A raw print and the same print painted are not the same object. The geometry is identical; everything a person actually reacts to is different. This is where most of the value of a figurine is created, and it is entirely handwork.
It starts with primer, not paint
Before any colour goes on, supports come off, contact points are sanded, parts are glued and seams are filled. Then primer. Primer does three jobs at once: it gives paint something to grip, it unifies a surface made of different plastics and glue into one material, and it reveals every flaw you missed. Painting straight onto bare plastic is the single most common way to ruin an otherwise good print.
Airbrush versus brush — they do different jobs
An airbrush sprays a fine, controlled mist. It is unbeatable for large smooth areas, for gradients, and for the soft transition from shadow to light across a cloak or a wing. Brush strokes simply do not disappear on a large surface; airbrushed paint has no strokes to begin with.
A brush is unbeatable for everything small and deliberate: eyes, buckles, hair, the edge of a blade, a scratch on armour. Airbrushing an eye is not possible at any skill level.
So the answer is never one or the other. Base coats and transitions go on with the airbrush, detail goes on with the brush, and the quality of the result depends on how well the two are combined.
Why shading is what sells the piece
A figure painted in flat correct colours looks like a toy. The same figure reads as a sculpture once shadows sit in the recesses and highlights sit on the edges. That is the entire trick: paint does not just colour a model, it tells the eye where the light is coming from. Wash into the crevices, drybrush or edge-highlight the raised parts, and a three-dimensional object suddenly looks three-dimensional in a photograph too.
This is also why painting time scales so sharply. Flat colour is quick. Convincing light takes hours.
The three levels we work in
- Tabletop — primer, base colours, a wash. Reads well from arm's length across a gaming table. This is the right level for an army you will actually play with.
- Detailed — everything above, plus drybrushing, edge highlights and painted eyes. Holds up when someone picks it up.
- Showcase — airbrushed transitions, object-source lighting, freehand details, a finished base. Built to be looked at closely and photographed.
Choosing the highest level for everything is usually a waste. A rank-and-file unit at Tabletop and a commander at Showcase looks better on the table than forty identical mid-level figures.
Varnish, and why it is not optional
Acrylic paint on plastic rubs off with handling — fastest on edges and raised details, exactly where the highlights are. A matte or satin varnish at the end protects the work. Matte reads as more realistic; satin gives a slight sheen that suits armour and vehicles. Gloss is for wet effects and lenses, not whole figures.
Looking after a painted piece
Dust it with a soft dry brush, never with a wet cloth. Keep it out of direct sunlight — pigments fade and PLA softens. Carry figures in foam, not loose in a box, because paint chips at the contact points long before the plastic breaks.
Bringing us your own miniatures
Our painting service is not limited to what we print. Bring miniatures from any source — plastic, resin, metal, official models, models you printed yourself — and they will be cleaned, primed and painted to the level you choose. Send reference images if you have a colour scheme in mind; if you do not, we will suggest one before starting.