Craft & Handwork · Games & Puzzles
Miniature Painting
Paint figures a few centimetres tall, where shadow does most of the work
A few brushes and a small set of paints will start you, and a first figure takes two or three hours. The process is formulaic — prime, base coat, a wash to darken the recesses, then highlight the raised edges — and following it produces depth without any drawing ability. Scale and quantity separate it from larger kits: armies get painted in batches.
First stepPrime one miniature, then basecoat, wash and highlight it, finishing just that one figure.
Barriers
Cost to start
$50–300
Going deep → $2k–10k
Alone or with people
On your own
Effort
Sitting
Without a teacher?
Self-taught
One session takes
1–2 hours
Where
At home
Why people take it up
Related guides
Try a hobby before you buy the gearStarting costs $50–300Skills
BuildsColour mixing and harmonyFine hand control