HOW TO PREPARE MINIS FOR PAINTING: A Step-By-Step Guide

How to prepare wargaming / tabletop miniatures for painting.
This quick and simple guide will lead you through the steps I take to prepare my miniatures for painting.
Including;
* Removing release agent
* Smoothing mouldlines
* Sub-assemblies
* Paint handles
* Filling gaps
* Zenithal priming
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then please use this link when buying GW and gaming products.
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PRODUCTS USED:
🔸 MR HOBBY PRODUCTS
amzn.to/3OUg1aR
Mr Dissolved Putty
🔸 VALLEJO PAINTS
bit.ly/3W4rnZY
Surface Primer - Black
Surface Primer - Grey
🔸 VIDEO CONTENTS
00:00​ - Intro
00:36​ - Tools
01:04 - Cutting from the sprue
01:52​ - Washing off release agent
02:22​ - Removing rough excess from the sprue
02:58​ - Removing mouldlines
03:25​ - Should you sub-assemble?
07:37​ - Assembling the model
07:58​ - Paint handles
09:14 - Gap filling
10:30​ - Zenithal priming
11:35 - Summary
12:12 - Outro
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FOLLOW ME
To see the latest minis I'm working on and for details on upcoming videos, competitions and more please follow me here:
🔸 Facebook: / brushstroke....​
🔸 Instagram: / brushstroke77
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#PaintingWarhammer #Warhammer #TabletopGaming #Warhammer40k #MiddleEarthSBG
#Preparing #Assembling #Basics #Sub-assemblies
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DISCLAIMER: This video and description may contain affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a small commission. This helps support the channel and allows me to continue to make videos like this. Thank you for the support!

[@JasonNimz]

I know I'm way late to comment here. I've always found it's easier for me to dip the entire sprue in warm, soapy water, and lightly brush with a cheap (soft) toothbrush. The sprue helps support the pieces for thorough cleaning, and I can use my airbrush or a cheap hair dryer to dry the entire thing. This avoids having to fish out tiny, fragile pieces from soapy water that I can't necessarily see into easily. You can also make your own filler using old sprue, and Tamiya extra thin cement. Snip small pieces of sprue into the cement, and let it sit for a while. Agitate every few days, and add more sprue if it's still too thin.

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

Thanks for taking the time to comment, I agree completely with your suggestions. They are both great tips 👍

[@theorganicshadow]

I know this is an old video but it would be great to get a more in-depth tutorial on removing mold lines and sprue bits. The example shown in this video was a relatively smooth area on a horse and along an actual part seam, but often times we are dealing with things like ribbed cables or knuckles that are incredibly hard to remove lines from.

[@cdavis4857]

Omg! I needed this info 3 years ago! So grateful for your time!

[@LatinoSoulja1]

I always tend to do the washing step after removing mold lines and filing the model, since it tends to get resin bits all over it

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

Yeah, that’s a good call. In practice, I sort of do the two steps at the same time to be honest, cos you’re right, rinsing the filing dust off is a big help

[@daguynexdoor]

I really appreciate these videos. It's calm and relaxing, and I really feel like I'm learning something

[@sneakybeak4032]

This video has really helped me build confidence to start attempting my own Raven Guard builds as you suggested i try in your painting video 😀

[@Shortdwarf11]

This was wonderful! Thank you for being so thorough and setting a great pace to really comprehend your steps.

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

Thanks for watching 🙂 Really glad you found it useful 👍🏻

[@bigbadbeardo]

Thankyou so much for this video! Deffo gonna start sub assembling from now on!

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

Glad you found it useful 🙂

[@whisped8145]

I had no idea release agent was a thing. Thank you.

[@stevenrickett4333]

Excellent. Clear and confident.

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

Thank you I hope you found it useful 👍🏻

[@johnkelley9877]

This was very helpful! Thanks for sharing this.

