How Long Should You Paint Your Minis For?

[@Miniac]

I ran into a character limit putting the paint recipes in the description, so instead I'll put them here in this pinned comment. 10hr Trial Skin: Kimera Caucasian Skin, Kimera Cartacci Red, Black mix 6:2:1 for basecoat, mix progressively more and more Kimera Sunray and White to get highlights, glaze Kimera Cartacci Red into the cheeks, Kimera Violet into the eyelids Hair: Basecoat AK Interactive Reddish Black, Layer AK Interactive Deep Brown, Layer AK Interactive Light Rust, Layer AK Interactive Pastel Peach Fur Cloak: SC75 Cantabric Blue, AK Interactive Vampire Flesh, AK Interactive Pastel Blue wet blend as a basecoat. Wash in Army Painter Strong tone. Highlight with various mixtures of all the paints used to create the initial blend. Blue Cloak: SC75 Cantabric Blue + Black mix basecoat, Layer of SC75 Cantabric Blue, Layer of SC75 Cantabric Blue + SC75 Carribean Blue mix Cream Tunic: AK Interactive Orange Brown + AK Interactive Vampire flesh + AK Interactive Hull Red 1:5:1 mix basecoat, mix more and more white for future layers Wood Shield: Citadel Yellow Ink, Citadel Chestnut Ink, Citadel Gulliman Glaze, all wetblend/glazed on over zenithal undercoat Silver: AK Interactive Gun Metal basecoat, Payne's Grey Oil wash, AK Interactive Silver highlight, Tamiya Clear Blue glaze in the shadows, Molotow Chrome edge highlight Copper: AK Interactive Copper, Payne's Grey Oil wash, AK Interactive Copper + SC75 Citrine mix for highlight, pure SC75 Citrine for further highlights Grey/Blue Fabric: Black highlighted with more and more SC75 Bering Blue 1hr Trial Skin: Citadel Tallarn Flesh basecoat, Army Painter Strong Tone wash, mix more and more Vallejo Ice Yellow + White into the Tallarn flesh to get highlights Hair: Ammo Migs Bright Orange basecoat, Army Painter Strong Tone wash, Vallejo Light Orange highlight, Citadel Lugganoth Orange highlight Fur Cloak: Black, Vallejo Flat Blue, Ammo Migs Green Blue, Citadel Wraithbone wet blended basecoat, Army Painter Strong Tone wash, highlight with various mixtures of all the paints used to create the initial blend. Blue Cloak: Vallejo Flat Blue basecoat, Army Painter Strong Tone wash, Vallejo Flat Blue layer, Ammo Migs Green Blue layer, mixed in Vallejo Ice Yellow for more highlights Cream Tunic:Citadel Wraith Bone basecoat, Army Painter Strong Tone wash, Citadel Wraith Bone highlight, Citadel Wraith Bone + White mix highlight, White Highlight Wood Shield: Same as 10hr Silver: AK Interactive Natural Steel basecoat, Citadel Nuln Oil Gloss wash Copper: AK Interactive Copper basecoat, Citadel Nuln Oil Gloss wash Grey/Blue Fabric: Citadel Eshin Grey basecoat, Citadel Nuln Oil wash 10 Minute Trial - all of these are Army Painter Speed paints Skin: Crusader Skin Hair: Fire Giant Orange Fur Cloak: Cloudburst Blue Blue Cloak: Highlord Blue Cream Tunic: Pallid Bone Brown Stuff: Hardened Leather Black Stuff: Grim Black Grey/Blue Fabric: Mix of Grim Black and Gravelord Grey Silver: AK Interactive Natural Steel, Citadel Nuln Oil Gloss wash Copper: AK Interactive Copper basecoat, Citadel Nuln Oil Gloss wash

[@viking0230]

is there a link for the model?

[@tabletoppainter7390]

This channel is one of the best one i feel. This and ninjon i like the most

[@shoggy3903]

Thanks Scott, This list is excellent! Brand and colour without having to take notes while watching the vid. I'd also love to see a fourth model painted with an amalgamation of techniques from the tests. Be interesting to see what time it takes and how its look compares.

