I am one of those who realy cant Paint any good and hate that the miniatures come unpainted.

I envy everyone With painting skill and wish I could do just a fraction of what I see others do.

So many talented People out there.

But I cant let my miniatures be unpainted so I need to just try. The first I need is the Equipment to do so.

So I ask you experienced painters what do I need to buy as a starter set, type of Paint and Equipment.

I will not start With airbrush only pensel and Paint.

Thank you for any feedback.

Practice, practice, practice...

I hate painting as well, took over a month to complete my Imperial troopers from the core. Get a good pigment paint and there are several brands. I use Games Workshop Citadel, Army Painter and Vallejo. I recommend against the inexpensive acrylic paints you find in a hobby store. Good brushes are also important. I like sable brushes and I use different sizes.

There are a lot of videos on the internet so that is a good place to start. Watch painting videos on U-tube, Sarastro comes to mind.

Hey man. I'm a completely new painter here as well - I have a thread that shows what I've been able to accomplish so far after I decided I was going to give it a really serious try. I'll be uploading my AT-ST soon hopefully, since that's what I worked on this weekend.

Here is the link, so you can see what a new painter can do:

First thing I did was watch Sorastro's videos. Here is the link to his Legion painting series:

After that, you just gotta do it. I went to a local store and picked up the basic colours I needed to do my Stormtroopers, as well as a beginner's brush set. I also picked up colours Sorastro recommended, or incredibly similar colours if I couldn't find what he was using or if he was using a brand that my store didn't carry.

Wash your brushes after each use and watch a few videos on how to keep them in top shape. Watch the tutorial for what you're painting a couple of times and take notes. Then, just go for it, and don't expect to be perfect.

Most of the mistakes I've made aren't visible at Table level... its only if you get super close. I'm not looking to win any painting contests - just want something that can be played with.

Most important purchases were my brushes, and a brush cleaner. Don't try to buy all your paints at once. For example, you can probably do Stormtroopers with 3 or 4 colours + Nuln Oil + Corax White spray can.

Good luck!

Great advice here already.

Start out with a few small brushes in size 2, 1 or 0. Not the ultra tiny “mini “ ones. I don’t know what your budget is but it’s also good to not buy too many paints at once. I started my collection with Citadel paints - and the paints are fine but the pots suck. I would recommend Vallejo just because of the dropper bottles.

Watch some YouTube videos. Everyone likes to start with Stormtroopers but they are actually hard to make look nice. I would start with the rebel troopers and then know what your standard is. Sounds like you just want to get these boys ready for the table top. So make smart choices. For example, to create a movie accurate trooper helmet you need at least three colors and to pick out all kinds of detail on the earfkap and the back of the head. But you can make a perfectly good tabletop helmet with two colors. So go the easy rout and instead worry about things that are going to stand out. It’s all about patience and clean lines. One thing I’ve learned is that a straight line that doesn’t actually lone up with the sculpt still looks better than a crooked line that does.

and thin your paints. The thinner they are the more detail comes through and the easier it is to correct mistakes without making the model look gloppy.

if you aren’t super into painting, look for as many cheats and shortcuts as you can. Life is too short to not enjoy it.

Watch the Sorastro video for what you are painting and stop where he says you'll have a perfectly fine model for gaming. Usually between the shading and highlighting.

I'd second watching Sorastro's videos and doing the Rebel Troops or one of the vehicles first (easier than the Stormtroopers).

I'd listen to the other info here: Don't use the cheap paints, keep them thinned, good brushes help, clean them, and most importantly, DON'T FREAK OUT! Seriously. Just try it. And don't get nuts judging yourself. Even if it sucks early, the more you do it, the better you will get.

Paint a squad or two at once, not all 6!!

As someone who has never painted before and is now going to start i say: resist the temptation to buy all the paints you want at once. I was at first just going to paint my rebels troopers first but then it became troopers and stormies and then speeders and now i just ordered all the paints for all the minis. It costs... a lot.

Also, you will be your own worst critic, paint to play and enjoy yourself. I am too impatient to paint 'best painted' miniatures, but they are good for the tabletop.

when i was learning i practiced on plastic army men. gives you a ton of throw away models to practice different techniques on.

Thin your paints.

get a wet palette. fairly cheep or just make one.

I highly recommend using "air brush ready" paints for the new guys, they are nicely thinned.

The priming is all about your budget....learning to air brushed has made the hobby 10x more fun and easier for me.