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

Thanks Really glad it was helpful 👍

[@briangoldstein3007]

these videos are really helpful for a new painter like myself. Really enjoy the content. Subbed

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

That's awesome, thank you. It's great to hear the videos are helpful. Thanks for the sub, really appreciate it. Let me know if there's a topic you'd like to see a video on, as I'd really like to make guides for new painters and help them enjoy the hobby :)

[@tcdd7391]

I came here from the Blood angels video. The tips with the toothpick and paper clip are great. Your videos and those of Trovarion miniatures are the reason why I recently started painting a Blood Angels army. Love it.

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

Thank you. I genuinely really appreciate your kind feedback 👍🏻

[@warmachine5835]

Mr. Hobby has a lot of neat products outside their Mr. Color line (anyone see the naming convention here?), including Mr. Surfacer, which is my go-to primer as it has some of the properties of Mr. Dissolved Putty but to a much lesser extent, meaning that it won't fill gaps very well but it does a great job of smoothing out surface abrasion and adding subtle texture to the plastic.

[@nocturnenoble2468]

Thank you for the excellent tutorial. Every facet of preparation was explained meticulously yet very easy to follow.

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

Thank you for the brilliant feedback. Really great to hear you found it useful. Stay tuned for more 👍🏻

[@SprueSurgeon]

Fantastic work, another subscriber here! Ive been screaming at people for years about Mr Dissolved Putty and there other products, which i love using.

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

Thank you 🙏 Welcome aboard 🙂 Mr Hobby products are so great. It still amazes me how few people seem to know about them. We can scream at people together 🤛

[@richwalker659]

Nice video, simple to follow some good tips and a good speaker

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

Thank you, I’m still very new to video making, so it good to hear they are simple to follow 👍🏻

[@PhD777]

FIRST: Wash the miniatures with warm water and liquid dish soap that does not contain citrus oil. SECOND: Rinse thoroughly in cold water. THIRD: Allow to dry or use a fan or hair dryer to dry. Proceed with the instructions given in this excellent video! 👍🏻🎅👍🏻 Before anyone whines: for decades I have washed miniaturesas above and, before each session, I wash my hands with The Master's (green color bar) hand soap made to remove oil paint from hands and clothing (not the white soap for brushes, but very similar). I assembled, primed, and painted the horses for a regiment of Dutch Light Dragoons in acrylic paint. The next day, as I started to place the riders on the horses, I noticed the paint RUBBING OFF the horses! The release agent from the mold was still present and had caused the primer not to adhere properly (BECAUSE I had been distracted and had not washed them). So, had to remove the paint, wash them, and paint again; this time without issue.

[@pattyboy780]

Thanks this is awesome!

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

Thank you Glad you found it useful 👍🏻

[@MaelstromMaster]

una maravilla, como siempre

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

Gracias, muy agradecido

[@Albireo8]

Super video.

[@7bootzy]

So excited you're doing videos now! Make sure you turn that awesome guide on how to paint horses into a video!

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

thank you! My next video will have the black horse recipe in it and probably some extras tips on painting markings.... so stay tuned :D

[@ChangeOurHealthCare]

@@BrushstrokePaintingGuides what metal files and drill are you using and where should I get some (or equivalent)?

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

@@ChangeOurHealthCare I use the Games Workshop toolset. You can get them here bit.ly/3okM5q7 It looks like they don’t seem to do the drill anymore though, so an equivalent would be bit.ly/3AUYV3u Hope that helps

[@ChangeOurHealthCare]

@@BrushstrokePaintingGuides thanks!

[@pvtspoon]

I’ve never heard of the dissolved putty before. I’m looking forward to trying it myself.

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

You’ll love it. It’s great stuff. Only problem I’ve found is I keep forgetting to keep the lid on during long prep sessions and it can cause the pot to start to dry out. Other than that, it’s brilliant

[@luke_atthat]

So good, thank you ! Could we prime with a brush using your technique to thin the paint ?

[@JET31376]

Thanks for this great tutorial, you have a new sub and good luck with the channel.

