# Best Starter Gear for Miniature Painting Source: https://minipaintlab.com/best/best-miniature-painting-starter-gear Updated: 2026-09-14 Publisher: Mini Paint Lab. Our score is an editorial rating out of 10 (fit 35%, features 25%, build 20%, value 20%), not a customer rating. Method: https://minipaintlab.com/how-we-research#our-score 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. ## Picks ### 1. The Army Painter Warpaints Fanatic: Starter Set, 11 x 18 mL Acrylic Paints, incl. Metallics, Wash, Brush-On Primer, 1 Miniature & 1 Brush Our score: 9.2/10 (Fit for the job 10/10 · Features and specs 9/10 · Build and materials 8/10 · Value 9/10) Army Painter's Warpaints Fanatic starter with 11 acrylics, metallics, a wash, brush-on primer, a miniature and a brush. Pros: - 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 Cons: - 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 Details: https://minipaintlab.com/product/B0CVGQ7BZD ### 2. The Army Painter Warpaints Air Starter Set, 12 x 18 mL Pre-Thinned Acrylic Airbrush Paints, incl. 1 Metallic & 1 Grey 100 mL Primer Our score: 8.8/10 (Fit for the job 9/10 · Features and specs 9/10 · Build and materials 8/10 · Value 9/10) The Army Painter Warpaints Air Starter Set with 12 x 18 mL pre-thinned airbrush paints, a metallic and 100 mL grey primer. Pros: - 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 Cons: - Grey primer is less suited to bright schemes than white - Pre-thinned paints are a poor fit for brush layering Details: https://minipaintlab.com/product/B09BDDML9G ### 3. The Army Painter Speedpaint 2.0 Starter Paint Set, 10 x 18 mL Acrylic Contrast Paints incl. 1 Basecoating Brush Our score: 8.6/10 (Fit for the job 9/10 · Features and specs 8/10 · Build and materials 8/10 · Value 9/10) Army Painter Speedpaint 2.0 Starter Set of 10 x 18 mL contrast-style paints with a basecoating brush. Pros: - 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 Cons: - Only one brush, so fine detail work needs a smaller tip - Requires a light undercoat, which is not included in the box Details: https://minipaintlab.com/product/B0C2Z32FCB ### 4. Iwata NEO CN Dual Action Airbrush - Gravity Feed, N3 Nozzle, 0.24 oz & 0.10 oz Fluid Cups, Ideal for Beginners & Hobby Painters Our score: 8.6/10 (Fit for the job 9/10 · Features and specs 8/10 · Build and materials 8/10 · Value 9/10) Iwata NEO CN dual action gravity feed airbrush with an N3 nozzle and 0.24 oz and 0.10 oz cups, made for beginners. Pros: - 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 Cons: - Less refined than higher Iwata models for extreme fine lines - Compressor not included, adding to total starting cost Details: https://minipaintlab.com/product/B004INERK4 ### 5. The Army Painter Miniature Paint Set with 11 Nontoxic Quickshade Washes in Dropper Bottles Our score: 8.6/10 (Fit for the job 9/10 · Features and specs 8/10 · Build and materials 8/10 · Value 9/10) The Army Painter set of 11 Quickshade washes in dropper bottles, nontoxic shades for tinting and shading many colors. Pros: - 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 Cons: - Colored washes see less use than black and brown in most projects - No brush or palette included for applying the washes Details: https://minipaintlab.com/product/B0714QL55V ### 6. The Army Painter Wet Palette - 50 Hydro Sheets, 2 Hydro Sponges and Brush Space, for Painting Warhammer and D&D Miniatures Our score: 8.4/10 (Fit for the job 9/10 · Features and specs 8/10 · Build and materials 8/10 · Value 8/10) The Army Painter Wet Palette with 50 hydro sheets, 2 hydro sponges and brush space for painting minis. Pros: - 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 Cons: - Compact mixing area can feel cramped with many colors - Sponges need regular rinsing to prevent mold Details: https://minipaintlab.com/product/B07Y25DK3J ### 7. Reaper Miniatures 08906 Learn to Paint Kit Core Skills, Master Series Paint Box Set Our score: 8.4/10 (Fit for the job 9/10 · Features and specs 8/10 · Build and materials 8/10 · Value 8/10) Reaper's Learn to Paint Kit: Core Skills, a guided box set that teaches layering and shading with Master Series paints. Pros: - 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 Cons: - Colors are chosen for the lessons, not for any particular army scheme - Experienced painters will find the guided content too basic Details: https://minipaintlab.com/product/B07F9K41NZ ### 8. The Army Painter Color Primer Spray Paint, Uniform Grey, 400ml, 13.5oz - Acrylic Spray Undercoat for Miniature Painting Our score: 7.8/10 (Fit for the job 8/10 · Features and specs 7/10 · Build and materials 8/10 · Value 8/10) The Army Painter Color Primer spray in Uniform Grey, 400ml (13.5oz), a colored undercoat that doubles as a basecoat. Pros: - 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 Cons: - Colored primer is less flexible than plain white or black - Aerosol needs outdoor or ventilated conditions Details: https://minipaintlab.com/product/B005C3CXB4 ### 9. The Army Painter, Speedpaint Marker Starter Set, 10 x 6 ml Our score: 7.6/10 (Fit for the job 8/10 · Features and specs 8/10 · Build and materials 8/10 · Value 6/10) The 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. Pros: - 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 Cons: - 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 Details: https://minipaintlab.com/product/B0FH2KJBBP ### 10. The Army Painter Hobby Starter Brush Set (3) Our score: 7.3/10 (Fit for the job 8/10 · Features and specs 6/10 · Build and materials 7/10 · Value 8/10) The Army Painter Hobby Starter Brush Set with 3 brushes, a simple basecoat, detail and drybrush trio for beginners. Pros: - 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 Cons: - Only three brushes, so you will soon want more sizes - Starter quality points dull faster than premium detail brushes Details: https://minipaintlab.com/product/B004V4UFP6 As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.