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dehro
2019-09-12, 09:47 AM
More specifically, what, other than minatures obviously, should be in a decent starter kit, in terms of paints, washes, brushes and what have you?
I'm watching the Painters Guild videos on youtube (Geek and sundry).
I remember my arts and crafts days from school with clear memories of flunking most assignements on account of not being any good at drawing, and know full well I am going to ruin at least a few miniatures utterly, even with those fairly well detailed tutorials (they're not, I know..but you get my meaning).
My point is, I would like to give painting a D&D miniature a go.
What are the essentials that I should get to do a proper job without spending a fortune for things I will end up never using?
Is there a decent starter kit or something like it? what products that are not in such a kit would you suggest I acquire?

Imbalance
2019-09-12, 10:21 AM
You and I are on the same edge of exploration. I haven't done much model work since the 90's, and the last miniature I did was a Spawn mod when HeroClix was new. I recently got back into it with sculpting and putty, and while I am pretty pleased with the results so far I have to admit that I'm scared to paint them. I'm going to force myself, though.

I don't have any good recommendations other than to try it and learn and don't give up. Give yourself plenty of opportunity to fail, then, get better on the next one. And the next one. And the next one.

I've shopped for some kits for myself, plenty to choose from in the $50-$100 range that include everything. Since I still have a number of brushes from back in the day among other supplies, I really just need some new paint, and it looks like Vallejo's USA basic set has good reviews and selection within my budget. I'm not endorsing, just sharing my intentions. I'm hoping to get started in the next few weeks.

There are some real pros around that will hopefully help you get rolling. Have fun!

farothel
2019-09-12, 10:42 AM
It will probably depend on a number of factors, including but not limited to:
-how many miniatures do you intend to paint? Is it just one or two, or are you going to get a range like a warhammer army?
-are the miniatures metal or plastic? If you're not good at painting, I would suggest trying to get metal ones, as you can easily strip the paint off and try again. Doing that with plastic figures melts the plastic.
-what kind of detail do you want to achieve?
-Does it matter that they are all done in the same colour scheme? For instance, do you mind if they all have woodland pattern clothing, or do you want to do each in a different pattern? The latter is more expensive, as you need more different kinds of paints.


For a starter kit, I would say 2-3 brushes (at least one very fine one for the details), 1 drybrush, a primer (often spray paint canister) and then the colours you want. I'm not sure about the prices now, but $100 should indeed get you a long way, and those warhammer type paints bottles hold enough paint to do quite a number of models (I've painted 2 warhammer armies, although already years ago, and I never ran out on one of my paints).

Drache64
2019-09-12, 11:04 AM
I play Warhammer 40k and other table war games where you model and paint everything. This has led to players asking me to teach them painting skills or just letting me paint their minis (I say "letting" because it's a hobby and I love it).

That being said, if you're new to painting and want something to look great with very little skill get the following:

Determine your primary color: is your characters mostly wearing 1 color? Then that's your primary color.

Buy a spray paint of that color a little lighter than you want.

Buy an ink wash, I recommend nuln oil or agrax Earxshade from games workshop.

Buy any other colors you want, you can start with acrylic but you really should move on to actual miniatures paints from games workshop or army painter.

Then base coat, hit all the other colors like flesh, metal, accents etc.

Then hit it all with your wash and it will look amazing.

As you get comfortable you can then go back and dry brush and highlight.

I use this technique to paint 100 minis at a time for Warhammer, and to any but the competition painter it looks great.

The Library DM
2019-09-12, 11:25 AM
Don’t waste money on a starter set of any kind.
Instead, go to a decent arts & craft store. A chain store like Michaels, Jo-Ann, or Hobby Lobby will be just fine and probably cheaper.

Think about the colors you want the figure to have, and buy matching acrylic water-based craft paints in the little plastic bottles. Delta Ceramcoat is a good brand. Always select a good flat white and a good flat black; you’ll be using these. DO NOT USE ENAMEL PAINTS, such as Testors Model Paints. They’re a pain, and hard to clean up. Buy distilled water for use as a mixer.


