The most common Warhammer painting mistakes are applying paint too thick, skipping primer, using the wrong brush size, painting in poor lighting, and comparing your work to professional painters. Every hobbyist makes these errors — recognising and correcting them is the fastest path to dramatically better results. This guide covers 15 common mistakes with practical fixes that will immediately improve your painting.
Painting miniatures is a skill, and like all skills, improvement comes through practice and learning from mistakes. The good news is that most painting mistakes are universal — every painter, from beginners to competition winners, has made every error on this list at some point. The difference between a frustrated beginner and a confident painter is often not talent but simply knowing what these common pitfalls are and how to avoid them. If your miniatures do not look the way you want them to, chances are the solution is somewhere in this guide.
Mistake 1: Paint Too Thick
This is the single most common painting mistake and the one that causes the most frustration. Applying paint straight from the pot — without thinning — produces a thick, gloopy coat that obscures detail, creates visible brush strokes, and dries with an uneven, textured surface. Two thin coats of properly thinned paint will always look better than one thick coat, even though it takes longer.
The fix: Thin your paints with water or a flow improver. The ideal consistency varies by technique, but for general basecoating, aim for a consistency similar to semi-skimmed milk — thin enough to flow smoothly off the brush but opaque enough to provide coverage. Add water to your brush or palette a little at a time until the paint flows smoothly. Apply two to three thin coats, allowing each to dry completely before applying the next. The mantra “two thin coats” exists for a reason — it is the single most impactful technique improvement a beginner can make.
Mistake 2: Skipping Primer
Painting directly onto bare plastic or resin without primer is a recipe for frustration. Paint will not adhere properly to unprimed surfaces — it will bead up, streak, and chip off with handling. Primer creates a microscopically rough surface that paint can grip, and it provides a uniform base colour that helps subsequent paint coats look consistent.
The fix: Always prime your models before painting. Spray primer (available from Games Workshop as Citadel sprays or from hardware stores as generic grey/black/white primer) is the fastest and most consistent method. Apply in short, sweeping passes from 20-30 centimetres away, rotating the model between passes. Prime in a well-ventilated area or outdoors, and avoid priming in extreme temperatures or humidity, which can cause a rough, grainy finish.
Brush-on primer is an alternative for those without outdoor space. Citadel’s base paints can also serve as a primer-and-basecoat-in-one, though dedicated primer provides better adhesion.
Mistake 3: Wrong Brush Size
Beginners often reach for the smallest brush they own for every task, thinking that a tiny brush equals precision. In practice, the opposite is true — small brushes hold very little paint, dry out quickly, and force you to make many small strokes rather than smooth, even coats. Using a too-small brush for basecoating is slower and produces worse results than using a correctly sized brush.
The fix: Match your brush size to the task. Use a medium-sized brush (size 1 or 2) for basecoating most surfaces. The brush tip provides precision, while the belly holds enough paint for smooth, even coverage. Reserve fine detail brushes (size 0, 00) for eyes, small details, and edge highlighting only. A good quality size 1 brush with a sharp tip is the most versatile brush in your collection and should handle 80% of your painting tasks.
Mistake 4: Not Cleaning Your Brush
Paint drying in the ferrule (the metal part where bristles meet the handle) destroys brushes faster than anything else. Once dried paint accumulates near the ferrule, the bristles splay outward and the brush loses its point. A £15 Winsor & Newton Series 7 will last months with proper care or weeks without it.
The fix: Rinse your brush in clean water after every few strokes — do not let paint dry on the bristles. After each painting session, clean brushes thoroughly with brush soap (Masters Brush Cleaner is the community standard) by working the soap into the bristles with gentle circular motions, then reshaping the tip to a point and allowing it to dry. Never leave brushes sitting tip-down in a water pot, as this bends the bristles permanently.
Mistake 5: Rushing
Impatience is the enemy of good painting. Applying the next coat before the previous one has dried causes colours to mix and smear. Trying to finish a model in one sitting leads to sloppy work and fatigue. Rushing through an army to get it on the table produces results you will be dissatisfied with and may need to strip and repaint later.
