[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"guide-/guides/how-to-start-painting-miniatures":3},{"id":4,"title":5,"body":6,"category":156,"date":157,"description":158,"extension":159,"heroImage":160,"intro":161,"lastUpdated":157,"meta":162,"navigation":163,"path":164,"related":165,"seo":168,"shopSearch":169,"stem":170,"tags":169,"__hash__":171},"guides/guides/how-to-start-painting-miniatures.md","How to Start Painting Miniatures - A Beginner's Guide",{"type":7,"value":8,"toc":143},"minimark",[9,13,18,27,31,34,38,46,50,58,62,70,74,87,91,99,103,116,120],[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).",[14,35,37],{"id":36},"step-2-prime","Step 2: Prime",[10,39,40,41,45],{},"Spray or brush on a thin coat of primer - black, grey or white. Primer gives the paint something to grip. White or a ",[22,42,44],{"href":43},"/guides/techniques","zenithal"," prime (black up to white from above) makes colours brighter and is ideal for contrast paints.",[14,47,49],{"id":48},"step-3-basecoat","Step 3: Basecoat",[10,51,52,53,57],{},"Apply your main colours in ",[22,54,56],{"href":55},"/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.",[14,59,61],{"id":60},"step-4-wash-the-magic-step","Step 4: Wash (the magic step)",[10,63,64,65,69],{},"Apply a ",[22,66,68],{"href":67},"/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.",[14,71,73],{"id":72},"step-5-highlight","Step 5: Highlight",[10,75,76,77,81,82,86],{},"Once the wash is dry, paint the raised edges with a slightly lighter colour (",[22,78,80],{"href":79},"/guides/edge-highlighting","edge highlighting",") or a quick ",[22,83,85],{"href":84},"/guides/drybrushing","drybrush"," over texture. This brings the model back to life after the wash darkens it.",[14,88,90],{"id":89},"step-6-base-it","Step 6: Base it",[10,92,93,94,98],{},"A simple ",[22,95,97],{"href":96},"/guides/basing-miniatures","textured base"," and a painted rim is the final 5% that makes a model look finished.",[14,100,102],{"id":101},"next-steps","Next steps",[10,104,105,106,110,111,115],{},"That's a complete model. To pick a colour scheme with an exact paint recipe, try the ",[22,107,109],{"href":108},"/tools/scheme-generator","scheme generator",", or follow a ",[22,112,114],{"href":113},"/factions","faction guide"," for your army.",[14,117,119],{"id":118},"tips","Tips",[121,122,123,131,137],"ul",{},[124,125,126,130],"li",{},[127,128,129],"strong",{},"Thin your paints"," - the number one beginner fix.",[124,132,133,136],{},[127,134,135],{},"Don't aim for perfect"," - your tenth model will be far better than your first, so just start.",[124,138,139,142],{},[127,140,141],{},"The wash carries you"," - basecoat, wash, highlight is a complete, great-looking process on its own.",{"title":144,"searchDepth":145,"depth":145,"links":146},"",2,[147,148,149,150,151,152,153,154,155],{"id":16,"depth":145,"text":17},{"id":29,"depth":145,"text":30},{"id":36,"depth":145,"text":37},{"id":48,"depth":145,"text":49},{"id":60,"depth":145,"text":61},{"id":72,"depth":145,"text":73},{"id":89,"depth":145,"text":90},{"id":101,"depth":145,"text":102},{"id":118,"depth":145,"text":119},"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,"/guides/how-to-start-painting-miniatures",[166,167],"miniature-painting-starter-kit","washes-and-shades",{"title":5,"description":158},null,"guides/how-to-start-painting-miniatures","nYR4J2QCiq0rcrRKgt_Qtj3BAAyJjatWylBhLmkDqcQ"]