This is a collection of some of my favorite resources.
Use ctrl+F to find the resource you need.
There are of course thousands of tutorials out there both free and premium, so it’s not exhaustive, but merely some of my personal choices, which I will add and subtract from as I find new or better options.
I attempt to have tutorials for a variety of skill levels from beginner to display painters without having so much redundancy on the same topic that the highest quality options are hard to find.
What You Need to Get Started
Advice on what you need to get started painting miniatures can be found here
This section is an overview of what to buy, what you can wait to buy later, and general tips and recommendations.
Many people already have a game in mind when they get started, and will jump right in with models for that game. Others want to know what models to start with. This section discusses different popular miniature options out there that you may not be aware of including tabletop games, Board Games, RPG models, Display models and busts, and 3D printing miniatures
Painting Supplies
Primer – This section discusses primer options, colors, brush on vs spray can vs airbrush, and more.
Recommendations and reviews for all the most popular paint options for miniature painting. There is also information on primers and varnishes here.
How to Transfer Paint into Dropper Bottles – Many people prefer dropper bottles over paint pots, especially GW paint pots. This section describes the best way to transfer your paint into empty dropper bottles.
Restoring Dried out Paint bottles If paint is completely dried solid it isn’t going to be salvageable, or will take so much effort that it isn’t worth it. Partially dried paint can often be salvaged or revitalized.
Non-Acrylic Paint Mediums, Inks and Contrast Paints– Acrylic Miniature paints are by far the most popular medium for painting miniatures, but there are other options like Oil Paints, Enamels, Water Colors, and non-standard acrylics like inks, Citadel Contrast Paints, Army Painter SpeedPaints, Scale 75 Instant Colors, Vallejo Xpress Colors.
Oil Paints– This section discusses the pros and cons of oil paints on miniatures, and includes display level work.
Water Colors– Water Colors are not a popular choice, but this section demonstrates how to paint miniatures with them. They are removed by water so they can be useful for freehand work where you can erase mistakes easily.
Enamel Paints– The pros and cons of Enamels. Many of the techniques overlap with oil paints.
Contrast Paints– Contrast Paints is the Games Workshop branding for these thinned down wash-like paints, that go over a white or grey paint job and are designed to be transparent in the raised part and darken the shadows.
Metallic Contrast Paints– How to paint over metallic paints to make them colored with contrast paints, or mix contrast paints with metallics to make a metallic contrast paint.
Mix Your Own Contrast Paint substitute– How to make contrast paint like substitutes yourself.
Contrast Paint Alternatives
Army Painter SpeedPaints– This section discusses Army Painter’s version of contrast paints including reviews and guides.
Vallejo Xpress Color– This section discusses Vallejo’s version of contrast paints including reviews and guides.
Scale75 Instant Colors– This section discusses Scale 75’s version of contrast paints including reviews and guides.
Green Stuff World Dipping Inks
Inks– This section discusses inks and how to use them.
Brush Recommendations and reviews
Brush Care explains how to clean and care for your brushes.
Other Useful Things
Lighting Good lighting is important to see what you are painting. This section has tips and recommendations on popular miniature painting lighting options.
Other Nice things to have discusses nice tools and supplies to make your work easier.
Palettes– This section discusses palette options for mixing and thinning your paint, including wet palettes and dry palettes.
Agitators and Tools for mixing paint– Tools and tips to make mixing your paint pots faster, easier, and more thorough.
Magnification to help see tiny details better– Options to help you see those tiny details.
Miniature Holders– Popular options for holders to attach your miniature to while painting to make holding it easier.
What are the different mediums like flow aid, glazing medium, thinner, etc?
Airbrushing is generally something to wait until you get some experience with the basics. The airbrush section of the wiki discusses what you need to buy, how to operate the airbrush, common troubleshooting, cleaning, and airbrush specific miniature painting tutorials.
What do you need– An overview of the most important things to get you started airbrushing.
Picking an Airbrush– What to look for in an airbrush, including specific recommendations at different price points.
Compressor info– Information, recommendations and comparisons of different compressor options, from shop compressors, to hobby compressors, to battery operated.
Airbrush Safety– Important recommendations on airbrush safety and recommended safety related equipment.
