Army Painter Speedpaints Changed My Life

I actually want to paint my board game minis now! Normally painting miniatures for tabletop game nights takes forever when you have to prime, then base coat, then wash, and finally edge highlight! Army Painter Speedpaints skips all that for a one and done solution, saving tons of hours when you need to slay the gray fast!
Use our code ‘SHELFSIDE’ at checkout for a free custom play surface and help the channel: bbopokertables...
Support us on Patreon:
/ shelfside
Our Website!
www.shelfside.co/
Purchase Games We’ve Reviewed! (Paid Link)
amazon.com/sho...
Shelfside Social Media:
/ shelfsideyt
/ shelfsideboardgames
/ shelfsideyt
/ discord
Links to our other stuff:
Ashton's Channel: / ashtonwu
Daniel's Channel: / doyduh2
Outro:
SPRT - The Sweetest Melody (rj pasin x hyperpop type beat)
#boardgames #tabletop #miniaturepainting

[@danacoleman4007]

This should be the first video that anybody wanting to paint miniatures watches! I've heard nothing but good things about this product! Great job on the video! Thanks for the info!

[@DukeJohnny]

Man, this is probably THE video on the subject for guys like us: who just want to have their minis painted without devoting years of life to the stuff. THANKS and cheers from Poland!

[@RottenJeeves]

Slay the Gray!

[@MrScrawnjuan]

Take my approach. Buy games but never play them. Then you don't have to look at the unpainted minis!

[@Kaelan.B]

Hahaha, this hit hard. 😢

[@sonichog]

😂😂😂😂..... 😭😭😭😭😭😭

[@muzaq6]

Way ahead of ya, can't see the minis if they're still in shrink!

[@EfrainRiveraJunior]

Guilty as charged.

[@bananerz3167]

I m doing that already. What do you suggest me as next steps?

[@j_cob8855]

These paints are so good that you can even see a hand reaching out from the right to steal them 7:47

[@oogiesmuncher]

Starting painting with these paints and have very little desire to learn the traditional methods because of it. With slapchop priming, you can get them looking really good. Better than just table ready

[@Webhead123]

Speedpaints totally changed my opinion on painting. Whereas I always found the process at least somewhat enjoyable, motivating myself to do it was always tough because of just how looooong it would always take and how the results would sometimes be disappointing. Speedpaints are so fast, so easy and so consistently good-looking that it made me actually *want* to paint more often.

[@aartadventure]

Great video. I wish it existed when I started out a couple of years ago.

[@facenameple4604]

Add a bit of dry-brushing on top of the minis Also, priming does help with speed paints because the paints are thinner and more delicate. Also, zenithal for speedpaints will make a biiiig improvement on all of them! Also, your spendy brushes are for long-slow-painters, not really for what you're doing. :) ALso, you can use two speedpaints of similar colors(like with multiple shades of the green speedpaints) to add darker shadows, or even just multiple layers. :)

[@DementedDistraction]

I've been painting minis for over 20 years, and using that silicone fidget popper for a palette is a super clever idea. I'm going to have to give that a try the next time someone unlocks a new character in Gloomhaven.

[@IamJFD]

agreed. im planning to change my Army Painter pallete. since i never store my paints anyway. so his idea is so good.

[@terencemoy5190]

very helpful video, thanks!

[@Dunkan-3]

Good paints, as good as the contrasts but much cheaper ! Personally, I dip my brushes directly into the pot (with a suitable support ;)). Less waste than on a palette. With a slapshot the result is very good. I'm a beginner, so it suits me.

[@JoseMedia2421]

Need to prime man. I tried to paint right into grey mini and didn't stick well. Elbows and certain knobs. It would just not stick and angered me. But I am with you. I love painted minis. Don't love painting.

[@brendanarmstrong7802]

Natural hair brushes can be reconditioned back into a perfect point, which is great for people doing lots of very small, fine lines and dots with regular paint. They have no value for speedpaints. You can make a whole flow out of idiot-proofed steps and come out with a pretty professional look at the end if you do enough. If you start with a zenithal highlight (ideally sprayed rather than drybrushed), put on speedpaints, slap black or brown oil washes on your minis, wipe them down, then drybrush with an off-white, you end up with something display-worthy. Could be worth it for something major, like the final boss of one of the Monster Hunter World sets.

