How to Choose Your First Miniature Paint Set
A complete beginner's guide to skipping the filler and buying the essentials.
Beginner miniature paint sets vary widely in color count; many include a dozen or more paints. In practice, most new painters lean on a small core of colors at first, and which ones they reach for depends on the army, terrain, and scheme in front of them.
This guide focuses on a practical starting core for getting your first models table-ready: skin tones, metals, a wash, black, and white.
The Colors You'll Actually Use in Your First Month
Before buying any set, it helps to know which colors carry the most work early on. These five groups are a practical starting core for many fantasy and sci-fi figures; your project may call for more.
Skin Tone
Many humanoid figures need a flesh tone. A mid-range flesh or tan is a common base; you can layer or mix variations from there.
Metallic
Silver and gold are common choices for armor, weapons, buckles, and jewelry.
Dark Wash
A thinned sepia or dark grey pooled into recesses helps define details and add depth.
Black & White
Useful for basecoating dark armor, lining edges, and dry-brushing highlights.
Muted Tones
Grey, brown, and green are useful for cloth, leather, and stone.
What to skip:
Bright neon yellows, hot pinks, and specialist effect paints (crackle, texture) are useful later, but they are not starter essentials.
Three Types of Beginner Miniature Paint Sets
Different paint sets are built for different painting approaches. Choose the one that fits your desired workflow.
Water-Based Acrylic Sets
A common starting point. Many conventional water-based acrylics can be thinned with water and layered, but some lines have their own thinner or medium, so check the paint label. Hobby brands such as Citadel, Vallejo, and Army Painter sell starter sets in a range of sizes.
Painters who want to learn traditional blending and layering techniques.
Watch for: Packaging varies. Dropper bottles let you dispense drops for controlled mixing; open pots are common too. Neither format guarantees a longer shelf life.
Contrast and Speed Paint Sets
High-flow paints sold for shading and basecoating over a light primer, often in one pass. Results depend on the paint line, the primer, and how you apply it.
Painters who want results quickly or are painting large numbers of infantry or dungeon tiles.
Watch for: Formulated consistency varies. The Army Painter recommends a hard palette or mixing tray for Speedpaint because wet-palette moisture may alter it, and many painters keep standard acrylics for dry-brushing and detail work. One-coat and standard acrylic lines are not interchangeable for every technique.
Metallic Sets
Bundles of silver, gold, copper, and bronze. These are useful add-ons, though they do not replace a full starter kit of base colors.
Painters whose first models are heavily armored (Warhammer knights, sci-fi troopers).
Watch for: Metallic paints do not replace a flesh tone or a wash. Buy alongside a basic acrylic set.
Ready to Choose Your Set?
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What to Check Before You Buy
The bottle count on the packaging is less important than four practical details that affect your daily painting experience.
- 1
Color Coverage
Does it include a skin tone, metallic, dark wash, black, and white?
- 2
Bottle Format
Dropper bottles make it easy to dispense small amounts; pots are common and work well with a clean rim.
- 3
Included Tools
Some sets include brushes or thinning medium, adding extra value.
- 4
Replacement Availability
Ensure you can buy single replacement bottles when a color runs out.
A Practical 8-Color Starting Combination
If you are building a custom selection, this is a practical starting palette for many fantasy or sci-fi models. Add colors as your projects call for them; no fixed palette covers every scheme.
Mid-Tone Flesh
Bright Silver
Gold Metallic
Dark Wash
Black
White
Muted Brown
Muted Grey
Keeping Your Paints in Good Shape
These habits help your paints last and behave consistently.
Proper Storage
Keep pots upright, closed, and in a cool, dry place. Storing them sideways can lead to dried rims and stuck lids.
Thinning Ratio
Thinning is paint-specific. Many conventional acrylics benefit from thinning, but the right ratio depends on the paint line and the effect you want, so the label or maker's guidance is the reference. One-coat lines such as Contrast and Speedpaint are formulated to be used as supplied; The Army Painter recommends a hard palette or mixing tray for Speedpaint, and wet-palette moisture may alter it. Test on a primed scrap before committing a whole model.
The Wet Palette
A wet palette can keep conventional acrylics workable for longer in a session. It is not a universal fit: one-coat lines with a formulated consistency may be altered by the added moisture, and some pigments can stain the foam. Follow the paint maker's guidance for the line you use.
More Miniature Painting Guides
Miniature Paint Set FAQ
How many paints do I actually need to start?
There is no fixed number. Many beginners start with a small core — a flesh tone, a metallic or two, a wash, black, white, and a few mid-tones — and add colors as their projects require.
Is Citadel the best paint for beginners?
They are widely available and used in most tutorials, but Vallejo and Army Painter offer comparable quality in dropper bottles, which many prefer for thinning control.
Can I use regular craft paint?
You can, but craft acrylics are formulated for flat coverage and may have coarser pigment, which can obscure fine detail on small models. Results vary by product, so test on a scrap first.
2026
Guide Updated
100%
Beginner Focused