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

Thank you, really appreciate the support. Stay tuned, I have loads of cool content planned

[@jhoodfysh]

Nicely done, while focus was an issue in this video, you have made changes in later ones to correct that. The information was what I needed, thank you.

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

Thank you Yeah, apologies for the focusing issues. It’s something I’ve been working hard to improve on 👍🏻

[@Classic_DM]

Great video. Would love see you do some Warlord Models (Hail Cesar, Black Powder, Bolt Action, etc)

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

Thank you. I would love to do some Warlord models. I don’t have any currently but I do want to have a wide variety of minis and games on the channel. So even if the model isn’t what you’re after, a lot of the techniques and colour recipes should still be useful. So, stay tuned 👍🏻

[@user-Big-Dave]

Just started painting space marines to keep me from going insane after my stroke, would you consider doing a video on the tools and equipment you use, for example, what paint rack your using for the citadel paints? Anyway, thank you for the videos, they are stopping an old guy from going crazy with boredom and educating me at the same time.

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

Hey man, so great to hear you’ve found this hobby both therapeutic and relaxing. I started painting to take my mind off some very stressful things I was going through and now I’d be lost without it. It may be a while before I can get round to doing a video on equipment, so I thought I’d answer the paint rack question now. They are actually nail polish display racks. I got them years ago from a company on eBay. I think you can still find similar if you search for “tiered acrylic nail polish racks” Thanks so much for watching my videos, really glad you’re enjoying them and finding them useful 👍

[@whisped8145]

Sprue bits can make for good terrain rubble depending on how it comes out and what you need/make.

[@warmachine5835]

You can also turn them into gap filler with the right kind of cement. I've mixed chopped up sprue with Tamiya Extra Thin in the past to make a kind of (toxic) plastic paste that you can put into the gaps, squeeze together, then trim and sand down the excess when it dries to get a manufactured finish to the gap. It's more useful in the gunpla space where you've got color-matched plastic and less need for paint, but it also works great here since unlike putty it will never dry and crack or otherwise degrade.

[@BrianSmith-cn2jh]

Very nice video, very helpful

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

Thank you 🙏🏻

[@peterdavey7350]

Very useful thankyou

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

No problem. Glad you liked it 👍🏻

[@vashlex]

I am just starting and I am just working with black primer. I think for best results the highlighting primer is great but also not necessary for absolute beginners.

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

You’re right, it’s not necessary. I only included the step as it’s something I do as standard now and a useful little step of people want to try it. Welcome to the hobby 👍🏻

[@dj-ynwa4349]

Excellent video. Really finding these videos helpful to level up my hobby 🙌 With assembly of horses - would the putty you used work the same with metal horses/models?

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

Thank you, great to hear you’re enjoying the videos and finding them helpful. Yes, the liquid putty works on any material type. For really big gaps you’re still better using some milliput or greenstuff but the liquid works wonders on join lines and cracks

[@leonleese4919]

Great! You’ve covered a subject that is often overlooked. My next project is for some plastic AWI infantry, but there is one figure that is only available in metal. Is there a filler that will cover assembly gaps between horse and rider?

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

A lot of people worry about preparing and painting metal minis, but they really aren’t that different to plastic minis. The Mr Dissolved Putty stuff I used in the video will work just as well on a metal mini. Just make sure you wash your mini first to remove any lingering release agent. If you have very large gaps, I would recommend Milliput as a good filler. Again, it works well with any material. One other bit of advice I’d give regarding metal minis is with their priming. Make sure you leave your primer to cure for at least 24 before you start to paint. This will help the primer really bond to the metal and massively reduce the risk of paint chipping off later. Hope that helps, let me know how you get on 🙂

[@timwilson7170]

Love your videos, very on point for me and really shed light on somethings that have either mystified me or I've just taken as the norm and not really knowing why. One question I do have, is how would you tackle a "push fit" model? Using a sub assembly approach you are able to get to all the areas you want too but you run the risk of ending up with gaps after assembly... Help me oh might Brushstroke, your my only hope!