Learn from the Pros– Learn how to airbrush from professional airbrush artists like Airbrush Asylum which can be very helpful and many techniques directly translate to painting miniatures. There are also many miniature focused airbrush tutorials from great content makers like Angel GiraldeZ, Marco Frisoni, Sergio Calvo, Vince Venturella, Next Level Painting and others.
Troubleshooting– How to fix common and not so common problems with the airbrush.
Cleaning, breakdown and assembly– How to disassemble and clean your airbrush.
Ideas for your hobby space including examples of other people’s space, tips and tricks to organize your stuff, storage options, and portable painting options.
Limited Space and Travel set ups
Miniature Display Options– Popular options for displaying your Painted Miniatures.
What a new painter needs to learn when starting painting.
Miniature Painting Terminology– Learn what common miniature painting terms and acronyms mean here
Intro to the Basics– A series of guides and videos by various content creators focused on beginner painters.
How to put your models together in the best way and prep the model for painting.
Priming– Primer helps your paint stick to the model. Various techniques are explained as well as the pros and cons of using different color primers.
How to Thin your paints– Thinning your paint is a core technique for good results. If you don’t thin your paint correctly you are more likely to have brush strokes visible and if the paint is too thick it can settle in recesses and obscure fine details on the model. Painting several thin coats is the recommended default technique, and this section describes how to properly thin your paint.
Basecoating– The basecoat is the first layer of paint over the primer and this section explains the best ways to get a smooth result.
Layering– How to use semi transparent paint layers to transition between colors.
Paint Miniatures Smoothly and avoid unwanted brush strokes
Taking Care of your Brushes– How to make sure your brushes last for as long as possible.
Brush Control and proper brush stroke Techniques
Steady hands, proper posture and comfort– Ways to steady your shaking hands and make sure you have the best posture and ergonomics when painting.
Because of the tiny scale of miniatures, we paint highlights and shadows to make the different parts of the model stand out and look more realistic. Without these, the different parts of the model tend to look flat and blend together.
Washes are a very beginner friendly way to add shading to recesses in your model to make the details stand out.
Oil Washes are similar to normal acrylic washes, but have some interesting properties that allow you to remove the wash if it gets some where you didn’t want it.
Panel Lining/ Pin Wash is a controlled wash usually using oil or enamel washes to carefully fill recesses, with the option to clean up mistakes.
Dry Brushing & Overbrushing– How to use the drybrushing technique to make the raised parts of a model stand out.
“Slap Chop”– This silly named technique revolves around priming a model black or another dark color, then drybrushing progressively lighter greys and/or white over the model, followed by contrast paint for color. This section has several tutorials on the technique.
Edge Highlighting– How to make the edges of your models stand out, as well as increase readability of your models. There are multiple tutorials here
Dark lining, Black lining, shadow lining and recess shading– very thin dark lines separating the different parts of the model can make the details stand out more.
Painting Volumes; Realistic light and shadows on 3D shapes (what do I highlight and shade and how?)– Learn how to place light and shadows, which is a critical skill for higher level painting, and a complex topic covering basic shading and highlighting to complex object source lighting and directional lights. Understanding light and shadows is a prerequisite to painting non metallic metal without a step by step guide, and every display level model will make strong use of painted light and shadows to bring their model to life.
Object Lighting (OSL)– How to make it look like an object is emitting light. From glowing eyes, to lanterns, to magical devices to fire, to environmental glows, OSL is a technique that can make a model really stand out if done well, or look strange if the technique is not well executed.
Zenithal Priming/hightlighting– How to use spray cans or an airbrush to simulate the effect of a model standing under a spotlight to establish highlights and shadows.
Value Sketching/En Grisaille– Learn to paint with light and darkness rather than color.
Contrast – The Most Important Thing on a Well Painted Miniature
Learn how to create contrast, which is a key to any great paint job to increase readability.
How to properly cover parts of the model so you don’t accidentally get paint where you don’t want it.
How to varnish to protect the paint job when you are done.
How to apply Decals and Transfers to your models.
Tips and tutorials on painting your models fast and learning to paint faster while still maintaining a good quality finish.
