There are certain aspects of gaming I swore I'd never get into. Miniature games were one line in the sand and upon failing that, I set up my next barricade at painting the little figures myself. Recently, that dam broke as well and surprisingly, I found myself pretty pleased with the results. I am by no means an expert painter with just around 4 months of experience under my belt, but I thought I'd put together a little guide for anyone out there who'd like to give it a try. There are far more talented painters out there and far more advanced techniques, but if you've mostly avoided painting because you don't think you'd be happy with the results (guilty), this is a pretty easy way to get in some practice.
1. Pick your Figures
No one wants to ruin a $50 pewter statue trying to learn to paint. If possible, get started with a game that gives you something safe to practice with. Memoir '44 has some barbed wire and sandbags that are quite safe, though painting the dozens of little soldiers is a daunting task I haven't bothered with myself. Personally, I went with the zombies from Last Night on Earth. You really can't go wrong with zombies. No matter, how mangled, mutilated, or paint splattered they turn out, they still look like zombies.
2. Apply Primer
You may wish to wash off the figures before this step, as it removes gunk that can make it hard for the paint to stick. I try to remember to do this myself, but I've forgotten enough times to know its not the most important step in the process. The main thing is getting a coat of primer down to help your paints stick to the figure. I use the Formula P3 from Privateer Press, as that was what a friend suggested and it hasn't let me down yet. I can't say I've got anything to compare it to. Black is generally the best way to start; it hides mistakes very well, is very easy to see where it's missing when sprayed, and provides some natural shading. Simply put your figures in a box, hold the can about a foot and a half away and spray a nice, thin, even coat across the whole thing. You'll probably have to do this a few times and rotate the figure. Priming can take a while, but its generally very important you get the figure well covered. Let the figure dry overnight and you're ready for the next step.
3. Paint the Figure
Here's the bulk of the work and easily the most satisfying part of the process. Use acrylic paints and paint the figure whatever colors you prefer. They don't have to be particularly fancy paints; mine come from the local Hobby Lobby, but you'll want to get a nice, fine tipped brush and try to keep the tip in good shape. Generally I go over the large areas with a larger brush quickly to make sure I like the color scheme, the return with a much smaller tip and hit the details. The main thing to realize here is that painting figures is more like a coloring book than a canvas. You're filling in existing lines with colors, not drawing from scratch. It's mostly a matter of patience; simply looking things over and applying additional paint where you find a spot you missed. Once you're happy with the figure, give it another night to dry, then its time to cheat.
4. Go for a Dip
I'm sure professional painters and people far more talented than me just cringed at that bullet, but I can't stress how much this helps make your earliest figures look significantly better. Go to your local hardware store and get a can of wood stain. I use MinWax Polyshades Antique Walnut. Dip your figure in this stuff (or apply the stain with a large brush) and then remove any excess stain as best you can. Some people shake them inside a box; personally, I drop the figure into a paper towel and dab around the edges to remove the extras. The purpose of this is twofold. One, the polyurethane creates a protective layer that will keep the paint from rubbing off the figure. Two, the stain will act like an ink or a wash, seeping into the cracks of the figure and creating nice, dark lines to really make the details on the figure stand out. Your figures will be rather sticky after coated with this stain, however and must be left to dry for quite a while. I can take 3-4 days before that feeling goes away, so find a nice spot to let them sit for a while. You won't want to continue until they lose that tacky texture.
5. Seal the Figure
We're almost done now. Just one final step. Find a clear coat spray and apply it to the figure in a very similar fashion as the primer. For things I'd like a little duller like ruins or zombies I use a matte spray. For things I'd like to keep a bit of a shine like heroes or machines, I use a simply clear coat spray. As I said, this is similar to the primer step. Place the figure in a box and coat it a couple times with a nice, thin, even spray. I tend to be a little more cautious here, as the stain will also provide a bit of protection. Give this last coat time to dry and its time for the single most important step.
6. Time to Play!
That's it! Now you're free to throw these guys on the table and play. Plastic minis are generally quite resistant to chipping and damage, so there's no need to treat them as display only pieces. Even a bit of work goes a long way to bringing character and life to game and helping it pop on the table. Hopefully, if you've never thought you could paint figures before, this little guide will help you get started. Feel free to shoot me a message if you have any questions. To all the enormously talented folk out there, I welcome critiques and advice. I'll be posting more of my work in the future as well. Thanks for reading!
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