Painting Miniatures - the paints and supplies

This picture shows a suggested list of paints and miscellanous things you need to paint miniatures. There is awide variety of paints you can use from acrylic to water color and even specially mixed paints just for miniature work. The important thing is that you get as wide a variety as you can. This variety will make all the difference in your models. I recommend you get at least 12 different colors. I have over 100.

The List of Supplies:

• Paint Brushes, a wide variety of sizes, shapes and bristle materials, all the way down to very tiny ones
• rags for clean up and cleaning of brushes
• A Variety of Paints - at least 12 should get you started
• Styrofoam cups for water, mixing and clean-up - I cut the cups down into little bowls
• Primer paint - this is important and I will say more about this in a bit
• Sealer Spray - Also very important - more about this in a bit
• I also like to use texture material for my miniatures,(in the bag) it is kind of like very fine sawdust and it comes in a variety of textures and colors. This can be applied to the miniature bases to make them look like ground. You can also sprinkle and glue small amounts right to the miniature figure for a great realistic effect. Woodland Scenics makes a nice variety of these materials. Woodland Scenics Stuff at Amazon.com

About the Paints: There is a wide variety of paints you can use and I have a definite preference for water color paints that come in the tube. This is because they are very cheap, come in an enormous number of colors and because the paint is the consistency of toothpaste and this makes it very easy to work with. If you need a very small amount you can just dab at the tube and get a little bit. If you need to make it more watery then you just add water. For the most part you will be adding water to these paints but having a thick consistency really comes in handy. You will see what I mean once you start painting your miniatures.

Acrylics - Acrylics are okay to use and work as well as water colors but I tend to shy away from them. They seem to be a bit too bright for my taste. It makes the miniatures look more like anime and I am going for the gritty dungeon/ medieval look.

Oil paints - Nope, stay away from them. They just take too long to dry. It impedes your progress. When you change colors they tend to get mixed with each other and dullen everything.

Specialized Paints - There are paints specially made for miniature painting. They are usually packaged in small containers. You can see some of them in my picture. These paints are good, usually inexpensive and work well but the little containers tend to not seal so well and over time they tend to dry out. This is just something to consider.

Water Colors in tubes - Are what I like the best

Primer - this comes in white, gray or black and it also comes in spray on oro brush on. I recommend you get the white or grey in the brush on. Primer is very important and you really need to get it. the primer prepares the metal for paint and will make a big difference in how your model turns out. When Putting on primer do 2-3 very light coats letting each coat dry before you apply the next. Make the coats very light so you don't fill in any of the fine details of the miniature.

Sealer - this is another very important part of your model painting process. I recommned you get clear matte spray on sealer. After your miniature is completed and totally dry you just spray a light coat of sealer right onto it. This will preserve your miniature for years to come. If it doesn't have sealer on it just handling it with your fingers can take the colors off and dullen it. The sealer will keep it bright and looking sharp.

Continue with tutorial

This is a Storm The Castle Project

Table of Contents for this tutorial

1. Miniature Home
2. Painting Miniatures Tutorial start
3. The Paints
4. Preparing the Miniature for painting
5. Priming the Miniature
6. What to paint first
7. More Painting and the details
8. Close-up of the completed Warhorse
9. Adding texture to the base for realism
10. Tips and hints for painting miniatures
11. Diorama and Miniature supply Store

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