Our Miniature Hobby Lifestyle
Make your hobby work stand out! Whether you’re a casual enthusiast or a passionate professional, making your work stand out is important. After all, there’s nothing worse than spending hours on a project only to have it look like everyone else’s.
One way to make your work stand out is by using miniature and modeling special effects. By adding these special touches, you can take your work to the next level and make it truly unique.
There are endless ways to add special effects to your work. Below you’ll find articles with ideas, inspiration, and methods for adding special effects to your models and miniatures.
Dry brushing is an essential miniature painting technique because it has so many uses in the hobby. It’s also one of the easiest methods to learn, which makes it popular among both novice and experienced painters. Whether you’re painting minis for tabletop wargames or roleplaying games, e.g., DND, or board game miniatures, dry brushing is […]
3 Popular Uses for Dry Brushing Miniatures (Tips) Read More »
Are you looking for a fast and easy way to paint the armor panel lines on your miniatures? The thin, narrow panel lines you find on miniatures like Gunpla, Warhammer 40k armored units, or military scale model vehicles, aren’t easy to paint. For best results, the panel lines should be painted with a dark paint,
How to Shade Panel Lines and Recesses with Watercolor (Fast and Simple) Read More »
Dive into the grimdark universe of Warhammer 40k with the precision of a skilled Inquisitor as we explore the exhilarating world of miniature photography featuring the stellar line of JoyToy action figures. This guide will expose you to the basic techniques (and inspiration) needed to capture stunning toy photography images. Deploy your camera and rally
JoyToy Warhammer 40k Action Figure Toy Photography (Gregory Culley) Read More »
The US Moon landing in 1969 first gave us a real view of what Warhammer 40k xenomorphs may have seen as they prepared for the invasion of Terra. Whether by human eye or bio-electrical organs, the visible otherworldly landscape is often where battles wage for many tabletop wargames. How do you create this “look” in
My Favorite Citadel Technical Paint and How to Use Astrogranite Debris (Review) Read More »
How do you paint Necrons? Necrons are a science fictional race of aliens that you can play in the tabletop miniatures game in the Games Workshop Warhammer 40,000 Universe. The Necron line of miniatures are unique and highly-detailed sculpts that come in plastic kits. As with all Games Workshop models, Necron kits come with easy
How to Paint Necrons Fast and Easy (Photo Tutorials) Read More »
Are you a miniature painter in need of some creativity? Then look no further than photography, an art form that uses light as the primary medium. Taking photos is about more than just the technical components; it’s about expressing yourself and conveying your own unique story. Gregory Culley is a master of grimdark photography and
Gregory Culley: Grimdark Photography Methods and Madness Read More »
Are you trying to paint models for a diorama, a tabletop wargame? Military tank miniatures from wargames like Bolt Action, Flames of War, or even Warhammer 40K can be fun but challenging to paint well. For the scale modelers who aren’t sure where to start with the process, tanks are one of the best places
How to Paint Model Tanks (8 Basic Steps) Read More »
If you’re a miniature painter, odds are you’ve heard of zenithal priming. This unique method of priming minis provides a great foundation for painting, and can really help bring out the details in your figure. In this article, I’ll walk you through the steps of zenithal priming and show you how to get the most
Zenithal Priming and Painting Miniatures – A Tutorial Read More »
Are you looking for a fast and easy way to paint a stone base? The base of a miniature adds a huge amount of atmosphere to a model. Stone or cracked rocky terrain is a common motif in a lot of fantasy miniatures, e.g., Warhammer Age of Sigmar, and other tabletop hobby games. A base
How to Paint Stone Ruin Bases for Miniatures (Tutorial) Read More »
The cracked earth effect is a great way to add some depth to your miniatures. It can be used for all sorts of ideas, from lava effects, ice and dried desert scenes. The base of a model adds key scenery and context for your painted models, which completes the overall look of a great paint
How to Paint a Cracked Base in 5 Minutes (Tutorial) Read More »
Are you looking for a way to smooth out your paint layers on miniatures? Miniature painting often requires that a painter blend multiple colors together to create transitions on a model’s surface. Although there are many color blending techniques, a tried and true approach is to combine paint “layering” with “glazing” to create smooth blends
Layering and Glazing for Non-Metallic Metal (NMM) Blending Read More »
Are you looking to base your model with realistic looking dirt, desert, or earth? The easiest way to base your models is to use sand and glue. With a bit of ink, an eye for color and contrast, you can finish a lot of models with great looking bases. Basing your miniatures with sand is
Basing Miniatures with Sand (Quick Method) Read More »
How do you paint marble effects on your miniatures? You can use the marbleizing technique to paint miniature bases, stylize stone effects, and even create elaborate terrain pieces. Using marble effects can add significant interest to a model. Of course, there are a few key elements you need to know for creating compelling, realistic looking
How to Paint Marble Effects on Miniatures (3 Easy Steps) Read More »
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,
Comic Style Miniatures: How This Color Blind Artist Paints! Read More »
Acrylic paint is the favored medium for painting miniatures and models. But, did you know you can paint your models with oil paints, too? Oil wash filters and weathering with oil paints create amazing effects that can add realism to your miniatures. If you’re painting wargaming models, e.g., Warhammer 40k or Age of Sigmar, then
Painting Miniatures with Oil Paints: Guide and Tips! Read More »