Mini-Painting Glossary

A complete list of terms used in miniature painting.

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By Mourner
 Contents:
Introduction .....................................................2 Open Time...................................................7
Glossary ...........................................................3 OSL*** .......................................................7
Airbrush ......................................................3 Overpainting................................................7
Base.............................................................3 Overspray ....................................................7
Basecoat......................................................3 Palette1 .........................................................7
Blending*** ...............................................3 Palette2 .........................................................7
Brush...........................................................3 Paint.............................................................7
Brush Cleaner.............................................3 Painting........................................................7
Brush Restorer............................................3 Painting Rig.................................................8
Casting ........................................................3 Paintjob........................................................8
Collector .....................................................3 Pinning.........................................................8
Color Theory** ..........................................3 Pre-Highlighting**.....................................8
Color............................................................4 Prepping.......................................................8
Decals*........................................................4 Pre-Shading**.............................................8
Complementary Colors**..........................4 Repaint.........................................................8
Conversion..................................................4 Retarder .......................................................8
Diluent ........................................................4 Routing ........................................................8
Dipping* .....................................................4 Salt Weathering** ......................................8
Drybrushing*..............................................4 Sculpting Putty............................................8
Flash............................................................4 Sculpting** .................................................8
Fluff.............................................................4 Scumbling** ...............................................9
Freehand** .................................................4 SENMM***................................................9
Future ..........................................................5 Setting..........................................................9
Games Day .................................................5 Shade ...........................................................9
Gaming System ..........................................5 Shading**....................................................9
GD...............................................................5 Specular Highlight......................................9
Glazing**....................................................5 Sponging** .................................................9
Golden Demon ...........................................5 Spot Colors***............................................9
Gradient ......................................................5 Spray can.....................................................9
Hairspray.....................................................5 Stippling**..................................................9
Highlighting*..............................................5 Stripping....................................................10
Jewelers Chain............................................5 Tide Mark..................................................10
Kit-Bash**..................................................5 Tint(1) .........................................................10
Layering**..................................................6 Tint(2) .........................................................10
Lining*........................................................6 True Metallics***.....................................10
Magic Wash................................................6 Undercoat ..................................................10
Masking* ....................................................6 Varnish ......................................................10
Medium.......................................................6 Wash ..........................................................10
Metallics* ...................................................6 Washing.*..................................................10
Midtone.......................................................6 Weathering**............................................10
Mini.............................................................6 Wet Blending***......................................11
Mini Company............................................6 Wet Palette ................................................11
Model ..........................................................7 Zenithal Lighting**..................................11
Mouldline....................................................7 List of Techniques .........................................12
NMM*** ....................................................7

* Basic technique 1
** Intermediate technique (often easy to learn, but hard to master)
*** Expert technique
Introduction
Miniature painting, or mini-painting for short, is a very fun and creative hobby. But it can
be a bit daunting and confusing when you’re new.
Which is one of the key reasons why this glossary of mini-painting terms was created, but
that does not mean that seasoned painters will not find it useful.

I have attempted to assemble as complete a list of mini-painting terminology as I could

Mini-painting is a competitive hobby, but the nature of the hobby means that most
painting will be done in solitude. This has lead to numerous painters inventing, copying
and adapted numerous techniques. And even though these techniques all differ slightly
from the others, the internet has caused most techniques to follow a few different “base”
principles.
This list contains terms ranging from the most commonplace to more obscure and
advanced techniques. While some seem too easy, like “paint”, these have been included
for the sake of completeness.

While this document will not give a complete description or detailed tutorial of the
techniques it describes, it does rate them by difficulty. This is mainly meant to give
newcomers a sense of where to start, and how to progress. To encourage it’s use as a
guide to becoming an experienced painter, all techniques have been listed by difficulty as
well.

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Glossary

Airbrush
Pneumatic tool used to spray paint onto a model.
Utilizes either a can of pressurized air, or a compressor.
Simple versions are equivalent to spray cans, while more advanced models are fully
adjustable in spray cone.

Base
The portable surface upon which a model is placed.
Plinth: A platform used to raise a model and attract attention to it.
Display base: A modeled platform to place a model on. (adds character and atmosphere
to a model)
Gaming base: The platform models are mounted on, in order to play games with them.

Basecoat
Painting an area in the basic color it will be when the model is finished.

Blending***
Creating a smooth gradation between different colors.

Brush
Generally a wooden or plastic handle, with a head of natural or synthetic bristles.

Brush Cleaner
A liquid used to clean a brush after use.
(Increases a brush’s lifetime)

Brush Restorer
A liquid used to remove dried paint from a brush.
(Increases a brush’s lifetime)

Casting
Creating copies of a model.
Either out of resin, metal of plastic.

Collector
Someone more interested in owning cool minis then painting them.

Color Theory**
The science and psychology behind the way color is used in minipainting.
Includes both choice and placement of colors.

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Color Wheel
A diagram used in color theory to illustrate how colors relate to each other.