[@misomiso8228]

You should take a look at Rangers of Shadowdeep. Very very good. Would be very much up your street I think.

[@smithfamilygaming9700]

Hey Scott I think some one is using your name and photo to try and scam people wanting me to pay for shipping for a giveaway over 150 bucks

[@tabletoppainter7390]

Only important thing is not to forget to paint more minis.

[@GamemasterGiff]

Needs more pig vocals

[@ihaveasnake]

The "dropping your mini into your pallette" method is by far one of my favorites. Its true, not everyone gets it, but thats because it really is such an advanced technique.

[@AceTaxiaGaming]

This is why my palette is now on the side of my work space

[@DeliciousCornbread]

I feel like this and spilling a bottle of wash are rights of passage.

[@sentrax]

If you want to take it to an even more advanced level, let me suggest dropping it in a way that breaks the weaker parts of the model like spears, so you can glue it back on with a more optimal angle.

[@MScotty90]

Legend says that the one who truly unlocks the power of this technique shall become the Jackson Pollock of mini painting.

[@billdefranza4927]

Then there's the dropping the mini into your coffee. Not the ideal dipwash.

[@angelozaccarin9130]

The 10h mini is awesome but I really like the 1h one, especially on the face I think the rougher paint job fits the character really well

[@TheR3dAce]

love the footage Scott interacting with the VO Scott, very fun video!

[@micahlewis4452]

Some lovely shots in this video Scott. I especially love the pan through the miniatures focusing in on them one at a time. Thanks for making quality videos man. Also, you know I love that 3-way screen split.

[@CoryJohnsonfootsteps]

I love these videos BUT there is one thing that I still struggle with: The Social Media Effect. Your camera's are great and we're getting lots of close ups of these models that no one realistically would see unless they were taking photos or the mini were on display. The models all look amazing (great production quality on the video, BTW) but I struggle knowing when to stop in my own paint jobs because I'm a perfectionist. I can see the difference between the different models and I want to be proud of my paint job - not regretting cutting corners. SO how could you min-max a paint job to a point where you couldn't really tell the difference at 3 feet away? That's the sweet spot I want to find. As good as I can make a paint job, highest of tabletop quality, because anything more wouldn't even be noticeable when playing.

[@MCXL1140]

That's one of the really great things about this exercise of painting the same model three times is you can paint it to a quality higher than you normally would initially and then you can paint that one hour model and see if it looks about the same to you from 3 ft away if it doesn't and you want to take it further you always can afterwards but it helps educate you on that stopping point. Of course also is going to push your painting techniques overall further but you can use it in order to hone in on what you're satisfied with. For my song of ice and fire Army I've just said a limit on how long I'm willing to paint characters regardless of how they end up quality wise. Yeah it means that some of them look better than others but I just don't want to get stuck on one guy for ages when I have so much to paint. I can always come back and make things look better later if I want to but by limiting myself to an hour or two hours per character and 30 minutes per generic guy, I force myself to work fast and be efficient for this first pass through.

[@JesseNapalm]

Considering how supportive this hobby's community usually is, just try showing your work to other people in person. I'm colorblind and was constantly second guessing what I had done but every time someone who played table top or painted saw it it was nothing but encouragement. Even the people who are waaay better than you will remember starting out and have helpful feedback. Once you start to learn to look at your work the way someone else will, it's a lot easier to be happy with a project and finally feel "done".

[@MCXL1140]

@@JesseNapalm That's also a good suggestion, the miniac discord has an awesome painting feedback channel.

[@tomloveland2245]

Rather than a straight white undercoat, I find that transparent paints like Contrast and Speed (as well as washes and shades), really benefit from a zenithol undercoat. That way, you are really only painting the upper side of surfaces if in a time crunch, leaving the black on the underside. Works like your black undercoat from last year. I like to prime the model black, then hit it with a gray from 45 degrees (roughly), then an off white from directly overhead.

[@Matt-km1ek]

A lot of contrast paints (GW at least, haven’t tried AP speed paints yet) look pretty ass over black though. If you have a model that you really mostly want to use contrast on the top half and more opaque paints on the bottom half, zenithal will work better for sure

[@FercPolo]

BRO! Scotty used my "Drop the nearly finished model into the palette" play!

