How To Paint Camo On Miniatures

Natasha is a former hobby store employee as well as a WWII and fantasy miniature gamer who loves sharing her passion with others.

Learn all the essential tips, tricks, and tools you'll need to know to paint military miniatures! — Acquire all the essential tips, tricks, and tools you'll need to know to paint military miniatures!

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7 Essential Tips for Painting Military machine Figures

Practice you want to play a miniature game or create a diorama simply observe yourself overwhelmed past the thought of painting dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of figures? Don't stress—it is really possible to create a proficient-looking ground forces without spending the rest of your life painting it.

If you need to pigment an unabridged war machine miniature army, each infantryman does non need to be a work of art. I have learned that consistency is fundamental—having a uniformly painted and well-based army looks fantastic on a gaming board. These tips will help you develop and execute a programme to paint and base of operations military miniatures and so that they expect good without taking years of endeavour.

As both a WWII and fantasy miniature gamer, as well as a erstwhile hobby store employee, I know how daunting the chore of painting armed forces miniatures can exist, specially if you lot are painting several units or an entire ground forces. Over the years, I accept painted multiple 15mm Russian armies, 2 British armies, an entire D-24-hour interval forcefulness, countless Americans, and more than a handful of Germans.

Other painting projects, several of them on committee, have included 28mm fantasy and historical miniatures, as well as 6mm figures. These tips are versatile and easy to apply to any era, genre, or size of figure so you can "quickly" create an impressive-looking force.

i. Develop a Paint Scheme

Before you pick up a brush or open up a bottle of paint, develop a paint scheme. Expect up your figures or similar figures online or in painting guides to see what others accept done, and enquire yourself a series of questions:

What exercise you like well-nigh the figures you come across? What do you not like?
What colors do you want to use?
How skilled are you lot? Are yous comfortable with dry brushing, wet blending, using an airbrush, etc.?

After formulating a programme of attack, set up all the colors you need and check each paint to make certain information technology is usable, and you have a sufficient quantity before get-go your project. If you lot need to purchase more paint, practise it earlier starting your project. Paint companies really change paint formulas over fourth dimension. It's really annoying to purchase a bottle of pigment from the verbal aforementioned visitor that sports the aforementioned proper name only to discover the two are not an identical lucifer!

Camouflage is a nice touch, but are you ready to paint it on a figure that's just 15mm tall?

Cover-up is a nice touch, simply are y'all ready to paint it on a figure that's just 15mm tall?

2. Fix the Figures for Easy Painting

At that place are several different schools of thought on how to prep miniatures for basing. I tend to paint 15mm and smaller figures, and so belongings and painting each one individually is typically not a realistic option. If you are panting larger figures, such as 28mm figures, you tin can hands hold each miniature by the base while yous pigment it. For smaller figures, you demand a dissimilar approach.

Method 1: Gum Miniatures to a Nail or Golf Tee

Some people like to use a dab of white mucilage to affix each miniature to the head of a blast or golf tee. They stick these tees or nails in a box lid, piece of floral foam, or something else to keep the figures upright and tin easily grab the figure by the new "handle." This gives you lot nifty all-around access, merely I practice not believe each figure in a large germination of small miniatures needs precision painting. If you desire to spend the residue of your life creating a single, perfect regular army, this technique is for you lot. If yous want something you lot can actually play with, this is not your technique.

Method 2: Base Stands of Miniatures Before Painting Them

Others prefer to base stands of miniatures before painting them. I like this when the miniatures are based in a row, similar the figures above, merely I practise not like this on more costless-form stands because it limits access to each figure. If one figure is partially blocked by another, how can you lot pigment it?

Method iii: Glue Miniatures to Popsicle Sticks

My favorite way to prepare 15mm figures for painting is by using white glue to temporarily attach them to popsicle sticks. Sort through the miniatures and group them past pose. For case, group all the guys carrying their rifle together, all the guys with their rifle on their shoulder together, and all the command figures together. Gum 4 or five figures to each stick, making sure to utilize figures in the same pose on a stick whenever possible. This makes them much easier to paint! When you're done painting, simply grab onto the effigy and give the stick a twisting pull to pop them correct off.

These figures are primed and ready to paint.

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three. Spray-Prime Figures

When I worked at a hobby shop, customers would constantly complain well-nigh the cost of high-quality spray primer and ask if they could use generic spray pigment. If you are going to spring for one nice piece of painting gear, it needs to be primer. Several model companies make primer, but Games Workshop primer is the best. Of course, information technology is likewise the most expensive, merely it is worth every penny. Information technology coats smoothly without beingness overly thick, and the nozzle rarely e'er clogs.

