Sometimes I do my nails. Sometimes I paint my minis. And sometimes I paint my minis while I’m doing my nails. The disciplines of nail art and miniature painting have many similarities. They require patience and a steady hand, and they use many of the same tools and materials.
I don’t believe that beauty products can or should replace dedicated miniature painting tools. But in some cases, these cosmetic essentials can do the same job at a fraction of the price of products made specifically for painting minis. In some cases, you can get unexpectedly cool results.
If you’re ready to expand your miniature painting arsenal with some less conventional tools, here are some of our suggestions, which you can find online or perhaps in the beauty section of your local drugstore.
31 Piece Nail Art Brush Set
The best place to start is with Synthetic nail art brushes. Pound for pound, these probably aren’t all that different from what you have in stock at your local hobby store. They come in a similar variety of brush shapes and sizes. Unless you find the aesthetic of their designs particularly offensive, you might want to consider picking up a pack of cheap nail art brushes in case your current mini painting brushes need replacing.
V05 matte hair tone
Painting a lot of minis can cause a lot of wear and tear on your brushes, leaving them frayed and caked with acrylic residue after multiple uses. However, with proper care, you can extend the life of even the cheapest synthetic brush. Even though soap and hot water make your brushes feel like new, over time their tips lose their shape. To change this, we turn to hair products.
Full credit goes to this clever suggestion Midwinter minis. With a small amount matte hair tone Apply to brush tips and gently shape in the palm of your hand before allowing to cure overnight.
Sally Hansen crackle coat
Although nail polish has some similar properties to model paint, we would only recommend using it if you’re desperate. Generally, nail polish is a little too thick to use on models and sometimes the bottle is more expensive than most Citadel colors. However, there are some similar nail accessories you can use to create interesting effects when you’re in a pinch.
For example, using a matte or glossy nail polish top coat can give your models a slimy or dry finish. Use “Crackle” top coats
3D nail art gel
If you want to add some extra texture to your minis, 3D nail art resin gel Comes in a tube for easy use and is available in a variety of colors. Use this to add veins, pustules, or other unsightly organic accents to your Plague Knight or Tyranid models.
Metallic nail powder and nail flakes
To give your minis a metallic shine, you can experiment with this metallic nail powder or flakes. Simply prepare your mini by applying a thin layer of clear, glossy paint to the desired area and using a separate brush, lightly dust your model with your favorite accent. Unlike generic glitter, these options are so fine that they are unlikely to add any additional texture to your model. Just make sure any brush you use with glitter or flakes of any kind is labeled and remains intended for that purpose. Not unless you want This means you want the glitter to end up on all of your future minis.
Electric nail trimmer
Anyone who has assembled miniatures or scale models knows how annoying sprues can be. While Cuticle trimmer can be an inexpensive way to free your minis from their molds, they are generally not sturdy enough for extended use against thick plastic, and their shape makes them difficult to wedge into hard-to-reach spaces.
Even once you’ve gathered all the parts, manually sanding down all the attachment points can be a tedious task. While a rotary drill like a Dremel tool is a good choice and good for sawing through a variety of materials, a inexpensive electric nail drill can do the job almost as well. Most models come with a variety of bits that can be used to quickly address attachment points or imperfections.
Onilab centrifuge
If you’re using a lot of different colors at once, it can be tedious to make sure they’re all mixed enough. If you would prefer to automate this annoying process, click here Onilab miniature centrifuge The nail polish used for nail polish is equally suitable for incorporating acrylic paints in different bottle sizes.
Press the pump bottle
Mixing water and paint thinner is a mistake you only make once. If you want to avoid such unfortunate incidents, you should store your chemicals in a special container. This kind of small pump bottle is usually reserved for acetone (but you can put whatever you want in it) and allows you to apply small amounts to a cloth or whatever you use to clean your brushes.
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