[@mattsinar]

The thing that gets me whenever I watch anyone paint minis at this level, is you manage to make the models look about 3 times the size that they are in reality because of the level of detail and the precision. I've painted these models (and thought I did a decent job), and watching you pick out precisely each detail I still forgot for a moment just how small those details are! It always looks so easy to just dot an eyeball with the point of a brush, and then when you actually do it yourself, you realise just how small those details are.

[@atin8996]

I've been missing the skits haha 😂 that was pretty good. It is interesting that the 1hr and 10hr are quite similar. For me id say somewhere between the two would be my usual goal. Looks great as always, scott :)

[@ChristopherFranz]

I find at least for my process, I take longer on say the first squad member of a new squad or box set, to feel out the paint scheme and I have noticed my efficiency pickup with subsequent minis without ant detriment to qualuity. I think you and Jon covered this in a podcast some time ago. Id opt to go for the one hour paint job for most figures and opt for the 10hour for character models or more "important" minis

[@GoblinGreen2021]

Love these vids from the new studio. Production quality is amazing!

[@eastoforion]

the brush wash sound for the censor is incredible xD

[@Hello-1814]

Great vid! The10+. minute one looks good for an army setting - with 10-20 of his mates ranked up it would look great! I would be hesitant to take a 10 hour paint job to a tournament as it could get destroyed really easy. I aim for nice looking playing pieces and lots of them, so the 10minute would work fine. No complaints, just the obvious you end goal for how ur using the mini might help u decide on which method!

[@catangelmultivers]

Great video that shows what to expect in which time. Wonderful shots from the finished minis. And I love that you showed us, why you do not like contrast paints in this case.

[@JoshLikesFuzz]

Nice to have ya back! Looking forward to new videos from the new place: it looks AWESOME

[@ZombieApocalypse09]

Very cool! Great looking minis. I think the point about taking your time and just enjoying the process is an important one to remember especially for people who also enjoy the gaming side of the hobby. I'm often cranking out minis to get ready for some upcoming game day and honestly it sometimes leaves me feeling blocked on a paint job. I don't want to go paint because I know I just have to plow ahead and get it done. Meanwhile the most fun I've had was painting minis that served no purpose at all except to go on my shelf. I painted a mini for a DND character of mine that's in an online game (so the mini would never be used). Spent hours and hours on it and it is one of my favorite minis.

[@danmclean7375]

11:30 very true.. I f'n love the new speedpaints.. but there are a few caveats to em... They like zenthial.. they like long, generous slathery strokes.. once it's on - leave it alone and don't touch what's put down. Veeeery gentle drybrushing after curing, moisture can reactivate the medium for like 24-36hrs.

[@philhitchings]

Good to have you back :)

[@finnianjoyce-velez8079]

You can put done black Templar before the metallics to give you a really fast solution for the white undercoat

[@frubblegump]

I find best way to approach painting is the zen idea. Mini will be painted when it’s painted. Sometimes it’s quick. Sometimes it’s hours. Is definitely for me about enjoyment, not knocking stuff out in an hour.

[@krzmi]

Pro tip for speed paints: leverage the zenithal priming. This is doing most of the shading job done and then you just need to slap some paint on a mini and in 10 min. it's totally possible to finish this particular sculpt.

[@ceddesrochers]

I wish I could paint as good in 1 hour. And well, the 10 hour model speak for itself.. DAAAAmn! Love this kind of videos! Think I'm gonna attempt a similar challenge soon. Keep the content coming scott, love your channel!

[@fulcrum1575]

My 3 hour minis look like his 10 minute one 😂😂 no but seriously, love videos like this!

[@RoofusKit]

Quick tip, base coat all your metallic areas with a black contrast-style paint.

[@EonsOfBattle]

perhaps another try of speed paint is in order, with a zenithal prime!! geat video

[@bdags1996]

Love your vids, glad to see you are back it!

[@jimb1453]

I like the 1hr paint job the most, it’s a little brighter and the important details are more readable than on the 10hr model

[@Pholhis]

Sick camera work.

