[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"guide-/guides/how-to-start-painting-miniatures":3},{"id":4,"title":5,"body":6,"category":170,"date":171,"description":172,"extension":173,"heroImage":174,"intro":175,"lastUpdated":171,"marketEditions":176,"meta":177,"navigation":176,"noShopFooter":178,"path":179,"related":180,"seo":183,"shopSearch":184,"stem":185,"tags":184,"__hash__":186},"guides/guides/how-to-start-painting-miniatures.md","How to Start Painting Miniatures - A Beginner's Guide",{"type":7,"value":8,"toc":157},"minimark",[9,13,18,27,31,34,38,42,50,54,58,66,70,78,81,85,98,101,105,113,117,130,134],[10,11,12],"p",{},"Painting your first miniature is far less daunting than it looks. A simple, reliable process - basecoat, wash, highlight - gets a great-looking model with almost no skill, and everything beyond that is refinement. Here is the whole beginner workflow.",[14,15,17],"h2",{"id":16},"before-you-start-the-kit","Before you start: the kit",[10,19,20,21,26],{},"You need surprisingly little. A starter paint set, a couple of brushes, primer, and a wash will do everything below. See the full ",[22,23,25],"a",{"href":24},"/guides/miniature-painting-starter-kit","miniature painting starter kit"," for the checklist.",[14,28,30],{"id":29},"step-1-assemble-and-clean","Step 1: Assemble and clean",[10,32,33],{},"Clip the model from its sprue, trim the mould lines with a hobby knife, and give it a quick wash in soapy water to remove the release agent that stops paint sticking. Glue it together (or leave sub-assemblies separate if it's easier to reach).",[35,36],"accessory-products",{"ids":37},"army-painter-precision-side-cutter,citadel-tools-mouldline-remover,citadel-tools-knife,tamiya-extra-thin-cement-40ml",[14,39,41],{"id":40},"step-2-prime","Step 2: Prime",[10,43,44,45,49],{},"Spray or brush on a thin coat of primer - black, grey or white. Primer gives the paint something to grip. White or a ",[22,46,48],{"href":47},"/guides/techniques","zenithal"," prime (black up to white from above) makes colours brighter and is ideal for contrast paints.",[51,52],"paint-products",{"ids":53},"citadel-chaos-black,citadel-grey-seer,citadel-corax-white,citadel-wraithbone",[14,55,57],{"id":56},"step-3-basecoat","Step 3: Basecoat",[10,59,60,61,65],{},"Apply your main colours in ",[22,62,64],{"href":63},"/guides/how-to-thin-paints","thin coats"," - two thin coats always beat one thick one. Don't worry about neatness inside the recesses; the wash hides a lot.",[14,67,69],{"id":68},"step-4-wash-the-magic-step","Step 4: Wash (the magic step)",[10,71,72,73,77],{},"Apply a ",[22,74,76],{"href":75},"/guides/washes-and-shades","wash or shade"," over the basecoats. It flows into the recesses and instantly adds shadow and definition. This single step does more than any other to make a model look painted.",[51,79],{"ids":80},"citadel-nuln-oil,citadel-agrax-earthshade,citadel-reikland-fleshshade,army-painter-dark-tone",[14,82,84],{"id":83},"step-5-highlight","Step 5: Highlight",[10,86,87,88,92,93,97],{},"Once the wash is dry, paint the raised edges with a slightly lighter colour (",[22,89,91],{"href":90},"/guides/edge-highlighting","edge highlighting",") or a quick ",[22,94,96],{"href":95},"/guides/drybrushing","drybrush"," over texture. This brings the model back to life after the wash darkens it.",[35,99],{"ids":100},"citadel-synthetic-drybrush-medium,army-painter-wargamer-large-drybrush,ak-synthetic-dry-m,gsw-blue-series-dry-5",[14,102,104],{"id":103},"step-6-base-it","Step 6: Base it",[10,106,107,108,112],{},"A simple ",[22,109,111],{"href":110},"/guides/basing-miniatures","textured base"," and a painted rim is the final 5% that makes a model look finished.",[14,114,116],{"id":115},"next-steps","Next steps",[10,118,119,120,124,125,129],{},"That's a complete model. To pick a colour scheme with an exact paint recipe, try the ",[22,121,123],{"href":122},"/tools/scheme-generator","scheme generator",", or follow a ",[22,126,128],{"href":127},"/factions","faction guide"," for your army.",[14,131,133],{"id":132},"tips","Tips",[135,136,137,145,151],"ul",{},[138,139,140,144],"li",{},[141,142,143],"strong",{},"Thin your paints"," - the number one beginner fix.",[138,146,147,150],{},[141,148,149],{},"Don't aim for perfect"," - your tenth model will be far better than your first, so just start.",[138,152,153,156],{},[141,154,155],{},"The wash carries you"," - basecoat, wash, highlight is a complete, great-looking process on its own.",{"title":158,"searchDepth":159,"depth":159,"links":160},"",2,[161,162,163,164,165,166,167,168,169],{"id":16,"depth":159,"text":17},{"id":29,"depth":159,"text":30},{"id":40,"depth":159,"text":41},{"id":56,"depth":159,"text":57},{"id":68,"depth":159,"text":69},{"id":83,"depth":159,"text":84},{"id":103,"depth":159,"text":104},{"id":115,"depth":159,"text":116},{"id":132,"depth":159,"text":133},"Getting Started","2026-06-28","A complete beginner's guide to painting your first miniature, from assembly and priming through basecoat, wash and highlight - plus what to buy and what to skip.","md","/images/guides/how-to-start-painting-miniatures.webp","Your first model, step by step",true,{},false,"/guides/how-to-start-painting-miniatures",[181,182],"miniature-painting-starter-kit","washes-and-shades",{"title":5,"description":172},null,"guides/how-to-start-painting-miniatures","gcme7SufDhOJ4ocUaCMRxQhRVNQVfFzze8QiMQN0rqc"]