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

Thank you so much for supporting the channel and being a Brushstroke member. It means so much to me and does help keep the channel ticking. So, for push fit, I always cut the rods in half. That way you still get the advantage of them guiding the pieces where they need to go but “shouldn’t” stop them being taken apart again. The problem with push fit is as the rods are pushed in they compress air in the tubes and because they’re the same length of the tube they can never fully fit properly and often leave gaps. It’s better to reduce the rods and glue the mini together as a normal mini. Hope that helps? 👍

[@timwilson7170]

@@BrushstrokePaintingGuides Genius! Thank you for the speedy response! I'll give that go.. You are most welcome, your videos are really helpful, so thanks once again!

[@THAC0Factor]

Very good video. I wish the WizKids and Reaper minis were on a card. BTW The Beard Clipper sent me.

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

Thank you Beard Clipper is a great guy 👍🏻 I don’t understand what Wizkids and Reaper minis being on a card means though?

[@THAC0Factor]

@@BrushstrokePaintingGuides Like the 40K models are. Where you have to clip and build them. it would be so much easier to paint them if they were modular.

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

Oh, I see now. So they come as single pieces rather than on a sprue of pieces? Yes, that is really annoying when you don’t get to choose how to paint a midel

[@tonynunya8063]

First time I have ever heard of Mr. Dissolved Putty. that alone was worth watching for.

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

It’s brilliant stuff. I love it. Thanks for watching Really glad you found it useful Let me know what you think to dissolved putty 👍

[@MrJspowers2]

I fully assembled and painted my first set of space marines and was frustrated trying to paint the details. This is the best setup video I’ve seen, particularly with sub assemblies. Thank you!

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

Thanks for checking out my channel. Really glad you found the video useful. Not being able to reach details to paint is so frustrating. Especially with faces. I much prefer to paint heads separately and add them later, so much easier

[@MrJspowers2]

@@BrushstrokePaintingGuides I will definitely be doing that on the next batch. I've got a captain and a bike squad on the docket and there are so many little tight spaces :|

[@tjbalan]

@@BrushstrokePaintingGuides I've just recently assembled and painted my first space marines and it is tough after seeing the angles and spacing. I think I'll definitely try the sub assembly method. Do you do the same thing for the heads? Drill a hole and glue it?

[@PatientZERO100]

Interesting, I've been trying to sus out the way you mount your minis and I honestly never would've considered super glue and paper clips. I'm brand new to the painting side but I'm definitely gonna be trying that out since it looks like you gain much more access around the mini parts. Two questions though: 1. Do you buy the corks in bulk? 2. Do you reuse the cork + pin combos at all? Thanks!

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

Yes, mounting the mini (or its parts) in this way makes it so much easier to access with my brush. To answer your questions; 1/ yes, absolutely I used to buy them from Wilkos but they’re out of business now 😞 So, my advice would be to look for stores that sell home brewing kit. 2/ Yes, I reuse them all the time. I often have to replace the wires because they can come out when removing the model or they’re not the right length for what I need at the time, but I use the corks over and over again. On last tip, which wasn’t in the video, if you get a piece which keeps toppling over when you put it down. Because the cork isn’t enough to keep it standing on its on, just glue a coin or washer to the bottom and give it more weight / stability. Works perfectly 👍

[@nachtmacher6237]

😊

[@TheGreySpectrum]