The fix: Let each coat dry fully before applying the next — this typically takes 2-5 minutes for thin coats. Paint in manageable sessions (60-90 minutes is ideal for most people before focus deteriorates). Accept that good painting takes time and build a sustainable pace. A well-painted army completed over months is infinitely more satisfying than a rushed army completed over a weekend.
Mistake 6: Painting in Bad Lighting
Poor lighting causes two problems: you cannot see what you are doing (leading to sloppy application), and you cannot judge colours accurately (leading to unexpected results when you see the model in different light). Many painters work in poorly lit rooms without realising how much it affects their results.
The fix: Invest in a daylight lamp. A desk lamp with a 5000-6500K daylight bulb (available cheaply from any hardware store) provides bright, colour-neutral light that reveals detail and shows colours accurately. Position the light above and slightly in front of your painting area to minimise shadows. This single investment — often costing less than a box of miniatures — will improve every model you paint from that point forward.
Mistake 7: Comparing to Professional Painters
Social media is full of competition-winning paint jobs, and comparing your tabletop work to these masterpieces is a fast track to discouragement. Professional painters spend 40-200+ hours on a single model. They have years or decades of practice. They photograph their work with professional lighting and often post-process images to enhance colours and contrast. Comparing your first models to their best work is like comparing your first guitar lesson to a concert pianist.
The fix: Compare your current work to your own previous work, not to other painters. Take photos of your first models and revisit them after six months — the improvement will be dramatic and motivating. Follow painters at a similar skill level for realistic inspiration, and view competition-level painting as aspirational rather than as a standard you must meet. The goal is to enjoy painting, not to achieve perfection.
Mistake 8: Buying Too Many Paints
New painters often buy dozens of paints, thinking they need one for every colour on every model. In reality, a core set of 10-15 paints plus a wash will handle virtually any colour scheme. Excess paints clutter your workspace, create decision paralysis, and waste money on colours you may never use.
The fix: Start with a basic palette for your chosen army — typically 4-6 basecoat colours, 1-2 highlight colours, a wash, a metallic, and white and black. Add paints only as specific projects require them. You can mix colours to achieve intermediate shades rather than buying every colour individually. A well-curated collection of 15-20 paints will serve you better than 60 randomly purchased pots.
Mistake 9: Not Basing Your Models
An otherwise well-painted model on a plain, unpainted black base looks incomplete. Basing — adding texture and colour to the model’s base to suggest terrain — is the finishing touch that brings a miniature to life. It takes minutes per model and has a disproportionate impact on the overall appearance.
The fix: At minimum, apply texture paint (Citadel’s Stirland Mud or Astrogranite range) to the base, let it dry, drybrush with a lighter colour, and add a tuft of static grass. This 5-minute process transforms the model’s presentation. For more advanced basing, add small rocks, sand, cork, or scenic materials. Consistency is key — use the same basing style across your entire army for visual cohesion.
Mistake 10: Ignoring Sub-Assembly
Fully assembling a model before painting can make certain areas impossible to reach. A Space Marine’s chest aquila hidden behind a bolter, or a rider’s legs obscured by a mount, become permanent shadow zones that look unfinished on the final model.
The fix: Identify hard-to-reach areas before assembly and paint them separately. Common sub-assembly divisions: paint a rider separately from their mount, paint a model’s body before attaching arms and weapons, paint heads separately and attach last. Do not over-complicate sub-assembly — only separate parts that genuinely cannot be reached after assembly. Most models need at most 2-3 sub-assemblies.
Mistake 11: Overcomplicating Your Scheme
Ambitious colour schemes with many different colours look spectacular when executed well but are exhausting to replicate across an entire army. A scheme that takes 6 hours per infantry model means a 40-model army requires 240 hours of painting — an unsustainable commitment for most hobbyists.
The fix: Design your army colour scheme with the full army in mind, not just a single model. Limit your colour palette to 3-4 main colours. Test your scheme on a single model, note how long it takes, and multiply by your army size. If the total is daunting, simplify. A clean, simple scheme painted consistently across an army looks better on the table than a complex scheme painted inconsistently due to fatigue.
Mistake 12: Washing Everywhere
Shade washes (Nuln Oil, Agrax Earthshade, etc.) are often called “liquid talent” because they instantly add depth and shading. However, applying wash indiscriminately over an entire model — including flat panels and raised surfaces — creates a dirty, coffee-stained appearance rather than targeted shading.
