Miniature Painting
Miniature Painting Starter Kit - What You Actually Need
A complete miniature painting starter kit costs about $75: eight speedpaints, a light spray primer, two brushes, matte varnish, and a couple of practice minis. Everything else on the hobby shelf (airbrushes, wet palettes, mega paint sets, lamps with clamps) is a later purchase or never. This is the exact list we hand people at the counter, with the reasoning, so you can shop it anywhere.
The list
| Item | What to get | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Paints | 8 speedpaints: 2 browns, skin tone, red, blue, green, dark metal-ish, bone | $35-40 |
| Primer | Hobby spray, white or light grey | $10-15 |
| Brushes | Size 2 round and size 0 round, synthetic | $12-18 |
| Varnish | Brush-on matte | $8 |
| Victims | 2-3 cheap plastic minis with big details | $10 |
Total: about $75. The color logic behind the paint picks is in our speedpaint buying guide; the short version is that two browns, a skin tone, and a bone white cover more fantasy surface area than any other four bottles, and the rest are the classic cloak-and-monster colors.
Things you already own that complete the kit: a ceramic plate or tile (palette), two cups of water (one for rinsing metallics, one for everything else), paper towels, and a cork or pill bottle to stick the mini on while you work.
Why speedpaints and not a "beginner" acrylic set
Boxed starter sets from the big brands usually bundle 10-12 traditional acrylics with a brush. They're not bad products. They're just a harder road: traditional paint means learning thinning, basecoating, washing, and layering before the mini looks like anything. Speedpaints compress those into one coat over a light primer, and the difference shows in whether a new painter comes back for mini number two. Paint night attendance taught us this one; the speedpaint tables finish, and finishing is addictive.
Add traditional paints later, when a specific need appears (bright yellow trim, big flat armor). That moment comes, and our speedpaint vs. traditional guide covers it.
What to practice on
Buy two or three minis you don't care about. Big, chunky sculpts with deep details: a barbarian, an ogre, a troll. Deep recesses make speedpaints shine and hide wobbly brushwork. Skip anything with large smooth armor plates or a miniature you're emotionally attached to; your first mini is tuition, and it should be paid on something cheap.
Board game minis you already own count. So does that one loose goblin from a starter set. The full first-mini walkthrough takes you step by step once the kit's assembled.
Skip these for now (a loving list)
- An airbrush. The best tool in the hobby and the worst first purchase. Compressor, cleaning ritual, learning curve. Year two, if the hobby sticks.
- A wet palette. Genuinely great, and the first thing to add once you paint weekly. Day one, the ceramic plate is fine.
- Mega paint sets. Fifty bottles sounds like value until forty of them are colors you'll never open. Buy colors when a project needs them and your collection stays 100% useful.
- A painting handle. Nice. Also, a cork is $0.
- Tiny 000 detail brushes. The size 2's point does the detail work, as we explain in the brush guide. Sets of ten tiny brushes are how stores sell disappointment.
- Magnifier lamps, unless your eyes genuinely need them. Good daylight or a $20 desk lamp covers it. Minis are viewed at arm's length, and it helps to paint them from there too.
The $25 second wave
When the first kit proves out, the upgrades worth the money, in order: a wet palette ($15 or DIY), a bottle of brush soap ($8), and a pot of dark brown/black wash for traditional-paint experiments ($5). That trio plus your starter kit carries you through your first year and easily fifty minis.
Somewhere in there you'll also want a sable brush. You'll know when; your synthetic will tell you by refusing to make a point.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to start painting miniatures?
About $75 for everything: paints, primer, brushes, varnish, and practice minis. You can trim to $50 by buying fewer paints, and board game minis you already own are free practice targets.
What's in a good miniature painting starter kit?
Eight speedpaints covering browns, skin, primary cloak colors, and bone; light spray primer; a size 2 and size 0 brush; matte varnish; and two or three cheap plastic minis. A plate, water cups, and paper towels finish the setup from your kitchen.
Are the official brand starter sets worth it?
They're decent value on paint-per-dollar but usually bundle traditional acrylics, which have a steeper learning curve than speedpaints. If a boxed set tempts you, check whether it's a contrast/speedpaint set; several brands now make exactly that, and those are a fine buy.
Do I need an airbrush to paint miniatures?
No. Airbrushes speed up basecoating and enable smooth blends, and none of that matters for your first year. Brush plus rattle-can primer produces tabletop-beautiful results, which is the goal.
What miniatures should a beginner practice on?
Cheap plastic sculpts with big, deep details: barbarians, ogres, trolls, board game monsters. Deep recesses flatter speedpaints and forgive shaky lines. Save detailed hero minis and anything sentimental for after the first few.