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All Hobbies/Painting Miniatures
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    Painting Miniatures
    What it is like
    Games & Strategy ›

    Painting Miniatures

    Painting Miniatures

    Painting Miniatures

    The further from centre, the more strongly this hobby leans that way. Your quiz answers are scored against exactly these fifteen.

    • RestfulPhysical
    • IndoorsOutdoors
    • SolitarySocial
    • PracticalCreative
    • InstinctiveTechnical
    • Hands-offHands-on
    • RelaxedCompetitive
    • CautiousDaring
    • Quick winsPatient
    • PrivatePerformer
    • MinimalistCollector
    • Just do itStudious
    • Low-kitGear-heavy
    • AnalogDigital
    • ObjectsLiving things

    Painting miniatures with thinned layers, shading and highlights, for wargames, display or roleplaying.

    Games & Strategygets you dirtyquietmessydone alonesedentarywants a few hours
    This weekendTime to first win
    A few hoursA session
    Mostly indoorsWhere

    Step 1: Get paints, two brushes and a can of primer.

    Is it you?

    Not quite it? Similar hobbies

    What you need

    4 things
    The honest floor, taking the cheapest option in each$72

    How we make money: if you buy through one of these we take a small cut, and the price is the same either way. The cheapest option that works is always listed first.

    Full cost breakdown →

    The path

    14 quests
    ASetting up2 things to sort, in any order$70
    • Get paints, two brushes and a can of primer
    • Thin your paints, and prime outdoors
    BThen the quests
    • Prime the mini
    • Base-coat the main areas
    • Wash it to bring out the detail
    11 more, revealed as you go
    Start Painting Miniatures to tick these off
    Or have someone teach youBeginner painting miniatures courses, if you would rather not work it out alone.Affiliate linkBrowse

    More on Painting Miniatures

    Everything else we have written about it. Free to read, no account needed.

    Guides1
    How to Thin Your Paints for Miniatures Without Losing the DetailIf you have painted a mini and it came out gloopy, streaky, or somehow blurry in the fine detail, the culprit is almost always paint that went on too thick, straight from the pot. Thinning your paint is the single most repeated piece of advice in this hobby, and for good reason. Here is what it actually means, how to get the consistency right, and the mistakes that quietly ruin an otherwise good paint job.
    What to buy1
    Best Miniature Paint Set for Beginners (2026): 3 Picks That Actually WorkThe paint set is the heart of miniature painting, and the beginner trap is buying random craft acrylics that go on thick and hide all the detail. A proper miniature paint set is finely pigmented, flows off the brush, and is built to layer. Here are three good ones, from a loaded all-in-one kit to a pro-grade range.
    From the blog1
    Winter Hobbies: 20 Activities to Pick Up When It Gets ColdThe hobbies that work in winter are the ones that either take advantage of the cold (skiing, ice skating, photography in snow) or that thrive specifically because you're indoors more (baking, board games, model-making, knitting). The mistake is trying to do summer hobbies in winter and getting frustrated.

    Learn it with a course

    Udemy
    Recommended course

    ZBrush: Beginner to Advanced Course on Three Miniatures

    Start on Udemy

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    Start Painting Miniatures