Miniature Painting

[Traveon Wyvernspur]

Not sure if this has been covered here before or not. If so, I apologize.

I'm looking to get into painting minis and have searched a bit using Google on tutorials. I'm just not sure if the results are giving me the best of the best to learn from.

Does anyone have any suggestions on sites, pod-casts, or videos that I should look up to learn from?

Examples:
What tools/materials I should have on hand (paints/glues/etc)?
Assemble minis correctly so that they are sturdy?
Paint the mini properly so they look nice?
Work on the bases/scenery, how to make them look nice?

 

[Storminator]

I suggest starting with a small subset of what you've listed there. Paint some minis without worrying about the basing. You can always go back and base some painted minis later. Likewise, I would start with one piece minis, so no assembly. For the first few minis, I wouldn't even worry about cleaning up the sculpt (mold lines, flashing, etc). In a few months you'll be embarrassed by your early attempts anyway, so just concentrate on one lesson at a time (and the first lesson should be painting).

The most important technique in painting minis is brush control, and that mostly comes with practice. Something that GREATLY helps with brush control is brush care. So see if you can find some advice about that, and get some good brush cleaning soap.

Personally, I like to hotglue the mini to a plastic soda bottle cap, so I can hold the cap and not the mini.

I would suggest popping over the reapermini forums. Those folks live for this kind of question.

PS

 

[SeprenMaelstrom]

I've found a tutorial to get started on mini painting from MiniWarGaming [called MiniWarGaming Guide To Painting Minis]. They seem to have a fair few other instructional pieces as well. I'm using their material to help start and refine my drybrushing, highlights, shade and dirtying. I'm also working with clay minis I'm making myself, so I can't offer a lot of advice on constructing the plastic or pewter models. Good luck though!

 

[pogre]

I'll second the suggestion to check out reapermini forums.

Also head over to coolminiornot and check out their articles. Lots of great stuff there - their forums are considerably less friendly to newbies than Reaper's.

Check out the tutorials over at Brush thralls too tons of good stuff.

 

[czak]

I'll third the suggestion to go to reapermini. The people on the forums are very helpful, and they don't care what brand of mini you are painting (doesn't have to be a reaper sculpt).

Here's a start: Reaper Miniatures :: Thecraft


Edit- I quite liked the learn to paint kit series that reaper put out. Not sure if it is still in production or if it is still a good deal (prices change etc...).

 

[TheObserver]

Games Workshop has a quite a bit on miniature painting. Their tutorials definately helped take my painting to another level. Good luck and practice and more practice will pay off in the long run.

Here are a couple of good links with free info as well.

Getting Started Painting Miniatures

How to paint faces and skin - Tutorial ? Chest of Colors

 

[Mark CMG]

pogre's got some links in his thread. The thread dates back almost a decade, so some of the older links might not be functional but there's a lot of good info right in the thread itself -

http://www.enworld.org/forum/media-...thread-rise-runelords-project-8-3-2012-a.html

A lot of the painting tip and modeling links I have at MFWars.com should be useful to you also -

MF WARS

 

[Mr. Greengoat]

I will totally be a shill and suggest reading my article I wrote on my group's blog a while back. All my beginner advice is in there, and maybe a couple comments that are not in other tutorials on the internet.

anybody can paint minis, partone The Mule Abides

anybody can paint minis: part two The Mule Abides

anybody can paint minis, part three The Mule Abides

anybody can paint minis, part four The Mule Abides

Otherwise my big advice is to just paint you minis up an not worry about "proper" technique. There is more than one way to skin a kobold.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Check this site out for helpful folks and inspiration,

CoolMiniOrNot - The Internet's largest gallery of Painted Miniatures and Miniature Painting art - Site

 

[FATDRAGONGAMES]

There's a lot of good videos on painting minis on Youtube as well.