Painting Articles

Welcome to a library of fantastic articles related to the painting of miniatures and models. If you’re a tabletop gamer, a miniature hobbyist, or artist of any genre, there is something to learn here. These painting articles are written by professional miniature painters.

Marike Reimer: How I Painted a Crystal Brush Award Winning Miniature

1 Comment / Lessons & Tips, Painting Articles
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What is the process for painting miniatures competitively? Or, how do professional miniature painters, well, paint? As with any artistic endeavor, every individual has a unique approach and style. The miniature painting hobby is awesome because it has an amazing community of artists, gamers, and teachers. Whether you’re a tabletop gamer, e.g., wargames or board […]

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Necron Paint Schemes (9 Color Motifs and Ideas)

Leave a Comment / Lessons & Tips, Painting Articles, Warhammer

Are you looking for paint color scheme ideas for a Necron army? The Necrons are a fully robotic “species” with humanoid form that wield technological power that is second-to-none in the Warhammer 40k Universe. As an alien race in the Games Workshop Universe, Necrons are a playable army of tabletop miniatures in the Warhammer 40,000

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Painting Miniatures with Oil Paints: Guide and Tips!

26 Comments / Lessons & Tips, Painting Articles, Painting Techniques, Special Effects
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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

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Stormcast Eternals Paint Schemes (9 Color Motifs)

Leave a Comment / Lessons & Tips, Painting Articles, Warhammer
Stormcast Eternal Paint Schemes - 9 Color Motifs - how to paint stormcast eternals - color schemes for stormcast eternals, liberators, celestants, and other Age of Sigmar models from the Stormcast Eternal range - 9 color schemes for Stormcast Eternal models and miniatures from Citadel Games Workshop - Banner header image

Are you looking for color scheme ideas for a Stormcast Eternals army? The Stormcast are the once-mortal champions of Order found in the Warhammer Age of Sigmar Universe. Stormcast Eternals are a fighting force created by Sigmar Heldenhammer, also known as the God-King or simply as Sigmar, the lord of the Realm of Azyr. The

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Best Alternative to Winsor & Newton Series 7 Brushes for Painting Miniatures?

4 Comments / Brushes, Painting Articles, Reviews

Are you looking for a cheap alternative to Winsor & Newton Series 7 brushes for painting miniatures and models? For the mini painter, the Winsor & Newton Series 7 line of paint brushes are the gold standard. However, the Series 7 line of kolinsky sable paint brushes are expensive, often more than $20-30, per brush.

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25 Reasons Why Regular Brush Miniature Painting is Always Better Than Airbrushing

2 Comments / Editorials, Painting Articles
25 reasons not to airbrush - why regular miniature brush painting is always better than airbrushing - airbrush vs hand painting miniatures and models - advantages of regular brush painting compared to airbrushing

You feel the urge to paint minis, perhaps in the morning, or in the late evening after the day’s duties are done. It’s a weekday, or a Saturday, who cares. You’ve got the itch to pick up a brush. You hobble to your desk, littered with art supplies; oh, so messy. But, beautiful because you

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How to Paint Board Game Miniatures: Cthulhu Wars

1 Comment / Board Games, Lessons & Tips, Painting Articles, Step by Step

Do you play board games with miniatures? Tabletop games with miniatures are especially fun because they add an extra level of tactile immersion. Even better, of course, are board games with painted miniatures. Of all the games that you can enhance with painted miniatures, Cthulhu Wars (Peterson Games) is a particular stand-out! In this article,

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50 Miniature Painting Tips: What I Learned as a Commissioned Painter

8 Comments / Hobby Articles, Lessons & Tips, Painting Articles
50 Miniature Painting Tips: What I Learned as a Commissioned Painter - Essential painting tips for miniatures and models - how to paint miniatures - how to paint models and miniatures for warhammer 40k and tabletop wargames

I’ve painted miniatures for a long time. Along the way I’ve gathered up a collection of miniature painting tips that have helped me. Many of the tips and tricks I’ve learned are from providing a miniature painting service. Through the years, I’ve learned how-to be a more effective painter. Of course, I’m always looking for

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Watercolor Washes: How to Paint a Warmachine Warjack (10 Steps! )

1 Comment / Lessons & Tips, Painting Articles, Painting Techniques, Step by Step, Warmachine and Hordes
Watercolor Washes: How to Paint a Warmachine Warjack (10 Steps!) - Painting miniatures and models with watercolor and acrylics

Are you painting miniatures and looking for new techniques to try? Miniature painting tutorials are everywhere. But, the use of watercolor for washing miniatures is a fairly unique way to paint models. In this article, I show you how to paint a warjack from the Retribution of Scyrah faction of Privateer Press’ Warmachine tabletop strategy

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Top 7 Best Washes for Painting Miniatures and Models (Tips)

6 Comments / Lessons & Tips, Paint and Media, Painting Articles, Reviews
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Are you looking for the best washes for painting miniatures? How do you know what wash to use for your models? Acrylic washes are a thinned version of paint. Washes provide a way for you to darken, shift-color, or even highlight parts of your model. If you use washes a certain way, the techniques also

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How to Choose a Miniature Painting Color Scheme (5 Simple Ways)

2 Comments / Lessons & Tips, Painting Articles, Painting Techniques, Warhammer

Are you trying to choose a paint color scheme for your miniatures? Looking for a good paint scheme for Warhammer 40k or other tabletop games? Even if you’re familiar with painting techniques, you’ll still need to know what colors to choose for painting miniatures. In this article, I share with you 5 simple ways you

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Top 5 Best Vortex Hobby Paint Mixers for Miniature Painters

2 Comments / Paint and Media, Painting Articles, Reviews
Powered vortex hobby paint mixer shown with miniature paint bottle and title text for best vortex mixers - banner

Are you tired of shaking your huge collection of model paints every time you need to use them? Tabletop vortex mixers are commonplace in many commercial industries, but are great for serious hobbyist too. Hobby paints formulated for miniature painting are notorious for separating out in their bottles when left alone for extended periods of

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21 Great How-To Books for Painting Miniatures (So Far)

8 Comments / Painting Articles, Painting Techniques, Reviews, Scale Modeling
How to books for painting miniatures - Best books for learning how to paint minis and models

When I was learning how to improve my miniature painting, I was always on the look-out for resources to learn from. Of course, there are many ways to learn how to paint miniatures: you can watch YouTube videos, take classes, join a club, find online tutorials, or look for books. As I was searching the

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Citadel Contrast Paints: Worth It?

21 Comments / Paint and Media, Painting Articles, Reviews
Citadel Contrast Paint: Worth it? Review and Tips

Are you wondering if the new Citadel Contrast Paints are worth it? The Citadel Contrast Paints are a potentially game changing tool for miniature painters. Unlike ‘regular’ miniature paints, Citadel Contrast Paints are paints designed specifically for new painters or people who want to get their tabletop models and miniatures painted quickly. In this article,

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