Injection moulded plastic does not use release agent. Only in resin casting do they use release agent, though some manufacturers use talcum powder when they cast metal miniatures. In the case of flexible miniatures, like Reaper Bones, they are made of PVC with plasticizer, the latter chemicals being why Reaper Bones and similar miniatures (or action figures) refuse to accept spray paint and even regular acrylic paints. For ABS plastic, which is what Games-Workshop and most other miniatures manufacturers use (LEGO and Bandai for Gunpla, too), it's simply melted down and then injected into a steel die which is also heated to ensure that the plastic does not cool too rapidly and fills every detail. When the plastic is cool enough, and it doesn't take very long, it will usually just pop out of the die because the plastic doesn't stick to the steel or aluminum once cooled. I'm not trying to be patronizing towards you (Brushstroke or anyone reading this) with this comment, I've just heard it said that there's "release agent" on ABS plastic from a handful of people on youtube and that it must be washed off or paint will not stick when it's just plainly false. There are many variables that go into injection moulding ABS plastic; the pressure with which you clamp the dies together, the temperature of the die, the speed at which you inject the plastic, the machine you're using; but a "release agent" is not one of them. Unless you're extra paranoid about finger grease or getting something else off of your miniatures, you're just wasting your time by cleaning plastic models like that. If it does anything to assuage people's worries, I myself have never bothered with this step and, provided I primed my miniatures (which I did not do when I was a teenager and just got started), I have never had issue with paint rubbing off. The same goes for my friends that game with me or have gamed with me.

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

Thanks for taking the time for writing such a detailed response, it really is great to see. I will say though, that the information I gave has actually come from a caster at GW during a factory tour and not simply my speculation or hearsay. Of course, being no expert in the process I will always concede I may have misunderstood. Personally I’ll stick with rinsing all my models, as if nothing else it’ll remove any dust, debris or whatever and certainly won’t do any harm. That said, I’m a firm believer in, if you’re getting the result you want then it can’t be wrong. So, all good man you do you 👍 Happy painting

[@TheGreySpectrum]

@@BrushstrokePaintingGuides If they said that, then that is very strange. Immediately my mind begins to speculate as to why it is they do that, if it is something they've started doing recently, or yes, if it was something that mixed together with something else he said in what I honestly imagine was a very exciting occasion. It may also have been that person getting things mixed up. In the end, though, it's no big deal. I'm certainly not about to jump onto "Ah, yes, it must be that he is totally mistaken" and heap the blame on you. I wasn't present, and you no longer 100% remember, so there's really no telling what the truth in the matter is. Ultimately I think my point is that it should be alright if someone doesn't do that step. I don't mean for that to come across as if I believe you're telling people they MUST do certain things or they're destined to failure, it's more like providing additional information to anyone that might be a little prone to worrying. That, and for those who aren't it could save a bit of time. With all that said, now I'm paranoid I come across as a concern troll. Few last things; I appreciate your taking the time to read over my comment, and I greatly appreciate your responding. I'd seen your videos recommended in the past but didn't watch anything until I saw the thumbnail of your Ultramarine. Never had I seen such a vibrant blue, so I was drawn in by that. I definitely appreciate your inclusion of MESBG models, too. It occurs to me that if you ever wanted to do a tutorial involving painting a lot of skin, a Mordor Troll might be a good idea. One final thing on injection molding; if you're unfamiliar with his content, I would recommend Crafsman Steady Craftin's video on injection molding. He actually does it himself with a manual injection molding machine, a small die, and plastic pellets. Goes into a lot of depth on the subject as well as showing it.

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

All good man Always appreciate conversation and comments. In this case, I'm really not sure where the "truth" lies. Maybe it's something they do at such a large industrial level to enable them to get thousand and thousands of presses quicker or help protect the die? I think we can agree, I dont know :D Honestly, I only ever started this channel to make it easier for me to answer people asking how I do things, as I can simply point them to a video. As I said before, I really don't think there's ever a RIGHT way to do anything in this hobby. It's all about finding ways to get the results you want. If you can do that, then no one can ever tell you it's wrong :) oh, and yes... I love that ProAcryl blue. It's so punchy and one of those schemes where the more minis you have in it, the more impressive it looks. Thanks again for checking out my channel and good chatting to you :)

[@TheGreySpectrum]

@@BrushstrokePaintingGuides I totally understand that. I've even got a few friends that are similar, though they haven't gone and made a whole youtube channel for that sort of thing just yet. While I didn't do painting or hobby stuff, I used to have a channel of my own, so I don't blame them for not jumping into it and find it that much more amiable that you 'took the plunge' yourself. Speaking of answering people's questions, I watched your wet palette video shortly before I watched this one and it reminded me that I tend to always have problems when using mine. Have you used one with a sponge before? After seeing that video, I can't help but feel like some of the trouble I have is related to the sponge not wanting to cooperate with the paper, causing me to need what seems like way too much water (certainly by your method it is far, far too much water) or else risk the paper curling up and the paint drying out on it. I just looked up those paints finally, too. I really need to not go spending even more money on paint but boy is it tempting. Especially since Vallejo has discontinued their Game Color range in favor of a revamp.

