The Basics of Painting Miniatures

Painting Miniature Furniture...

When painting there is always a slight build-up of paint. I choose a good quality paint and thin it slightly. You still get good coverage on you miniature furniture without the excessive paint build-up. I cannot give you a specific amount of water to add for thinning because the paint formulas vary and thin differently. Experiment with a scrap piece of wood until you are satisfied with the color coverage, but have the thinnest coating possible.

When using water based paints on your miniature furniture, the grain of the wood will have a tendency to swell ever so slightly. If you are looking for a smooth finish when painting miniatures you will have to sand after the first coat of paint. You are always better with two thin coats of paint, sanding between coats, then with one heavy coating.

This is why I thin my paints slightly. I'm combating two layers of paint and still trying to maintain nice sharp edges and clean internal corners. I try to keep my brush strokes with the grain and apply a very light coating on the inside corners where the paint tends to accumulate the most.

Don't worry if the wood absorbs the paint unevenly. It will not be much and after the second coat it will be covered. The purpose of the first coat is just to seal the wood. Once dried, sanded, and painted again you will have a nice even color with sharp inside and outside corners.

Painting Miniature Appliances
Porcelain or Metal Look...

I do change my technique when I'm painting miniature kitchen appliances. Here I'm trying to achieve a porcelain look. I do not thin the paint because most appliances have rounded edges and the paint build up will help achieve a scale rounded edge. Apply your first coat without thinning the paint and let dry. Sand smooth without being overly concerned about sharp edges. Apply a second coat also without thinning the paint. Now sand again with many, very light strokes,using the finest sandpaper grit you have.

If there are some areas where the paint shade is inconsistent, apply a third coat, sand lightly again. Now the trick to making it look like porcelain is to coat it with a high gloss clear polyurethane finish.

Use a gray paint as your base color for metal. Coat with a polyurethane satin gloss for a brushed metal appearance.

My section on finishing miniatures explains how to apply a spray on polyurethane finish.

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