Painting your Warhammer miniatures allows you to make your collection more beautiful and personalized. Before starting, prepare the miniatures with a primer, so that the colors set better. Then you can use brushes to carefully apply the background color and paint the more complex details. Use techniques like washing and dry brushing to make your Warhammer miniatures more realistic!
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Prepare the Miniatures
Step 1. Get a can of black or white spray primer
Don't forget to prepare the miniatures before painting them. The primer allows the paint to adhere better to the miniatures, so painting them will be easier. Black and white primers are fine, but bear in mind that white primers are easier to cover with clear paints.
- You can find cans of spray primer at hardware and paint stores.
- Look for a plastic-specific primer.
Step 2. Work in a well-ventilated area
If possible, apply the primer outdoors. If you have to do this indoors, open the windows of the room you are in. Turn on a fan to blow the primer vapors out the window.
If you are indoors, spread a towel or newspaper on your work surface so you don't get primed all over
Step 3. Spray the primer on the miniatures until they are completely covered
Hold the spray can about 30 cm from the models while you paint them. Wear gloves and apply the product to one miniature at a time; to speed up the process, you can attach multiple models to a piece of wood with a few pieces of double-sided tape. Rotate them as you spray the primer to cover them entirely.
Step 4. Let the thumbnails dry for 15 minutes
Place them on a cloth or newspaper. After 15 minutes, touch one lightly with the tip of your finger. If it is dry, it is ready to be painted.
Part 2 of 3: Applying the Base Color
Step 1. Use acrylic paints on the thumbnails
You can find them on the internet or in local shops dedicated to painting and model making. If you plan to paint other miniatures in the future, purchase specific colors for this purpose so that you have a wide range of high-quality paints available.
Step 2. Choose the background colors to use for your thumbnail
The base coat is the first layer of paint. Choose colors that represent the main parts of the model, such as skin, clothing, and hair. Don't worry about the details for now.
For example, if the miniature you are coloring is to have a red body and a blue mask, use red and blue as the background colors
Step 3. Dilute the color with water
Pour a drop of the paint you will use first onto a palette or plastic plate. Use a dropper to pour a drop of water over the paint. Mix them together with a brush.
- Don't skip this step! If you don't dilute the color with water you will cover all the details of your miniatures!
- If you don't have a dropper, dip a clean brush in the water and drop a drop on the paint from the tip.
Step 4. Apply the background color to your thumbnails with a small brush
Start with the prevailing color, then move on to the others. Try to be as precise as possible so that you don't have to go over the base coat later.
- For example, if your miniature has a blue body and a brown cloak, start by coloring the body blue, leaving the cloak unaffected. Then, when you have finished painting the body with blue, color the coat brown.
- You can cover the detailed parts, such as eyes, lips, accessories and so on with the background colors. You can finish them later when the first coat has dried.
Step 5. Let the undercoat dry for 30 minutes
After this time, touch the thumbnail with your finger. If it's still damp, wait. Do not paint on the paint that has not dried or the colors will mix.
Part 3 of 3: Adding the Details
Step 1. Create the small details with a thin brush
Paint the eyes, lips, hair and all the other small details of your miniatures. Don't forget to dilute the colors with water before using them. Once you're done using a color, rinse the brush or pick up a new one before moving on to another paint.
If you want to get more vibrant colors, apply more coats of paint. Let it dry completely between one coat and the next
Step 2. Use the dry brush technique to add raised highlights
Make sure the paint on the model is dry before continuing, then pour a drop of light color onto the palette. Without diluting it with water, dip the tip of a brush in the paint, then pass it over a dry paper towel until most of the paint is removed. Then apply the dry residual color left on the brush to the sections of the thumbnail that you want to stand out.
- Once finished, you should see highlights on all of the raised surfaces of the model you are painting.
- For best results, use a lighter shade of the same color as the section you are working on.
Step 3. Use the wash technique to add shadows to your thumbnails
With the wash you use a diluted version of the color that settles in the recesses of the model, creating shadows. Pour the specific wash color onto the palette. Dip the tip of a brush in the diluted paint and apply a generous amount over the entire surface of the miniature. Let it dry.
You can find wash colors on the internet or at local paint shops
Step 4. Use water and paper towels to correct mistakes
Apply the water to the area to be edited with a clean brush, then take a paper towel and use it to blot the area and absorb the color. Let the area dry and cover it again with more paint.
