Painting miniatures is a journey — and mistakes are just stepping stones to improvement. With patience and practice, you’ll see rapid progress. Keep this guide nearby, share it with fellow beginners, and most importantly: have fun bringing your miniatures to life! 1. Skipping Proper Preparation Mistake: Painting straight out of the box without cleaning or priming. Fix: Wash miniatures in warm, soapy water to remove mold release, remove mold lines with a hobby knife, and always prime with a suitable spray or brush primer. 2. Using Paint Too Thick Mistake: Applying paint straight from the pot ® obscures detail. Fix: Always thin your paints slightly with water or medium. Multiple thin coats are better than one thick one. 3. Ignoring Brush Care Mistake: Leaving paint on the bristles, letting brushes dry tip-up, or using one brush for everything. Fix: Rinse brushes frequently, reshape tips with water, and store them horizontally or tip-down. Use different brushes for basecoats, details, and drybrushing. 4. Painting in Poor Lighting Mistake: Relying on dim room light ® colors look muddy. Fix: Use a daylight lamp (5000–6500K) or paint near natural light. A lamp with a magnifier helps for fine details. 5. Overloading the Brush Mistake: Dipping the brush too deep ® paint floods the miniature. Fix: Load only the tip of the brush, then wick off excess on a palette or paper towel. 6. Neglecting a Painting Palette Mistake: Taking paint directly from the pot ® dries too fast and wastes paint. Fix: Use a wet palette to keep paints workable and mixable longer. 7. Rushing the Basecoat Mistake: One quick coat that looks patchy. Fix: Apply 2–3 thin, even coats for a smooth foundation before adding highlights and details. 8. Forgetting About Contrast Mistake: Painting everything flat with the same tone. Fix: Add depth using washes for shadows and highlights for raised areas. Contrast makes miniatures pop. 9. Not Sealing the Finished Miniature Mistake: Handling unprotected minis ® paint rubs off.

Hello everyone! I wont be able to host the painting hour tomorrow, however the link is still available in case you guys wanna hop in and chat for a bit!

Let's get to know each other! Comment below sharing where you are in the world, a photo of your latest mini, and what you are working on! 😊

Would love to know what do you guys expect, or would like to get out of this group! I really want to see this community thrive!