Miniature Painting for Beginners: Where to Start
Getting into miniature painting can be intimidating.
Walk into a hobby or wargaming store and you can be surrounded by hundreds of different miniatures, shelves full of paints, brushes of every shape and size, airbrushes, basing materials and enough hobby tools to make you wonder whether you have accidentally walked into a professional workshop.
The good news?
You don't need all of that to start painting miniatures.
Miniature painting is a hobby that you can get into surprisingly cheaply, and your first miniatures don't need to be masterpieces. The most important thing is simply to give it a try and find out whether you enjoy it.
Whether you want to paint Warhammer, Blood Bowl, Middle-Earth, Malifaux, Gunpla, Dungeons & Dragons miniatures or something completely different, the basic process is much the same.
So, if you're wondering how to start miniature painting, here's where I recommend beginning.
Start With a Friend
If you already have a friend who is interested in miniature painting, start together.
I started thanks to a school project and my dad, and I went into our local Games Workshop. The manager was super friendly and helped us build and paint the models, which were for a board game I was creating for the project.
My next dip into the hobby was a few years later during school event days, where one of the teachers ran a painting class which I eagerly joined.
Having someone else starting at the same time makes the hobby a lot of fun.
You can build miniatures together, compare your first attempts, share paints and tools, and most importantly, learn together without feeling like you have to know what you're doing.
But don't worry if you don't have a friend who wants to join you.
Don't Be Afraid to Walk Into a Wargaming Store
One of the best things about miniature painting is the community.
If you're completely new, walk into your local wargaming or hobby store and have a look around. Ask questions.
Seriously.
The staff have often been involved in the hobby for years and, in my experience, they are more than happy to introduce new people to miniature painting and wargaming.
Tell them you're interested but don't know where to start.
They can help you find miniatures you like, recommend some basic paints and brushes, and explain what you actually need.
And don't feel intimidated because everyone around you seems to know more than you.
Everyone in the hobby started somewhere.
At the end of the day, we're all playing with plastic toys.
That's something I think is important to remember.
Don't take the hobby too seriously. We're here to have fun.
You Don't Need a Huge Collection of Hobby Supplies
This is probably the biggest piece of advice I would give someone starting miniature painting:
Buy the bare minimum.
There is a temptation when you start a new hobby to buy everything.
You see the latest paint range. You see a fancy brush set. You discover wet palettes, airbrushes, miniature holders, texture paints, pigment powders and dozens of different hobby tools.
Suddenly you've spent hundreds of dollars before you've even painted your first miniature.
Don't do that.
You might discover that miniature painting isn't for you.
And that's completely fine.
Not every hobby is for everyone, so I recommend getting into miniature painting as cheaply as possible at first.
Give yourself the opportunity to discover whether you actually enjoy it before investing heavily.
What Do You Need to Start Painting Miniatures?
You really don't need much.
For your first miniatures, I'd recommend:
A small selection of miniatures you actually like
A small selection of paints
One medium paintbrush
One small paintbrush
A pair of miniature cutters if your models require them
That's about it.
You can add more equipment later as you discover what you enjoy and what you actually need.
How Many Paints Do You Need?
You don't need an entire paint range.
When I first started, I bought a box of Beastmen and a box of Militia from Warhammer Fantasy and only had four paints:
Red
Brown
A skin colour
Gunmetal
That was enough to get started.
Your first miniatures don't need to have every colour imaginable. You're learning the basics and figuring out whether you enjoy the process.
Pick some miniatures you genuinely like and grab a handful of colours that will allow you to paint them.
I just slapped the paints on and had fun playing my own board game I created for a school project.
You can always buy more paint later.
What Brushes Do You Need?
You can technically start with one brush.
However, I'd recommend getting a medium brush and a small brush.
When I started painting, my hands were fairly unsteady. Having a larger brush made applying basecoats much easier and much faster, while the smaller brush gave me more control when I needed to work on smaller areas.
You don't need the most expensive brushes available.
Start simple.
As you improve, you'll naturally start learning which brushes work best for the way you paint.
Do You Need Miniature Cutters?
Depending on the miniatures you buy, you may also need a pair of cutters to remove the parts from their sprue.
Again, don't overthink it.
You don't need a workshop full of specialist equipment to begin.
Start with what you need for the miniatures you've chosen.
Build Your First Miniatures
Once you've bought your first miniatures and supplies, it's time to build them.
If your local hobby store allows customers to build and paint miniatures in-store, I'd absolutely recommend taking advantage of it.
There's something really useful about having other hobbyists around when you're learning.
If you get stuck, you can ask someone.
If you aren't sure how something fits together, someone can probably help.
If your store doesn't have that option, take everything home and work your way through it.
And don't forget YouTube.
There are tutorials for an enormous number of miniatures, so if you're struggling with a particular model, there's a good chance someone has already made a video showing you how to build it.
Don't Worry About Mold Lines and Gaps Yet
Your first miniatures will probably have mold lines.
They might have gaps between the parts.
You might glue something together slightly incorrectly.
It doesn't matter.