[@ABONKERSCHICKEN]

The hair element is really interesting

[@sethgivens]

I feel like the 3 to 4 hour range is the sweet spot for me. This allows me to get the detail that I want but I don’t feel like I’m wasting time and messing around. I really enjoy the painting process but at the end of the day I have to remind myself that I also just want to get some nice looking minis on the table and play the games that I like to play.

[@gearman237]

AMAZING, MISSION COMPLEAT, THAT RIGHT THERE IS WHY YOUR THE BEST BOSS! Love your content, keep it up. If you decide to do this again maybe try with something simple, like Necron warriors? (totally not bias in any way) :)

[@Aisaaax]

Last time I said that the 1h model was my favorite. This time, the benefit of 10h really shows. I only can say that I like the beard and hair more on a 1h model, but that's just because the color is brighter. I think the 10h version hair looks better if you're shooring for realism, but I feel that this model is already pretty stylized, so a brighter hair looks nicer to my eye. Great job! p.s. You should consider next time naming a video a bit differently. For almost a day I thought it was a re-release, especially because the model is also a viking bearded guy. Only later it dawned on me that this is actually a Part Two. p.p.s. the taste-test gag scene was great! Really funny and well-made!

[@JohnSebastienTaylor]

I would’ve loved to have seen 10 minute speed paint version but over a zenithal priming job like the other two minis personally.

[@spitfyr97]

i think i can be fairly proud knowing that i can accomplish your 1 hour quality with my skillset. though it takes me much longer than an hour.

[@benoitdemers1900]

Try speedpaints with the slap chop method!

[@aerynmusick4548]

I love that it had to be so much more work to insert that little joke about being too lazy to get up to grab the paint.

[@Gvaz]

I think the hardest thing I am dealing with is painting the minis very dark (like you) and then building up to the color I actually want. I often times paint the color I actually want, but then struggle to get the contrast correct. I do have one mini I'm proud of, are you still doing the showcase for your fans? I kind of want to show off a mini to you @miniac and get your opinion on it.

[@christianjohnson3205]

I really enjoy these videos!

[@WageAgainst]

"Are we taste testing the new contrast paints or what?" 🤣

[@Dash277]

I'd like to see more of these. I'd love to know if you can determine where your point of diminishing returns is. Roughly. For me after about 4 hours I'm ready to stop, but I do understand that going to 10 hours would give me a better result.

[@huntj447]

But did you actually get to taste test the contrast paints?

[@barnie321]

Be interested in seeing some oil washes over the finished 10min model similar to Jons speed painting style

[@garyhollywood85]

Reminds me of painting metal minis. You have to imagine where the hair and fingernails are.

[@thomasgrable1746]

I paint like glaciers move, but I'm trying to find ways to speed up my painting without sacrificing quality. How much time you allot to a model is really up to you, unless you have a time crunch for an upcoming game.

[@DZLier]

I just recently reached the same conclusion with Contrast-style paints.

[@Navtyr]

I am interested in how you mix up different TMM. Do you simply basecoat with metallics and then glaze over with regular acrylics or do you mix regular paint with metallic paint? When do you use ink with metallics etc. The TMM here looks good and i didn't see any videos on TMM on your channel. Can't access past broadcast on twitch either so i'm down to guessing.

[@ReubenAotearoa_]

No 50 hour version? Midwinter is leaving you in the dust! ;)

[@billcurran7210]

Love these kinds of vidoes!

[@Rhoadspc]

Awesome!

[@snowfightstudios541]

Well done video.

[@Vanye111]

So out of curiosity, why would you not zenithal the 10 minute mini? Yes, white makes contrast/speed paint pop more, but as you already knew from the previous video, the black undercoat helps to complete things you won't get to. In a zenithal case, it will also give you shading that you're not going to get to. So, just curious.

[@Miniac]

It would not solve the issue of "things I don't get to look unpainted" and I wanted to use the speed paint as it's going to be largely used by people who use speedpaint, contrast paint, instant paint etc.

[@benjaminjack867]

Love this

[@bencoomer2000]

I'm going to need instructions to make the most of the "drop right onto the white paint" technique...

