A Short How-To Guide
for Miniature Painting

 

First of all, I want to make it clear that I'm not an expert on painting miniatures. The ones you see here on this site are just about all that I've ever painted. So I'm not telling you how you should paint your minis -- I'm just telling you how I did it.

So if you want to be the Best Miniature Painter of All Time, then look elsewhere. There are plenty of people out there who can help you. But if you just want to paint your minis and have them look halfway decent, then read on.

Getting Started:

The first thing you'll want to do is to make sure that you have a suitable place to work. The area should be well-lit, with natural light if possible. I did most of my painting in the evening using a flourescent desk lamp. You'll also need an area with good ventilation for spraying primer 'n' such. Good ventilation, but not a lot of wind and dust....

Next you'll want to get your materials. Probably the best way to figure out what you'll need is to read through this guide and make a list as you go along. It's easier to get all of your stuff together before you begin painting.

Step 1: Stripping

If the miniatures haven't been painted, then go ahead and skip this step, but if they already been painted you'll want to strip them -- remove the old paint, in other words. This is easier than it sounds. Soak them in Pine-Sol for 24-48 hours, scrub them with an old toothbrush, and rinse them off with lukewarm water. Do yourself a favor and wear rubber gloves -- I didn't, and I paid for it.... Pine-Sol will suck the moisture right out of your skin and you won't know it until the next day.

Even though you can get generic pine cleaner for less money, the cheaper stuff has less pine oil (the stuff that gets the paint off), so go with the name-brand. It worked wonders for my old fantasy minis, and took off enamel that had been there for ten years.

Stripping minis this way won't take off all of the paint, but you can use toothpicks to get the areas that the brush can't get to. It'll still leave a little paint behind, but it won't matter.

Step 2: Remove "Flash" and Lines

"Flash" is excess lead left over from the casting process, and you'll want to get rid of it. You'll also want to get rid of the casting lines (the seams). You'll need an X-Acto blade and some small files to do this.

Prepare your work area before you get started. Lay down some paper to catch the lead dust. Remember that stuff is poisonous, so be sure there isn't a breeze going through the area that will stir it up. It also wouldn't be a bad idea to get a disposable mask to catch the dust before it finds its way into your lungs.

Use an X-Acto knife to get the big stuff, but before you start cutting, make sure that what you're taking off is really flash and not part of the mini. Gently shave off as much as you can, but don't worry about getting it perfect -- you can smooth it out with a file. I used a boxcutter for this part, but it was too big and clumsy.

You can get the little stuff with a file. Jeweler's files are perfect for the job, but they'll set you back fifteen or twenty bucks. I used a nail file and emery boards for this and they worked OK. The nail file (actually a metal emery board) was great for flattening the base of the miniatures, and the emery boards could be cut to a point (with my trusty boxcutter) to get the hard-to-reach areas.

When you're finished, carefully fold up the paper that -- hopefully -- has been catching the lead dust, and throw it away. Then go immediately to the next step.

Step 3: Cleaning

Even if you didn't follow the previous steps, cleaning is important because new miniatures still have a layer of crud on them from the casting process (you can't see it, but it's there), and handling them will transfer oil from your hands. If you don't clean your mini's before painting, the pain will eventually flake off. It'll also take off any lead dust that might be on them.

Use Ivory soap and an old toothbrush to give them a good scrub, then rinse them completely with hot water. Then set the miniature down and let it dry.

After this, you'll want to limit the time you spend handling it.

Step 4: Priming

Priming your miniatures is essential if you want the paint to stay on. Special primers are available that are made specifically for miniatures, but I didn't use it (it's way too expensive). I used standard spray primer for appliances and it worked just fine.

You'll need to choose a color. Primer comes in black, gray, and white. Using black primer makes your finished miniatures look darker, white makes them lighter, and gray is a mix. I used white, but it's all a matter of taste.

When I primed my miniatures, I did them all at once -- I followed the previous steps for all of them before I started painting. That made it a little quicker and easier.

When you're ready to start priming, cut up an old cardboard box and lay the miniatures down on it face-up, then make a quick pass over them with the primer. If you do it right, you'll have a solid, even layer if primer on the miniatires. You'll see areas that were missed because of the angle of the can while you were spraying, but don't worry about it -- you'll get it later.

Let them dry completely, then turn them over so that they're face down, then give that side a coat.

After the primer dries, flip the miniatures until they're face-up again, but with the opposite end pointed at you. Give them another coat. This will get the areas that you missed before.

Finally, turn them over one more time and give them a final coat. When you're finished, the miniatire should be completely primed and no metal should be visible.

A Few Notes About Paint

Before we go on, let me pass on a few things about paints. Hobby shops will try to sell you paint that is made specfically for miniatures, in colors like "Troll Green", "Orc Pus Yellow", and other cutesy names for a helluva lot of money. Don't go for it. Head down to Wal-Mart and pick up "Apple Barrel" acrylic paints. They work just fine and sell for about fifty cents a bottle.

I use acrylics because they're water soluble, which comes in handy for cleaning and for mixing washes. Enamel is tougher, but you'll need to use paint thinner.

If you get the cheap stuff, you can afford to get a full range of colors. Here's what I bought:

Black
White
Brown
Flesh
Red
Blue
Yellow
Violet
Green
Orange
Gold*
Silver*

* Not available in Apple Barrel, but you can get another brand for about $1.

