Painting Warhammer 40K minis can be an overwhelming feeling for many new hobbyists. We all hear tales about the “gray tide” or our “piles of shame” collecting dust on a shelf somewhere. It’s easy to feel like there’s so much to paint and such little time to do it. Everyone envies a nicely painted army, but are often left feeling like we can never set aside enough time to get it done. What if there were a way to manage that anxiety? What if you could learn how to start painting Warhammer 40K minis without feeling like it’s a never ending chore? I’m here to tell you, you can!
Stop Comparing Your Work to Others
One of the biggest pitfalls I see new players falling into is this feeling that their paint jobs are “never good enough.” When I first got into the hobby many years ago, social media hadn’t fully taken over in the way it has in today’s age. In those days we looked at miniature box art or amazing paint jobs featured in White Dwarf magazine by the wonderful Eavy Metal team and felt that feeling of shame comparing our own mediocre work to that of professionals. Today, this comes in the form of miniature painters who post on social media sites such as Instagram, TikTok and others.
It’s easy to fall into that trap of following your favorite painters and feeling so awful about your own work in comparison. I’m here to tell you to STOP doing that. Most of these social media hobby influencers only paint for competitions or channel likes and views. They are incredibly talented in their craft, but most of them aren’t painting entire armies. They are painting display pieces because that’s what they do.
Not Knowing Where to Begin
Staring at a pile of shame can seem overwhelming. Especially as the units start piling up. You find yourself wondering where to even begin. Eventually anxiety takes over and you feel defeated. How can you get out of this slump?
The answer may seem stupid, but it’s simply this; pick one kit/unit/model and just start. Break out the sprue clippers and glue, pick one of your kits and just get to work. Don’t worry about speed in the beginning. Just get started. Before you know it your unit is assembled and ready to be painted and suddenly that feeling of overpowering anxiety starts to crack just a little bit. Set aside one or two hours a night over a week and just get started. You’ll be surprised at how far you can go in 5-10 hours of building and/or painting when you’re not trying to be a Golden Daemon painter.
Painting to a Battle Ready Standard
Painting is now easier than ever before, especially with the introduction of “speed paints” or “contrast paints.” These products make it easy to get a nicely painted Battle Ready force on the table quickly. I have used a variety of different paints over the years but I have found the Army Painter line of Speed Paints to be my go-to for painting. There is a small learning curve using speed paints, but once you get it down, the process is super easy producing great results very quickly. The Slap Chop method is a fantastic method to produce decent quality paint jobs in a short time.
Now, I want to take a moment to talk about priming models because this is one of the most important steps in how to start painting Warhammer 40k and is often just hand waved or overlooked. Getting a good primer coat on your minis is essential to having a quality paint job. My recommendation when it comes to priming is to use an airbrush and a quality surface primer such as Vallejo Matte Surface Primer. Priming with an airbrush is a game changer. You don’t have to be concerned with weather conditions or humidity as much and you can get a good, smooth primer coat without worrying about speckling or spraying it on too thick.
For those that don’t own an airbrush and have to rely on using rattle can spray primer, always ensure you use them either outdoors or in a well ventilated area. You want to store them in a cool dry area and avoid using them in extreme temperatures (hot or cold) and high periods of humidity. The best time to prime models is dusk during the spring and summer months. Depending on where you live can influence the peak priming times. If you must use spray can primer, I recommend avoiding the super cheap stuff from Walmart. You don’t have to buy a can of $20 Games Workshop Primer either to get good results. Most mid-range priced spray primers will do. The key is using them properly to get a good, smooth even finish without saturating the models. Getting a nice solid primer coat is an important step in the process of how to start painting Warhammer 40K.
Tools of the Trade
I discussed this in detail in my previous post Starting a Warhammer 40K Army, so I highly recommend checking that post out as it contains some great info on how to start painting Warhammer 40K. At minimum you’re going to want a set of sprue clippers, a hobby knife, hobby glue, decent primer (as mentioned above), decent paint (naturally), and a well lit workspace.
A good workspace is crucial and you’ll want to ensure you have plenty of room for your own paints and hobby tools. Good lighting is key in this process as well. You’ll also want to ensure you put down a plastic mat or situate your hobby area over a hard surface because you will spill paint eventually. It’s not a matter of if, but when.
Final Thoughts
Don’t be afraid to start. Stop comparing your paint jobs to the work of award winning players or Instagram hobbyists with thousands of followers. You can get great results painting your Warhammer 40K minis in a short time. Practice makes perfect. In future articles related to hobbying I will cover other tricks and tips to save time including your paint flow process, batch painting tips and more.
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