It is my intention to use this series of articles to take people from the beginning stages of painting miniatures for wargaming to the expert techniques that I have developed. If you are new to the hobby I hope you will find this basic information of use, and if you already have painting experience, perhaps you will pick up a pointer or two.

Your Work Area

In reading and speaking about painting miniatures I have noticed that one of the most overlooked subjects of painting is the work area. This is unfortunate because it is on of the most important. A clean, neat, well organized work area will help you to paint more efficiently and thusly be less discouraged.

A Good Light Source

Natural light is always the best. We cannot, however, always paint at high noon on a bright sunny day. Get your self two good clip on-clamp on lamps with flexible necks and place one on each side of your work area. There is some argument as to fluorescent bulbs compared to incandescent. I find either is sufficient as long as the incandescents are at least 100 watts each.

The Work Surface

What ever you are using for your painting area, a specific table/desk, your kitchen table, etc.... you should give your self at least a 3' by 2' area to work in. Be sure the table is at a comfortable height for you as you will, in all probability, be spending long hours there. I cover my work area with a piece of poster board. I use masking tape to hold the edges down. I find this much better than newspaper as it remains flat and I have a nice white surface as a back ground. Your chair

Again, make sure it is comfortable. You w, ill be spending quite a bit of time there. I truly believe that the more comfortable you are, the better you will paint.

Some other things you will need....

Roofing nails. Get a pound of 2" roofing nails. Why roofing nails? Well, you will be gluing either your figures or some sticks to the head of these. Roofing nails have a large flat head and they work the best. By attaching a figure directly to the nail head you will have a nice long handle to hold and give you easy access to every part of the figure. I use crazy glue to attach the figure to the nail.

Sticks. Tongue depressor sticks or any thing along these lines works well when you are doing units or large groups of figures at a time. You can glue multiple figures in a row on the stick, glue a nail to the bottom of the stick (I use epoxy for this), and then you have a comfortable handle to grasp while painting.

A block of blue foam. The kind used to insulate basements. You want a block about an inch thick and as big as you can fit comfortably in your work space, probably about 12" x 12". This is for sticking your figures in after they are glued to your roofing nails.

A painting towel. I strongly suggest a nice soft cotton towel. Paper towels just don't cut it in my book. This is used for wiping your brush clean, dabbing paint off for dry-brushing and, of course, for cleaning up spills.

A ceramic tile. I mix a lot of colors to get a desired effect. You need a place to put them and mix them. A ceramic tile costs about $1.00 at a tile store and I find these work the best. Another good idea is an old china plate.

These are the basics for your work area. As it is with all my ideas on miniatures painting, please take these and make them your own. Never be afraid to try an idea that is sparked from any of these suggestions. Have fun! Happy painting!