Miniature Painting Hobby Tips

[Ragnarohk]

I've heard of this hobby before, but it never caught my attention until now. Does anybody do this as a hobby? If so, what tips would you give to somebody that wishes to try it.

I'm not sure if it's the right hobby for me. My eyesight ain't that good and my hands cramp easily. But it seems fun nonetheless. Also, are there recommended sets for beginners? I saw some DnD sets in Amazon for $25.

[Poopymonster]

I've heard of this hobby before, but it never caught my attention until now. Does anybody do this as a hobby? If so, what tips would you give to somebody that wishes to try it.

I'm not sure if it's the right hobby for me. My eyesight ain't that good and my hands cramp easily. But it seems fun nonetheless. Also, are there recommended sets for beginners? I saw some DnD sets in Amazon for $25.

From watching Warhammer 40K painting tutorials. THIN YOUR PAINTS.

[s_bushido]

Yes, thin your paint. Don't worry about buying all the expensive paint/equipment up front (especially if you're not sure it's something you're really interested in). You can get started with some craft paints and relatively cheap brushes. You know...stuff like this. There are magnifying work lamps you can buy if you need that sort of thing. I have no idea what the mini market is like these days, but I do remember Reaper Miniatures being pretty inexpensive compared to the stuff like you'd get from Games Workshop. Although, as far as beginner projects go, it doesn't get much easier than painting an orc or Space Marine.

[caractacus]

I've been painting for years and years and it's something that I love doing, although I know many people that hate it and find it a chore, which it can be sometimes.

I'm currently doing a thing on my old blog where I post one miniature a day from Reaper Miniatures for every day in February. https://keyholepainting.wordpress.com/

Best tip I can give is just have fun and don't worry too much about what they turn out like, especially at first. If you search online you will be overwhelmed with pictures of amazing miniatures that will seem impossible to reproduce.

This is the best "tips" video I've seen if you want to accelerate your hobby, all these things I used to do myself and worked through to resolve.

[Belize]

10 year veteran here.

I'm going to have to contradict @s_bushido here, while you can get away with cheap brushes, cheap acrylic paint won't work. Good quality paints like Vallejo aren't expensive if you shop around.

Washes are your friend in the mini painting world. While I'd suggest avoiding Games-Workshop paints (expensive and the pots are designed to gunk up and dry) they make the best washes on the market.

Start simple. Base colors followed by a wash all over followed by some edge highlights of your base color will look good while being easy.

Don't be afraid to mix your paints. Companies sell about 15848 different colors, but if you need just a little bit of purple, and you have blue and red paint, you don't need to buy purple.

[s_bushido]

10 year veteran here.

I'm going to have to contradict @s_bushido here, while you can get away with cheap brushes, cheap acrylic paint won't work.

I haven't picked up a brush in like 5 years, but I'd like to think I was somewhat decent with my shitty Wal-Mart paints back in the day. [NSFW mini tiddies]

The point I was trying to make, though, is that you don't need to sink a ton of money on the expensive-as-hell paints produced by miniatures companies if you want to just try it and see how you like it. I wouldn't be surprised if those paints specifically designed for the hobby are more user-friendly, but they're certainly not mandatory. The plus side of the craft paint is that you can just drop the minis in some rubbing alcohol and get rid of it and try again.

[Svifnymr]

Yeah, if you want to try it out, you can grab a bag of army men, some cheap brushes and some craft paint and see if you like trying to get the figures look how you want them. For primer, you can get some spray paints that go on thin without paying the price for a "mini primer".

I'd skip the D&D set though, paints are not great and you'll need more brushes anyway, so it's pointless. Vallejo makes some good sets for a bit more.

Probably one of the most important things is managing your expectations. If you actually game with them, the minis will a few feet from your eyes and seeing the eyes of the minis is pointless, but many folks will spend tedious hours working on perfecting the eyes and wonder why they're not having fun...

[ParanoiD84]

Both Warhammer 40K and Age of Sigmar have some really amazing looking models, pick a army you like and buy some models to practise on.

Also watch alot of youtube guides there is tons and tons of them, painting with duncan is a good one that someone linked he used to work for games workshop painting models before opening his own youtube painting channel.

