10 Miniature Painting Mistakes Even Advanced Hobbyists Still Make (and How to Avoid Them)
Let’s be honest : no matter how many armies we’ve painted, how many brushes we’ve ruined, or how many late-night “just one more highlight” sessions we’ve survived, we all still make the same dumb mistakes sometimes. I’ve been painting since my first Warhammer blister pack back in 2003 (yep, the one with the awful shiny metal), and I still catch myself slipping into bad habits. And funny enough, when I talk with other hobbyists at events in Cambridge or during store nights, it’s always the same 10 traps popping up.
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So let’s dive in. And be honest with me : how many of these have you done this month?
1. Overloading the brush (yes, even now)
It’s wild how often this happens. You dip, you think “looks fine,” and suddenly there’s a tidal wave of paint drowning the details. I still do it when I switch from basecoats to highlights without thinking. The fix ? Wipe more than you think you need. A tiny bead of paint at the tip – that’s it. If it feels too little, it’s probably perfect.
2. Painting from the pot – “just this once”
I know… it’s quicker. I’ve whispered that lie to myself too. But every time, the paint thickens, coverage gets blotchy, and before you know it, you’ve lost half the texture on a cloak. A wet palette really is that good. Even a cheap DIY one with a bit of baking paper works wonders.
3. Skipping primer on “easy” pieces
Sometimes I look at a plastic miniature and think, “eh, it’ll grab the paint.” Nope. Every time I get lazy, the paint starts sliding around like butter on a hot pan. Use any primer – rattle can, brush-on, airbrush – but don’t skip it. Your sanity will thank you.
4. Treating every model like a Golden Demon entry
This is a big one among experienced painters. You start a squad and suddenly you’re glazing each gemstone for 20 minutes. Honestly, it kills motivation. Pick where the quality matters. Characters ? Yes. Rank-and-file troopers ? Get them tabletop-ready and move on. Your future self wants to actually play a game someday.
5. Neglecting the underlighting
Lighting changes everything. I used to paint in a dim room in Chesterton with a tiny desk lamp – the colours looked fine at the time, but once I saw the minis in daylight… oof. If you’ve ever been disappointed by your paint job outside your workspace, this is why. Get a neutral lamp or two ; it doesn’t have to be fancy.
6. Not thinning paints consistently
We all know we should thin our paints, yet somehow we forget. Maybe the pot is new. Maybe we’re tired. Suddenly your beautiful sculpt has become a smooth blob. The trick is to think of consistency rather than rules : basecoat = milk, glaze = tinted water, highlight = creamy but thin. Easy.
7. Rushing the drying time
I get impatient – I admit it. You lay down a wash, you want to keep going. But if you touch it even a minute too early, you’re heading straight for streak city. Grab a hairdryer on low if you must (not too close !), or just… breathe and take a sip of your tea. Let the model rest.
8. Ignoring brush care until it’s too late
Ever destroy a perfectly good size 1 Raphael by forgetting to rinse metallics out of it ? I have. Twice. Treat your brushes kindly : rinse often, reshape the tip, and use brush soap once in a while. These small habits extend their life like crazy.
9. Using the wrong size brush for the job
Advanced painters are surprisingly guilty of this. We reach for a tiny detail brush because it feels “precise,” but ironically, bigger brushes control paint flow better. Try doing your base layers with a size 2 or even 3 – it’s smoother, faster, and way less frustrating.
10. Forgetting to step back and look at the whole model
When you’re zoomed in on a tiny shoulder pad, it’s easy to lose sight of the bigger picture. Sometimes I catch myself overworking a highlight that no one will ever notice. Every 10–15 minutes, hold the miniature at arm’s length. Does the contrast read well ? Are the colours balanced ? If yes, stop fiddling.
How many did you recognize ?
If you nodded at five or more, don’t worry – that just means you’re human. The best painters I’ve met make mistakes constantly ; they just recover from them faster because they know why they happen. Pick one bad habit to fix this week. Just one. You’ll be shocked at how much smoother your next project feels.
And if you’ve got your own “embarrassing but universal” painting mistake, seriously, tell me – I love hearing those stories.