Discover our how-to tutorial guides for everything from painting and modeling to storing miniatures for games like Warhammer and more!
Checkout this great article on how to make custom bases by Red Stick Studios! Building Wood Plank Bases Ever wanted to have wood plank bases, kind of like what you think an old tavern’s floors would look like, the decks of a ship or just what you want for themed bases? Here’s a quick and dirty guide […]
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Got Paint? Well check out this article on erm, how to strip, by Red Stick Studios! So, who hasn’t had one of these problems, or something similar? Test model that needs to be cleaned up, miniatures from ebay that have way too much paint on them, getting more skilled at painting and deciding to redo […]
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Following on my recent article about converting Ork Bommers it seemed useful to talk about scenic basing flyers for Warhammer 40,000. Flyers usually sit on a clear plastic stand mounted on the large oval base made by Games Workshop. Since the clear stand doesn’t take up much room on the large plastic oval that leaves […]
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Chaos is upon us, and Lord Nurgle demands paint for his minions!Almost one year ago I posted this article on how to speed paint Nurgle Marines using just a few basic techniques, which was great for fielding a painted army quick! But then Games Workshop went and changed their paint line in March, so I […]
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Today we have a guest post by Caleb over at White Metal Games, on some custom Mieotic Spores! These things are pretty neat in game, and honestly I think every ‘Nid player should own three. But they’re a tad bit pricey from Forge World (what isn’t right?) Checkout his article on how to make some […]
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Whew, I just finished up painting FORTY Grey Knight Purifiers for my Draigo Beats army, and wanted to share with you all my project log.You see to keep me motivated, and show a live step by step progression, I posted each step up on Facebook as I went! The updates even went directly and conveniently […]
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So I’ve been painting up a ton (by a ton I mean like forty) of Grey Knight Purifiers, as a side project over the last few months.To keep me motivated, and show a live step by step progression, I’ve been posting each step up on Facebook as I go. Updates even go directly and conveniently […]
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Check out this super easy to make “Gothic” styled loyalist Space Marine. Originally this was my test mini for a new Black Templars army, but he could easily sub for any chapter espically Dark Angels! And since everyone and their mom will have some Dark Angels soon form the Dark Vengeance Starter, this conversion can […]
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Here’s another look at my custom Ork Nob Biker squad, and their pimped bases. This is summary of my original three blog posts back in April ’09. Isn’t it funny how what was once old is now new again? With the release of sixth Nob Bikers are all the rage again! The best thing I […]
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Today I took another crack at converting one of the hottest bits on the market today; the Combi-Melta gun. Here at Spikey Bits, we still cant seem to keep this particular bit in stock, and routinely cut down whole commander kits at a time, just for this one component. It’s pretty bad when I don’t […]
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Well it appears I may have impressed some folks with a few Work in Progress shots I put up last night on Facebook.I like posting quick pictures to Facebook using my phone, cause it’s easy to make a small catalog of what I’m working on without stopping every five seconds and setting up photo equipment etc. So […]
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Hey guys. I have an article today from From the Warp (FTW) by Ron Saikowski. This is a great article on doing furs, and that really makes it easy than hand sculpting every line etc. Alternatively as Ron notes, Micro Art Studio does make fur pelt molds as well.Another thing you may want to try after […]
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Recently I’ve been posting up Work in Progress pics of Grey Knights Vehicles I’m currently painting, on Facebook.It’s easy to post there cause I can just snap some pics with my phone and upload them while I work. (Wanna see more WIP GK’s? Maybe it’s a good time to make sure you “like” Spikey Bits’ Facebook? I’m […]
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So I’ve been painting up a ton of Grey Knight Purifiers as a side project over the last month or so.To keep me motivated, and show a live step by step progression, I’ve been posting each step up on Facebook as I go. I may be changing up the pads soon, and have just a […]
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I’ve been painting up a couple of Death Cult Assassin Squad for WargamesCon in just a few weeks.To keep me motivated, and show a live step by step progression, I’ve been posting each step up on Facebook as I go. For the actual models, I’m using some converted sister Repentia figures as my themed female […]
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First off let me be the first to thank everyone for their overwhelming interest in this project.I can’t remember the last time a conversion I did was so well received. Heck this baby even ended up on the front page of the Warhammer Reddit for awhile! This model’s official designation is the Stormhound Assault Walker […]
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Today I have for you a blast from the past, the Sparrowhawk.This conversion is one of the first articles I ever did for the blog, and look whats out now, a bunch of new flyer models. I think it’s also one of the coolest conversions I’ve ever done as well I’ts funny because I […]
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Today I have a easy little conversion that can help keep more gaming dollars in your pocket.Ever wanted to make both variants from a single Land Raider Crusader / Redeemer tank? Well now may definitely be just the right time, with the price of this kit going up to $75!! The other day I was building […]
Read MorePainting Warhammer miniatures is all part of the fun of the hobby! However, sometimes getting paint on those gray models can sometimes be a bit of a hurdle. So, here’s how to paint Warhammer miniatures, the tutorials you need, and plenty of inspiration. Plus, playing with painted armies just makes the game so much better, and if you’re going to a tournament, everything must be painted.
Whether you’re painting your thousandth mini and are just looking for some new tips or are painting your first Warhammer miniature, you can always keep learning. That’s one of the coolest parts of the hobby that you can see your progress in a very visual way, and playing games with fully painted armies is hugely appealing.
Over the years, there have also been huge improvements in the techniques, paints, and products. Most notably, airbrushing Warhammer miniatures have started to take over the painting scene, and it has a pretty steep learning curve. Still, when you start to understand it, airbrushing makes painting much faster and better.
Acrylic paints are the most commonly used for painting Warhammer miniatures, 3D printed miniatures, historical figures, and any RPG models. However, there are a ton of companies out there that make paint specifically for miniatures. Here are some of the best and why to pick what.
If you want to see all the paints tested against one another, check out a full comparison here.
If you’re playing Warhammer 40k, the Necrons take the top spot as the easiest to paint as they are just mainly metal and can be drybrushed silver for the majority of the paint job. For AoS, Stormcast Eternals are the easiest, as they are almost all armor, meaning no faces (generally), and the paint schemes are very simple.
The easiest way is to start putting paint on models. However, this is where test models come in. The best thing to do is buy some models you don’t care about too much, then you can test your paint schemes, what paints you like, etc… on those and not worry about how they come out.
We recommend finding a tutorial with the exact paint scheme you want for your models and trying to replicate exactly what you see. Eventually, you will be able to branch out but try to just copy what you see until you have the techniques down.
The first thing you want is good lighting! We recommend getting some lamps that can give you good light and get two of them so they don’t cast shadows on your models. After that, it’s best to decide on your paint scheme before you put any paint on the mini.
You decide the primary colors you want everything to be, making it easier to just fill them in. Then, the next thing you need to do is prime the miniature, there are a few ways to go about it, but you can paint on the primer, but using a spray can is generally the easiest way.
Then you can get into the painting; you want to start with your basecoat (the darker and primary colors of your paint scheme). Once you have the main colors blocked in, you can either use a wash paint or start highlighting. If you want to learn how to paint your first Warhammer miniature, check out an easy-to-follow tutorial here.
It’s not really hard, as painting is part of the hobby, and even if your miniatures don’t win any painting competitions, it’s all about putting paint on those gray models! With the insane number of tutorials out there, you can learn quite quickly how to get better and get those models on the table!
