Salutations from a complete novice. What’s your recommendations to get started?

Note: A FLGS in town actually has a mini-painting workstation that you can use for $5/session, or as part of their monthly subscription for playing TTRPGs onsite. Since I play PF2E there several times a week I have that subscription. So I have a place to paint that’s already kitted out with just about anything you could need for mini-painting. (I think they charge extra if you want to add stuff like grass, sand, etc. to the mini, but the primer, paints, sealers, etc. are all included.)

I have two awesome minis arriving soon that are unpainted, so I’m looking for online sites/videos that start from “I know nothing” and work up from there.

Thanks in advance for any and all guidance you can provide!

  • @BirbSeedEnglish
    2•9 months ago

    It takes a while to get to know the tools and paints, so don’t be too hard on yourself. Most people have difficulty picking colors when first starting. That said here are a few tips:

    • color theory is going to be your friend. Read an article or watch a video on it. When starting out and owning fewer paints you can mix colors to get the color you want. For example, mix blue + yellow to get green. Mix Red + Purple to get magenta.
    • look up a picture of a color wheel, and the idea of complementary, analogous etc colors. This can help you pick colors that work well together.
    • look at art or miniatures that you like the look of and steal/copy from them. This will let you focus on the execution without worrying if the idea is good
    • make mistakes! I still pick bad colors or mess up after 9 years. Try not to get discouraged from failure.

    Lastly, not all projects need to be finished to the same standard. Don’t be afraid to put something aside you’re just not having fun with.