Cheap primers usually either go along too thick, obscuring the miniature'south particular, or they come out grainy, making the figures look terrible. The primer coat is the foundation for everything that is to come. If the primer flakes off or has an inconsistent texture, even the best paint job in the globe volition be ruined.

4. Pigment the Figures Consistently

When painting your figures, consistency is key. Fifty-fifty if y'all paint with the exact aforementioned colors, a unit you lot paint one day will wait a lilliputian fleck unlike from a unit you paint another day. To make your figures look as uniform equally possible, work with one color at a time and paint every bit many figures as yous tin stand to look at.

For example, if you have l Russian infantrymen, become out the bottle of uniform khaki grey and paint every single figure's uniform. Then, take out the wood dark-brown and paint every burglarize stock, and so on. If you accept to stop partway through your painting project, all the figures should be at the same stage, making it easier to paint them uniformly. In the project below, each figure's metal-color was painted first, followed by bluish on some of the figures.

First, the silver was applied to each figure.

5. Paint in Stages

Time constraints (and sometimes physical difficulties similar aching fingers or strained eyes) make it incommunicable to cease every painting projection in one sitting. If you demand to mix a custom pigment color, attempt to pigment everything that needs that color all at once. Even if yous know you mixed a colour 50/50 from ii different shades, it may not plow out exactly the aforementioned the side by side day.

A elementary change in humidity may crusade the pigment to dry out differently some other time, giving information technology an entirely different appearance! Look at the American armor below to see the importance of compatible paint color. The base of operations coat of paint was practical all at in one case, giving them their necessarily uniform appearance.

American Sherman tanks from Flames of War

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Silvered decal on an IS-2. The camera didn't even want to focus on the decal, so I had to focus on the cloth behind it, instead! — Silvered decal on an IS-two. The photographic camera didn't even want to focus on the decal, and so I had to focus on the textile behind it, instead!

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Well-applied decal on a T-34/85 — Well-practical decal on a T-34/85

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6. Add Details and Decals for an Actress-Special Bear upon

If you have a little extra fourth dimension, add together some realism to your ground forces by picking out a few details. Belts and belt buckles, tool heads and handles, and even eyes are a bully mode to add together a finished feel to your pieces. Add mud and weather furnishings to vehicles to make them look well used—tanks only become into battle brand new one fourth dimension! Whatever you lot make up one's mind to detail, keep it consistent.

How to Apply Decals

If you want to employ decals, take the fourth dimension to apply them correctly, or don't apply them at all. Poorly or incorrectly applied decals "silver," or create a visible mark on the piece. This does not wait at all realistic and can ruin a careful pigment task.

To apply a decal correctly, follow these instructions:

Paint the desired area with a clear gloss coat, such as Citadel'south Ardcoat or Vallejo'southward gloss varnish. Afterward the gloss glaze dries, cutting the decal out, and let information technology soak in water until it floats free.
Carefully scoop it upward with your paintbrush, and position information technology in identify over the gloss coat. Hold it in place with the brush, and soak upward whatsoever actress water with the corner of a paper towel. If the water's movement shifts the decal, use the paintbrush to add a little h2o and reposition the decal.
Use a setting solution similar MicroSet to aid the decal soften and sink down onto the model. Most decal setting solutions are basically just vinegar, so utilize white vinegar if you don't have any specialty solutions.
Finally, once the decal has dried, coat the expanse with a clear slow coat. If this sounds like a lot of work, just compare the photos of a silvered decal and a well-practical decal above. The silvered decal ruins an otherwise squeamish Russian IS-2, but the well-applied decal on the T-34/85 is a fantastic finishing impact a fairly basic paint job.

These Panzers have a lot of detailing, and even attached foliage as camouflage. — These Panzers have a lot of detailing, and fifty-fifty attached leaf equally camouflage.

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This Sturmtiger has decals, rusty tracks, and painted shovel.

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I used these Gale Forcefulness Nine products on many of the figures seen in this commodity. The sand and grass dissimilarity beautifully with 1 another, and their products are very affordable.

seven. Base of operations Figures Uniformly

Uniform basing is fundamental. With just a little endeavour, you can give cohesion to an unabridged army. Additionally, the clay and grass colors on bases offer a great dissimilarity with nearly uniform colors, especially drab WWI and WWII uniforms, that actually make the figures pop.

The easiest way to apace create good-looking bases is by coating the base of operations with a layer of white glue, dipping the base of operations in sand or a particularly made modeling sand/stone mixture, and and so gluing tufts of grass in patches. I similar to use static grass, which is readily available at most hobby stores and is fabricated by several different companies. This grass stands upwardly in clumps and looks more realistic than the flat, sawdust-similar grass y'all frequently find used in model train layouts.

