by Samuel Jones

Created on: May 05, 2008

Practice. Patience. More practice.

There's a world of difference between painting a single unique piece for role-playing and a large number of nigh identical war-gaming pieces. Although the basic mechanics are essentially the same, the method is not.

Setup:

To begin, lay out newspaper or prepare a piece of board for the purpose. This might seem obvious, but it is easily overlooked when you are dealing with tiny pots of paint, tiny brushes and one-inch high figures. The natural human impulse is to think "Hey, I know what I'm doing, I'll be careful, I'll close each paint pot when I'm done, nothing to worry about..." This way leads inexorably, inevitably, eventually, to a spreading pool of bright paint on the carpet that is utterly impossible to remove... possibly to a spreading pool of thick paint all over your minutely detailed miniatures... a spreading pool of paint on your table cloth, your clothes, ornaments, linoleum... everywhere. And those little paint pots are expensive.

Proper preparation prevents poor performance; lay out newspaper. To one side, set up your paints and brushes ready to your hand. Opposite, set out the miniatures you intend to paint. In the central space on your newspaper, you will need room to stand partially finished pieces while they dry while leaving ample space to work on the miniature in hand. It is advisable to wear old clothes or an apron while painting, and to roll up your sleeves.

Most miniatures are one-piece, requiring no assembly, but when you are dealing with a model dragon, a chariot, or even a mounted knight on horseback, it is essential to paint each component piece and leave if to dry BEFORE reaching for the glue.

Undercoating:

Paint applied direct to plastic or metal does not stick easily, and can 'blob'; to allow easy application of paint precisely where you intend, apply a thin layer of (usually) black or white to the chosen miniature and leave to dry. For a small umber of miniatures, a size two paintbrush will suffice, but anyone with a substantial collection who routinely paints up to a hundred figures at a sitting will soon learn the value of spray paint.

In most circumstances, white is the undercoat of choice and there are a range of purpose-mixed white undercoats available that dry with a slightly rough finish. When painting predominantly black pieces, or those requiring a metallic finish (an armored knight, for example) black undercoat will serve best.

Block Color:

Using a size one or size zero brush and a minute amount

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