Welcome to Loafy23's Miniature Painting pages!

This is my Miniature Painting page. Here I will discuss techniques that I use when painting fantasy miniatures. I've been painting fantasy miniatures for about four years now though I've not painted much in the past year or so. This is due to a cluttered desk and having many other things to do.

Paint:
Since the paint made especially for painting miniatures is so expensive I quickly found a paint to use as a substitute. I use an acrylic craft paint. Acrylic paint that can be found at many department and craft stores. This paint comes in a huge variety of colors which is nice if you don't want to mix paint. I mix almost every color that I use on my miniatures but it's nice to have a color that is close to what you want for a starting point. The great thing about these paints is that you can go out and get five bottles of new colors for about seven or eight dollars.

I started out using enamel paint. This is the same paint that is used to paint model cars. Some of the problems associated with enamel are: It's difficult to clean up, it has a harsh smell to it, and it's more difficult to work with. I quickly learned that acrylic is the way to go.

Brushes:
I started out using the model brushes that you get to paint model cars. These brushes were just too clumsy to use on miniatures. I had to get a few good brushes from the craft section of a local department store. I use a variety of brushes when painting. These are what I use:

000 Round
00 Round
0 Round
10/0 Fine Round
0 Liner (very long bristles that come to a fine point)
4 Flat

If you can get a couple of each, you'll be better off. I also use a couple older brushes with damaged bristles to do dry brushing (a detailing technique).

I also use an air brush for certain things. An air brush is great for putting on an even base or color coat without destroying the details that you want to bring out on a miniature. This is something that you don't have to have to paint miniatures but I find that it makes my life a lot easier.

Something that is overlooked by a lot of people just getting into painting is care for your equipment. Brushes can cost a fortune especially if your buying a new brush for every miniature you paint. I try to take care of my brushes but there are times when I forget to clean the brush completely. This leads to a shortened life span for that brush. A good brush conditioner is a good investment. Make sure that your brushes are cleaned and stored properly.

Inks:
Inks are nice to bring out detail on a miniature. I only use mine occasionally though. I find that by thinning a paint way down, I get the results that I'm looking for.

Tools:
I have many tools for working on miniatures. The three that I find to be most useful are:
Dremel Mini Might rotary power tool with a few different bits
A set of Needle Files
A set of Dental Picks
X-Acto Hobby Knives (another must have)
A pair of Side Cutters (used for electronics repair.)

The Mini Might is an option but the other tools are needed if you're going to be serious about making your miniatures look their best.

Another tool that I've found very usefull, especially on metal miniatures, is a two ended Burnishing Tool.  This is a pick like tool with a wood or plastic handle and a steel ball on the end of a steel shaft at either end.  One end is larger than the other.  You can use this tool to "rub" away molding marks and also smooth pitted areas on a miniature.

Adhesives:
For multipart miniatures and conversions you're going to need some different types of adhesive.

Super Glue is a must.  It works very well for so many tasks.

Hot glue (and a gun of course) also has it's uses.  I primarily use hot glue to attach miniatures, that I'm working on, to short dowel rods for easy handling and painting.  This gets my hands out of the way, off of the miniature, and protects the finish of the miniature by keeping skin oils off of it.

Elmer's Glue is an old standbye...  It's wonderful for coating bases with sand and other such uses.

2-Ton Epoxy is a two part epoxy that's great for heavy metal miniatures.  A very strong bond!  It is difficult to use at times since it's very thick, requires even mixing, and cures fairly quickly.  Try not to mix anymore than you are going to use immediatly.  Good ventilation is also a must for this product.

Tenax 7R is a plastic bonding agent.  It doesn't 'glue' plastic parts together, it fuses them together making the individual parts into a single piece.  This stuff is pretty cheap but it is difficult to use and you can quickly ruin a plastic miniature if you aren't careful.  If used carefully enough you can use Tenax to remove mold lines and such from plastic miniatures.  This stuff only works on plastic and is _very_ thin in consistency.  Close the lid as soon as you can.  If you leave it open over night you'll have a half of a bottle the next day.

Assorted Items:
These are some things that I find helpful when painting miniatures:

Popsicle Sticks.  I use these mainly for stiring paints and such but they can easily be used for making diaramas and the like.

Wooden Dowels.  I use 1/2" diameter dowels for holding my miniatures while I work on them.  They're to a length of about 3" and have a notch cut in one end for the base of the miniature to stick in.  Hot glue secures the miniature and can be easily removed by either simply pulling the miniature off or cutting away the hot glue.  A short length of 2X4 can be used as a stand by drilling 1/2" holes (slightly reamed) along it's flat side.  You can then stand your dowels in these holes while you are waiting for paint to dry or while you're off doing other things.  This has worked VERY well for me.  The miniatures don't get knocked over and are easily accessed.

Balsa Wood is great for making little tables and chairs and other furnishing for diaramas.  Easy to cut and form and takes dyes and paints readily.

Craft Snow can be used for bases and diaramas.  Although it is white, once dry, it can be painted any color you choose.  Painted green and drybrushed yellow will make wonder grass for you.

Craft Sticks  are a cross between a popsicle stick and a tooth pic.  Rounded on one end and pointed at the other.  These are great for stirring paints and construction in diaramas.

There are so many little things that you can use when painting miniatures and making diaramas.  I've used everything from cotton balls to finch grit (for birds.)  Just look around your house, visit craft and hobby (especially train) shops, and hardware stores.  You never know what you're going to find!  You may even be inspired by what you see.