Adding the extra layer of sand or molding a base with a painting medium from the art supply shop earlier calculation grass makes a lot of difference. Compare the two photos below.

1 has 4 stands of WWII infantry. Each stand has a molded base of operations painted a uniform shade of brownish and absolute with static grass. The other 4 stands take base colors that don't really match, some grass, and no additional ground cover. The miniatures with the worse bases are actually better painted, but the better-based miniatures await better, overall.

Compatible basing is the cornerstone of whatsoever army. Units painted with different colors and units that are entirely different types of effigy are all pulled together by compatible basing. Only look at the pocket-sized Warhammer Epic 40K army below. Ii unlike types of infantry and two siege engines all clearly belong to the same ground forces considering they accept the same basing.

Warhammer Epic 40K Chaos army — Warhammer Epic 40K Chaos ground forces

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Painting Miniatures Is Fun!

Painting miniatures should be fun, not a chore, but when y'all take hundreds to paint and a deadline to meet, information technology can make you question why you even paint miniatures every bit a hobby! Luckily, past following the process and tips and tricks described here, you lot can cut downward on the amount of time you lot spend painting and improve the way your army looks. I hope you detect these tips helpful. If yous take whatsoever more than to add, I'd love to hear them!

Natasha (author) from Hawaii on September 23, 2012:

I used to play games online in high school and early college, but there's simply no fashion I'd accept the time at present! Plus, I didn't have a computer for a couple years after college. When I stopped playing games online is when I started painting miniatures, actually. These days I don't take much time for information technology, either, though. Thanks for stoping by!

Nib Holland from Olympia, WA on September 22, 2012:

You do this? Your talents are unending Natasha! Amazing! Do you do online gaming? I practise content articles for a WWII combat simulation game....Aces Loftier.....and then I know quite a bit about the online gaming, but I've never really gotten into it.

Anyway, great job on this hub!

Natasha (writer) from Hawaii on September 22, 2012:

Thank you for voting and pinning! Yes, it can exist hard on the eyes, peculiarly the camo on such tiny figures. I also paint kind of hunched up so I end up getting a backache, also. Oh, well. I like the way they look!

Judi Dark-brown from United kingdom of great britain and northern ireland on September 22, 2012:

Your models look slap-up Natasha, and I kind of green-eyed you - but I see a whole new world of middle strain opening up if I attempted it! I shall stick to admiring from afar. Honey the tanks!

Voted up and pinned.

Natasha (author) from Hawaii on September 22, 2012:

Thank you lot! I really capeesh your complements. =) some days I experience far from artistic.

Jimmy the jock from Scotland on September 22, 2012:

Fantastic and beautiful, your creativity knows no bounds, you clearly are an artist with passion and love for your art.....jimmy

Natasha (author) from Hawaii on September 20, 2012:

Thank you! I have spent many hours hunched over tiny miniatures. The mode I paint all-time tends to get very uncomfortable, peculiarly when there's a borderline and I'm notwithstanding up at 4am painting! It has been known to happen. Thanks for stopping past and voting!

Dianna Mendez on September 20, 2012:

Well, you lot continue to astound me with your creative talent! Wow, this is really detailed work and I tin can see how this could become a hobby for many people. Voted up.

Natasha (writer) from Hawaii on September 18, 2012:

Hopefully his miniature drove isn't part of why he's your ex! The little things can take upwards a surprising amount of space and fourth dimension. Thanks for stopping by!

Nell Rose from England on September 18, 2012:

Corking advice for all those collectors out there. I remember my ex married man used to collect them too, and so it did await familiar, great info, and voted upwards!

Natasha (author) from Hawaii on September 18, 2012:

That would exist really cool! I've never played 40k, but I've painted lots and lots of figures for others, and I play the less pop games from the same 'universe,' Epic and Battlefleet Gothic. I've made a lot of scenery, too. I really dislike playing on boards without expert terrain and I refuse to play a game with untainted miniatures!

chrissieklinger from Pennsylvania on September 18, 2012:

My husband plays Warhammer 40K and nosotros take tons of figures in our house. Information technology always has amazed me how he paints the small figures with such detail. He has likewise learned how to make some keen scenery using Gorilla glue. I will accept to refer him to bank check out this article and maybe feature it on their gaming blog.

Natasha (writer) from Hawaii on September xviii, 2012:

Thank you for the support! You're correct - you lot accept to love it to exercise it.

Pavlo Badovskyi from Kyiv, Ukraine on September 18, 2012:

Paiting like these is a passion. I do not know anyone who is fond of it, merely I believe this article volition exist a practiced assist for those who like it.