[Witchblade77]

mini painting is something I do on and off. (more often then not as a part of my general miniature building hobby). with what was already mentioned

brace your arm on your worksurface (table or whatnot) use a pillow if you need to ( a small one) bracing helps to stabilize your hands AND alleviates some of the strain.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075NTR3FZ/ glasses like this are an absolute life saver. or at least for me they are. I have tried stationary magnifiers before (still have my magnifying lamp, just don't use it AS a magnifier anymore) and found them to be far more uncomfortable.

for holding your mini, you do not need anything fancy, a small piece of something like this https://www.walmart.com/ip/3M-Scotch...-2-oz/19675494 on something you find easy to hold will allow you to move around your mini for painting without touching it - just as well

Etsy has a TON of custom minies for much more reasonable prices then game's workshop. Wizkids prices though are still generally fantastic for dnd minies and they have deepcuts line that is easier to paint, IMO.

[Ihavewaffles]

I've been painting for years and years and it's something that I love doing, although I know many people that hate it and find it a chore, which it can be sometimes.

I'm currently doing a thing on my old blog where I post one miniature a day from Reaper Miniatures for every day in February. https://keyholepainting.wordpress.com/

Best tip I can give is just have fun and don't worry too much about what they turn out like, especially at first. If you search online you will be overwhelmed with pictures of amazing miniatures that will seem impossible to reproduce.

This is the best "tips" video I've seen if you want to accelerate your hobby, all these things I used to do myself and worked through to resolve.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufP8ka3KGno

man what a rabbit hole i fell into...

i remember buying a few warhammer fantasy orcs (tiny), just painting them silver n leaving them in my window or on top of my fantasy books like Lotr, in the 90s...checked ur video, well uhm, general painting principles, if anyone has some not too-expensive art class near-by, i'd do that (uhm, not during this pandemic though...
anyways, guy in ur video, saw one video of the biggest warhammer 40k unit, titan robot something, he didn't put it together, seems awfully big, are there any big units for warhammer fantasy, like some big orc or some big monster? i tried to do a search but seems its mostly 40k which im less a fan of..

This I remember seeing in some shop window years ago, wow...


wwow, some guys into landscapes n castles, neato

[Ragnarohk]

Wow, I got more responses than I imagined I would get.

Thanks guys! I'll take your tips and try it out. Even if I don't end up liking it (but I know I probably will like it) i think it's something I should try and it seems many of you have been in the trade for some time so I appreciate your insight.

Thanks again!

[s_bushido]

Even if I don't end up liking it (but I know I probably will like it) i think it's something I should try

Good luck. I don't know what sorts of things you're into (sci-fi, fantasy, steampunk, etc) but there's plenty of variety in the hobby. If you don't like painting little toy soldiers, you might enjoy painting their tanks, or the swarms of space bugs that they shoot at.

Or hell, you may even find that you prefer something like building terrain. This guy's all about that life:

[ParanoiD84]

anyways, guy in ur video, saw one video of the biggest warhammer 40k unit, titan robot something, he didn't put it together, seems awfully big, are there any big units for warhammer fantasy, like some big orc or some big monster? i tried to do a search but seems its mostly 40k which im less a fan of.

Age of Sigmar have some huge models too like..


https://www.games-workshop.com/en-SE/Archaon-Exalted


https://www.games-workshop.com/en-SE...-on-Magmadroth


https://www.games-workshop.com/en-SE...nals-Stardrake


https://www.games-workshop.com/en-SE...arstomper-2020


https://www.games-workshop.com/en-SE...ruk-Maw-Krusha


https://www.games-workshop.com/en-SE...-Troggoth-2019


https://www.games-workshop.com/en-SE...ok-Spider-2017


https://www.games-workshop.com/en-SE...-on-Magmadroth


https://www.games-workshop.com/en-SE...ne-of-the-Gods


https://www.games-workshop.com/en-SE...d-on-Carnosaur


https://www.games-workshop.com/en-SE...lves-Karibdyss


https://www.games-workshop.com/en-SE...-Ironclad-2017


https://www.games-workshop.com/en-SE...-on-Juggernaut


https://www.games-workshop.com/en-SE...-Mountain-2020


https://www.games-workshop.com/en-SE...er-Squigs-2019


https://www.games-workshop.com/en-SE...on-thundertusk


https://www.games-workshop.com/en-SE...ecropolis-2019


https://www.games-workshop.com/en-SE...ateweaver-2017


https://www.games-workshop.com/en-SE...eelord-Ancient


https://www.games-workshop.com/en-SE...reelord-Durthu


https://www.games-workshop.com/en-SE...ron-Blood-2018


https://www.games-workshop.com/en-SE/Deathlords-Nagash


https://www.games-workshop.com/en-SE...archs-Mannfred


https://www.games-workshop.com/en-SE...ack-Coach-2018


And tons and tons of more quality models on their website, or forgeworld. Seriosly GW put alot of work into models these days alot of them just looks abolutely sick.

Games workshop also does the Middleearth models btw but their models are updated much rarely, think they had some ents updated a while ago though.

