Best Starter Gear for Miniature Painting
Updated How we research
A first paint haul is usually chosen by colour count, which is the number that matters least. Twelve well behaved paints teach more than ninety, because the thing that stalls beginners is not a missing shade but paint that dries gluey on the palette and leaves brush marks across a shoulder pad. What earns a place in a starter selection is forgiveness. Dropper bottles over pots, because a dropper lets you put out two drops instead of dunking a brush into a drying pot. Pre-thinned or contrast style paint over traditional acrylic, because one loaded coat that pools in the recesses does the shading work you cannot yet do by hand. A grey or white primer, in a 400ml rattlecan or a brush-on bottle, since bare plastic sheds paint no matter how careful the brushwork. One synthetic round in the size 1 to 2 range plus a flat for drybrushing, and nothing finer, because a 000 brush holds so little paint that it dries before it reaches the model. A wet palette, which sounds like an advanced accessory and is the opposite: it keeps thinned paint workable for an hour instead of ninety seconds. Everything else, including the airbrush end of this list, is for when brushwork has started to feel slow rather than difficult.
The short version
We compared 10 picks. Our scores range from 7.3 to 9.2 out of 10.
- Best overall:The Army Painter Warpaints Fanatic: Starter Set, 11 x 18 mL Acrylic Paints, incl. Metallics, Wash, Brush-On Primer, 1 Miniature & 1 Brush. Highest overall score in this guide at 9.2/10.
- Also great value:The Army Painter Warpaints Air Starter Set, 12 x 18 mL Pre-Thinned Acrylic Airbrush Paints, incl. 1 Metallic & 1 Grey 100 mL Primer. Value score of 9/10, overall 8.8/10.
- Solid build:The Army Painter Speedpaint 2.0 Starter Paint Set, 10 x 18 mL Acrylic Contrast Paints incl. 1 Basecoating Brush. Build and materials score of 8/10, overall 8.6/10.
- Feature-rich:Iwata NEO CN Dual Action Airbrush - Gravity Feed, N3 Nozzle, 0.24 oz & 0.10 oz Fluid Cups, Ideal for Beginners & Hobby Painters. Features score of 8/10, overall 8.6/10.
Scores are our editorial assessment, not customer ratings. How we score
The Army Painter Warpaints Fanatic: Starter Set, 11 x 18 mL Acrylic Paints, incl. Metallics, Wash, Brush-On Primer, 1 Miniature & 1 Brush
Army Painter's Warpaints Fanatic starter with 11 acrylics, metallics, a wash, brush-on primer, a miniature and a brush.
The Army Painter Warpaints Air Starter Set, 12 x 18 mL Pre-Thinned Acrylic Airbrush Paints, incl. 1 Metallic & 1 Grey 100 mL Primer
The Army Painter Warpaints Air Starter Set with 12 x 18 mL pre-thinned airbrush paints, a metallic and 100 mL grey primer.
#1Army Painter's Warpaints Fanatic starter with 11 acrylics, metallics, a wash, brush-on primer, a miniature and a brush.
Fit for the job 10/10 · Features and specs 9/10 · Build and materials 8/10 · Value 9/10
- + Includes primer, wash and metallics, so the full base-shade-highlight workflow is covered
- + Bundled miniature gives a practice model before you touch your real army
- + Fanatic line is a newer, higher-pigment formula than older Warpaints bottles
- - Only one brush, which will wear quickly if used for priming and detail
- - 11 bottles still means buying more colors for a specific army scheme
#2The Army Painter Warpaints Air Starter Set with 12 x 18 mL pre-thinned airbrush paints, a metallic and 100 mL grey primer.
Fit for the job 9/10 · Features and specs 9/10 · Build and materials 8/10 · Value 9/10
- + Includes 100 mL grey primer, so priming and painting use one system
- + 12 pre-thinned colors spray with no additional thinning
- + Metallic included for weapons and trim straight away
- - Grey primer is less suited to bright schemes than white
- - Pre-thinned paints are a poor fit for brush layering
#3Army Painter Speedpaint 2.0 Starter Set of 10 x 18 mL contrast-style paints with a basecoating brush.
Fit for the job 9/10 · Features and specs 8/10 · Build and materials 8/10 · Value 9/10
- + Speedpaint 2.0 is reformulated for more even flow and less pooling
- + 10 bottles give enough range to finish a small warband quickly
- + Basecoating brush is suited to laying speed paint over broad areas
- - Only one brush, so fine detail work needs a smaller tip
- - Requires a light undercoat, which is not included in the box
#4Iwata NEO CN dual action gravity feed airbrush with an N3 nozzle and 0.24 oz and 0.10 oz cups, made for beginners.
Fit for the job 9/10 · Features and specs 8/10 · Build and materials 8/10 · Value 9/10
- + Two cup sizes suit small touch-ups and larger basecoats
- + Iwata design at an entry price for new hobby painters
- + Dual action control helps learn proper airbrush technique
- - Less refined than higher Iwata models for extreme fine lines
- - Compressor not included, adding to total starting cost
#5The Army Painter set of 11 Quickshade washes in dropper bottles, nontoxic shades for tinting and shading many colors.
Fit for the job 9/10 · Features and specs 8/10 · Build and materials 8/10 · Value 9/10
- + 11 washes cover browns, blacks and colored tints in one purchase
- + Dropper bottles make mixing and glazing measured amounts easy
- + Nontoxic water-based formula is friendly for home and family painting
- - Colored washes see less use than black and brown in most projects
- - No brush or palette included for applying the washes
#6The Army Painter Wet Palette with 50 hydro sheets, 2 hydro sponges and brush space for painting minis.
