Miniature painting knowledge hub and FAQ

Start with the problem in front of you. These short answers point to a fuller guide or a tool, so you can get back to painting. For an unfamiliar word, use the miniature painting glossary.

Make room for a session

How much desk space do I need?

There is no universal minimum in this guide. Measure the working space you use while seated, then add your palette, water, lamp footprint and storage. Our desk planner tests one rectangular arrangement against your measurements; it cannot assess comfort or safe reach.

Use the desk layout planner to see what overflows. Then try paper outlines on the real desk. The station setup guide explains how to turn that into a pack-away or permanent space.

What should I remove when the desk feels crowded?

Try moving collection storage off the working surface and keeping only the colours for the current project nearby. Keep the model, palette and water accessible without reaching across the model. This is a planning suggestion to trial with your own equipment.

See paint storage and the first-kit checklist. A compact session kit can be easier to pack away than a full rack.

See colour and detail

Is a higher lumen figure enough to choose a lamp?

No. Lumens describe output, while lux describes light reaching an area. Lamp position and the stated measurement distance matter when reading lux figures. Colour temperature and colour rendering describe other properties; they are not substitutes for illumination at the miniature.

Read the lighting definitions, then use the lamp comparer. It shows maker-stated figures and missing information rather than predicting light at your desk.

Manage paint and brushwork

Do I need a wet palette before I start?

A wet palette can help acrylic paint stay workable, but it is a mixing aid rather than a prerequisite for practising brush control. Start with a small amount of paint and the mixing surface you have, then decide whether drying paint is interrupting your sessions.

Follow the wet-palette guide for setup or the DIY option to try the principle. The Army Painter's preparation instructions explain the damp reservoir and sheet arrangement.

Are a wash and a glaze the same thing?

They usually describe different aims. A wash is used to shade recesses; a glaze applies translucent colour to adjust what is underneath. Both involve fluid paint, but changing the dilution alone does not define the result: where the paint goes matters.

Use the glossary to compare terms, then pick one exercise from painting techniques. For equipment and cleanup, see brush choice and brush care.

Find a replacement colour

Can an official conversion chart guarantee the same result?

No. Treat a listed equivalent as a starting point attributed to its chart owner. Finish, application and the underlying colour can affect the result. Compare on a spare piece before committing to a visible repair or a whole unit.

Our official-chart finder locates maker charts covering your range. It does not calculate a colour match or return individual equivalent rows. When a range is absent from the chart, there is no supported conversion to infer here.

Use this reference

Definitions and factual explanations link to official sources below, checked on the date above. Desk arrangements are editorial planning examples. These pages contain no product testing or measured comfort claims. For a correction, contact the team with the page and the source that needs updating.

Sources & further reading

• The Army Painter: wet palette preparation — checked 2026-11-02
• The Army Painter: what is glazing? — checked 2026-11-02
• Zumtobel: how to measure light — checked 2026-11-02
• The Army Painter: official paint conversion charts — checked 2026-11-02