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Message: <blockquote data-quote="mps42" data-source="post: 3677218" data-attributes="member: 9571">Retun to splendour!I am by no means a expert mini painter but I will give some info. 1) My collection of minis dates back to the late 1970's, and 99.9% of them are unpainted. Most of the painted ones are larger minis, like dragons and a Grenadier Pit Fiend. The jobs are, at best, garish. Hey- I was a kid! What do I need to do to improve the paint jobs on them? Can I simply overpaint on minis (at least, those with few fine details), or is stripping them first neccessary? If so, what is best? (No Conan quotes!) I tried stripping the Pit Fiend with only marginal results. You will want to strip the minis that are already painted to get a good, clean starting surface. A good, inexpensive stripper is Simple Green. Just fill a small cup or something (depending on the size of the mini and how many you're stripping) with undiluted Simple Green, cover and let sit at least overnight, scrub off the old paint with a stiff brush (not wire), rinse and wipe dry with a low-lint cloth (old sheets work well).2) To Prime or not to Prime? Does it really help? If so, what is a good one to use?Prime! Definitely prime! Pretty much any spray primer will work.3) Paints: When I started this all those decades ago, I used the same model paints I was using for my plastic models of cars & planes, with mixed results. Is the same stuff in use today? What are the better brands? What are the essential colors?No, you do not want to use model paints. Use craft paint or actual Mini paint. The better brands are somewhat a matter of opinion but Citadel or Vallejo are generally considered the best. As for colors, it depends on what you'll be painting first and whether you'll be painting "realistic" or "fantastic". I generally go for realistic and so use lots of browns and such.4) Neccessary equipment: Back in the day, I was frustrated at my inability to paint all those small details, so I mainly stuck to bigger figs. It wasn't until a few years ago that I saw a magnifiying glass setup with a base & alligator clips. DUH!So, besides something like that, what kind and size of brushes etc. do I need? Get good quality brushes. Sable or Golden Taklon are decent. I use #2 flat for dry-brushing and painting large areas, 10/0 flat for finer dry brushing and medium to small areas and a 18/0 spotter for the REALLY fine stuff like eyes. However I use a Micron .005 mm pen for the pupils. Works Great!5) I know I need to follow the KISS method. Any suggestions on where to begin?I would say figure out what you have the most of and start with those because you'll be using mostly the same colors and, therefore, a smaller initial outlay in paints. Also, realize that your first dozen or so minis will likely look like crap. It's okay! Keep working and learn from it and, when you get better, you can strip them and repaint them with your new mad painting skills!If it matters, the Great Grey Army numbers in the thousands, and dates back to the 1970s. It includes brands like Grenadier, Heritage, Ral Partha, Rackham, Reaper, Dreampod 9, Heartbreaker, WotC Chainmail minis etc., and cover Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Supers, Mecha, and fusion types.  It doesn't really matter what KIND of mini's you have. Strip 'em, prime 'em and get painting. Oh, and post pics!</blockquote>

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