Get a decent brand of spray paint primer, like Krylon. (You can use cheaper things like Walmart spray paint, but these are way more sensitive to temperature and humidity. Remember, you want primer, not simply spray paint. Your choice should either be a flat white (makes your colors brighter with a single coat), flat black (easier to shade, hides mistakes, but may make bright colors require multiple coats), or flat gray (a current popular choice).
Brush-on primers (“gesso”) are also popular, and are what the more “artistic” mini painters tend to use.
If you use a spray primer, pay attention to your outside temp and humidity levels, or you will wind up with “fuzzy” minis, which have to be stripped. You don’t want that.

Next, get a pack of descent brushes, and make certain you’ve got ones with fine tips in the mix (for detail painting). I’ve found that natural hair brushes are superior to artificial. But you will also want one cheapo-garbage brush for “dry brushing” (a technique of using a brush with almost no paint on it to quickly highlight raised, rough surfaces for effects on sculpted fur, chain mail, rock, wood grain, etc.). Dry brushing destroys a good brush, but since you don’t need a good tip for that, a cheap brush is ideal.

Finally, have a comfortable place to work, plenty of lighting (in fact, a good “natural daylight” work lamp— also sold at arts & crafts stores— is a good investment), a cup of water for brush cleaning, a good supply of paper towels, something to wipe brushes on, a used CD you don’t care about as a mixing palette, and put some music on. And go to it!

Tips: Paint inside to outside, or like you would dress. Do fleshtones first, then interior clothing (tunics, leggings), then hair and exterior clothing/equipment (armor, cloaks, etc.), then fine details.

Only place a small amount of paint on your palette at a time, and paint one color at a time. Don’t load the brush with paint— just the tip. Clean your brush frequently, and be careful to gently reshape the tip when you do, if necessary.

I’m a quick-and-dirty, good-enough-to-game-with, arms-length painter, so I don’t bother with blends, and only do minimal highlighting and shading. I’m a firm believer in finishing up with a dark wash, either of heavily diluted flat black or very dark brown paint, mixed with distilled water (NOT tap water). Just brush it into recessed areas, wrinkles, etc., to create an easy darker shading. Some Q&D painters like to use “The Dip” technique, which is simply to plunge the finished miniature into a can of very dark brown Minwax wood stain. I’ve never done it, but for an arms-length miniature, it can produce a dramatic look of shading.

Finish up with a good spray or brush-on clear sealant like Testors Dulcoat or Krylon sealer. I prefer a matte effect, but some people like a gloss sealer (makes the mini shiny).

And don’t forget the base! A nicely painted based, maybe with some sand or tiny bits to be chipped rock, bones, etc., can make all the difference.

Also check out sites like http://theminiaturespage.com for advice from others who know all about painting little tiny men (or monsters). Caution: Opinionated grognard zone. So don’t kick their minis! :smallwink: Really, it’s a pretty good group with a lot of experience, and they will be very helpful. Plus, it’s the go-to site on the web for news on new products and miniatures— historical, fantasy, SF and more.

Another good site is the Lead Adventurers Forum, and they’ve a reputation for being less opinionated than TMP, but it’s been a long time since I was there, so YMMV. I don’t have a link, but a search should pull it up.

Drache64
2019-09-12, 11:43 AM
.

No offense but I disagree with a lot of what you said. Could you post a link to a picture of something you've painted?

dehro
2019-09-12, 11:44 AM
Thanks for the many useful indications.
I should've clarified something, namely that I live in Europe, so brands and retail chains might not be the same, but I think Amazon and similar carry several of the products you mention.
Ok ok...I have a bit of a clearer plan now.
Further details: I actually don't yet own any miniatures either; I'm inclined to go with plastic, because, money and availability; I definitely would be doing one at a time, proceeding slowly and trying to make it pretty, rather than going for batches or even more than just a couple.
Should I then like the experience and find the results of acceptable quality, I'll consider what to do next. 100$ seems already a solid investment for something I'm really uncertain about... But I guess you have to start somewhere.

