Hello all. As the title suggests I'm taking my first foray into painting my miniatures. However, the vast assortment of brushes and paint types is a bit daunting. I'd like to not get anything overly expensive since I'm on a slight budget but I also know quality stuff cab be a better investment in the long run

Thanks in advance for any suggestions!

I was in your shoes when I got this game, I recommend the same path I took.

Sorastro.

https://community.fantasyflightgames.com/topic/133635-sorastros-painting/

It's also the only sticky post in this sub forum.

Like perniciousducks says, I think Sorastro explains what you need pretty well in the first video. His videos are what started me to miniature painting as well.

I think Sorastro says in the Stormtrooper video that #0, #1 and #2 brushes are a good place to start (correct me if I'm wrong). For Army Painter brushes I think those would be Regiment, Character and Detail brushes. Games Workshop / Citadel renewed its line of brushes and they have new names now. But you'd want something for Basecoating, Highlighting and the small details. I think the GW / Citadel brush names are Basecoat and Layer (with different sizes). They also have a Shade brush for applying wash paints but if you're on a budget, you can start with basecoat / regiment / #2 for basecoating.

If you start painting with stormtroopers, you don't need a drybrush but I recommend buying a small drybrush. I bought the cheapest dry brush I could find from an art store. I haven't even seen a brand name in it but because drybrushing is such a rough technique, that brush has worked fine for me. In my own experience, I've found the Army Painter Wargaming series brushes to be superior and cheaper to GW brushes. But there are better brushes out there too.

EDIT: You're also going to want a primer because it gives the paint a solid foundation and ensures that paint sticks the same way for the entire mini. In Sorastro's tutorials, white, black and gray primers are used. But to start white primer should be enough. I primed even my probe droids with white. I had to put an extra layer of gray (Mechanicus Standard Grey or Gunslinger work well) on top of it though.

So a shopping list could be something like:

-(Hobby knife for removing mold lines)

-Primer

-Matt varnish

-Brushes: #2, #1, #0

-Palette (for mixing paints. Preferebly with plastic "cups" so the paint doesn't dry as quickly)

-Paint

I too was a Sorastro converted neophyte. I bought the brushes he sugegsted, which were the Rosemary and Co branded ones for the UK in the sizes said above. Other than a #0, #1 and #2 you might want to get a super small #10/0 and a larger flat headed one for the AT-ST.