Did you know that a messy desk can increase stress and make hobby work more difficult? Of course, you did. An organized miniature painting workspace helps you enjoy enjoy the process of painting. Let’s take a look at why you should be organizing your miniature hobby supplies, and why it will improve your miniature painting experience.
Key Points
- It’s not just about the painting miniatures and models, but also about how much time it takes to find what you need when you need it.
- You can spend less time looking for things and more time painting!
- Organizing your miniature hobby supplies will make them easier to find and use, which means that your work will be more efficient and enjoyable.
- Let’s take a look at why organizing is so important for any painter or artist who has a lot of miniature projects and how to work more, efficiently.
Why You Should Organize Your Miniature Painting Space
A messy space and clutter has been shown to exacerbate anxiety and depression, according to the Harvard Business Review. Organization and a clear workspace can make any hobbies, such as painting models, more comfortable and possibly allow for longer painting sessions.
Imagine how much more fun it will be to paint without the stress losing your stuff in a pile of crap. Ultimately, an organized hobby workspace is good for your mental health!
From a practical standpoint, storing paints and supplies in a safe place will also lessen the chance of losing them. Frustrated with jumping into a hobby that doesn’t seem to go your way?
Struggling to get more work done when you’ve already had a lot going on in your life? Make it easier to dive into your miniature hobby by keeping things ready to paint when you want to.
It’s important to set up an area that let’s you paint without distractions. Sure, not everyone has a dedicated space and desk to work. But, there are collapsible, portable workstations you can get that can keep things organized and ready for you to deploy at a moment’s need.
How to Organize Your Miniature Painting Desk and Hobby Workspace
The best way to organize your miniature painting desk and paint stations is with a good hobby desk or workbench. As mentioned, I realize not everyone has the privilege of space, but a simple coffee table or kitchen table would do well, too.
All you need is some storage containers–shelves, boxes, drawers–or other places to separate paints, art media, brushes, and tools from each other in modular compartments. Importantly, the key is to have the tools or paints that you need close by and easily accessible.
Desktop organization shelves or racks that sit right on your tabletop will make access to the right supplies when you need them immediately easier. Not only can you see where things are, you don’t need to anything other than reach across your table.
I don’t know how many times I’ve been frustrated by the need to stop and search for that specific brush or paint color I needed. By keeping organized, I can spend more time enjoying my hobby.
Best Organization Solutions for Hobby Paints and Brushes
I’ve written about the best organization solutions elsewhere for miniature hobbies. There are many types of shelving racks for model paints, including my current favorite portable workstation.
Brush holders, e.g., mugs, paint cups, and horizontal brush racks, can make accessing your priority tool easy without fumbling around your workspace. This way you can keep all of your supplies in one place without having them cluttering together.
Here are 3 popular desktop organization solutions for hobby workspaces
| Image | Product | Features | More Details and Price |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
JKB Concepts Desktop Paint Organizer and Brush Holder | If you’re frustrated by messy brush drawers or puzzling over how to store them, the JKB Concepts package is perfect. The genius idea of a bead-weighted holder lets you easily store your paint brushes vertically. This paint rack is a simple and easy storage option and doesn’t take up much room either. | Check Price |
 |
Rotating Essential Oil Display Stand | This is the perfect display rack for your model paints. It takes up a minimal amount of space but can still hold a ton of bottles and pots. This clever rotating display stand spins around to provide easy access when you’re looking for that one bottle of paint. It will accommodate most kinds of paint from Games Workshop’s Citadel range to Vallejo colors. | Check Price |
 |
Hex Hive Craft Modular Hobby Organization and Storage Rack | Modular, modular, modular! You can never have enough paint storage space or places for all of your related hobby supplies. With this innovative design, you store paints, brushes, and other things without taking up much desk space as other traditional designs. Plus it’s totally modular with unlimited paint storage capacity when you purchase additional modules. | Check Price |
8 Motivational Tips for Miniature Painting When Working in a Clean, Tidy Space
When I’ve had the opportunity to work in a clean, tidy space, it’s been easier for me to stay motivated to paint. When I have an organized hobby desk for painting, it takes less time to find things and I can also enjoy painting more often.
Here are 8 tips for how to stay motivated to paint miniatures:
- Create a designated area for miniature painting where you can be creative and experiment. This area should contain everything you need for your hobby: paints, brushes and other accessories, such as palettes and paint mixers.
- Keep your miniature painting desk clear of clutter which will help reduce stress. Avoid piling items on your desk or stacking paints or bottles on top of each other as this could lead to an accidental spill.
- Buy a few special items for your miniature painting desk such as paints, brushes and other accessories that are particularly nice to use. This will help you get more excited about painting! Check out these luxury hobby goods.
- Set aside time each day to paint miniatures in your designated area so it becomes routine.
- Start painting miniatures in your designated area as soon as you sit down to work.
- If it’s too difficult for you to stay motivated, why not ask a friend or family member if they would be interested in painting with you?
- Keep yourself accountable by creating goals for how many miniatures you want to paint each month.
- Find inspiration from other miniature painters on YouTube or Instagram!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How do you organize your working place for hobbies?
The best way to organize your working place is to create a defined space at your desk where you paint. The work surface for painting should be level with the desk’s surface and away from any piles of items that might cause distractions while you’re concentrating on painting.
What is your prefered way to keep your paints and tools?
I organize my paints and tools on wide paint rack trays, so I can see everything at a quick glance. My preferred way to store my brushes is in neat, tidy rows, lying horizontally. I’m working with vertical brush storage solutions, too. Both work well and are much better than piles of brushes on the table or in a drawer. This way I know what brush type and quality to grab when I’m ready to paint.
Where do you keep your finished miniatures?
I keep my finished painted miniatures in a closed glass shelving display case. If they are for games I play, such as Warhammer 40k, I tend to also store my models in foam transport bags.
Where do you keep sprues and WIP minis?
I typically keep my empty sprues in a box or bin, e.g., tupperware or shoebox, with a lid to keep things tidy and stackable. I like recycling my empty plastic sprues whenever I can. I place all my work-in-progress miniatures on a shelf away from any working surfaces so I don’t accidently spill or mess them up. I tend to work on multiple painting projects at the same time, so I make sure I have plenty of open space for keeping models safe until they’re varnished and sealed.
What is your lightsource? What is best for minipainting?
My favorite lamp for hobby work, including miniature painting, is the Neatfi XL task lamp. It’s super bright, but provides a nice soft light that helps me see details and contrast well on any model I’m working on. The illumination is also wide and covers my entire desk. You can see my review of the Neatfi XL lamp in this article. It comes down to personal preference. Here is a guide and review of how to find the best lamp for your miniature painting space.
Conclusion
Do you have a miniature hobby workstation? If not, it’s time to get one! A hobby painting station is the perfect place for all of your miniature painting supplies.
It can be used as centralized hobby HQ to store and retrieve your favorite paints, brushes, and more. Most are affordable that are compact enough to fit on almost desk or tables you setup for your hobby space..
Organization will not only make your life easier, but also help keep your hobby area clean and tidy which will increase motivation and reduce stress. More comfort = more fun!
Until next time, happy miniature painting!
Tangible Day on YouTube (Miniatures and More!)
Pingback: Refreshing Your Home Without Hardhats | Home Renovation Company - Home Remodel services East Cobb, Roswell, GA Sandy Springs, GA Brookhaven, GA Atlanta, GA Marietta, GA Buckhead, GA Brookhaven, GA, Home Remodeler, Home improvement, Bathroom remodel, Kitch