Ready to get your first model battle-table ready? This guide walks you from sprue to sealed, with clear steps, practical tips, and easy upgrades once you’re comfortable.
What you’ll need
- Miniature (plastic/resin/metal)
- Cutters & hobby knife (for removal and cleanup)
- Files/sanding sticks (mold lines)
- Plastic glue (or CA super glue for resin/metal)
- Brushes: size 1 or 2 round (workhorse), size 0 (details), old large brush (drybrush)
- Primer: black/white/grey (rattle can or brush-on)
- Acrylic paints: base colors, a dark wash/shade, a light highlight tone, metallics (optional)
- Palette: wet palette if possible (a plate + baking paper + damp sponge works)
- Water pot & paper towel
- Varnish: matte (plus optional gloss for gems/visors)
- Basing: PVA glue, sand/texture paste, tufts
Tip: Thin acrylic paints to a milk-like consistency; aim for smooth coverage in 2–3 thin coats, not one thick one.
Step 1 — Prep and cleanup (10–20 min)
- Clip parts from the sprue.
- Remove mold lines with a knife or file; they will catch highlights if left.
- Test-fit and glue. Let it cure fully.
- Mount to a holder (old paint pot + poster tack) to avoid finger oils.
Step 2 — Prime (5 min work + drying)
- Black primer: faster, shadows “for free,” great for dark schemes.
- White/grey primer: brighter colors, easier yellows/reds.
Light, sweeping passes 20–30 cm away. Avoid pooling. Let dry thoroughly before painting.
Step 3 — Basecoats (20–40 min)
Block in main colors:
- Armor/clothing
- Skin
- Leather/straps
- Weapons/metal
How to: Load brush, dab on palette, wipe excess on towel edge, apply thin. If it looks streaky, let dry and apply another coat. Keep paint away from recesses—those are your shadows.
Step 4 — Shade (10–15 min)
Apply a wash (pre-made shade or your dark color thinned with water/medium) to deepen recesses and unify tones.
- All-over wash for speed (great over metallics and textured areas).
- Targeted wash for cleaner finish: run it only into recess lines and around details.
Let it fully dry before the next step.
Step 5 — Re-layer & highlights (20–40 min)
- Re-layer: Reapply your original base colors to raised surfaces, leaving the shaded recesses dark.
- Edge highlight: Mix your base color with a bit of a lighter tone. With the side of the brush, lightly catch sharp edges (armor plates, folds).
- Drybrush (optional quick win): With a large old brush, load a lighter color, wipe almost all off on a towel, then flick across textures (fur, chainmail, rocks).
Rule of thumb: each highlight is 10–20% lighter than the last; keep it thin and controlled.
Step 6 — Details that pop (15–30 min)
- Eyes: Dot a dark line in the socket, then a tiny off-white dot. Avoid pure white—use ivory.
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Metallics:
- TMM (true metallic): Base with dark metallic → wash → highlight with a brighter metallic.
- NMM (non-metallic): Grey-to-white (steel) or brown-to-yellow (gold) gradient; place sharp white edges where “light hits.”
- Leathers: Base brown → wash sepia → highlight by adding bone/ivory to the brown.
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Gems/visors: Dark at bottom, light toward the top, tiny white specular dot in the dark corner; gloss varnish at the end.
Step 7 — Basing (10–15 min)
- Spread PVA on the base; dip in sand or apply texture paste.
- Basecoat dark brown/grey → drybrush lighter tan/grey.
- Add tufts/grass sparingly to frame the feet and guide the eye.
Step 8 — Varnish (5 min work + curing)
- Matte varnish seals and kills shine; spray in light passes or brush-on.
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Spot gloss for lenses, slime, gems after matte cures.
Speed-painting variant (30–60 min total)
- Prime white or zenithal: Black prime, then light spray of white from above.
- Contrast/speed paints: One coat per area; they shade and color at once.
- Pick a few edges with a light tone.
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Metallics + wash, base, varnish. Done!
Common mistakes & quick fixes
| Problem | Why it happens | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Chalky highlights | Paint too dry/opaque | Add a drop of medium; use smaller steps between highlight tones |
| Tide marks from washes | Too much shade pooled | Wick excess with a clean brush while still wet |
| Streaky basecoat | Paint too thin or not enough layers | Let dry; add another thin coat; use a mid-tone primer |
| Fuzzy detail | Thick paint | Thin more, unload brush, build slowly |
| Shiny patches | Uneven varnish | Apply a second light pass of matte or spot with brush-on matte |
Simple colour recipe (example: red armour)
- Prime: Grey.
- Base: Mephiston-like red (mid red).
- Shade: Brown-red wash into recesses.
- Layer: Original red on flats.
- Highlight: Red + orange (2:1), then a tiny final edge with red + ivory (3:1).
- Glaze (optional): Very thin red to smooth transitions.
Brush care (last but huge)
- Rinse often, never let paint dry in the ferrule.
- Shape tip with clean water after sessions.
- Use brush soap weekly; store tip-up or with caps.
Checklist before calling it finished
- Clean recesses & neat edges
- Highlights on primary shapes
- Eyes/jewels readable at arm’s length
- Base complements scheme
- Matte sealed; optional gloss where needed