[@Mithlinthar]

10h looks awesome, but I would prefer to have 5 painted 1h minis instead (especially if painting an army).

[@KabinMiniatures]

Mandatory jealous comment that your 1H looks like my 10H... still, awesome work as always!

[@TheTurtlenator001]

Would a 10min 1hour and 10hour airbrush video work or be diminishing returns due to small details e.g eyes being difficult near impossible with just an airbrush.

[@Miniac]

I think a version of this video would be interesting, but you're right in that I couldn't finish the model entirely with an airbrush

[@aberodriguez4149]

Wow is dropping the mini into your palette called " speed painting " ? Just kidding but I do enjoy watching your videos which appear to be more on the tutoring level. Please continue painting minis.

[@megabubfish]

Now that Heroscape is coming back with unpainted minis, I've been checking out ways of painting for the first time. My conclusion: the 10 min (22 min?) version actually most closely approximates the style of the original game.

[@clintseppowitz5642]

Hey Mate, why not oil washing the whole mini after basecoating it and then highlight it from there? For the 1hr test this could have been a nice approach, couldn't it? Cheers from Berlin Clint

[@MildTabascofries]

Paint each mini for 10 hours for your 2000 point army

[@nicholasgordon4999]

I like the 1 hour best: hair is more striking.

[@temur72]

10 minutes would not even give me enough time to put a base coat on

[@m4oni]

They all look WAY above table top quality. 10 hour of course the very best. The Speed Paints really are surprisingly good though.

[@robandrews4813]

You only showed 1 step of the super advanced technique…. Usually the “drop into titanium white” is followed closely by “throw the mini at the wall storm off and cry!”

[@Miniac]

😅😅😅

[@GoobertownHobbies]

oh yeah, this is the stuff right here! :-) that one hour is looking niceeeeee

[@ssreeser95]

To me, this test seems to show that mini painting may follow the law of diminishing returns. The 10 hour obviously looks amazing and is the best out of all 3 but the 1 hour still looks really freaking good and at first glance, you may not know that was only a 1 hour job.

[@peyk88]

If we're talking about tabletop ready standards, then I think you are right. The ten hour one won't look 9 hours better from 3 feet away. But also, being able to paint to this quality in a hour is a feat in itself. I have to experiment a lot and redo when I paint, and it simply takes longer because of a lack of experience and training

[@SNSReaper]

14:30 that slow roll through the models was epic.

[@Boshea241]

Minmax method would be interesting just to really demonstrate "Right tool for the right job" for various paints and techniques.

[@Sluggonics]

A good thing to keep in mind for those feeling overwhelmed by the large number of minis to paint in a typical boardgame - if you look at the 10 hour, 1 hour, and 20 minute models from three feet away, they look nearly indistinguishable.

[@robinblackmoor8732]

I prefer to spend my time playing the game not painting. I paint just enough to allow the model to be used. the house rule most of the places I play is the models have to be painted to be played, but they don't have to be great. Primary colors, wash and some dry brushing than apply some decals. that is all I do.

[@brockfordjunktion]

Tabletop done is different to display piece done. Painting a character, or have a favourite from a set? Give them the display treatment. Otherwise give them the tabletop treatment.

[@Gunnlaugr11]

I would honestly watch this format of video on a weekly basis with a different mini each time. 10 hour version looks sick.

[@astrozombiac3535]

God, I love that outro. Hits all the right cords for me. I love the hour long one but can definitely see the difference between that and the Ten hour model. I'm curious to see what you would've prioritized and accomplished with another hour to work on that mini. Great stuff.

[@finalcountdownsteve]

Dang Scott, the new digs sing in this video! Love the cut-to visual jokes, the new camera angles, and especially the information in the video. Great work brother.

[@sirottaro]

God's Bones! Glad to see this format come back. Since the TUP episode, I have been waiting for this experiment. It would be great to see more of these ^^

[@Artmesa]

Speedpaint works better with zenithal primed models. You do need to start lighter than you would with normal watered-down opaque paints though. This is why a grey under primer and/or initial white drybrush helps here. It would be cool to see your tests with more use of an oil wash. I bet you could get better results on the 10min model.

