Useful tools for painting your miniatures

Wargaming is a fun and exciting hobby! A big part of the fun consists of painting the miniatures for your army. What you’ll read below will help you make informed decisions when buying tools for painting. I believe that not all painting tools are essential and, in this article, you will find some of my recommendations.

Primers

A good primer forms the protective foundation for the acrylic paint. There are 3 types that I know of: Spray, Brush-On, and Airbrush Primer. I cannot stress enough how important the primers are! For more information on primers watch this video:

Here are some primer brands (not in any particular order):

• Citadel Model Primer
• Army Painter Primer
• Vallejo Surface Primer

Paints

One of the most common questions I get asked is: what paints should I start with? There is no simple answer to this, but the short one is to just buy a set of paints that you think has the best colour scheme for what you are painting at the moment and after that just buy individual pots with colours that you are are missing. See a discussion about this topic in the video below:

Some popular paint brands you can look out for (not in any particular order):

• Vallejo
• Citadel
• Army Painter

Brushes

They come in different shapes and sizes, and for different techniques. There is a wide range that you can choose from. In my opinion, you mainly need just two brushes: a big one and a small one. As you get better and discover new techniques you will find that you’ll need more specific brushes for more specific needs. Learn more about brushes by watching this video:

Well-known brush brands (not in any particular order):

• Roubloff Fine-Art
• Citadel
• Army Painter

Varnish

If you want to have an extra layer of protection for your painted miniatures, a good varnish can help. Varnishes add an extra layer on top of your painted miniatures which will make the result last longer (but, I do not consider it a necessity). Watch the video below to understand varnishes better: 

Pallets

Now depending on whether you have a wet pallet or a normal one you will get different results, but the wet pallet will generally help you improve your miniature painting skills by being more consistent. See the video below for a more in-depth explanation:

In conclusion, the TLDR is:

• Prime your minis (always!)
• Buy any paint set that fits your colour scheme or individual pots of paint
• Use a big brush to spread paint faster on your minis
• Use a small brush for the finer details
• Varnishes are optional (in my opinion)
• Wet pallet is better than a normal pallet

If you want to find out more about this (colourful) hobby and you want to be part of a passionate community then join one of our miniature painting events at The Guild Hall!