Custom Tip #2: Basic Painting

Many people have no desire to paint, much less paint a minimate. The small size is intimidating and it seems difficult. Thankfully, it isn’t as hard as it seems. If you do decide to take the plunge with painting minimates, I suggest these basic techniques.

Start small – Don’t begin by repainting an entire minimate. Making a Quick Custom and then repainting only a small part can create brand new characters quickly and easily.

Use good paints – When I started, I used some cheap acrylic paints I purchased at a craft store. I didn’t like how the paint tended to dry thickly. I later started using higher quality acrylic paints called Citadel paints, and I noticed the difference immediately. The coats of paint went on more evenly. They also didn’t flake off as easily.

Use a small brush – This may seem like a no-brainer to most people, but when I started I just grabbed the first brush I could find. It didn’t work out too well. The detailing on a small minimate should be done with a small brush.

Have patience – I’ve gotten better with every minimate I’ve painted. It gets easier each time I do it.