Decals*
A picture that can be transferred to another surface.

Complementary Colors**
Two colors that work really well together

Conversion
Any changes made to the existing, stock models.
Includes everything from weapon-swaps to extensive resculpting.

Diluent
Anything that acts to dilute paint, e.g. water, paint thinner.

Dipping*
Dipping a model into a wash to achieve fast and simple shading.

Drybrushing*
A fast and simple way to add highlight to a model.

Flash
Excess material on a model. (remove before painting)

Fluff
The (un)official background story for a particular gaming system of setting.

Freehand**
A hand painted 2D design.
Ranging from a simple swirly line along an edge, to a complete painting in the
background.

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Future
A specific brand of floor polish.
Often used as a flow medium when added to paint, or as a varnish when used alone.

Games Day
Games Workshops promotional event.
Features stands from Games Workshop’s different branches.
As well as other gaming and painting related activities, like the Golden Demon painting
competition, and a large tournament.

Gaming System
A system of rules used to play a particular game.
Also used to indicate a range of models.

GD
Either Games Day or Golden Demon, when it comes to painting these terms are
interchangeable

Glazing**
Painting a specific area with a wash, to achieve shading and add a colored sheen.

Golden Demon
International high end painting competition.
Consists of different categories, with a ranking per category.

Gradient
Degree of difference between shades of color.

Hairspray
Used to apply a mask over an area, can later be removed using warm water and a brush.

Highlighting*
Painting the raised areas on a mini to create the illusion that it catches more light.

Jewelers Chain
A very fine metal chain.
Small enough to be used ‘to-scale’ on minis.

Kit-Bash**
Using existing model kits to create a unique model.

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Layering**
Different shades of Paint (diluted or not) applied in successive gradation to achieve
highlighting or shading on an area or whole figure.

Lining*
Using sharp lines to separate different areas on a mini.

Magic Wash
A homemade mixture of Future and various other ingredients used to dilute paint for a
wash
Helps it settle into recesses and to prevent tide marks.

Masking*
Adding a protective, removable layer so you can remove successive layer of paint.

Medium
Mixed with paint to change the characteristics of the paint;
Matt Medium: Gives your paints a matt finish.
Metallic Medium: Gives your paints a metallic shine.
Glaze Medium: Changes the consistency of paint.
Gloss Medium: Gives your paints a glossy finish.
Crackle Medium: Creates cracks in a layer of paint.
Thinner: Used to thin or dilute your paint.
Retarder: Slows the drying process, giving you more time to work.

Metallics*
Painting a surface to resemble metal.
Includes;
(Sky-Earth) Non-Metallic Metal
True metallics

Midtone
The middle color value between the highlights and shadows.
Often the same color as the basecoat.

Mini
Short for miniature, but specifically used to describe small-scale miniatures (below 1/35th
scale).

Mini Company
A company that produces one or more lines, or ranges of miniatures.
While there are many different companies that produce miniatures, this list will not go
into specific companies.

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Model
Any representation of an actual or fictional creature, vehicle, or object.

Mouldline
Imperfection on a model caused by the casting process.
(Remove before painting).

NMM***
Non-Metallic Metal, painting the illusion of a metallic surface without using metallic
paints.

Open Time
The amount of time before paint dries. See also retarder.

OSL***
Object Source Lighting, creating the illusion that something on the model itself emits
light.

Overpainting
Painting on top of an existing area of paintwork. See also stripping.

Overspray
When airbrushing or applying paint from a spray can, unwanted color that falls outside of
where it’s wanted. Usually prevented by masking.

Palette1
A surface to hold paints while working

Palette2
The narrow choice of colors used on a mini.

Paint
A semi-liquid paste with pigment added for color.
Citadel Foundation paints contain more pigments to achieve better coverage.
Metallic paints have metallic flakes added to give a metallic finish.
Miniature painters generally use two types of paint;
Oil paint: traditionally used in art. Long drying time gives more time to blend, but also
poses difficulty when applied to miniature painting.
Acrylic paint: Traditionally used in miniature painting. Water soluble, which means no
smells, no chemicals, non-toxic and easily mixable.

Painting
Putting (air)brush to model.

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Painting Rig
A device used to hold a mini during painting.
Prevents touching the mini with your fingers, avoiding grease and rubbing paint off.
Can range from a simple cork to a complicated mechanical rig to brace your hands.

Paintjob
The completed paintwork on a model.

Pinning
Strengthening a joint by drilling a hole in both parts, inserting a pin and gluing it in place.

Pre-Highlighting**
A lighter color, usually white, applied over the primer to establish the basic shading.
Can be done with an airbrush or with paint or primer from a spray can.

Prepping
Cleaning a model by removing flash and mouldlines, and generally getting a model ready
for undercoating.

Pre-Shading**
A painting technique where recesses are painted a dark color before the basecoat is
applied. Used instead of or in addition to a wash, e.g. for recessed panel lines on vehicles.

