

Greenstuff is actually called kneadatite. You can buy big tubes of it for cheaper than gw

Other great putties include aves apoxie and magic sculpt, which can be mixed with greenstuff to make it more clay like and lets it dry harder

Drill pins in arms and wings diagonally down instead of at 90 degrees. Bending wire is far stronger than twisting wire

I use renedra bases for my minis. Low profile, cheap, consistent and come in all sizes. Fender washers are great for gaming minis that are prone to being knocked over or are too light.

When you first start, paint for the table. Hold your mini at arms length to evaluate your work.

You can always come back later and work the paint job. Get it table ready first

I use coat darms paints, p3 and foundry- all are the same manufacturer and are great quality.
I also mainly use Vallejo Model Color and some games workshop paints.
Lahmium medium is a must for me

I use army painter dropper shades (not the big smelly tins- that stuff is different) and citadel washes. Windsor and newton inks and jo sonja and liquitex paints also feature but never as base coats.
Ooh, and reaper master series

I don't use vallejo game color, and have little joy with army painter paints so far. Bad batches perhaps?

Get a little heavy grade watercolor book from the art store. Try out color schemes on it. Like an effect? Write down what the paint names and the ratios are. If you paint swatches on plastic card you can place them side by side to pick themes

Learn what complimentary colours mean. They clash. Dont use them close together at full strength en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Complemen…

Every colour you add takes away the impact of all other colors. Think batman. Black, grey, hint of yellow (accent color) and a little flesh and white.

I reccomend this book

Remember, one finished mini is better than a dozen partly finished. Press on. Get them done.

See? Nothing fancy. Just neat with crisp even colors.

More of my table work.

Simple blocks of even colour, subtle shading and highlights using layering and blendimg

Remember, you are not in competition with anyone. Just yourself. Try and be a bit neater, a bit smoother, a bit more creative each time. Don't be off put by how good other peoples work is. Look for ways it can improve and inspire your work