“Slap Chop”– This silly named technique revolves around priming a model black or another dark color, then drybrushing progressively lighter greys and/or white over the model, followed by contrast paint for color. This section has several tutorials on the technique.
A good base can drastically enhance the appearance of your models. This section contains a variety of different techniques from the basics to display level, and all types of environments and additions to decorate your model’s base.
Display Plinths– These fancy bases are most popular on models and busts that are painted for display rather than gaming.
Backdrops– How to make backdrops for your display base.
Tips on how to fix and avoid mistakes.
Stripping Paint from Miniatures
How to remove paint from a miniature if you decide you want to start over completely.
Intermediate to Advanced Painting Techniques
A good summary of the core fundamentals of a clean paint job with easily missed tips on getting a smooth paint job, blending, improving brush control, and moving from beginner to intermediate to more advanced techniques.
A collection of additional tips and guides focused on common things the beginner and intermediate painter can work on to improve their work.
Digital Sketching miniatures– Painting digital mock ups is a good way to get practice with light and shadow placement and test out different colors and highlights/shadows before you paint, or to test changes.
Tips on focusing your efforts to learn new techniques and get the most out of tutorials.
C&C – Critique & Comments– Miniature Painting Judges give examples of common C&C issues they see and ways to fix them.
Forums to ask for advice and critique on works in progress– Where to go to get individual feedback on your work
Intro to Blending Colors How to transition from one color to another smoothly.
Feathering Tutorials on feathering, which is a miniature painting technique that serves as a great foundation for additional blending techniques by spreading the paint and pulling it to form transitions.
Layering– How to use semi transparent paint layers to transition between colors.
Glazes– How to use very thinned down paints to slowly build up colors and create color transitions.
Stippling– How to use hundreds of tiny dots to create blending.
Wet Blending– How to take two different areas of wet paint that are side by side and blend transitions in the middle.
Loaded Brush Technique is a form of wet blending made popular by Ben Komets, where you use a combination of feathering and wetblending by putting 2 colors on the brush at the same time. Overview here, more guides in the heading link.
Color Theory is a set of principles used to create harmonious color combinations pleasing to the eye and senses. It provides us with a common ground for understanding how colors can be used, arranged, coordinated, blended, and related to one another. Color theory is about why some colors work together aesthetically, while others do not. Thus, it’s about color mixing and the visual effects of color on the viewer.
Great Art books on Colour Theory– Color theory is an incredibly deep topic that you can take full college courses on. The basic table top standard painter probably won’t be interested in this, but if you want display level, contest winning pieces then color theory is a big tool in bag for the best painters out there. These books are some great choices on the topic.
Here are three popular types of color schemes) that you can create with a color wheel:
Monochromatic. Monochromatic schemes use a single color, but with variations of tints, shades, and tones of the color. This scheme is very easy on the eyes; since the colors naturally go well together, they create a soothing effect.
Analogous. Analogous color schemes use a few related colors—one color is the dominant color, while others support it. The supportive colors enrich the scheme and make it more visually appealing.
Complementary. In their most basic form, complementary schemes consist of only two contrasting colors (for example, a dominant green color and an accent red color). This scheme works well if you want to attract attention.
Tutorial s
Youtube Channels (click here)– A comprehensive list of all the miniature painting channels that have been submitted to us. If there is a channel you like that is missing let a Mod know and it will be reviewed and added if appropriate.
Step By Step Entire model tutorials– Some people have asked for more examples of step by step guides on the full process of painting specific models rather than technique focused tutorials.
Display Level artist tutorials– This section has links to some of the top professional level painter’s tutorials, many of which focus on the highest level of display model techniques.
Other Guide Collections– Collections of painting guides created by other websites.
Top Female Miniature Artists- It was requested that it be easier to find female artists and content creators. Here is a list of some of the most prominent names I am aware of, focusing on content creators and display level artists. If there is someone you feel deserves to be added please let me know.
Miniature Painting & Hobby Books
Books on miniature painting and modeling.
Learn Classic Art to paint miniatures better
Traditional Art– All professional miniature techniques derive from traditional professional artist techniques. You will find that there are tons of overlap in traditional art and miniature art, and the vast majority of amazing first time miniature posts (that are telling the truth about their experience level), are done by people with an art back ground.
