Welcome to I Am Your Target Demographic and welcome to our video introducing folks to
the basic concepts of painting miniatures. This is basic and intro-level stuff, so if you’re a
painting pro, this may be very familiar. In parts one and two of this series, we covered the various
games that utilize miniatures to paint, then we covered how the models are different and where
to get models from. So now, we’re at the stage where you’ve got some models to paint, or you know
you’re going to purchase some, what do you need now and what sort of terms do you need to know?
As I briefly mentioned in part one, you’ll want to get some tools such as a clipper and small
hobby knife, to help if your models come on any sprues. Even if they’re not on a sprue,
you may have models with moldlines, which are flashes of plastic or metal that aren’t meant
to be on your model, so you’ll need to clean them up and make things smooth,
if they’re meant to be smooth. We’re also going to talk about basing a bit, so the literal base that
your miniature is attached to. I usually attach my models to the base before painting, but this is
totally your preference. Some models have what are called ‘integrated bases’ meaning your miniature
is in a dynamic pose so that they’re attached to the base, while others have flat feet and can be
attached to any normal base, no fuss. Once you’ve decided to include the base or not right now,
you’ll then prime your model, you’ll want to invest in a spraycan of what’s called ‘primer.’
Don’t use just any spraypaint, I’d recommend paying a little more to get something specifically
designated as a primer for miniatures, such as ones made by the companies Citadel, a subset of
Games Workshop, or the brand Army Painter, that’s what I typically use. The color you use is up to
you. Black priming is great, since if you miss any bits, a black prime will hide some mistakes.
White priming is best if you’re painting something a bright color. You can also use any other color,
if you think it makes sense and they create a primer in that color. An advanced technique of
priming is called ‘zenithal’ priming which is a black primer and then a white primer, from
above or from the source of light hitting your model. This means if you paint in light layers,
one shade will look lighter and darker inherently because of the prime underneath. Using a zenithal
technique is pointless if you slab a thick coat of paint over the whole thing, so go lightly.
You’ll want a set of paints. There are some great deals on boxes of paints that include a
well rounded variety and even starter kits from some companies that include models and paints.
You’ll also want a variety of brushes, from very teeny tiny brushes for details
and some broader brushes for large areas. You’re going to put this paint
on a pallet. A traditional pallet is dry, just a plastic piece you can mix the paint together.
There’s also what’s called a wet pallet, which is something you can make or buy
which incorporates a wet layer under your paint, to keep it from drying while you paint.
Now, there’s a lot of techniques people will reference when painting miniatures, so we’re going
to go through the popular ones, so you know what people mean. A very common phrase is to drybrush.
This technique means you’ll put a color on your brush and then wipe it off on something
like a papertowel until it’s almost gone. You don’t want to use your nice brushes for this.
Once it’s mostly gone, you’ll paint swiftly over a textured area, so the paint will very slowly
get on the rises in the texture and not deep into the recesses. This is an easy technique for things
like fur and scales. Another common phrase is to layer meaning you’ll transition from one
color to another, building up to the color you want at the edge. Layering is usually smaller
lines and details, so not as broad or reckless as drybrushing can be, much more controlled.
You’ll layer up to the highlights, where the light is hitting your miniature the most,
or layer down to the shadows, where it’s the darkest. We usually assume the light source
is the sun or somewhere off the model, but there’s also a technique called OSL,
which stands for object source lighting. This means you might have something on your model
that is creating a light. It could be a torch or glowing eyes or a flaming sword. So creating an
OSL effect is creating that look when the object is casting a colored light onto the rest of the
model. Easy to understand, can be hard to perfect. Layering and doing things like highlights
is usually doing a color and then, like the name implies, layering the colors. Another technique
for transitioning colors is called wetblending. This is where you might transition from dark
to light, for example, but you’re mixing and blending the colors before they dry.
Now these are techniques, but there are also special types of paints that you can buy,
which serve very specific purposes. My favorites are called washes. Washes are incredibly thin,
waterlike paints that you literally wash over an entire area. It seeps into the cracks and
textures, making things pop like crazy. If you want an immediate bump in quality,
learning to use washes is the easiest first step. You also have thin paints called glazes. These are
more intended to cover an area, but to darken or change the color of an entire area. You might put
a thin red over an area to give it all a red glow, without covering the color underneath.
There are also multiple types of clear paints. If you’re done painting, you might put a sealant
or sealer over your entire model, so it doesn’t scratch as easily. They also make gloss varnishes
that can make your model look shiny or wet, ideal for effects like crystals or water details or even
blood effects. If you have a standard base and you want to snaz it up a bit, you might use some
basing textures, like a cracked earth effect or even snow effects. These are typically sold
in bottles just like paint but they work very differently. You don’t need to buy all these,
but if you know you’re creating a snow-themed army or encounter, getting a bottle of snow effect
will likely really make your models pop. So these are the super basics. I’m still
learning but hopefully you found this interesting. Down in the comments, let me know if there are
words or phrases you’ve heard used that you wanted to add or discuss. You can also find my miniature
painting Instagram at @iaytdpainting and scope out the models I’ve been working on recently.
Again, I’m just learning, so be nice. Thanks for watching everyone!