[@darrencook7168]

Epic. Best mother****** mini painting video ever. Subscribed.

[@WongTag]

Painting models of any type has never been my thing, but I also wince at my grey games. Thanks to you I have a potential path to paint my copy of Mechs vs Minions! I can probably get my kids involved to dial in some fun. Cheers!

[@Shelfside]

Hmmm, 3D coloring book or free child labor? Get those minis painted! -Daniel

[@decimata2]

The slapchop technique is one of the fastest / best looking for low effort. It’s like 15-20 mins a mini. You prime black, dry brush grey with a texture pallet, then dry brush more of the highlights with white. It creates your shadows, mid tones and lights for when you apply the speed paints.

[@decimata2]

Another thing you can do to speed things up is to break down the process like with similar tasks. So if your using the slapchop method, you prime all the minis your working on black. Then do the grey dry brushing to all the minis, then the white to all the minis. Then same thing with adding colors, obviously this is easier if your painting Warhammer 40k figures since they are all mostly the same color. But Ultramarines for example have a lot of blue, so use blue on all the figures that should have it, THEN go to the whatever the next color is. Don’t use 7 different paints on one mini when all the minis share 3 of those same paints. Paint first the colors that are similar across all your minis.

[@svachalek]

@@decimata2Yup I think this is the key to getting average time super low. Prime a bunch together and then just work color by color instead of mini by mini.

[@bigbrownie7]

Slap chop is the mini painting "Cheat Code". I'm by no means a good painter, but this technique has allowed me to pump out some really impressive miniatures, if I don't say myself.

[@EfrainRiveraJunior]

7:50 - After you see it, you can't unsee it.

[@SeanUCF]

This is another reason why I sub to you guys. You have very useful tips for the hobby. I also haven't gotten into painting because i just want to treat it like a coloring book as you say. If speed paints allow me to do that, then I may give it a try. Beats paying a studio 2-3k and months of waiting to do it for me.

[@ben_has_hobbies]

You even adopted Goobers brush claw holding technique! That man is a huge inspiration for you I can tell! Funny stuff aside: lovely video that shows that you don't need much to bring painted minis to a more immersive table! Awesome job!

[@Shelfside]

Love the goober man, he's given the most useful advice out of all the mini painting vids I've watched as someone who's not trying to get super into painting just want to game more with decently colored stuff -Daniel

[@siriactuallysara]

100% agreed speed paints are amazing. I own every bottle they made. I especially love the Metallics. After using it for 2 years your minis can start looking like high quality painted.

[@RollDiceTakeNames]

Great video!!!! I got into miniature gaming many years and I was in the same boat as you. To speed up table ready models, one thing I learned to do was batch painting. If there are a number of models that use the same color of paint, paint each of one them. By the time you are done with the last one, the first ones should be dry for the next coat of paint. Also, you said you stopped priming because it didn't seem to help. That will depend on the model. Some plastics will not take paint as well and will run. Also, release agent residue may be on the model (used to help get the model out of the mold) which will also hurt the ability for paint to stick. When this happens more time is spent trying to get your paint to stick than it would have been to just spray some prime on it. Lastly, you said your goal wasn't to get good at painting. Every minute you spend painting you get better. That most recent model you just painted is probably better than the first one. And you'll learn even more techniques not only making the models look better, but get them done quicker. Again, thanks for the video because most people are afraid to even try it. Speed paints definitely help get people started and soon they'll realize there was nothing to fear!