Some Artist resources to check out
This is certainly not exhaustive, just some I have checked out and found helpful. Painting digital mock ups is a good way to get practice and test out different colors and highlights/shadows before you paint, or to test changes. More resources for digital painting miniatures in Photoshop
Competitions at Conventions and Shows– A list of the most well known competitions that are held at Conventions and shows. Please let me know if there is one that should be added to the list.
Comic Style & Cell Shading– How to make miniatures look like comics or anime drawings.
Grim Dark– A muted, more “grim and realistic” paint style, inspired by the art style of Citadel artist John Blanche. The word Blanchitsu comes from John Blanche’s name. It’s also used quite interchangeably with ‘grimdark’.
Painterly/Expressive– Unlike smooth blended colors, or photo-realistic pieces of work, painterly styles embrace expressive art that may appear with clear brushstrokes, unblended swatches of color, and characterful texture from paint and other mediums.
Zorn and other Limited Palettes– Painting with a limited palette of colors and mixing them. The Zorn palette (also known as the Apelles palette) comprises four colours thought to have been used by the Swedish portrait painter Anders Zorn (18 February 1860 – 22 August 1920). These colours are Vermilion (a red), Ivory Black, Flake White and Yellow Ochre. However because of the unavailability of Flake White and the expense of Vermilion, these colours are now often exchanged for Titanium White and Cadmium Red respectively. There is evidence that this palette has been in use by painters since the 4th Century BC; Pliny referred to the painter Apelles of Kos’ tetrachromatic palette, which comprised red, yellow, black and white pigments. It is referred to today by many contemporary portrait tutors, both online and at in-person portrait workshops, as it is an effective framework of colour within which you can explore mixing skin tones with relative ease.
Sundrop
Underpainting– This explores how painting on top of different colors with semi transparent paints can give you different effects. Craftworld Studio uses this technique extensively in their work.
A collection of apps that do things like match colors in photos with paint colors, find color matches across brands, help plan color schemes and suggest colors for particular materials like “bone” or “flesh”, and tools for seeing highlights and shadows in different lighting.
Finding Matching Paint Colors Across brands
Here are some color matching tools, though most of them use the color swatches that the manufacturers provide online to match the color, so if for some reason those are not accurate, neither will the color match. Colors can also look different based on what primer color or other paint color you paint on top of, and what colors are surrounding it. It can also change based on how thinned the paint is and how many layers were applied. Paint colors do not look the same when wet or in the pot as they do after they dry.
Most people struggle to tell the difference between two similar colors unless they are right next to each other.
Tips on taking the best photos you can of your models, whether using your phone or a high quality camera.
Streaming & creating videos of miniature painting
Here you can find information on streaming and making painting videos.
How to stay motivated and what to do if you feel burned out.
How to Paint Different items and Textures
Bone– How to Paint Skulls, skeletons and bone.
Purity Seals, Books, and Scrolls– How to paint Purity Seals, Books, Scrolls and other paper on miniatures.
Scales– How to paint scales on miniatures.
Drool and Saliva effects– How to create Drool and Saliva effects on models.
Invisible and Stealth Uncloaking– How to paint invisible, or stealth models uncloaking.
Gems and Crystals– How to paint gems and crystals.
Fire– How to paint fire, flames, fire creatures.
Magical Fire– How to paint Magical effects and colored magic flames.
Lightning– How to model lightning effects and how to paint them on weapons and other parts of the model.
Glass Bottles– How to paint glass bottles, vials and liquid in flasks.
Stone– How to paint Stone
Cloth– How to paint Cloth on miniatures.
Paint like a pro- Traditional art techniques for cloth– Pro painters refine their techniques with traditional art lessons like these.
Cloaks– How to paint Cloaks and capes.
Sheer Cloth and Wet Cloth– How to paint sheer, see thru cloth and wet cloth effects.
Wool– How to paint Wool Cloth.
Leather– How to paint Leather.
Bat/Demon/Dragon membrane style wings– How to paint Wings with membranes, typically seen on bats, dragons, and winged demons.
Feathered Wings– How to paint Feathered Wings.