While you're at it, pick up some sealer and brush cleaner. They come in bottles that should be in the same rack as the paint. You'll want to get some spray-on sealer, too. Flat spray-on sealer is best, but I could only find Matte (semi-gloss), so I bought a bottle of Matte paint-on sealer and a bottle of Gloss.

Step 5: Preparing to Paint

You'll want to mount your miniature before you begin painting. This way, you don't have to touch it. I mounted mine on cardboard squares left over from the box I cut up in step 4, and glued them on with my wife's hot glue gun. Then after painting they just popped right off.

Some folks mount them on popsicle sticks with Elmer's Glue. Whatever works for you. The main thing is for the miniature to stay mounted during painting, but come off when you're finished.

Step 6: The Eyes

The eyes are one of the most important parts of the miniature, because it gives them their personality. It's also one of the hardest parts to paint.

The easiest way to paint eyes is to use a fine brush and paint a black line down the middle of the eye. After that dries, paint a white line on either side of the black one. Then use your flesh color to cover up the "scribbles". Don't worry about eye color -- it won't make a difference.

Step 7: The Base Coat

Now it's time to really start painting. When you paint, do the lowest parts first. For example, paint the chest/neck first, then the shirt, then the jacket. Make sure to use the right brush for the job -- larger brushes for larger areas, and smaller brushes for the details.

When mixing colors, try to mix them a little lighter than you want them -- they'll darken when you apply the wash in the next step.

Paint one area at a time, and give it two coats.

As you go along, you'll get to know your paints. I usually painted three coats of black because one or two coats weren't dark enough. One coat of brown gave a nice, realistic leather effect that was great for satchels, jackets, etc.

Step 8: The Wash

Applying a wash adds a nice shadow effect to your miniatures that really brings out the details and gives them a finished look. Right now your miniature looks nice, but probably two-dimensional. When you're finished, it will look awesome.

Wait for your miniature to dry before you begin.

A wash is a mixture of paint and water, and the idea here is that when you apply the wash it will flow into the folds and crevices of the miniature, creating shadow effects. You may have to experiment a bit to get the right proportions of paint and water, but it should be about ten or more parts water to one part paint. Add less paint when in doubt -- you can always apply a second coat of wash if you don't have enough paint in it, but if you have too much paint, you're hosed.

An artist will tell you that shadows aren't black. The shadows on your face are brownish-red, on you're white T-shirt they're blue, etc. Don't worry about it. I did all of my washes in two colors -- brown and black. I tried using brownish-red for flesh, but it came out wrong.

Use a small container for mixing washes. I used a beer bottle cap, filled about 1/3 with water (covering the bottom of the cap), then added one drop of paint. Use brown for flesh tones, and black for everything else. I applied the brown wash first.

After adding a drop of paint, dip your paint brush into dishwashing liquid, then dip it into your wash. This lowers the surface tension of the wash so that it flows evenly. It sounds strange, but it's important that you do it, or else your miniature will look like crap.

Mix the wash thoroughly. The last thing you want is to get a glob of paint that wasn't mixed in.

Apply the wash, being careful that it doesn't flow into places where you don't want it. Apply less when in doubt. Wait for it to dry COMPLETELY before doing a second wash of a different color. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Step 9: Drybrushing

This is kind of an advanced technique, and I only used it on certain miniatures. When drybrushing, you're applying a small amount of paint to the raised surfaces of the miniature to create highlights.

Use an old brush for drybrushing, because it really tears them up.

Mix a lighter color than the base coat, and apply a small amount of paint to the brush, then wipe the excess on a piece of paper or a paper towel -- run your brush along it until it is barely leaving any paint. Then brush lightly over the raised surfaces. This should get you the effect that you want, but don't overdo it.

Again, you don't have to do this with every miniature. I didn't.

Step 10: Details

This is the fun part. Paint the mini's buttons, lips (orange works for this, believe it or not), and don't forget the eyebrows. It's also a good time to cover up any areas that were washed but weren't supposed to (white shirts, etc.)

Gice your mini a once-over to see if everything looks right, because you're almost finished painting. Then, when you're finished, it's time to apply the sealer.

Step 11: Sealer

Sealer is a clear material that coats your miniature and protects the paint. Don't skip this part, or else all of your work is for nothing.

Wait for your miniature to dry completely before applying the sealer -- if not, you'll be sorry. Then set the miniature on a piece of cardboard (I used the same one I used for priming) and spray it on. Make four passes -- front, back, and sides. After that dries, do it again.

After the second coat dries, use paint-on sealer to coat the base. Then use it to get any areas that the spray missed (if you use Matte, the unsealed areas will be dull).

Finally, use your paint-on Gloss sealer to coat things like shoes, burrons, eyes, etc. In this case, it doesn't matter if it's already covered with Matte sealer -- you're just making it shiny.

That's it -- You're finished!

Hints & Tips:

Easy Palette: Don't waste money buying a palette for mixing paints. I used a lid from a small tupperware bowl and covered it with aluminum foil. When you're finished painting, just take off the foil and throw it away. No need to wash anything.

Sequins: A great way to do sequined gowns is to drybrush gold over the base color. Though it seems to make sense, don't do it with silver -- it makes it look like the metal is showing through the paint.

See-thru Clothing: Do a base coat of even parts of flesh and whatever color the clothing is. Don't apply a wash. Then drybrush the clothing color over seams and folds in the clothing.

Colored Metallics: Add a small amount of colored paint to your silver. A little bit of black gives a nice grey gunmetal color -- equal parts black and silver look like iron. Gems and small glass/crystal objects look really nice when done this way with a coat of Glossy sealer.