[@loarnchilcote9895]

Dude. Duuuuuuuuude. Awesome video! Thank you very, very much! Ginormous help 🥳

[@TheHipHopapotimus]

Painting without priming… it does work, sort of. An issue I’ve had is that after a lot of handling, or if you try to glaze paint (put watery thinner paint overtop), the paint can come off easier. If you’re painting a nice mini, or any mini you plan to play with a lot then I’d still prime. Primer has special adhesion molecules that stick to the plastic, and allow the paint to stick to the primer. Standard used by good pro-home painters, art painters, and mini painters is to prime for that reason. Basically, why do the dry speedpaints pop out of the fidget-popper so easy? No adhesion. If you primed that bad-boy then speed painted you’d have more trouble clearing it out. Same principle applies to minis. But do what makes you happy. Glad you’re painting!

[@Shelfside]

I see this brought up a lot everywhere I look, but those Frosthaven minis I painted from a long time ago got heavy usage and still not a scratch. If the time it takes for paint to start falling off goes into multiple hundreds of hours I think I'm ok with that lol (also goobertown hobbies experiment shows that sealant>primer for this purpose) -Daniel

[@TheHipHopapotimus]

@@Shelfside point taken, D! If it sticks go with it. It will save a ton of time! And GooberTown knows his stuff. (Though I’m guessing sealant means he’s varnishing, instead of priming? So 6 of one. Similar to priming just happens at end instead.). I loved that matrix-call effect you did for the video, by the way. Had to replay twice! Soooo sweet!

[@Shelfside]

@@TheHipHopapotimus Oh right it's called varnish haha my b, thx for the comments! -Daniel

[@TheHipHopapotimus]

@@Shelfside all good! Any paint is better than no paint! I have frosthaven minis on order so will be speed painting most units. Though I actually enjoy painting them so I add highlights and stuff. Sadly Minis will be released a YEAR after the game arrives. (!?!). Wtf. Anyway, Looking forward to playing your class, man! This video was great because it summarizes the basics for people who don’t like to paint, and minis are trash without it. Like you said, even just a one coat shade is way better. If someone does ever want in to the hobby, Miniac, Ninjon, Goobertown, and Squidmar are some great channels.

[@echodelta2426]

This is the best promotion I've ever seen and if @ArmyPainter didn't sponsor it, they should definitely send you a new set when you run out.

[@Mister-Brightside]

Can you share the link to the pack of brushes you purchased for so cheap?

[@GlennKarlsenCurlyfied]

So glad this video exists. 😊 I've been thinking of doing this exact thing with three explorers and buildings in Spirit Island. But I imagined it would not work. So glad it does!

[@ptastydactyl]

Dang boy! Those minis turned out great! Thanks for the tip!

[@ThePebblor]

So with you on this. I was actually starting to consider only buying games with standees instead of forking out for grey minis I was never gonna paint (I did a lot of miniature painting in my life but never felt excellent at it and always despised how long it took me). Then I tried speedpaints, and next thing I know, I ordered Nemesis Kickstarter in mini version and painted all my core space and all my minions of mordak. And I even enjoyed doing it!!! Wooooot???!!! 🥳🥳

[@olebrommm]

Mine too. For the better. More time to play!!

[@williammarcus8732]

Love the editing and effort here!

[@Mattsmindmeld]

I used to think minis were dumb until I bought a game that used them with a theme I love. Then I had to figure out how to paint them. I know nothing of the hobby other than my research on KZbin. It has been a trip and it does take ages to paint them but a part of me finds it relaxing. I'll have to experiment with Speed Paints now because they do seem to make the minis look good for a fraction of the time.

[@igelkott255]

I love AP speedpaints

[@refreshdaemon]

I also paint many of my minis and similarly don't care to make them beautiful works of art, just good enough for tabletop play. I haven't tried speed/contrast paints yet because I have all these old paints I feel bad about not using, but maybe if it's that much faster I'll give it a shot. I still prime my minis after an incident where the paint rubbed off of one of my minis while I was handling it, but I found that zenithal priming really helps me figure out quickly where to put my lighter colors and where to put my darker ones. I hear that you can just drop the contrast/speed paints right on top of a zenithal prime and the light values should just show through, eliminating the need for washing or highlighting, which will definitely save a bunch more time. The only thing I need to figure out now is how to quickly do eyes in a hurry and without making them look derpy.

