Category: Guide

Guide: Top 3 Tips for Painting

There are a lot of things that you learn while painting that don’t seem intuitive, so here is my list of the top 3 things you should know before painting.

1. Paint in groups.

It may seem tempting to work on 1 mini at a time, but that is incredibly inefficient. Group up similar minis and paint 1 color at a time, this way you have to switch colors less often and get more practice with each color.

2. Don’t use too much.

If you accidentally thin your paints a little more than you should you may find a layer of paint that looks translucent. Don’t add more watered-down paint. Let each layer dry, then apply more paint, otherwise, the paint will pool together and your mini will lose definition.

3. Buy a tiny brush.

You might purchase a pack of brushes, or try to use some smaller oil paintbrushes to paint your minis. It might seem stupid to spend 5 dollars on a brush with a tip as thin as a piece of hair. But it is so helpful. You can use tiny brushes to paint thin lines, get in between pieces, or fix small mistakes. It is one of my most important tools.

I hope this was helpful, and good luck.

Guide: Assembling Your Models

So you have found a model you like, but are unsure how to assemble it. The process is pretty simple but there are a few tricks that might not be too obvious.

Step 1: Fake Assembly

Before you start glueing like a mad man you should try seeing how all the pieces fit together. Assembling it without glue can help you see which parts to glue first, and which to glue after you paint them. You don’t want a pesky shield blocking you from painting your knight’s chest plate.

Step 2: Assembly

If you are using plastic models this step will be fairly easy. Just grab some super glue from your local hardware store and add a few drops to each section. It’s always better to underdo and reglue, so keep that in mind before you pour the entire bottle out. If you are assembling metal models you may want to prime your models first before glueing, as the primer can help the glue adhere to the metal.

Step 3: Priming

So your models are coming together, but before you start painting, make sure to prime your model. Priming helps the paint adhere to the model and keeps it from flaking off, it also acts as a base colour. If you paint directly on metal models your paint may look shiny or glossy. To prime, simply place your models on an old newspaper or canvas, and use a white spray-on primer. Make sure to go lightly, moving in left and right motions, as the last thing you want to do is overprime, because then the paint will pool together and cover the finer details of the model. Make sure to lightly spray each side multiple times, waiting 30-45 minutes in between. Make sure you do this in a well-ventalated area while wearing the proper safety equipment, as inhaling paint fumes can be very dangerous. If you want a little more detail on your models, you can prime them in a special way. Prime them in black, then spray them top-down with a light white coating, this way, the tops of the models with be lighter than the bottoms, and when you paint the colors of your paints will vary in shade.

 

And now you’re done. Not that hard right? The thing to remember is the more time you put in the more you will get out. So be patient while you assemble and prime.