Fur– How to paint fur, both textured on the model and freehand fur effects.
Blood Effects How to create Blood, gore and blood splatter effects.
Painting Transparent Miniatures– How to paint translucent or transparent miniatures without losing the transparency.
Wood– How to paint wood grain, wood planks, rotten wood, and other wood textures.
Guides including mixing skin tones for different ethnicities and tips for male vs female skin tones.
Beginner, intermediate and display level tips and guides for painting faces.
Painting Eyes– Beginner to display level tips and guides for painting eyes. From a simple dot, to ultra realistic level.
How to paint hair of all different colors. Includes beginner to display level guides.
How to paint tattoos and warpaint on models.
Nonhuman Skin
Orcs, Goblins and other green skin– How to paint green skin tones, from beginner to display artist guides.
Blue Skin– How to paint blue skin tones.
Dark Elf and Drow– Dark Elf and Drow skin tones for both D&D and Warhammer dark elves.
Nurgle– Tutorials for various Nurgle models, including demons, Plague Marines, Death Guard, and more.
Red Skin (demons, monsters, ect)– How to paint red skin tones.
Reptiles. Scaled reptile like creatures often use similar techniques to paint.
Lizard men, Seraphon, Slann, Kroxigor, Saurus, and Skinks.
dinosaurs
Snakes
Dragons
Tyranids– Tutorials for painting Warhammer 40k Tyranids.
Metallics and Nonmetal Metallics
Metallic paints are paints that contain metal pigments. Non Metallic Metal or NMM is using regular paint colors to create effects that look metallic, the way a traditional canvas painter would.
A combination of metallic and non-metallic paint guides for all the popular chapters and colors.
Paints with tiny metallic pigments are the recommended choice for beginners and with practice can be used to create display quality work. This section has tutorials on using these paints.
Metallic Paint Steel– How to Paint Steel with metallic pigment paints.
Metallic Paint Gold– How to Paint Gold with metallic pigment paints.
Metallic Paint Bronze– How to Paint Bronze with metallic pigment paints.
Metallic Paint Brass– How to Paint Brass with metallic pigment paints.
Metallic Chrome– Painting Chrome with metallic pigment paints.
Colored Metallic paint– How to color metallic pigment paints.
Non- Metallic Metal or NMM is the technique of using paint colors with no metallic pigments to create effects that look like metal, the way a traditional canvas painter would or a comic book or animated film does. This allows the painter to precisely control the placement of high lights and shadows as well as what is reflected in the metal. This is helpful for object source lighting for example. Metallic pigments are more affected by the lighting in the room where the model is being viewed. Kirill Kanaev and Michal Pisarski are two examples of how realistic the best NMM can be.
Intro NMM & Miscellaneous NMM tips
Non Metallic Metal is not recommended for true beginners, this section is for experienced painters trying NMM for the first time. Beginners should start with metallic pigment paints
Simplified NMM Space Marines tutorial series (LINK)
Advanced NMM– Advanced techniques moving towards more hyper-realistic metal. One of the best masters of this is Kirill Kanaev. Michal Pisarski is another great example of what the best NMM can look like.
NMM Armor– How to paint Non Metallic Metal Armor.
NMM Gold (Non-Metallic Metals)– How to Paint Non Metallic Metal Gold. NMM Brass
NMM Bronze– How to Paint Non Metallic Metal Bronze.
Sky, Earth Non Metallic Metal (SENMM), IE Chrome effects
How to paint swords with metallic paints.
How to paint non metallic metal weapons of all types.
Magic/futuristic melee weapons
Guns, lasers, and other modern ranged weapons
Bolters– How to paint Space Marine Bolters.
Plasma Gun– How to paint glow effects for plasma guns.
Necron Weapons– How to paint Necron guns and melee weapons.
Tips for painting tanks, rhinos, walkers, and other vehicles.
Top Miniature Painting Galleries
Some of the best and/or most popular painting galleries to submit your work and look at other people’s work and have it rated.
Some of my favorite Instagram galleries
A collection of some of the top professional and display level artists personal galleries on instagram.
Information on doing and finding someone to do commission painting.
Becoming a Commission Painter and How much do I charge?