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

Was your wet palette a bought one or a DIY one? I've always gone the route of paper towel as the reservoir, simply because I'm lazy and can't be bothered to wash and rinse a sponge regularly. For me it's just far easier to quickly replace the paper and re-soak it. I have the huge advantage of not living in a particularly hot country though. For hotter climates I understand sponges are very necessary. However, from friends I have who do use sponges they have said that using some paper towel on top of the sponge actually helps regulate the moisture better. So, that could be something to try. Either that or try a different paper for your membrane, as it could be that is not allowing the correct moisture level through to the paint Oh, and buy the ProAcryl paints. They are LOVELY!

[@edwilliams3336]

Awesome vid! Quick question- where did you get your paint storage tray in the background of your intro? Thanks in advance!

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

Thank you The paint racks I got off an eBay company years ago. I think you can still get them if you search for “tiered acrylic nail polish display racks” Thanks

[@edwilliams3336]

@@BrushstrokePaintingGuides thank you!

[@DevilsxArms]

Just discovered your videos recently. Though i have a question. Do you thing your vallejo primer before putting it in their airbrush? I tried it once or twice. With and without thinning, and i had questionable results when not using thinner. Though i saw a comment that it was okay to use without thinner. Whats your take on it? Thinner or no thinner? What ratio did you use?

[@colinboon6612]

Wow, such a good idea. Just one question though: how do you attach the shield and cloak to your handle please?

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

Exactly the same way as the other pieces, drill a little hole somewhere it won’t be seen and glue the wire with a small dab of superglue

[@colinboon6612]

@@BrushstrokePaintingGuides many thanks. 🙂

[@espenjohansen8074]

So, subassemblies: Do you do anything to the models when assembling the final piece? Or do you just glue painted surface to painted surface?

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

It’s best to not glue painted surfaces together as you’re then relying on the painted layers to hold things together. What I do is try to keep areas clear of paint which I know will be glued at the end or if that’s not possible, carefully rub the paint off at the end to crest bare plastic / metal to glue together. I also use superglue to try and maximise the bond between pieces. I hope that helps 👍🏻

[@iTxip]

Great video for paint noobs like me

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

Thank you, really great to hear you’ve found it useful 👍🏻

[@jkamin88]

Washing off releasing agent only applies to resin models right?

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

No, that’s not true. Release agent is used in the moulding process for all material types. It’s fair to say resin models tend to have the most problems but it’s good practice to wash all materials to ensure any lingering traces of release agent are removed.

[@ripleyriley]

I'm new to the hobby and I assembled my mini before washing it. What do you suggest doing? Can I drop it in soapy water as-is?

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

Thanks for watching and welcome to the hobby 🙂 Yes, you could still gently wash off the release agent from a model which you have have already assembled. Obviously it’s not ideal, as you don’t want to break it during the process, but my suggestion would to be to submerge it in some soapy water and then give it a gentle rub with a soft toothbrush and then a rinse with some clean water. That should be sufficient. Hope that helps 👍

[@infiniteeclipse1552]

For the necron videos youve done did you paint the pieces seperately? I’m in the US and the Darkstar metallic is rather expensive to ship. Are there any similar alternatives? Thanks!

[@michaelsumrall8841]

What size drill bit do you use for the paper clips?

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

I think it’s a 2mm but whichever is slightly bigger than the paper clips you’re using is what you need

[@grendelprime166]

Washing the entire sprue before trimming the pieces off is much easier.

