Andrew M. Tan

Andrew M. Tan, PhD is a commissioned miniature painter, photographer, and writer with more than 15 years of hands-on hobby experience. He founded and edits Tangible Day, drawing on a PhD in neuroscience and peer-reviewed research to write about attention, learning, and the craft of making things by hand. Full bio: https://tangibleday.com/andrew-m-tan/

Non-Metallic Metal (NMM) Sword (Blending with the Loaded Brush Technique)

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Non-metallic metal (NMM) painting is the technique of using regular paint (without metallic content) to give the illusion of a metallic, reflective surface. In general, NMM requires high contrast painted with smooth transitions from light-to-dark. There are many technique you can use to blend color in the NMM style of painting miniatures. You can wet-blend,

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The Gaahleri Mobius Airbrush: A Powerfully Reliable Tool for Miniature Painters

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Do you airbrush miniatures? If so, there’s a new twist on the block. For those who’ve explored airbrushing, you likely know how different airbrushes excel at specific tasks. For example, base coating requires an airbrush with a larger nozzle—like a 0.3 mm or larger—to efficiently spray thicker hobby acrylics onto your models. Similarly, priming models

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Elegoo’s Wash & Cure Station Review: Effortless Processing for 3D Resin Prints

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You know the feeling—you’ve poured hours into setting up your 3D print, waited patiently for it to finish, and then you’re faced with the messy reality of post-processing. It’s frustrating, time-consuming, and honestly, it sucks the joy out 3D printing miniatures with resin (at least for me). So, what are my overall thoughts about the

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Best Black Primer for Painting Miniatures

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Finding the perfect primer for your miniatures can feel like an endless quest. I’ve stood there myself, surrounded by options, trying to figure out which one will make my painting project more enjoyable and successful. A good black primer provides a solid foundation for successful painting results, enhancing shadows and ensuring paint adheres effectively to

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SOLO Task Lamp (Overview): Portable Lighting for Miniature Hobbies

Professional overview of the SOLO Task Lamp highlighting its features for hobbyists and creators.

As a creative hobbyist, I know how frustrating it is to work under inadequate lighting. Whether it’s painting miniatures or assembling models, poor lighting can distort colors, cast distracting shadows, and strain your eyes, making the experience less enjoyable. In this article, I share my excitement for the R9 SOLO task lamp from RedGrassCreative. If

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Top 5 Yellow Paints for Miniatures: A Comparison and Guide

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Painting yellow is a love-hate relationship for miniature painters. It’s vibrant, eye-catching, and iconic for armies like the Imperial Fists, but its poor coverage can make even seasoned painters grit their teeth. If you’re like me, you paint to relax, escape, and experiment with different colors to keep things fresh. In this article, I’ll compare

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10 Video Games That Could Be Miniature Games, If Not Already!

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I’ve been playing a lot of video games lately, partly because they are easy to get into. As a busy adult, video games are great escapism, especially the action RPGs, e.g., Diablo-esque. But, I miss the tabletop experience—the miniatures, the strategic layout, and the top-down perspective that offers control and immersion. As I dabble into

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10 Simple Photography Tips for Miniature Painters and Modelers

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Are you looking for simple tips to improve your miniature photography? Taking better pictures of your models and miniatures can really enhance your enjoyment of the hobby. Whether you’re a tabletop wargamer, a miniature painter, or scale modeler who creates immersive dioramas, you’ll want to capture great photos of your work to share with others.

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Comic Style Miniatures: How This Color Blind Artist Paints!

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How do you paint comic style or cel shaded miniatures? In this article, Neil Amswych shares his experience as a colorblind miniature painter, and his whimsical comic book style of painting. Read on to learn tips and insights into painting with a comic book style (e.g., cel shading) that you can use for boardgame miniatures,

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Elegoo Mars 5 Ultra: Is This the Best Resin 3D Printer for Tabletop Miniatures in 2025?

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Are you looking for the best 3D printer for miniatures? Speed, reliability, and resolution are the top 3 features you should be looking at. Enter the Elegoo Mars 5 Ultra: a promising tool for those looking to efficiently print highly detailed miniatures. I had the amazing opportunity to drive this printer through a number of

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