The Library DM
2019-09-12, 12:08 PM
No offense but I disagree with a lot of what you said. Could you post a link to a picture of something you've painted?

Whole lotta photos of an army, here: https://parzivalsplace.blogspot.com/2013/10/little-miniatures-big-project.html

Scroll down and click on images to see ‘em close up.

I do 10mm, but that includes a few larger figs (like dragons and giants). As I said, I do quick-and-dirty, good-enough-to-game-with, arms-length painting. So I won’t be winning any contests or Golden Demons. But I like my results just fine, and most of my tips are from advice given to me by other painters. I’ve used them all, too.

Particle_Man
2019-09-12, 12:10 PM
I suggest that you start small.

Drache64
2019-09-12, 12:52 PM
Thanks for the many useful indications.
I should've clarified something, namely that I live in Europe, so brands and retail chains might not be the same, but I think Amazon and similar carry several of the products you mention.
Ok ok...I have a bit of a clearer plan now.
Further details: I actually don't yet own any miniatures either; I'm inclined to go with plastic, because, money and availability; I definitely would be doing one at a time, proceeding slowly and trying to make it pretty, rather than going for batches or even more than just a couple.
Should I then like the experience and find the results of acceptable quality, I'll consider what to do next. 100$ seems already a solid investment for something I'm really uncertain about... But I guess you have to start somewhere.

No no no. Your starting costs should be around 20 dollars. Especially for 1 mini.


Whole lotta photos of an army, here: https://parzivalsplace.blogspot.com/2013/10/little-miniatures-big-project.html

Scroll down and click on images to see ‘em close up.

I do 10mm, but that includes a few larger figs (like dragons and giants). As I said, I do quick-and-dirty, good-enough-to-game-with, arms-length painting. So I won’t be winning any contests or Golden Demons. But I like my results just fine, and most of my tips are from advice given to me by other painters. I’ve used them all, too.

I'm glad you've found an outlet and hobby please keep up the good work. But if you go to Warhammer TV YouTube channel you're going to see a distinct difference between your stuff and their stuff, and it's not just that they are professional. Acrilic have larger pigment and less thickness which means you get less detail and a duller finish.

Basing in Black and White only really limits you. Watch any professional painting and you'll notice they don't just stick to strictly black and white. Basing in red can be a great way to get a fuller flesh tone on bigger miniatures.

I didn't want to immerse the OP in all this detail because he's just getting started. Better to start simple and get him going.

Satinavian
2019-09-12, 01:51 PM
I'm glad you've found an outlet and hobby please keep up the good work. But if you go to Warhammer TV YouTube channel you're going to see a distinct difference between your stuff and their stuff, and it's not just that they are professional. Acrilic have larger pigment and less thickness which means you get less detail and a duller finish.
Keep in mind that the minis in the picture are not regular Warhammer scale but quite a bit smaller.

Telok
2019-09-12, 04:13 PM
You can easily get away with simpler and cheaper.

Find someone friendly with a 3d printer and buy them a spool of fancy plastic (glow in the dark worked on me) or two spools of regular stuff. Bonus points if they're already into table top role playing games. I think I got over 100 minis out of a single spool with a number of side projects as well.

You don't have to use speciaized hobby paints. Except for a generic base flesh tone and three metallic colors I'm using painters acrylic (a 3 ounce-ish tube costs about 4 times as much but lasts years compared to the 1/2 oz. jars) and tap water. While I have several tiny detail brushes I use cheap plastic junk for larger brushes. I also collect single shed cat whiskers, for the eyes mostly.

Do get one of the articulated stands with two clamp arms and a magnifying glass on it if you start getting serious about little details.

Prime, base, colors, wash, dry brush, details, sealant.

If you're desperate for practice get a few metal models, some paint stripper, and an old tooth brush. You can paint, strip, and repaint to your heart's content.