Seriously.
If you're completely new to miniature painting, your first models are about learning.
You don't need to spend hours filling every gap, removing every mold line and perfectly preparing every surface.
Those are skills you can learn later.
For now, the goal is simply to dip your toes into the hobby.
Get the miniature together and get some paint on them.
You can worry about improving your preparation techniques once you've decided that miniature painting is something you want to continue.
Now Paint Your Miniatures
This is the fun part.
Get your paints out and start painting. You can follow the artwork on the box if you want. You can look up painting guides online. Or you can completely ignore both and do whatever you want.
It's your miniature.
If you want your Nurgle army to be bright and colourful, make it bright and colourful.
If you want your Elves to be dark and broody, paint them dark and broody.
If you want your army to have completely different colours from the official artwork, go for it.
There are no rules saying you have to paint a miniature a particular way. This is your creative endeavour.
You are creating your own little world, so make it look the way you want it to look.
And remember, your first miniature probably won't look like the miniatures you see online.
That's okay. Mine certainly didn't.
The important thing is that you learn something from every miniature you paint.
Your First Miniature Doesn't Need to Be Perfect
This deserves its own section because it's one of the easiest traps for a beginner to fall into.
You see incredible miniature painters online and think:
"There is no way I can do that."
Of course you can't.
Not yet anyway.
Those painters have spent years developing their skills.
Your first miniature isn't supposed to look like someone's 500th miniature.
Your first miniature has a much more important job:
It needs to teach you whether you enjoy painting.
Don't judge your ability based on your first model.
Paint it.
Learn from it.
Finish it.
Then paint another one.
You'll be amazed at how quickly you can improve when you're simply enjoying the process.
Don't Be Afraid to Experiment
Once you understand the basics, start experimenting.
Maybe you want to try different colours.
Maybe you want to convert your miniatures.
Maybe you want to cut pieces off one model and attach them to another.
Maybe you want to build something completely original.
Do it.
If you want to follow the rules exactly, that's great. That's how I started.
But if you have an idea for something different, there's nothing wrong with going in your own direction.
One of the best parts of miniature painting and modelling is being able to turn an idea in your head into something you can actually hold in your hands.
There is no wrong way to be creative.
Finally, Play a Game
Once you've painted your first miniatures, consider playing a game.
For me, gaming is more of an added bonus than the main reason I paint, and I don't get to play nearly as often as I'd like.
But when I do get the opportunity, it's always fun.
I'll happily head down to my friendly local gaming store for a quick game of Blood Bowl, Malifaux or to take my Middle-earth army to war.
And there's something particularly satisfying about playing with miniatures that you've painted yourself.
It doesn't matter whether your army is perfectly painted.
It doesn't matter if your models have mistakes.
You made them.
Now they're part of your game.
There Is No Wrong Way to Enjoy the Hobby
I think this is the most important thing for a beginner to understand. Miniature painting is a hobby. It's supposed to be fun.
You don't have to play competitive games.
You don't have to paint every miniature to competition standard.
You don't need an enormous collection.
You don't need an airbrush.
You don't need every colour of paint.
You don't need to follow someone else's painting style.
You don't even have to play games at all.
Paint because you enjoy painting.
Build because you enjoy building.
Create because you have an idea you want to bring to life.
Follow the rules if that's what you enjoy, or break them and create something completely your own.
At the end of the day, we're all here to enjoy ourselves.
There is no wrong way to have fun with your hobby.
Miniature Painting for Beginners: Your Simple Starting Checklist
If all of this sounds overwhelming, forget everything else and start here:
1. Find some miniatures you like.
Don't worry about what's popular. Pick something that makes you want to paint it.
2. Buy a handful of paints.
Choose colours that will work with your miniatures and what you envision.
3. Get two brushes.
A medium brush for basecoating and a small brush for details is a great starting point.
4. Buy tools if you need them.
Only buy the tools necessary for the miniatures you've chosen.
5. Build your models.
Don't worry about making them perfect.
6. Paint them.
Follow the box art, watch a tutorial or completely make up your own colour scheme, using the paints you have.
7. Finish them.
Your first miniatures are about learning, not perfection.
8. Decide whether you enjoy it.
If you do, congratulations. You've found a new hobby.
9. Keep experimenting.
Try new techniques, colours and projects as you improve.
10. Have fun.
That's the whole point.
11. Keep your first miniatures.
This is a snapshot of your journey and a reminder of how far you have grown.
Final Thoughts
Starting miniature painting doesn't need to be complicated or expensive.
Find some miniatures you like, grab a few paints and brushes, and give it a go.
Don't worry about whether your first miniature is good enough. Don't worry about what other painters are doing. Don't worry about having the perfect equipment.
Just start painting.
You might discover that you hate it.
Or you might discover a hobby that stays with you for years.
I started with a school project, a couple of boxes of miniatures and four paints.
Years later, I'm still painting, building, experimenting and finding new projects to work on.
And that's the great thing about miniature painting.
You never really know where that first miniature is going to take you.
On to the next.
And remember: Always Paint Your Way