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

Yeah, that’s a good call. I can see that helping not lose small pieces. 👍🏻

[@sirrathersplendid4825]

But washing the pieces AFTER trimming and cleaning is even better since oils from your hands can also prevent paint from adhering. For that matter, You might as well wait until after assembly.

[@RandomTim84]

One thing which I'm curious about, is once all the painting of sub-assemblies is complete, what's the process for ensuring a smooth and seamless fit when piecing together? One couldn't use the filler & file technique else there'd be a need to repaint part of the work.

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

That’s a fair question. So, a big part of deciding what sub-assemblies to use is around how it will fit together once painted. Ideally you want to choose assemblies which will either have hidden connections, like behind shields or cloaks etc or where a gap would exist in the real world. Between a rider and horse say. However, there are occasions where the join will be visible but you still need to keep the parts separate in order to access details to paint. In those cases, what I tend to do is; Paint the parts up to base coats. And then attach them. Add a bit of filler etc if needed and paint and repair base coats as needed and then carry on with the painting of the mini. Getting the base coats painted neatly and cleanly is usually enough to overcome the access problems, because once they’re done well, you can usually apply a wash etc even when assembled and that is a good time to disguise the join too. Highlighting isn’t usually needed either as it will likely be in shadow and not important. Hope that helps 👍

[@fernandozavaletabustos205]

Great video, I have suscribed to your channel! One question, is it possible to use Gesso as a primer? And do you have a video about using primers?

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

Thank you. I've never tried Gesso primer on a mini before, so I can't really advise either way. I believe though that it is intended to leave a surface with some texture or "tooth" to it, which is never a good thing for mini painting, as you really want super smooth to see all the fine details This is the only video I've done referring to primers. If you can get Vallejo surface primer I do recommend it. Just be sure to let it fully cure for around 24 hours before painting on it to ensure it forms a strong bond to the mini

[@fernandozavaletabustos205]

@@BrushstrokePaintingGuides Thanks for your answer. Just to be clear, what does "cure" means in this context? English is not my native language.

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

@@fernandozavaletabustos205 sorry, it means to dry fully. Primers can often be dry to the touch but still be in the process of hardening. Yeah, that’s a good word, cured in this context means fully hardened

[@fernandozavaletabustos205]

@@BrushstrokePaintingGuides Ah do not worry, I was asking in order to learn more about the hobby.

[@tp6498]

Dude, where did you get that clear plastic paint rack all of your paints are sitting in at the start of this video?

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

They are tiered nail polish display racks. I bought them from a store on eBay. If you search for “acrylic nail polish display rack” you should find them 👍🏻

[@marcelberger2715]

Does anyone know if priming with 2 colours from a rattle can going to "damage" the details? I have the feeling that only an air brush is spaying thin enough.

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

You can do zenithal priming with spray can for sure. Simply prime black as normal and then do a very light spray of a grey or white from 45° above. Doing a light spray for the second spray is a lot easier than you think and you really don’t need to apply much paint at all. Best advice would be for you to just give it a practice with something scrap. Plastic packaging works great. Or even a plastic spoon will do, just give it a try 👍🏻 It really needn’t mean you lose any detail on the mini

[@marcelberger2715]

@@BrushstrokePaintingGuides thanks for the quick reply m8

[@mavstorm4588]

Would the primer affect the plastic cement strength on those parts that need to be glued together?

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

Brilliant question, and yes you are spot on. If you’re going to be using plastic cement to attach sub-assemblies together after painting you need to ensure you have contact points of bare plastic. You can achieve this in a couple of ways. Mask the contact points before priming and painting with some putty or masking fluid (I generally just use blutac) Then when you want to assemble the parts you can just peel off the masking and reveal the bare plastic. Or you can prime and paint as usual and when it comes to assembly, simply scratch away a patch on the contact points with a craft knife to reveal the bare plastic. Of the two options I usually end up doing the second and the reason is because the contact points I’m going to be gluing are usually the same as the points where I’m attaching the paint handle wire. So when I remove the piece from the handle and smooth off any remaining glue, that results in me having a bare plastic contact point to use my cement on anyway. So with a bit of planning at the preparation stage you can save yourself lots of extra effort at the end. Hope that makes sense 👍

[@mavstorm4588]

@BrushstrokePaintingGuides thank you so much for the quick reply ❤️

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

@@mavstorm4588 no problem, hope the answer made sense and was helpful

[@nightwolf6269]

Where do you get all your citadel paints from? Because I can’t find a lot of them. Do they have sets of paint?