The Library DM
2019-09-12, 05:05 PM
No no no. Your starting costs should be around 20 dollars. Especially for 1 mini.

Completely agree!

First, pick a size and a source, and don’t limit yourself to “official” minis. Miniature sizes or “scales” (though they’re not really scales) range from 2mm to 54mm and larger. (2mm is strictly a massive battle scale, not an individual hero scale. Ditto 6mm.) The “scales” refer to the general height of a man-sized figure, usually (but not always) measured from the bottom of the foot to the eyes for a standing figure (some measure to the top of the head— but that doesn’t include hats and helmets). Manufacturers can vary widely, even in the same scale. But then, so do people!

For typical RPG gaming, the most common scale is 28mm, followed by 25mm (an older scale originally favored by TSR, back in the day). 32mm, AKA “heroic 28mm” is also common, but not typically for RPGing. 15mm is becoming rapidly popular, and 10mm is even touted for dungeon crawl gaming. The advantage of these latter sizes comes in both space required for gaming and that, in all honestly, it’s easier to paint smaller scale miniatures to a pleasing effect, as details and tricky areas are reduced compared to 28mm and larger figs.

Figures come in several materials, primarily lead (old figures only, these days, due to concerns about health issues), non-lead or “white” pewter, hard plastic, soft plastic (mass produced pre-painted figures tend to be soft plastic), and resin. There’s really not much cost savings in a single figure between plastic, metal and resin. Soft plastic may not hold paint well, so be careful with that choice.

Good manufacturers of 28mm fantasy (and other scales) are Reaper, Copplestone Castings, Hasslefree, Minifigs, Otherworlds (they do classic TSR D&D figures, if you’ve got a nostalgia bug), but that list is hardly exhaustive. You might also look at Mantic and Games Workshop, but their figures are designed for their own games, and frankly I find many of them ridiculously over the top. YMMV. In any case, shop around a bit! Cheap figures are out there.

The Library DM
2019-09-12, 05:07 PM
Keep in mind that the minis in the picture are not regular Warhammer scale but quite a bit smaller.

Yep. 10mm for the sadly OOP game Warmaster (best game ever done by GW. So they canned it). It’s a great scale for making massive-looking armies, but these days it’s turned into a compact dungeon crawl scale!

The Library DM
2019-09-12, 05:25 PM
No no no. Your starting costs should be around 20 dollars. Especially for 1 mini.



I'm glad you've found an outlet and hobby please keep up the good work. But if you go to Warhammer TV YouTube channel you're going to see a distinct difference between your stuff and their stuff, and it's not just that they are professional. Acrilic have larger pigment and less thickness which means you get less detail and a duller finish.

Basing in Black and White only really limits you. Watch any professional painting and you'll notice they don't just stick to strictly black and white. Basing in red can be a great way to get a fuller flesh tone on bigger miniatures.

I didn't want to immerse the OP in all this detail because he's just getting started. Better to start simple and get him going.

I’m really not trying to impress anyone with my painting. I’m painting to get something on the tabletop for gaming and still have it look good. At 10mm scale the key for a good look isn’t detailed shading or highlights, but solid blocks of strong color. My hobby is the gaming, not the art.

Also, I’m not “basing” in white or black; I’m priming— putting an underlayer of paint onto the mini so the acrylic paint will adhere to the surface. Paint a bare mini with acrylic, and you get flakes chipping off if you do more than breathe on it. As a base coat on a larger figure, I will put a strong color on over the primer, then hit the details over this. That’s how I did the stone trolls in my link, as well as Smaug, the ents, and the giant. Over this will go highlights and shading, etc.. (Alas, the picture of Smaug doesn’t do it justice— the base color is a brick red, while the wings have a lighter wash of orange-yellow that gives a golden membrane effect in person.)

My point to the OP is that a great-looking mini can be achieved a lot more simply than some of the videos will indicate. Yes, if you want to, you can learn how to go all out. But don’t be intimidated by some of the paint jobs you see, especially when you’re just starting out.