[@UnEclipsable]

omg the fidget popper palette might be a real game changer

[@OrdemDoGraveto]

This is finally the video I was looking for! I want to paint my blood rage minis. Single color, just to better diferenciate each clan, as just the base gets dificult sometimes.

[@prisk1970]

I use Army Speedpaints. They definitely speed up the process I do prime with dark grey and white for zenithal. Love the silicone popper. I got a large one for painting

[@tomsule]

Great video. Im back to painting thanks to it. Speedpaints 2.0 on the way. All say it is worse than 1.0 but I dont care. It dries faster. 😂

[@Local_Field1972]

Love speedpaints. People are way too biased towards Games Workshop, everything they make is overpriced, and everything except their plastic is often worse quality than the competitors.

[@danacoleman4007]

YES!!!!!

[@jareduxr]

Airbrushing primer + zenithal on a bunch of minis at once saves a ton of time and gives you the best highlight. 1. Attach the minis to something with a little blue tac (spinny thing, plate, box, whatever works) with a little room to quickly hit them from every angle. 2. Prime with Molotow one4all black out of the airbrush. Yep you need a small hood and an airbrush but you'll make that $ back in no time by never buying overpriced rattle cans. No more worrying about the weather and getting crappy textures. No more brushing on highlights. 3. The Molotow dries really quick and then you can hit it with some white/light-colored acrylic from one angle (acrylic inks and Golden high flows work out of the bottle in the airbrush or just use Flow-aid). This is done in a minute, hitting each mini from the same angled "light source". 4. ALL your models are now ready to paint and have perfect highlight. I'd be careful not priming some minis. I have found that sometimes paints won't stick well in certain areas. Maybe if you spend time washing but that takes even longer. More extreme highlights may work well with speed paints and you can experiment with direction of the light.

[@Eric-qu3zz]

Did I see oathsworn there 👀 does that mean we're getting a review

[@BB-pn2qv]

Yeah, these were pretty good paints.

[@dannyf1168]

I’m the same. I do wonder the result of not priming Vs priming. I prime grey, HEAVY dry brush white. Then use the same speed paints over the mini. Make sure you HEAVY dry brush the face and any area you want light. The result is pretty good shaded look. For dry brush you need makeup brushes of different sizes though for ease of access. After the priming the painting is super quick.

[@jawsvvvvv]

Fidget popper Brilliant!!!!

[@bergstro]

Amen, brother.

[@TheMexicanSuperman1]

I'd watch a video of you explaining now to do zenithal shading.. that's my next step in my painting journey

[@Shelfside]

It really is just prime the whole mini black and then drybrush the whole thing gray and then dry brush the whole thing white hahaha -Daniel

[@TheMexicanSuperman1]

@@Shelfside close enough! Thank you. I just love your energy in everything you do!

[@Shelfside]

@@TheMexicanSuperman1 Yup! I was dumbfounded with how easy it was hahaha (though the first time i tried drybrushing i accidentally had too much paint on the brush but you quickly learn you should get most of the paint off the brush lol) -Daniel

[@demonicbunny3po]

Note that you are feeling good about painting, may I suggest painting TI4? Sure, the game is playable unpainted, but imagine how much nicer it will be painted.

[@Danny_DaKid]

I never use primer and always thought you had to prime with at least white for these speed paints to look good. You just sold me on them.

[@Shelfside]

The only caveat I'd add is I havn't tried painting over minis that are already colored, but most ks minis come as some form of gray and it works totally fine then. I've heard brighter colors like tan/yellow also work fine -Daniel

[@dilatedbeholder3865]

Speedpaints are great, but does anybody else struggle to figure out how to do a model inside 10 mins like some claim? I find you still have to take care to make sure I stay inside the lines that there's not that much time difference from acrylic painting 🤷‍♂️

[@HeartXDeathLaw]

If you want some of the minis to look nicer with zenital highlights, I'd recommend just using spray cans. dark grey from underneath and side, then lighter grey 45 degrees and to finish, white or very light grey from the top down 90 degrees. Gives much more depth and is also faster than drybrushing for the zenital effect

[@toaofpi]

Oh god, phantom hand at 7:50! I've been trying to get into mini painting, and I have a basic set of speedpaints just waiting to be used, I'm just so intimidated about starting I just need to convince myself to dive in and go for it.

