[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"guide-/guides/miniature-painting-starter-kit":3},{"id":4,"title":5,"body":6,"category":137,"date":138,"description":139,"extension":140,"heroImage":141,"intro":142,"lastUpdated":138,"meta":143,"navigation":144,"path":145,"related":146,"seo":149,"shopSearch":124,"stem":150,"tags":151,"__hash__":152},"guides/guides/miniature-painting-starter-kit.md","Miniature Painting Starter Kit - What You Actually Need",{"type":7,"value":8,"toc":129},"minimark",[9,13,18,63,67,95,99,104,108,120],[10,11,12],"p",{},"You need far less to start painting miniatures than the hobby's mountain of products suggests. Here is the genuine essentials list, plus the few extras that are worth buying early - and what you can safely skip for now.",[14,15,17],"h2",{"id":16},"the-essentials","The essentials",[19,20,21,35,45,51,57],"ul",{},[22,23,24,28,29,34],"li",{},[25,26,27],"strong",{},"Paints"," - a starter set is the cheapest way in. You want a handful of base colours, a metallic, and at least one wash. See ",[30,31,33],"a",{"href":32},"/guides/best-paint-for-miniatures","the best paint for miniatures",".",[22,36,37,40,41,34],{},[25,38,39],{},"Brushes"," - one decent size 1 brush, one detail brush, and a cheap old brush for drybrushing. See ",[30,42,44],{"href":43},"/guides/best-brushes-for-miniatures","the best brushes for miniatures",[22,46,47,50],{},[25,48,49],{},"Primer"," - a spray or brush-on primer so paint actually sticks. Black, white or grey; white or zenithal is best for contrast paints.",[22,52,53,56],{},[25,54,55],{},"A wash / shade"," - the single most transformational pot you'll own.",[22,58,59,62],{},[25,60,61],{},"Water pot and palette"," - two pots (clean and dirty) and something to thin paint on.",[14,64,66],{"id":65},"worth-buying-early","Worth buying early",[19,68,69,79,89],{},[22,70,71,74,75,34],{},[25,72,73],{},"A wet palette"," - keeps paint workable and improves everything. See the ",[30,76,78],{"href":77},"/guides/wet-palette-guide","wet palette guide",[22,80,81,84,85,34],{},[25,82,83],{},"Contrast / speedpaints"," - a fast track to finished models. See ",[30,86,88],{"href":87},"/guides/best-contrast-paints","best contrast paints",[22,90,91,94],{},[25,92,93],{},"Brush soap"," - makes good brushes last years.",[14,96,98],{"id":97},"skip-for-now","Skip for now",[19,100,101],{},[22,102,103],{},"Airbrushes, huge paint collections, expensive sable brushes, and pigment/weathering sets. They're great later, but none are needed to start - and a beginner's money is better spent on a wet palette and one good brush.",[14,105,107],{"id":106},"next-step","Next step",[10,109,110,111,115,116,34],{},"Got your kit? Read ",[30,112,114],{"href":113},"/guides/how-to-start-painting-miniatures","how to start painting miniatures"," for the step-by-step first-model walkthrough, then pick a scheme with the ",[30,117,119],{"href":118},"/tools/scheme-generator","scheme generator",[121,122,126],"affiliate-shop",{"label":123,"search":124,"tid":125},"Shop starter kits","miniature painting starter kit","miniature-painting-starter-kit",[10,127,128],{},"An all-in-one starter kit covers most of the essentials in a single buy.",{"title":130,"searchDepth":131,"depth":131,"links":132},"",2,[133,134,135,136],{"id":16,"depth":131,"text":17},{"id":65,"depth":131,"text":66},{"id":97,"depth":131,"text":98},{"id":106,"depth":131,"text":107},"Buying Guides","2026-06-28","A no-nonsense checklist of what you need to start painting miniatures - paints, brushes, primer, palette and the few extras worth buying - without overspending.","md","/images/guides/miniature-painting-starter-kit.webp","The gear checklist to start painting, without overspending",{},true,"/guides/miniature-painting-starter-kit",[147,148],"how-to-start-painting-miniatures","best-paint-for-miniatures",{"title":5,"description":139},"guides/miniature-painting-starter-kit",null,"tJ5XoKwWnc5u68C3gGX8SFEJ81_Ex67iZgoL5cmiUuI"]