As with RPGing, there is no “one right way” to paint minis, or enjoy them!:smallsmile:

Kalashak
2019-09-12, 06:45 PM
I started with the Reaper learn to paint kit, fully expecting to be terrible and ruin a few minis but I haven’t messed any up too badly yet. Painting well enough to win awards is very difficult but painting well enough to not feel embarrassed by your minis is pretty easy.

Pauly
2019-09-12, 07:42 PM
First, you need to work out what level if detail you are trying to achieve.
I usually paint wargames figures and for them I mostly apply the 3 foot rule - only paint what you can see from 3 feet away.
However if I am going for a more artistic level of painting I will use different techniques.
Your equipment needs will change with what techniques you will be using.

Some general principles.
1) Paint from the inside out. Start with the skin, under clothes, outer clothes then accoutrements. If you make a mistake with an inner layer you just paint over it when you do the next layer.

2) Prime your figures. I find specialist primers work much better than paint. I prefer Tamiya’s grey spray primer because it is a neutral color and it holds onto the model and the paint exceptionally well.

3) As with any hand tool use the biggest tool that will do the job. If a size 3 brush can paint the detail you want, use that, not a size 0 brush. Good quality brushes will hold their points so a good quality size 3 can often paint petter detail than a cheap size 0.

4) Slow is smooth, smooth is fast. To say it another way - More haste less speed. Take your time. Allow layers to dry completely before starting on the next color.

5) In terms of ease of use Acrylics > Enamels > Oils. In terms of final quality Oils > Enamels > Acrylics. Acrylics are the standard now and I wouldn’t recommend enamels or oils unless you want to enter painting competitions.

Adding depth to your figures.
There are three main techniques used for adding extra depth to figures. There are some more advanced techniques I won’t go into.
1) Dry brushing. Take a lighter tone than the area you have painted. Put some on a flat brush and then take most of that paint off by quickly brushing back on forth on paper. Then quickly brush back and forth on the figure.
This technique is very good for creating dusty, worn and used effects.

2) Washing. You can buy pre-made washes (aka inks). Or you can mix them yourself using 4 parts acrylic thinner (aka flow medium in artist supply stores) to 1 part paint. I prefer to mix them myself because it ends up being cheaper and I have a wider variety of colors I can create.
You paint a darker tone over a light base color, the wash collects in the recesses of the model and when it dries it creates shadows.
This is great for leather and flesh. On clothes it helps darken the shadows and bring out more depth. It’s also very good if you want to suggest silk or satin clothes.

3) Blending.
Take 3 (or more) shades of the same color. Paint the deepest part of the model in the darkest shade, the highest part in the lightest shade and the middle color(s) to fill in the area between the light and dark. Using 4 or 5 shades will give you a much better effect than using 3 colors.
Obviously this technique takes the longest time, but it gives the best results for clothes and faces. There’s no way you would want to use this for an army or minions, but for your hero PC model you may want to use it.

Equipment
Assuming you will be using acrylics.
4 good quality sable brushes. Check that their points hold to a fine point before buying. Size 3,1,0 and 000.
2 or 3 cheap flat brushes for drybrushing. Sizes 3 and 1.
Spray primer.
A mixing palette
A bottle of acrylic thinner/flow medium.
A largeish cardboard box as your spray booth.
A newspaper or two to put on top of your table.
A selection of paints. I like the Vallejo brand for figures.

dehro
2019-09-13, 04:09 AM
Awesome replies.
Thank you

Drache64
2019-09-13, 09:31 AM
This is a link to something I painted using the advice I gave you:

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10156879017153503&id=797503502&preview_rid=10156883075783503

Ignore the Facebook topic just watch the video lol

Satinavian
2019-09-13, 11:41 AM
This is a link to something I painted using the advice I gave you:

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10156879017153503&id=797503502&preview_rid=10156883075783503

Ignore the Facebook topic just watch the video lol

That is far bigger than Library DMs and most importantly this is not metal.