[the game]

I saw this dungeons and dragons guy on youtube. His collection is fascinating.

[Svifnymr]

Age of Sigmar have some huge models too like..

And tons and tons of more quality models on their website, or forgeworld. Seriosly GW put alot of work into models these days alot of them just looks abolutely sick.

Games workshop also does the Middleearth models btw but their models are updated much rarely, think they had some ents updated a while ago though.

I got bored and started getting some Seraphon (lizardmen), they are ancient models (well, comparatively). A bunch of them are still resin from when they converted from metal, and the rest are generally from their first attempts at plastic.

That said, this results in generally broad details that are very easy to work into sub assemblies and fun to assemble and paint. Doing a Stegadon, the howdah is an entirely different piece, as are the skinks.

The newer models are very detailed, but they tend to be interlinked in ways. The arm might be part of the cloak that attaches to the main body via the cloak for example. It can be quite irritating.

The "push fit" models are also a neat concept and generally go together pretty nicely. If someone doesn't want to have something difficult to assemble, the push fit models are great for it and still highly detailed for the most part.

[ParanoiD84]

I got bored and started getting some Seraphon (lizardmen), they are ancient models (well, comparatively). A bunch of them are still resin from when they converted from metal, and the rest are generally from their first attempts at plastic.

That said, this results in generally broad details that are very easy to work into sub assemblies and fun to assemble and paint. Doing a Stegadon, the howdah is an entirely different piece, as are the skinks.

The newer models are very detailed, but they tend to be interlinked in ways. The arm might be part of the cloak that attaches to the main body via the cloak for example. It can be quite irritating.

The "push fit" models are also a neat concept and generally go together pretty nicely. If someone doesn't want to have something difficult to assemble, the push fit models are great for it and still highly detailed for the most part.

Yeah think Seraphon is still due for a new codex and models, they are only on 2th edition still in AoS i think with a 3th edition on the way. But yeah they still do have alot of fantasy models still atleast most of the big units.

Have yet to try and paint Seraphon though but there is some gorgeous models there and their lore is awesome. Hopefully and most likely there is plenty of new models on the way for them.

[Poopymonster]

Yeah think Seraphon is still due for a new codex and models, they are only on 2th edition still in AoS i think with a 3th edition on the way. But yeah they still do have alot of fantasy models still atleast most of the big units.

Have yet to try and paint Seraphon though but there is some gorgeous models there and their lore is awesome. Hopefully and most likely there is plenty of new models on the way for them.

The Old World coming out Soon(tm) should undo a lot of the fuckery that Age of Smegmar did. Kill kill the man-things.

[Svifnymr]

Yeah think Seraphon is still due for a new codex and models, they are only on 2th edition still in AoS i think with a 3th edition on the way. But yeah they still do have alot of fantasy models still atleast most of the big units.

Have yet to try and paint Seraphon though but there is some gorgeous models there and their lore is awesome. Hopefully and most likely there is plenty of new models on the way for them.

Their codex isn't that old actually, last year they got a new one. I don't know if they're competitive in any way, but dinosaurs with lasers, so don't care much. By contrast, the Lumineth aelves are competitive but sort of boring, if overly intricate models at times.

The Seraphon ARE getting an Underworlds team, 5 new models, and maybe they'll get something new with the current Broken Realms stuff. Broken Realms seems like Psychic Awakening, which was the lead in to new 40K edition, but Broken Realms just started so I'd think maybe 2022 for a new AoS.

[ParanoiD84]

The Old World coming out Soon(tm) should undo a lot of the fuckery that Age of Smegmar did. Kill kill the man-things.

Haha yeah gonna be badass to have the old world return with all new novels/lore and tons of models for all the armies/factions.

My wallet screams already

- - - Updated - - -

The Seraphon ARE getting an Underworlds team, 5 new models, and maybe they'll get something new with the current Broken Realms stuff. Broken Realms seems like Psychic Awakening, which was the lead in to new 40K edition, but Broken Realms just started so I'd think maybe 2022 for a new AoS.

Right almost forgot about that yeah interesting stuff for sure and i guess they will start previewing those soon or hopefully soon.

[Svifnymr]

The Old World coming out Soon(tm) should undo a lot of the fuckery that Age of Smegmar did. Kill kill the man-things.

From everything I've seen, AoS vastly outsells any edition of Warhammer Fantasy, so when they do the Old World stuff it'll probably be a more focused one off product. It certainly won't "undo" anything of the AoS stuff, and I'm sure if they ever DO decide to merge the Realms into a new world, it'll be more AoS than Fantasy.