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

I get my paints from here bit.ly/3tUIFur They carry the full range and offer a decent discount too

[@nightwolf6269]

Thank you!

[@MrMannerless]

8:58 Ouch!

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

Hahahaha 🤣

[@MrMannerless]

@@BrushstrokePaintingGuides you’re videos are amazing and have inspired me to elevate my game!

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

@@MrMannerless thank you man, that is so great to hear 🤛

[@MrMannerless]

@@BrushstrokePaintingGuides i made a wet palette and test paints on my hand now, and I’m dying to try doing some battle damage.

[@ghorthaz9731]

Whats the name of green square table ?

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

It’s a cutting mat to help protect your tabletop. They’re called “self healing cutting mats” You can get them all over the place but for example heres one on Amazon so you get the idea www.amazon.co.uk/ANSIO-Double-Healing-Cutting-Imperial/dp/B00RO1CD9O/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?crid=1EIZ8G11V1Z6M&keywords=self+healing+cutting+mat&qid=1659080774&sprefix=self+heal%2Caps%2C102&sr=8-3

[@MrRazielKOH]

So, here's a question about sub-assemblies and gap filling. Where is the balance point between putting two pieces together to fill a gap that you know is going to be there when the pieces come together, and knowing that when you put those pieces together, you will have difficulty reaching all of the detail?

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

it's an interesting one and as I think you suspect there's no hardened rule, as it differs from case to case. personally I would always rank gap filling over detail painting. However, it doesnt mean it has to be quite so clear cut. You can have a bit of a half way house, in that, I have in the past primed up some sub-assembly pieces. Painted them to base colour level and then stuck them together, as I knew I would need to fill a gap. Filled and sanded the gap. Then applied a little primer to the area and base coloured it to blend in with the rest of the mini. This method worked really well as it goes, because the difficult to reach area was at least now nicely base coated and would only really need a wash to finish it off, which I could get a brush in to do and the area where the gap had been only needed base coating, so that didnt pose any colour matching problems. Hopefully that gives you another option, but like I said it;s really down to trying to make the best choice for the situation

[@CeeJaeRgh]

Do you imagine the 'Washing off release agent' step is necessary for pre-assembled board game miniatures??

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

Yes, 100%. Anything injection moulded will have release agent on it. Look at it this way, better to be safe than sorry 👍

[@CeeJaeRgh]

@@BrushstrokePaintingGuides Much appreciated!

[@CeeJaeRgh]

Follow up question - if a miniature has an unintended bend. E.g. a gun / arrow / spear or something that looks quite odd when it's not straight. Would you attempt to straighten? & if so - how?

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

@@CeeJaeRgh yes I would. You need to heat it to make it soft enough to bend and then cool it so it hardens again in the new position. To heat it you can use something like a hairdryer or a bowl of hot water (not boiling and still take great care with this option) And then reposition gently. Never force it. If it doesn’t been easily, warm it more. Then hold it’s position and submerge in cold water to set it. You may need to do a few passes to get something to settle exactly how you want it

[@CeeJaeRgh]

@@BrushstrokePaintingGuides thanks!!

[@user-wi1mk4sj7n]

If there is a bible for plasmo, this would be it.

[@99zxk]

After losing a piece in the drain, I wash the models before cutting the pieces out.

[@BahbahKaduche]

FYI the mr. hobby potty is discontinued on most places and you shouldn't purchase it if you can find it available because it's really nasty shit