[@Shelfside]

If you're scared about messing a mini up, you can just clean the paint off and start over, or just do some experimenting on a mini you care less about! And I'd also recommend being comfy with your setup, like having decent lighting, resting elbows on table/armrests to keep the mini stable, and having a painting handle for an easy grip! Being comfy is a great way to avoid accidentally jittering the brush to a spot you don't want haha -Daniel

[@arthurdent9281]

You could just buy a small set of a few minis pretty cheaply from any FLGS, or online. Use those as a test project before you paint the stuff you actually care about. But definitely just start! I had the same problem when I was getting started. Once you dive in, it's really not as hard as it seems, and you'll improve pretty quickly with practice. I still have the minis I first started with, and while they don't look great to me, I wouldn't have improved without going through that stage!

[@ScytheNoire]

There are dozens upon dozens of video of painting videos on how to paint miniatures in 10 minutes, 20 minutes, 30 minutes, etc. You just aren't watching the right channels or doing the right search.

[@moltenbullet]

Would you need a wet palette (like one would need to prepare for normal acrylic paint) when using this type of paint? I've also heard that its difficult to go over the speedpaint again with a second coat (e.g. if these are the ONLY paints I own, and if i wanted to correct a colour or highlight, could I do it?), so is that a concern? Would you need a clear coat on them at the end?

[@Shelfside]

No wet palette needed since they're already somewhat runny to get that wash effect. If you're going over the paint again, that's apparently what 2.0 is for, but I don't think you can go over it again with itself unless you're going over a brighter color. -Daniel

[@moltenbullet]

@@Shelfside Thanks very much! And thanks also for putting me onto this. I gave up painting after I tried following sorastro through his Imperial Assault painting guide a few years ago. I think I spent easily 2 days a week on each group of model. Took way too long, though I think the effect was pretty decent without getting into the highlight step. But MAN this speed paint would seriously help if it does what it promises. I ordered the whole 50 paint set and am finally excited to try again with all my other campaign games (probably going to practice on plaid hat games stuff first hahaha)

[@tommytran6473]

⁠​​⁠@Shelfside how do you correct mistakes on your paints? Do you use Matt white war paint even tho you don’t prime with Matt white? Or do you use something like an ash grey and hope the color is similar to your minis out of the box color?

[@Shelfside]

Usually I just accept it as is if it's small enough, and if it's bigger I'll just wash the paint off and start over. I used to care a lot about small details of color going into places they shouldn't but when asking friends they usually never notice unless I point it out, so it's actually been a while since I've even gone back to fix something haha -Daniel

[@eddiespectral]

I think you normally record the videos at x0.75 speed and then you uplad them at x1 lol

[@garyduddell3224]

I cannot paint but tried Speedpaint after having enough of constant grey and it turns out I can actually do something that isn't horrific. I am shut down for 7 months due to not being able to prime outside, did I hear you say you can paint mini's WITHOUT priming first, I am struggling to find anything online about this so interested to hear people's thoughts.

[@Shelfside]

Yea it's a godsend to do without priming! I also don't have access to a space where I can use rattle cans or airbrushing, but maybe one day! -Daniel

[@Yentz4]

As long as they are not metal mini's, you can often get away without priming. Metal mini's deff need to be primed.

[@garyduddell3224]

@@Yentz4 That's great to know thank you, they are all plastic mini's I am surprised no one online is talking about this but then maybe it doesn't help sell primer's.

[@matejkuselj5881]

Kolinsky brushes are not for speedpaints, contrast paints, washes and metalilcs. You'll just ruin them.

