Miniature Paints

Building Your First Miniature Paint Palette

If you are building your first miniature paint collection, start with a multi-color acrylic set. An 18-color set, for example, gives you a useful range of colors without requiring you to buy dozens of individual bottles.

Use them straight from the bottle when you need solid coverage, or thin them for smoother layers, glazes, and finer details. As you paint more, you can add individual colors based on the models and color schemes you work with most.

Painting Different Models? Pick Paints for the Job

Once you have the basics covered, specialty paints can make certain techniques easier:

• Characters and display miniatures: Use versatile acrylics for controlled layering, shadows, and highlights.
• Tabletop armies: A broader Game Color range helps you maintain consistent colors across multiple models.
• Armor and weapons: NMM paints are designed for creating the appearance of gold or silver without metallic pigment.
• Fast painting: Contrast paints can add strong color and shading in fewer steps.
• Sharp color separation: Masking fluid helps protect selected areas while you paint around them.

It’s Not Just About the Color

Color is only one part of choosing miniature paint. Opacity, pigment concentration, consistency, flow, drying time, and finish all affect how a paint behaves on a small model.

For miniature painting, you generally want paint that provides good coverage without hiding sculpted details. A matte finish can also help reduce unwanted reflections and keep attention on the model itself.

The same paint may need a different consistency depending on the technique. Thicker paint works well for coverage, while thinner paint gives you more control for layering and glazing.

Build Your Collection Around the Way You Paint

Start with a basic set and see which colors you reach for most. As you paint more, you may find that mixing certain shades over and over is more trouble than it is worth. If you often mix red and yellow for orange, for example, keeping a ready-made orange saves time and keeps your color consistent.

Over time, your paint collection may look something like this:

• A basic set for everyday colors
• Individual colors you use often
• A few go-to shades that suit your painting style
• Less-used colors for occasional projects

You do not need every color. Let your collection grow with the way you paint.