[@AceTaxiaGaming]

I do zenithal over black but leave much less black, only. In the deep shadows Making most a Grey and all top facing white. This gives me Dark shadows to pull against the highlights.

[@vantro]

The production on your videos are just getting better and better. Love it!

[@SpudTheValiant]

I listened to the TUP episode of you talking about this video, after seeing it I 100% agree with your statement of ‘The 10 hour one should be first as when I’m only painting for 10 minutes I’m still exploring the model’. Very good video!

[@FacelessCorp]

Honestly, I love this format. I wouldn't hate seeing more of the 10,1,10 format periodically. I learn a shocking amount from them.

[@EdwinK-13]

Deffinaly combine the techniques. I am totally down

[@igorkivi]

Miniac, plz use gasmask while using Airbrush. It"s not healhy

[@collaredgreens1600]

I feel like this is a masters class and I’m just supposed to take speed notes and study later… 6:32 … oh there’s course notes. Super!

[@farpointgamingdirect]

Speedpaint works best over a zenithal prime I think

[@MCXL1140]

That boy stuck in time.0

[@AoSCoach]

I'm about to paint skin with Kimora so this was a bonus scheme in addition to your trials.

[@23nacho23]

Wow, I can’t imagine spending 10 hours on a tiny model like that. And frankly, the 1 hour doesn’t look bad at all and the 10 hour doesn’t look 9 hours better

[@stewartmartin8382]

I've spent about 24 on one but most of that was retouching the bits I messed up

[@Manlima]

The zoom that you did in the 14:30 is just poetry. Nice video!

[@malazar]

for a similar comparison in the 10 minute trial from this one to the last, I find contrasts over a zenithal prime can achieve more of the effect that you're trying to achieve (results will, ofc, vary for colour of the base and zenithal sprays).

[@KujoPainting]

7 Years!

[@CreamAle]

20 mins for zenprime, base colors, and basic highlights across the body. 10-15mins just on face details. Where the focus usually lands.

[@normalguygames]

I have come to the conclusion that clearly my painting is crap. lol Keep it up man, glad to see you making more vids after what happened. Continue to inspire us!

[@tsohgallik]

Dayuummm... Fingernail highlights and hair highlights... Nuh, huh... I can't be doing that 🤣

[@justindonie]

Considering a return to mini painting after a long hiatus, this video's title really grabbed me, and your content is excellent! Your thorough walk-through of 3 time-based approaches, their associated techniques, and so many of the +'s and -'s related to each of these choices (and possible combinations) put me back in touch with my own preferences. With the help of your video I am able to recall that my "filler" characters (done simply, in small groups for the purpose of avoiding unpainted minis on my D&D table), my "key NPC's" and my "Stars" (PC's) definitely got different time investments. Great stuff!

[@Sassy_Witch]

OH MY GOD when i read "10m" I tho you meant months lmao. I was like "huh that doesnt make sense"

[@cityonahillterrain]

I would love to see your attempt with speed paints using a zenithal undercoat and TMM in say 30 min?

[@Mithlinthar]

If I may suggest someting - thy using contrast paints with zenithal. It doesn't need to be a white on black, actually. I often use Ice Yellow for my Contrast-Zenithal, or Black-Grey-Ice Yellow Zenithal. Ice Yellow fixed (for me) a "washed-out" feeling of thinner contrast layer. It also gives some nice color variation for most Contrast Paints.

[@timbe7979]

Fyi greenstuffworld also just came out with a contrast version (a LOT cheaper). Might ben worth trying out (and maybe comparing in a video?)

[@Rhoadspc]

Hahahaha omg laughed out loud at the quip about “make sure to drop your mini in some white paint” 🤣🤣🤣

[@nickcosta3004]

YEAH ARE WE!?!? (edit): also I would really be interested to see the 1 hour with the blue outline of the tabard(?), shirt(?) What ever it is, that looks amazing on the 10hr and I think might boost the 1hr that much more. Not sure how much effort / time it would add to that 1hr.

[@JoeHardacre]

Jokes on you guys, my 10 hour looks like your 10 minute - I've obviously advanced so far in my painting skills that I've come full circle and started new game+. Scrubs.