Fit for the job 9/10 · Features and specs 8/10 · Build and materials 8/10 · Value 8/10
- + 50 hydro sheets supply many sessions before refills are needed
- + Built-in brush space keeps a brush wet between strokes
- + Keeps acrylic paint workable far longer than a dry palette
- - Compact mixing area can feel cramped with many colors
- - Sponges need regular rinsing to prevent mold
#7Reaper's Learn to Paint Kit: Core Skills, a guided box set that teaches layering and shading with Master Series paints.
Fit for the job 9/10 · Features and specs 8/10 · Build and materials 8/10 · Value 8/10
- + Structured lessons walk beginners through core techniques step by step
- + Includes paints, brushes and practice figures chosen to match the lessons
- + Great for self-taught painters who want a clear learning path
- - Colors are chosen for the lessons, not for any particular army scheme
- - Experienced painters will find the guided content too basic
#8The Army Painter Color Primer spray in Uniform Grey, 400ml (13.5oz), a colored undercoat that doubles as a basecoat.
Fit for the job 8/10 · Features and specs 7/10 · Build and materials 8/10 · Value 8/10
- + Uniform Grey primes and basecoats grey armor in one step
- + Neutral grey suits both bright and dark schemes
- + Saves painting time for grey-themed armies
- - Colored primer is less flexible than plain white or black
- - Aerosol needs outdoor or ventilated conditions
#9The Army Painter Speedpaint Marker Starter Set, ten 6 ml markers filled with the Speedpaint 2.0 one-coat formula for painting miniatures without a brush.
Fit for the job 8/10 · Features and specs 8/10 · Build and materials 8/10 · Value 6/10
- + Ten Speedpaint 2.0 colours in marker form, so there is no brush to load or clean
- + One-coat formula shades and highlights as it settles, which suits fast army painting
- + Marker tips make it easy to control where the paint goes on small areas
- - 6 ml per marker is a third of an 18 ml bottle, so the cost per millilitre is high
- - Markers suit detail and small models better than big vehicles or terrain
#10The Army Painter Hobby Starter Brush Set with 3 brushes, a simple basecoat, detail and drybrush trio for beginners.
Fit for the job 8/10 · Features and specs 6/10 · Build and materials 7/10 · Value 8/10
- + 3 brushes cover basecoating, detail and drybrushing basics
- + Low price is ideal for new hobbyists testing the waters
- + Army Painter brushes are widely available if you need replacements
- - Only three brushes, so you will soon want more sizes
- - Starter quality points dull faster than premium detail brushes
Before you buy: trade-offs we flagged
No pick is perfect. These are the main compromises we noted for the top products in this guide, so you can check they will not matter for you.
- Only one brush, which will wear quickly if used for priming and detail (The Army Painter Warpaints Fanatic: Starter...)
- Grey primer is less suited to bright schemes than white (The Army Painter Warpaints Air Starter Set,...)
- Only one brush, so fine detail work needs a smaller tip (The Army Painter Speedpaint 2.0 Starter Paint...)
- Less refined than higher Iwata models for extreme fine lines (Iwata NEO CN Dual Action Airbrush - Gravity...)
- Colored washes see less use than black and brown in most projects (The Army Painter Miniature Paint Set with 11...)
- Compact mixing area can feel cramped with many colors (The Army Painter Wet Palette - 50 Hydro...)
Frequently asked questions
›What is the best choice among starter gear for miniature painting?
The Army Painter Warpaints Fanatic: Starter Set, 11 x 18 mL Acrylic Paints, incl. Metallics, Wash, Brush-On Primer, 1 Miniature & 1 Brush is our top overall pick. Army Painter's Warpaints Fanatic starter with 11 acrylics, metallics, a wash, brush-on primer, a miniature and a brush. It earns our score of 9.2/10, based on fit for the job, features, build and value.
›What is a good budget option?
The Army Painter Warpaints Air Starter Set, 12 x 18 mL Pre-Thinned Acrylic Airbrush Paints, incl. 1 Metallic & 1 Grey 100 mL Primer is the strongest low-cost pick in this guide. The Army Painter Warpaints Air Starter Set with 12 x 18 mL pre-thinned airbrush paints, a metallic and 100 mL grey primer.
›How much should I expect to spend?
Picks in this guide span See on Amazon price bands (roughly: $ = under $30, $$ = $30 to $100, $$$ = over $100). We never display exact prices because they change constantly, so the buttons above always show Amazon's current price.
›How were these products chosen?
We shortlist products that fit the job this guide solves and compare their published specifications, such as size, capacity, materials and what is included. Each pick gets an editorial score out of 10 for fit, features, build and value, and we write the pros and cons from those details. Our score is not an Amazon customer rating. We earn a commission if you buy through our links, which never affects the ranking.
Mini Paint Lab independently selects every product; we may earn a commission from links above.
Popular right now
- Miniature Paint Thinning Ratio ChartArticle
- Priming MiniaturesArticle
- The Best Magnifiers for Miniature PaintingBuying guide
- Best Speed Paints for Fast Miniature PaintingBuying guide
- Best Drybrushes for Miniatures and TerrainBuying guide
- Zenithal PrimingArticle
Based on the last 28 days of search and visitor data.