Good Morning everyone. In the last edition of this article series (here), I discussed ways of storing the miniatures that we spend so long painting and collecting and some other useful storage solutions. This week we will be talking about the basic tools needed to begin modelling and painting and some extras stuff for those of us that already have a collection.

To begin we need some tools to prepare our models. Besides the GW cutters, I bought everything from eBay and Amazon as it is much cheaper on there and you get a lot more for your money. Below are clay shapers (for sculpting), metal shapers, files, a hand drill with various drill bit sizes and some paper clips (to aid in holding the part you are painting) Next we have the painting tools. I use a mixture of paint brushes that vary in size, price and make. It is good to try different makes and find what really works for you. I use a normal palette and a wet palette. To save money I made my own wet palette by buying a small tupperware container and lining it with kitchen roll. You need to make sure it is air tight so the roll doesn’t dry out.   Obviously at some point we will be needing paints. I use various different companies for paint and have found the ones I prefer. It is worth buying the colours you need to start with and then build up your collection slowly. Remember we can make nearly any variation of colour if we have the three primary colours so there is no need to waste money if you can make the colour by mixing up paint.     I tend to use dropper bottles for airbrush work and then the citadel paints for my brush work (until I have used them up). I also have various washes and mediums.   For basing I have a few tubs of different textures which I tend to find cheaper buying from eBay. I use Army Painter superglue as you get more than the GW glues and in my opinion it holds better and it is easier to apply. A cheap bottle of PVA glue and some still water effects were picked up online for under £5. The following items are what I like to call “nice to haves” they make my life a lots easier. First up we have the natural light craft lamp. These can be picked up on amazon for about £15 and they are awesome. They give you true light to work with which, ensures that the highlights you are adding to your models are correct.   Another good accessory is an A3 cutting matt. These are very cheap and are great for protecting surfaces and for travelling with. They can be found in many different sizes.   Weathering effects. I do not tend to weather my models but some of my commissions require it. This type of weathering powders can be picked up in sets and are made by many different hobby companies. They are very versatile and are fun to play with.   Last but not least is a good airbrush kit. I had been painting at least 5 years before I even considered getting an airbrush but I wish I had bought one sooner. You can pick up a starter kit with compressor for around £50. They are great to use and can save you so much time when priming and shading. Especially large models.

The main thing to remember when buying any of these items is to look around for bargains. Take some time to scope out deals and find alternatives to named brands. You can save so much money. Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed this series.