Our Miniature Hobby Lifestyle
Want simple to follow tutorials with step-by-step photo instruction on how to paint your first or latest miniature or scale model figure?
If you’re new to the world of painting miniatures, it can be a bit overwhelming at first. There are so many different ways to paint, and so many different products available. But, don’t worry!
Here, you’ll find articles that walk you through stepwise in different painting projects. From choosing the right paints and brushes, to understanding the different techniques, these articles will cover everything you need to get started (and keep going!). More content added regularly, so check back often!
You’ve basecoated your model. The paint is opaque and smooth—but it looks flat. That flatness comes from a lack of contrast. Contrast is the movement from light to dark across a surface. It’s what gives a miniature depth, weight, and presence. Without it, even clean paint jobs feel unfinished. One of the easiest and fastest
How to Use Shades to Add Contrast to Miniatures (7 Simple Steps) Read More »
Are you ready to paint your first miniature? Maybe you just want to get started and feel like you need a clear refresher. Basecoating your miniature is the second most important step, immediately after priming your model. Basecoating miniatures is the process of applying the first solid color layer that everything else builds on. This
How to Basecoat Miniatures (7 Simple Steps for Smooth Results) 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 »
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. In
How to Dry Brush Miniatures and Models (Tips, Photos) 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 »
For miniature painters who want to share their work, or gamers that want to record their battle reports, capturing sharp and clear images is pretty important. The best way to take miniature photos is to keep your entire model sharp. You can also use a technique called “Focus-Stacking” to help you post-process your images to
How To “Focus-Stack”: 13 Steps to Improve Your Miniature Photos Read More »
Painting black on miniatures is a challenge. Even experienced miniature painters will hesitate when it comes to painting the color black. In this article, I’ll dive into my quick method for painting a realistic black color on miniatures and models. Here, I will also answer questions like: “How do I shade black?” or “What color
Painting Black on Miniatures: Expert Tips for Realistic Effects Read More »
Miniature painting, an art that demands precision, patience, and a sharp eye for detail, can be significantly enhanced by mastering the skill of achieving seamless blends on surfaces like cloaks. This technique has the potential to make your miniatures truly stand out. “Layering opaque color” to create smooth transitions between two colors is a basic
How to Blend Paint on Miniatures (Simple Tips for Layering Color) Read More »
If you’re new to painting board game miniatures and want to get started with speed painting, this post can guide you. Speed painting requires a different approach than traditional miniature painting. Board game miniatures are an excellent starting point for learning how to paint more quickly and effectively. In this article, I’ll show you fast,
Speed Painting Board Game Miniatures: A Step-by-Step Guide 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 »
If you want to paint a miniature army quickly and still keep readable light and shadow, Slap Chop is a method I’ve used in competition and commission work. Begin with a black undercoat, drybrush gray and white from above, then apply transparent color. It is a practical way to get models battle-ready without an airbrush.
How to Slap Chop Paint Miniatures With a Zenithal Drybrush Read More »
So, you’ve got a plastic miniature to paint. Now what? Painting plastic miniatures is a simple process. But, I know that the sight of an unpainted model’s surface triggers a kind of fear in some people. I’m here to show you how I paint any plastic miniature without worrying about messing it up. Once you
How to Paint Plastic Miniatures Step by Step (Beginner Guide) Read More »
Yellow can be hard to paint. Here’s the simple Contrast-paint and dry-brushing method I use for bright Imperial Fists.
How to Paint Yellow Space Marines (Easy and Fast) 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 »