Painting Definitions
Base coat - The base coat is generally the starting color of the area
of the miniature you are painting. For example, if you wanted a
green cloak, you would start with a general color of green then
highlight and/or shade it from there. A uniform base coat can also
be applied to the entire miniature.
Basing - Refers to the base that the miniature stands on and,
specifically, what decorative material is applied to it. i.e. sand,
rocks, flock, static grass, etc.
Bit or Bitz - Many miniatures come in multiple parts. This term
refers to those individual parts.
Blacklining - After using a black Undercoat, while painting the
miniature, make sure to leave a little bit of the black showing where
two different parts of the miniature come together. (Ex. where the
pants and boots are closest). The end result will look similar to a
comic book drawing. A good example of this technique is Rackham's way
of painting their Confrontation miniatures. Can also be achieved by
using a very small brush or a Micro Pen to trace the recessed areas.
Blending - Just like it sounds; making a smooth transition from one
color to another. Usually done with Layering or Wet-blending.
Conversion - Altering the miniature in some way from what it
originally looked like. Can be anything from swapping Bitz to using
sculpting putty.
Drybrushing - A method of Highlighting a miniature. It's achieved by
wiping most of the paint off the brush on a paper towel, then lightly
dragging the brush over the raised areas.
Future floor wax or FFW - A commercially available floor cleaner.
Diluted with water and used to make washes, it helps break down the
water tension pulling the paint into the deeper parts of the
miniature more effectively.
Gloss - A type of paint that, when dry, is shiny.
Green Stuff or GS - A modeling putty that come in two parts. When
kneaded together it will eventually harden allowing you to sculpt
embellishments onto a miniature or, if you're capable, sculpt your
own miniatures. The putty Games Workshop sells is blue and yellow
becoming green when mixed together. Other manufactures make it in
white/blue, white/brown, or even white/gray. The results are the
same, however.
Highlighting - Similar in effect to Drybrushing but more controlled.
Take a small brush with a color lighter than the area you're going to
Highlight and carefully paint the raised areas.
Inks - Generally used to shade an area of a miniature. The ink flows
into the deeper areas of the model creating instant shadows. Can
also be diluted with water for a lesser effect.
Layering - Using increasingly lighter colors of paint on a raised
area, leaving a small amount of the last color showing through.
Light-sourcing - Painting a miniature in such as a way to make it
look like there is a light shining on it as if the model were real.
The light source could be anything from a muzzle flash, glowing eyes,
glowing sword, torch etc.
Matte - A type of paint that when dry is duller in appearance. Also
referred to as flat.
Mini - Abbreviation for miniature.
MNMM - Short for Metallic NMM. A painting technique just like NMM but
using metallic paints.
NMM - Short for Non Metallic Metal. A painting technique that
creates the illusion of real metal. Different shades of gray make
steel and shades of yellow and brown make gold.
Pinning - Adhering two pieces of a miniature together using a small
piece of metal wire as a join between them. You'll need to drill
matching holes in both parts to put the metal wire in. The wire will
help hold the two pieces together. Extremely useful if the pieces are
large and heavier. A small piece of a paperclip works very well,
though brass wire is another common material.
Priming - Primer is a paint that has less pigment and more bonding
elements to help the next layer of paint adhere to the miniature and
resist rubbing off or chipping. Primer is almost always gray but can
be black or white.
Satin - A type of paint that, when dry, is slightly shiny. Also
called Semi-gloss.
SE-NMM - Short for Sky Earth NMM. Like NMM and MNMM but simulates a
chrome-like effect.
Undercoat - An undercoat is a spray paint (or brush paint) that will
give the whole miniature a clean even coating of paint. Sometimes it
and priming are used interchangeably.
Varnish or Clear Coat - A clear spray (or brush on) that helps seal
the miniature, protecting the paint from rubbing off or chipping.
Comes in Gloss, Satin, Semi-Gloss, Matte, and Flat.
Washing - Taking a watered down paint that is darker than the base
coat and carefully painting over it. The paint will collect it the
deep areas. Be careful not to get too much wash in the brush, as the
paint will run easily and pool. Sometimes called Glazing.
Wetblending - Similar in effect to Blending but, where both colors of
paint are still wet.
Thanks to Joe Ramaikas for the revised edition of the Definitions.
