How to Paint Your First Warhammer Miniature: A Step-by-Step Guide

Why Painted Minis Are Worth It

There's a moment every Warhammer player experiences at least once: you're sitting across from someone whose army is fully painted — every Space Marine helmet shining in deep red, every base grassed and textured — and it hits you that the game looks completely different when the models aren't grey plastic. That's the moment you decide to start painting. If you haven't had it yet, you will.

Painting your miniatures transforms Warhammer from a board game into a hobby. It's meditative, it's creative, and the pride you feel fielding an army you built and painted yourself is something that never really goes away. And here's the secret nobody tells beginners: you don't have to be a talented artist. You just have to start.

This guide will walk you through exactly what you need and how to do it, step by step. We'll have you painting tabletop-quality miniatures faster than you think.

What You Need to Get Started

Before you touch a brush, you need a few essentials. Don't let the list intimidate you — most of this is one-time purchases, and a solid starter setup won't break the bank.

Miniatures

Start small. Seriously. Don't buy a 2,000-point army and try to paint it all before your first game. Grab a Combat Patrol box or a small unit of 5–10 models. You want to learn the process on a manageable batch so you're not overwhelmed. The Warhammer 40k: Combat Patrol Starter Set is the ideal entry point — it gives you a legal force and a manageable painting project in one box. Check out our full selection of Warhammer 40,000 and miniatures to find something that excites you — because you're going to spend a lot of time looking at these models up close.

Paints

We recommend Citadel paints (made by Games Workshop) for beginners. Why? Because the entire Citadel range is designed to work together, the labeling tells you exactly what each paint is for, and there are hundreds of tutorials online that reference Citadel colors by name. We stock the full range in store. A great all-in-one starting option is the Citadel Colour: Battle Ready Paint Set — it includes a carefully chosen selection of Base, Shade, and Layer paints that cover an entire army. At minimum, grab a few Base paints in your primary colors, one or two Citadel Shade Paints (Nuln Oil and Agrax Earthshade are essential), and a Contrast paint or two for fast, satisfying results. More on all of this in our painting supplies section.

Brushes

You don't need expensive brushes to start. The Army Painter Hobby Starter Brush Set covers everything a beginner needs and is great value. A size 2 basecoat brush, a size 1 for general work, and a size 0 for details will cover everything. If you want one brush that does most of the job, a size 1 is your workhorse. The Citadel Medium Layer Brush and Citadel Large Drybrush are two essential individual brushes worth picking up. Replace brushes when they lose their point — a frayed brush makes everything harder. Rinse between colors, never let paint dry in the bristles, and your brushes will last.

Primer

Primer is non-negotiable. It gives the paint something to grip, and skipping it means your carefully applied colors will chip and flake off within weeks. Citadel Spray Paint primes roughly 20–30 infantry models per can — Chaos Black and Grey Seer are the most versatile options. Spray outside or in a ventilated space and use thin, even coats. If you prefer a brush-on alternative, The Army Painter Colour Primer Sprays are another reliable choice.

A Palette and Water Cup

A wet palette keeps your paints workable for longer and makes thinning paints much easier. You can buy a dedicated wet palette or make one with a tupperware container, wet paper towels, and baking parchment. Either works. Fill a cup with water for rinsing your brush between colors — dedicated brush-cleaning water keeps your mixes clean.

The Step-by-Step Painting Process

Step 1: Assembly

Before any paint touches your models, you need to assemble them. Plastic Warhammer kits glue together with plastic model cement (not superglue — plastic cement actually melts and fuses the plastic for a stronger bond). Remove each piece from the sprue with clippers or a hobby knife — the Citadel Super Fine Detail Cutters make clean cuts that minimize cleanup. Clean up any mold lines with the Citadel Redesigned Mouldline Remover, and glue the parts together. Let everything dry completely before moving on.

A quick tip: don't glue everything before you think about painting. Some models are easier to paint in sub-assemblies — for example, leaving a Space Marine's backpack off until the torso is painted saves you a lot of frustration trying to reach inside tight angles.

Step 2: Priming

Once assembly is dry and you're working outside or near good ventilation, shake your primer spray for a full two minutes. Hold the can 6–8 inches from the model and use short, sweeping passes. You want an even, thin coat that reveals all the detail underneath — not a thick coat that obscures it. Let it dry for at least an hour before touching it.

Step 3: Basecoating

Basecoating means applying the first layer of color to each area of the model. This is your foundation. Work with thinned paints — a drop of water or two on your palette brings most Base paints to the right consistency. The paint should flow smoothly without being watery. Apply one coat, let it dry, then apply a second if you need to cover the primer fully. Work area by area: do all the armor first, then the cloth, then the metal, then the skin.

Tidiness matters here, but not perfection. You'll fix mistakes in later steps, and a little overlap at the edges is normal.

Step 4: Washing and Shading

This is where the magic happens. Citadel Shade Paints are thin, fluid paints that flow into recesses and create instant shadow and depth. Paint Nuln Oil over any metal areas and dark armor, Agrax Earthshade over browns, skin, and leather, Reikland Fleshshade over skin tones. You'll immediately see your model go from flat to three-dimensional. Let it dry fully — washes take longer than normal paint.

One wash over the whole model is often enough to dramatically transform how it looks. This is the step where beginners realize painting isn't as hard as they thought.

Step 5: Drybrushing

Drybrushing picks out raised edges and creates a highlight effect with minimal effort. Load a dry, stiff brush — the Citadel Large Drybrush is purpose-built for this — with a lighter version of your base color, then wipe most of the paint off on a paper towel until almost nothing comes off. Then lightly drag the brush across the raised surfaces of the model. The paint catches on edges and high points, giving the impression of light hitting the surface. It's fast, forgiving, and effective for armor, fur, hair, and textured surfaces.

Step 6: Basing

The base of your model grounds it in a setting and makes the whole thing look finished. The simplest approach: paint the base rim with a dark brown or black, apply Citadel Technical Paint (like Stirland Mud or Astrogranite), let it dry, drybrush it with a light color, and add a tuft of static grass or foliage using the All Game Terrain Static Grass Shaker Kit. Done in ten minutes per model, and the difference is enormous.

Beginner Tips That Actually Matter

Thin your paints. This is the single most repeated piece of advice in miniature painting because it's true. Thick paint obscures detail, looks clumpy, and dries with a rough texture. A tiny drop of water transforms most paints. If your paint is the consistency of cream, you're close.

Tabletop standard is the goal. Your first model doesn't have to look like a display piece. Tabletop standard — painted well enough to look great at arm's length across a game table — is a completely legitimate and respectable goal. Most experienced painters spend 30–60 minutes per infantry model at tabletop standard. You're not trying to win Golden Daemon on your first batch.

Don't aim for perfection. The fastest way to ruin your painting hobby is to hate every model because it doesn't match the box art. Imperfections at close range disappear at table distance. The army as a whole will look incredible even if individual models have wobbly lines.

Prime in batches, paint in batches. Assembly-line painting — doing all the basecoats for a unit before moving on — is faster and produces more consistent results than finishing one model at a time.

The Joy of a Painted Army

We've watched hundreds of customers go through this exact journey. The first model is nerve-wracking. The first unit feels like an accomplishment. The first fully painted army is something else entirely. There's a reason Warhammer players photograph their collections, bring them to events, and talk about them like old friends. You built those. You painted those. No one else has an army that looks exactly like yours.

Come into Bards & Cards and we'll help you pick the right starter products, recommend colors for your chosen army, and answer every question you have. Browse our full range of painting supplies online, or visit us in Downtown San Diego and we'll help you leave with exactly what you need to get started today.