Our Miniature Hobby Lifestyle
Are you looking to improve your miniature painting? Do you want to increase your arsenal of painting techniques? Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced painter, these articles will show you some new (and unique) ways to approach your painting projects.
One of the great things about painting miniatures is that there are endless possibilities when it comes to techniques. You can go as simple or as complex as you like, and there’s always something new to learn. Explore some different miniature painting techniques, or learn how to spin something you already know how to do.
Experimenting with different approaches can help you find new and better ways to achieve the results you want. It can also be a lot of fun! So don’t be afraid to get creative, and try something new today.
Ever want a miniature sword to look like it’s glowing with energy? A lightsaber or lightning power sword of some sort, perhaps. Or maybe you want understand how to paint an object glow effects but don’t know where to start. This practice drill teaches you the object source lighting (OSL) technique on a flat surface […]
How to Paint a Glowing Lightning Effect (OSL Practice Drill for Miniatures) Read More »
Ever painted a flame and ended up with something that looked more like a blob of ketchup and mustard than fire? You’re not alone. Painting fire can be deceptively tricky. Many painters instinctively highlight the outer tips, but real flames glow brightest at the core. In this guide, I’ll walk you through the one trick
How to Paint Realistic Flames: The Trick You Need to Know! Read More »
Do you want a fast and easy way to paint highlights on miniatures? Zenithal highlighting is a technique that quickly reproduces the light and shadows produced by an imaginary light source directly over the subject. Using a spray can or airbrush with a bright color, usually white, you spray directly downward onto a dark-colored model.
How to Airbrush Zenithal Highlights (Fast & Easy) Read More »
Ever spent hours painting a miniature, only to watch the paint chip away after a few gaming sessions? Frustrating, right? One of the biggest reasons this happens is skipping an essential first step—priming. You might wonder: Can’t I just use regular hobby paint to get started? It’s a common question, and the answer lies in
What’s the Difference Between Hobby Paint and a Primer for Miniatures? Read More »
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,
Non-Metallic Metal (NMM) Sword (Blending with the Loaded Brush Technique) 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 »
Want to paint miniatures faster? Have a horde army collection that still wears bare plastic gray? Speed painting and quality don’t usually mix well. But, with some planning and a few shortcuts, you can get a decent quality paint job on a miniature with little effort. In this article, I share some of my tips
Speed Painting Miniature Armies (Simple Tips and Tricks) Read More »
There are many different types of sealers that you can use to finish your miniatures and models. Miniature sealers come in both lacquer-based varnishes as well as water-based sealers, which have a lot of advantages over their solvent-based counterparts. There are also different finishes for the miniature sealer–matte, satin, or gloss. In this article I
Miniature Paint Sealers: Tips, Tricks, Guide 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 »
A wet palette is a great tool for miniature painters. It allows you to keep your acrylic hobby paints wet for long periods of time, helps thin your paints for proper consistency, and allow you to mix custom colors without worrying they will dry out. But, did you know there are 3 other applications that
3 Best Things You Can Do With a Wet Palette Read More »
Okay, so you want to dry brush miniatures? Dry brush painting is one of the simplest and most under-rated ways to paint miniatures. When painting miniatures, many people head straight for the more advanced techniques. But, why? Dry brushing is not only simple, but many professional painters rely on it to complete their work. Dry
How to Dry Brush Miniatures and Models (Tips, Photos) Read More »
How do you thin your paint for painting miniatures and models? Whether you’re painting with Citadel paints, The Army Painter, or other hobby paints, you’ll want to thin your acrylic paints for the best results. The main reason why you want to thin your paint for miniatures is to give you more control over paint
How to Thin Hobby Paints for Miniatures (10 Useful Ways) Read More »
Acrylic inks are an essential tool for any miniature painter. I’ve discussed using inks for washes, glazes, and highlighting, as well as the best techniques for incorporating them into the hobby. In this article, I’ll cover some of the most effective ways to use inks when painting miniatures. In this article, I review 8 great
8 Great Uses for Inks in Miniature Painting 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 »
The HABIT of speed painting minimizes overthinking and helps maintain a natural, dynamic look. The miniatures usually require fewer touch-ups when painted quickly. Slowing down often invites unnecessary fussing, which can detract from the overall effect. Ultimately, I often find that faster painting results in better miniatures. In this overview, I focus on sharing things
Join the Speed Painting Club: Best Practice and Exercise Read More »