[@Coreagrus]

Personally, I think of painted minis or even minis at all, the same as what I think of impressive graphics in computer games. They're nice, but once the novelty wears off, I can't help but realize that they don't actually do anything for the gameplay, and I often ponder cost/benefit analysis. I believe if themes are conveyed well enough through them that you understand everything you're intended to, and the visuals are clear and functional for the gameplay, then they're as good as they'd ever need to be, and further fidelity and polish veers into the realm of excess. I'm mostly talking about computer games there. Now if I had to personally spend a bunch of time and labor to go that extra mile instead of actually playing games? Heh, I doubt I'd bother. Maybe all of that goes without saying or it's redundant. I hope it's interesting instead, but point is: When I get, for example, my copy of Frosthaven, I'd sooner switch to the standees to look at the color art, if I prefer that over blank minis, than paint said minis myself. With all that said though, I do respect well painted miniatures. It's a nice hobby, and it's its own artform. This video was interesting to me regardless. Btw, Shelfside has quickly become one of if not my favorite channels about board games. You guys do great work, and I'm particularly impressed how humor and even skits are so quick and well integrated that I never lose my patience with them, thinking 'just get on with it!' A lot of online critics really mess that up.

[@SeanUCF]

While some games have completely unnecessary minis, some games are enhanced ten fold and the difference between having a grey mini on the table versus a nicely painted one, is like playing a game on the original NES compared to a PC with an RTX 4090 graphics card using ray tracing.

[@Coreagrus]

@@SeanUCF Totally fair, but you see, even in that analogy I would happily play the NES game. Might even prefer the gameplay. That's what I'm like.

[@SeanUCF]

​@@Coreagrus Yeah I getchya. I'm just saying that in games where minis are actually useful and serve a purpose, having a nicely painted one versus a plain grey one makes all the difference.

[@Coreagrus]

@@SeanUCF I get what you're saying too, but I don't get this as a response. Did it sound like I was denying the value of minis? That wasn't my intent at all.

[@ScytheNoire]

Never throw out old brushes, they will still find their uses. In fact, a crusty old brush can be very useful, especially for splatters or damages.

[@AmbientGames]

thought about doing a mini tutorial on how to paint? Been meaning to try and paint some miniatures but literally no idea where or how to start. I'm looking to buy the set of speedpaints but then what.

[@garylangford6755]

loved the first half of this video but then hated the second half. A lot of poor tips dispensed here which might ruin the painting hobby for some people. 1. YOU MUST PRIME YOUR MINIS. You will NOT have a good time painting unprimed grey minis. Do not listen to this video. 2. Best way to Zenithal is prime black then spray white from above. 3. Also at 6:20 the mini has cracks all over it and looks bad because Daniel did not leave the primer time to dry before painting over it.

[@Shelfside]

I uh, left the vallejo primer to dry for a whole day lol (instructions only say 12 hours). -Daniel

[@drewkennewell4267]

Gotta agree here. With just a little more time and care, with minimal additional effort, you could make these look a lot better tbh. Speedpaints are definitely great for just getting table quality mini's done as quickly as possible, but there are some excellent slap/chop tutorials out there that apply some additional easy techniques on top of the speedpaint/contrast step to make it even better. I mean, look at Ninjon's slapchop method and you'll see the huge difference in quality for barely any additional effort. kzbin.info/www/bejne/mXzdpXigq6ymjNk

[@garylangford6755]

​@@Shelfsidethat's a lie by Vallejo. Sorry so not your fault. Leave it longer like few days :/

[@daem0nfaust]

These are my exact sentiments. Thank you, Daniel, I am seen.

[@TabletopTurtle]

Ah good you have paints now. Now it's time to upgrade to good games and start playing real miniature games. Also, sick editing on the intro, bro.

[@fusionvibe]

You are awesome

[@danacoleman4007]

I know

[@AdamJorgensen]

Speedpaints are amazing. No point in paying for a constrast paintjob like sundrop when you can easily DIY it with speedpaints. EDIT: Was about to mention Zenithal but then you went ahead and did it for me XD

[@Shelfside]

Honestly I'd be willing to pay around sundrop price if the minis came speedpainted instead of essentially just zenithal primed -Daniel

[@mangoman1073]

His voice sounds AI generated