The fix: Apply washes selectively into recesses, panel lines, and around details where shadows would naturally fall. Use a small brush to guide wash into specific areas rather than dunking the entire model. On large flat panels (vehicle armour, Space Marine leg plates), use pin washing — applying wash only into the panel lines with a fine brush — to achieve clean shading without staining the surrounding surface.
Mistake 13: Starting with Characters
New painters often want to paint the coolest model first — the Chapter Master, the centrepiece monster, the special character. These models are typically the most detailed and demanding in the range, and painting them with beginner skills leads to disappointing results that can kill enthusiasm.
The fix: Start with basic infantry. These models are simpler, less intimidating, and more forgiving of mistakes. Use your first 10-20 infantry models as practice — by the time you reach your characters, your skills will be dramatically better, and those centrepiece models will receive the quality they deserve.
Mistake 14: Not Varnishing Finished Models
Unvarnished paint rubs off with handling, chipping on edges, weapon tips, and any area that contacts other surfaces during transport. After hours of painting, watching your work deteriorate through normal handling is heartbreaking.
The fix: Apply a protective varnish coat after completing each model. Spray varnish (matte or satin finish) is fastest — apply a light, even coat from 25-30cm away. Matte varnish removes the paint’s natural sheen for a realistic finish. Gloss varnish provides the strongest protection and is useful under matte varnish on models that will see heavy handling. Brush-on varnish works but can leave visible brush marks if applied too thickly.
Mistake 15: Painting Alone Without Community
Painting in isolation, without feedback or encouragement, makes it easy to become discouraged. You cannot see your own improvement, you have no one to ask for advice, and the hobby can feel lonely rather than social.
The fix: Join a painting community. Local Games Workshop stores host painting sessions. Reddit’s r/minipainting provides constructive feedback on posted work. Discord servers offer real-time advice and encouragement. Painting alongside others — even virtually — provides motivation, accountability, and the social connection that sustains long-term engagement with the hobby.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I fix mistakes on a painted model?
Yes. Small mistakes can be painted over once the errant paint has dried. For larger corrections, isopropyl alcohol or dedicated paint strippers (Simple Green, Biostrip) can remove acrylic paint without damaging plastic. Stripping an entire model and repainting is always an option — many experienced painters have stripped and repainted their earliest models as their skills improved.
What is the fastest way to improve at painting?
Paint more models. Volume of practice is the single biggest factor in improvement. Aim to paint something every week, even if it is just a single model. Combine regular practice with targeted learning — watch one tutorial video per week and apply the technique to your current project. Improvement is inevitable with consistent practice.
Should I strip and repaint my early models?
Only if looking at them bothers you. Many hobbyists keep their earliest models as a record of their improvement journey. If you do want to repaint them, stripping in Simple Green or Biostrip for 24 hours followed by scrubbing with a toothbrush removes most acrylic paint cleanly.
Is airbrushing worth learning?
An airbrush provides smoother basecoats, faster priming, and easier gradient effects than a brush alone. However, it requires additional investment (airbrush, compressor, cleaning supplies) and has its own learning curve. Most painters benefit from mastering brush painting first and adding an airbrush later as an enhancement, not a replacement.
How long should primer dry before painting?
Leave spray primer to dry for at least 30 minutes, and longer in cold or damp weather. Many painters leave it overnight to be safe. Paint brushed over primer that’s still tacky can lift or stay sticky, and handling it too early leaves fingerprints in the surface.
Why is my primer grainy or fuzzy?
Usually because you sprayed from too far away, or in cold or humid conditions. The paint starts drying in the air before it lands, which leaves a rough, sandy texture. Spray from 20–30cm in short passes on a dry, mild day. A light grain can be smoothed by brushing on a thin basecoat. A bad one needs stripping.
Why does my varnish look white or frosted?
Frosting usually happens when matte spray varnish goes on in humid or cold weather, or too thickly. Moisture gets trapped and dries as a cloudy, chalky film. Brushing a thin coat of gloss varnish over the affected area often clears it, and you can then add a light coat of matte again in better conditions.