Repaint
Painting over an existing paintjob, or commercial pre-painted models. See also
Overpainting.

Retarder
An additive that increases open time (slows drying). A medium can have a retarding
action, e.g. a glazing medium.

Routing
New technique for the sculpting into pleasing forms of set epoxy putty’s and the like.

Salt Weathering**
Salt Weathering uses salt to mask a random pattern across a surface.
Done using Hairspray.

Sculpting Putty
Two-part epoxy used in the creation and conversion of minis.

Sculpting**
Shaping putty to create or change a mini or part of a mini.

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Scumbling**
A little like drybrushing but using a damper brush, with a scrubbing action rather than a
light flicking motion.
Usually done with lighter paint over darker paint.
Can be used to simulate texture or on a flat or featureless surface to help it look less
boring or uninteresting, by creating irregular color variations. See also stippling.

SENMM***
Sky-Earth Non-Metallic-Metal;
Creating the illusion of a chrome finish by adding a horizon to an area painted in NMM.

Setting
The fictional world a mini comes from. i.e. fantasy, science-fiction.

Shade
A layer of paint one step darker from the base color.
Applied only to the recessed, ”shadowy” parts of the model.

Shading**
Painting the deeper areas on a mini to create the illusion that it catches less light.

Specular Highlight
The bright, sharp-edged, highlight on a reflective surface.
In miniature painting most often used on gemstones and when metals are done using
NMM or SENMM. Also called a specular or catchlight.

Sponging**
A painting technique using small pieces of sponge or foam to create random patterns.
Often used to simulate chipped paint.

Spot Colors***
The specific placement of a contrasting color to draw attention to certain parts of the
mini.

Spray can
A pressurized can containing paint or varnish.
Used to apply paint or varnish to an entire model.

Stippling**
A painting technique where the brush is used in a jabbing motion, usually using a stiffer
brush or one with the bristles cut down.
Can be used to simulate texture or on a flat or featureless surface to help it look less
boring or uninteresting, by creating irregular color variations. See also scumbling.

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Stripping
Removing paint from the surface of a model, e.g. using paint stripper, oven cleaner,
acetone, Dettol.
Often used as a last resort when a paintjob doesn’t work as intended instead of
overpainting.

Tide Mark
An unwanted line formed by paint drying at the edge of a coat of paint, generally seen
with washes but sometime with glazes. See also magic wash.

Tint(1)
To slightly color an area by glazing with a thin, transparent coat of another color.

Tint(2)
Any mixture of white with another paint (although generally used to describe colors
where the addition of white is noticeable, as in pastel colors).

True Metallics***
A metallic surface, painted using metallic paints.
(Easy to do, hard to master)

Undercoat
Sprayed on coat of paint to ensure better adherence of later coats.
(Usually black, white or grey)

Varnish
A layer of clear lacquer used to protect a painted model from damage.
Matt Varnish: has a matt finish.
Satin Varnish: has a satin finish.
Gloss Varnish: has a glossy finish.

Wash
A transparent liquid containing pigment.
Either home/custom made out of paint, water and your preferred medium.
Or ready made out of a pot (possibly diluted too).

Washing.*
Applying a wash to an area of a model in order to create a shadow effect.
Easy to do.

Weathering**
Making a model look (dis-)used, dirty or rusty.
Done using washes, drybrushing or salt weathering.

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Wet Blending***
Smoothing out the transition between two layers of paint by mixing them together, on the
model, working while the paint is still wet.

Wet Palette
A palette consisting of a layer of water absorbent material and top layer of waxed paper.
Designed to keep paint wet for longer, and increase the working time of paints.

Zenithal Lighting**
Creating the illusion of a single, directed light source. Using careful placement of
highlights.

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List of Techniques

Basic Techniques
Decals................................ ................................ ......5
Dipping................................ ................................ ....5
Drybrushing................................ ............................. 5
Highlighting................................ ............................. 6
Lining................................ ................................ ......6
Masking................................ ................................ ...7
Metallics................................ ................................ ..7
Washing................................. ................................ 11

Intermediate Techniques
Color Theory................................ ............................ 4
Complementary Colors................................ ............. 5
Freehand................................ ................................ ..5
Glazing ................................ ................................ ....6
Kit-Bash ................................ ................................ ..6
Layering ................................ ................................ ..6
Pre-Highlighting................................ ....................... 8
Pre-Shading ................................ ............................. 9
Salt Weathering................................ ........................ 9
Sculpting................................ ................................ ..9
Scumbling................................ ................................ 9
Shading................................ ................................ ..10
Sponging................................ ................................ 10
Stippling ................................ ................................ 10
Weathering................................ ............................. 11
Zenithal Lighting................................ .................... 11

Expert Techniques
Blending ................................ ................................ ..4
NMM................................ ................................ .......7
OSL................................ ................................ ......... 8
SENMM ................................ ................................ ..9
Spot Colors................................ ............................ 10
True Metallics................................ ........................ 11
Wet Blending................................ ......................... 11

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