It actually matters what kind of miniture is to be painted. Priming is essential for metal minis, significantly less so for plstic ones where you can get away with starting with base colors. A lot ofthe other mentiones techniques work better or worse depending on the size of the mini and the size of the details.


This is why the advice seems a bit contradictory. Nearly all of it works reasonably well for the standard 28mm minis, but less so for other scales.

Drache64
2019-09-13, 12:48 PM
That is far bigger than Library DMs and most importantly this is not metal.


It actually matters what kind of miniture is to be painted. Priming is essential for metal minis, significantly less so for plstic ones where you can get away with starting with base colors. A lot ofthe other mentiones techniques work better or worse depending on the size of the mini and the size of the details.


This is why the advice seems a bit contradictory. Nearly all of it works reasonably well for the standard 28mm minis, but less so for other scales.

Ah, 100% of d&d minis are plastic/resin that I see today. I didn't know he was planning on painting pewter, I have no real relevant advice for painting archaic stuff.

The painting techniques displayed there work on smaller minis, I just don't have any links I can share to them.

Imbalance
2019-09-13, 02:29 PM
Ah, 100% of d&d minis are plastic/resin that I see today. I didn't know he was planning on painting pewter, I have no real relevant advice for painting archaic stuff.

The painting techniques displayed there work on smaller minis, I just don't have any links I can share to them.

Adjust your percentage. Ral Partha/Ironwind Metals are still in the game.

LordCdrMilitant
2019-09-13, 02:42 PM
I use and generally have had a good experience with GWs Citadel paints. I like their metallics, though their whites and flesh tones tend to have issues in my experience. I haven't tried the new contrast paints, though.

As for miniature type, as a Sisters of Battle player I have good experience with both metal and plastic, and I can tell you plastic is easier to work with any day of the week. I can't really recommend brands of minis, because that's really a matter of personal aims as taste, but I would recommend starting with 1:56 (that's Warhammer and Bolt Action's scale and up). Every step bigger is a major improvement in both mini fidelity and painting enjoyment, painting DZC is a chore, Flames of War infantry is much less so (their tanks are pretty nice for a single evening project for their simplicity though), and 40k infantry is at a scale that's legitimately fun to paint. 1:72 historical kits tend to have a lot of fiddly bits that are rough to work with, my preferred scale is 1:48. If you're not planning to play the game in question, definitely shoot for bigger models.

As for technique, paint the pieces before/as you put them together. Building and cutting is fun, its otherwise impossible to paint some places and it looks cleaner. For camouflage paint, which probably isn't relevant here, I assemble the hull and turret separately without tracks and road wheels and such, and then spray or hand paint the stripes, then paint and install the wheels and tracks.

I don't actually prime my SoB anymore. I found that they chipped anyway from routine use, and the primer made it much harder to strip and repaint. I've had a harder time touching up Leman Russes, which are in the realm of not being fully repainted like ever, since I go a little thin with the airbrush.

As for equipment, I just buy brushes from Michael's, and don't sweat it and just buy new ones when they degrade. You need one really fine one, one medium mostly fine one, and a wider one for larger surfaces and details. I also use a big artist's paintbrush and an airbrush for very large areas like tank sides.

dehro
2019-09-13, 03:06 PM
If I do start on this adventure, it will probably be with one or two dnd miniatures, so, plastic. Ultimately I'm not looking for a new hobby, I'm looking to make a thing or two for my current hobby of playing dnd. And since I'm not a DM, I only need a couple of minis for the characters is be playing.
If then I get bitten by the painting bug, I'm ok with it, but it's not my goal... Which is not to say I don't intend to do it with some commitment, or I'd have them done or take a magic marker to one.

LordCdrMilitant
2019-09-13, 03:18 PM
If I do start on this adventure, it will probably be with one or two dnd miniatures, so, plastic. Ultimately I'm not looking for a new hobby, I'm looking to make a thing or two for my current hobby of playing dnd. And since I'm not a DM, I only need a couple of minis for the characters is be playing.
If then I get bitten by the painting bug, I'm ok with it, but it's not my goal... Which is not to say I don't intend to do it with some commitment, or I'd have them done or take a magic marker to one.

