How to quickly paint WWII German vehicles in 15mm

21 August 2024 No re.

Here, I will describe the ‘speed painting’ method I started using last year to paint two full German armies for Flames of War. Speed painting is a relative term—what might be fast for me could differ for another painter. I consider this method fast because I simplified certain techniques compared to my traditional painting method, like color modulation, and omitted others entirely, such as using oils to create streaking or dust effects, which saved a lot of time. This article was originally published on the Battlefront website, Part 1 and Part 2. In this new article, we will explore how…

How to paint 3D-printed buildings

1 June 2024 4 Re.

In this tutorial, we will explore fast and simple techniques for painting 3D-printed houses made from filament, perfect for wargaming. Although we are going to paint a 15mm house for Flames of War, the same techniques can be applied to any theme and scale. The idea is to take advantage of colored primer cans for the base colors, and then create contrast using dry brushing and filters. Step 1 – Preparation Filament printers are an amazing tool for creating scenery elements for wargames with ease. However, the inevitable downside of this type of printing is the resulting linear texture. To…

PaintingWar: WWII British and Commonwealth armies

6 March 2024 4 Re.

After 10 years since the publication of my very first painting book I am delighted to announce another PaintingWar (PW) publication, made possible by Miniaturama Publishing. This marks my third contribution to the PW series (with the previous two being WWII German army and Spanish Civil War), delving again into one of my favorite topics in historical wargaming: World War II. While my initial PaintingWar issue centered around the German army, this latest book shifts its focus to the British and Commonwealth armies. Using exclusively Warlord Games miniatures in 28mm, and similar to previous PaintingWar publications, this book is divided…

Improving a 15mm paint job: guns and crew

4 October 2022 2 Re.

Most popular painting techniques for wargames fall in the category of fast painting methods that aim for the so-called “tabletop quality”. The idea is to have ready a unit or an army as soon as possible, with each miniature painted with the right colors and a bit of contrast between shades and highlights. These quick methods are perfect for wargamers since they do not require much time, allowing the players to spend more time in the battlefield. But, sometimes we have some extra time that we can use to push forward the quality of our miniatures for wargames. I would…

How to paint 12mm (1:144) WWII tanks

1 June 2021 5 Re.

During the last weeks I have been painting several dozens of tiny WWII tanks in 12mm (1:144 scale) produced by Victrix Games, a new branch of Victrix Limited. I thought that my preferred scale for tanks was 15mm, but these lovely beauties took my heart. In spite of the small size, the level of details is outstanding and they permit a 1:1 level of game (= bigger battles).   And thanks to Victrix Games, now you can download totally for free a painting tutorial for each tank model. Each guide includes a complete step by step, with plenty of photos…

How to paint armed civilians in WWII

5 December 2020 4 Re.

As I already commented in my previous post, I had the great opportunity to paint the wonderful new 28mm range from JT Infamous featuring the WWII Polish Home Army and perfect for Bolt Action.We already saw how to paint step by step the armoured truck Kubuś, and today we will see how to paint the soldiers (or civilians).  Thanks to JT Infamous  and Wargames: Soldiers and Strategy you can download for free two detailed step by step painting guides showing how to paint a Civilian armed with a Molotov cocktail and SMG (originally published in WSS 101) and another civilian dressed with stolen…

How to decorate bases with plants

1 June 2020 2 Re.

One of the most important part of a miniature -although some times ignored- is the base. Even a poorly painted miniature will look more interesting when placed in a nicely decorated base. And vice versa, sometimes a  poorly decorated base might hamper the quality of a very well painted miniature. Today we will see how we can combine different materials to create interesting mixtures of grass and bushes in our wargaming bases. I will use as an example a German HMG team in 28mm by Kromlech Historical. If you wonder how to paint the German uniform, check this guide.  Remember that…

How to make foliage camouflage for 15mm tanks

12 January 2020 No re.

Since I published the book Painting Wargames Tanks many people have asked me about how to do the tree branches or foliage I added to some 15mm tanks. Therefore, I  have finally decided to write a tutorial about it. I already shared some hints in the issue of The Weathering Magazine about Kursk, but I will explain everything more in detail here.  During the WWII many tank crews -specially Germans- decided to conceal a little bit better their tanks and other vehicles by adding tree branches and other vegetation. We can easily recreate this in our tiny models to add…

How to paint WWII Polish infantry and Uhlans in 28mm

25 June 2019 1 Re.

With the support of Kromlech Historical miniatures, I would like to share with you two painting guides where I show how to paint the WWII Polish uniform: an infantryman and a Uhlan. The former covers a soldier equipped with a great coat and the common steel helmet wz. 37 (or 1937 pattern), while the latter is divided into two parts. First, I explain how to paint dark bay horses, and then I show how to paint a Polish Uhlan (rider) equipped with a wz. 1936 jacket and Adrian-like helmet. For those who does not know Kromlech, this is a Polish…

How to paint mid/late WWII Germans (1943) in 15mm

23 June 2019 2 Re.

Since I have been lately busy painting some WWII german miniatures from Khurasan Miniatures, I wanted to share with you this short painting guide where I show how to paint 15mm miniatures, and more specifically, the M43 German uniform (mid-late war). However, if you are looking for a painting guide featuring the early war uniform, you might be interested in this another painting guide I published in Modelbrush a few years ago. Or, if on the other hand you want to know how to paint camouflages in 15mm miniatures, then this another guide is what you are looking for. If…