Getting Started with Warhammer
Warhammer Miniatures Catalog
Gaming

- Living Ship
- Seige Scenario
- Gameplay Accessories

Painting and Modeling
- Painting Metal
- Seige Mantlets
-Themed Armies
-Sails
Scenery and Terrain
- Building Tables
- Building Hills
- Building Rocks
- How to Use Plasticard
RESOURCES
ARMIES

 

 

PAINTING AND MODELING

Painting miniatures is an intrinsic part of the Warhammer hobby – what could be better than fielding a colourful army you have painted yourself? As soon as you stick your first miniature together, you're modeling. You need to know some basic techniques to assemble any army. As you become more confident, you may find you want to experiment by altering models, or perhaps you fancy having a go at one of our large multi-part kits.

BEGINNERS' PAINTING GUIDE
If you've never done any painting before, or haven't done much, please have a look through this on-line guide which steers you through your first painting projects. Find out what tools and equipment you need and how to paint the sort of models you get in our big boxed games like Warhammer and Warhammer 40,000.
BEGINNERS' MODELING GUIDE
If you've never done any modeling before, or haven't done much, please have a look through this on-line guide which steers you through your first modeling projects. Find out what equipment you need and how to assemble the sort of models you get in our big boxed games like Warhammer and Warhammer 40,000.

WHAT EQUIPMENT DO YOU NEED?

You don't need much equipment for painting – a good selection of paints, some inks, and a number of good quality brushes are the most important things. Basic modeling (such as sticking models together) also requires very little equipment, but if you start to tackle more complex projects, there are a number of tools that will make your life easier.

Find out more about painting equipment by following this link or learn more about modeling tools by following this link.

If you want to keep track of what paints you need, try using these checklists to make sure you get the paints you need to finish your project.

MODELING MATERIALS YOU NEED

A large number of materials come in handy when you are assembling models and finishing bases. Follow this link to find out more.

WHERE TO PAINT OR MODEL

You will need a table to paint or model at, positioned where the lighting is good, like a kitchen table next to a window. More

PAINTING AND MODELING ARTICLES

WARHAMMER PAINTING AND MODELING
THE BASICS
-Beginners' Painting - Our beginning guide to painting.
-Beginners' Modeling - Our beginning guide to modeling.
-Basic Modeling - An example of assembling our plastic models.
-Setting up a Painting & Modeling Area - Tips to help you create a workspace.
-Where do you paint? - Where people at Games Workshop paint.
ARTICLES
-Painting Metal - A plethora of examples for painting metal.
-Themed Armies - The what and why of themed armies.
-Sails - How to paint sails with several examples.
-Seige Mantlets - Painting Warhammer seige mantlets.
TOOLS
-Hobby Tools - The do's and don'ts of hobby tools.
-Painting Equipment - Information on all the necessary painting tools.
-Modeling Tools - The tools on this page are the ones we consider to be essential.
-Specialist Modeling Tools - These tools are useful for more complex modeling projects.
-Citadel Brushes - There are many types and sizes of paint brushes.
-More About Brushes - Tips for taking care of your brushes.
-Using a Modeling Saw - A modeling saw can be a useful cutting tool.
MATERIALS
-Modeling Materials - An overview of helpful modeling materials.
-Working with Expanded Polystyrene - It's messy, but very useful.
-Flock - Flock is great for bases.
-Using Sand - Sand is also great for bases.
PAINT
-Citadel colour Paint Chart - Display of all the Citadel colours.
-Citadel Ink Paint Chart - Display of all the Citadel inks.
-More About Paint - Overview of Citadel paints.
-Starter Paint Sets - Description of the two starter paint sets we offer.
-Using Aerosol Paint - Citadel spray paint is ideal for our metal and plastic models.
TECHNIQUES
-Drybrushing - Drybrushing is a quick and effective way of highlighting a model.
-Undercoat - Before models are painted, they should be undercoated.
-Painting Horses (PDF, 650k) - 'Eavy Metal Masterclass article on painting horses.
BASES
-Bases - All Citadel miniatures come with plastic bases to stand on.
-Texturing Tutorials - Texturing a model's base can really enhance the model's final look.
-Winter Warriors - Snow-covered bases are perfect for many Northern armies.
SAFETY
-Glue Safety Guide - Be careful when using glue, it's not edible.
-Knife Safety Guide - Be careful when using knives, they're not edible.
-Foam Cutter Guide - Local hobby enthusiast Ty shows us all about the foam cutter.
-Using a Foam Cutter - The foam cutter is a simple battery powered device.

IMPROVING YOUR PAINTING AND MODELING SKILLS

As you carry on painting, you'll naturally become faster and more accurate, but there's lots of places to get extra help and advice:

  • Visit a GW store. Every store runs painting lessons for beginners, but keep an eye on the web site and White Dwarf for details of special painting demonstrations. All our staff are keen hobbyists themselves, so if you want some advice on either painting or modeling, just ask – they'll be pleased to help.
  • Read! Our hobby magazine, White Dwarf, contains plenty of articles about painting and modeling, as well as hundreds of photos of beautifully painted miniatures to inspire you. We also print a variety of books about painting and modeling.
  • Visit a Club. At a club, you'll meet other gamers who will be only too happy to give you the benefit of their advice.
  • Check this Web Site. We'll be publishing all sorts of helpful hints and tips, as well as a large selection of modeling projects.

THE GOLDEN DEMON COMPETITION

Every year, Games Workshop holds a massive gaming event called Games Day, where you can go and play our games, meet famous GW personalities, and buy loads of cool stuff. Games Day is also the venue for the Golden Demon painting competition, where painters and modelers from all over the world compete for the honor of winning the Slayer Sword.