I haven't been impressed with the D&D minis at the local store, however I can't really recommend another source of fantasy minis since I don't know any and WHF/Sigmar minis have a very distinct aesthetic. I usually do historical or sci fi.

Good luck!



Also, faces are pretty hard, and weathering is complicated based on what you want, I haven't really got either down. GW has some "technical" paints for mud and blood and rust and the likes, but most people advise missing your own mud from sawdust and snow from baking powder; though both sound like better advice for a diorama than a miniature for playing with.

I do freehand my own tactical markings and insignias, and consider myself pretty good at it, and would recommend free handing over water slides every day of the week.

Pauly
2019-09-13, 09:34 PM
If I do start on this adventure, it will probably be with one or two dnd miniatures, so, plastic. Ultimately I'm not looking for a new hobby, I'm looking to make a thing or two for my current hobby of playing dnd. And since I'm not a DM, I only need a couple of minis for the characters is be playing.
If then I get bitten by the painting bug, I'm ok with it, but it's not my goal... Which is not to say I don't intend to do it with some commitment, or I'd have them done or take a magic marker to one.

The range of minis I would recommend for starting out with painting is the “Grenadier Fantasy” range now available from Mirliton SG. They are the same size as Games Workshop, but are much cleaner models to paint without all the excess details GW put in. Their posing is dramatic and there is a wide range of characters.

Drache64
2019-09-13, 11:56 PM
Adjust your percentage. Ral Partha/Ironwind Metals are still in the game.

Sorry, if I adjusted my percentage I'd be lying. I said 100% of what I see. Not what's out there. I visit all the stores in Phoenix and Las Vegas and I haven't seen any pewter.

Doesn't mean they don't exist.

But I guess your advice is just good for pewter, mine is good for resin/plastic. No worries all good.

Looks like OP is going plastic though.

chainer1216
2019-09-14, 12:31 AM
You just do it, i had no experience painting and one day i bought a heroforge mini and went to the local brick and mortar and bought a mini painters starting kit, it came with all the standard colors one would want and a brush.

Storm_Of_Snow
2019-09-14, 07:46 AM
Basic toolset should be clippers, a modelling knife and a small file to clean up mould lines, plus glues - polystyrene cement for plastics (or liquid poly) and superglue for metal/resin. Normal rules for taking care with blades, superglue and so on should be obeyed. :smallwink:

After that, I'd start with a moderate sized brush (say a size 0) for most work, and a larger one for undercoating.

Drache64
2019-09-14, 08:17 AM
Basic toolset should be clippers, a modelling knife and a small file to clean up mould lines, plus glues - polystyrene cement for plastics (or liquid poly) and superglue for metal/resin. Normal rules for taking care with blades, superglue and so on should be obeyed. :smallwink:

After that, I'd start with a moderate sized brush (say a size 0) for most work, and a larger one for undercoating.

My starter set was a pack of cheap brushes from Walmart, 1 can of .98 cent spray paint, and any paints I wanted.

LordCdrMilitant
2019-09-14, 04:56 PM
My starter set was a pack of cheap brushes from Walmart, 1 can of .98 cent spray paint, and any paints I wanted.

Mine was a bunch of stuff from when my father was a kid, a T-34-76 Mod.1943 ChTZ kit, and a pot of green paint.


The D&D figures are pre-assembled, though I still probably wouldn't recommend them because the cast quality looked pretty low based on what I see at the store. Brushes are cheap at michaels, and actually the apple barrel craft paint michaels sells does work on miniatures [thin your paint!], though it's not the best and I'd still recommend most of the Citadel line.

J-H
2019-09-14, 10:23 PM
My FLGS has a weekly mini painting social. The couple of times I've been there while it's going, there have been at least 5 people...plus they just got Warhammer, which means more painting.