Build and paint your first Warhammer model: perfect for beginners

Let me guide you every step of the way, and help you build and paint your first Warhammer model. I'll cover all the tools you need, all the essential techniques, and let you know the common mistakes to avoid.

00:00 Intro
01:04 Essential equipment
04:17 Planning the build
04:50 Removing bits from the sprue
05:21 Cleaning mold lines
06:06 Assembling the model
07:35 Basing your model
08:53 Priming
10:45 Planning the paint scheme
12:05 Basecoating main colour
13:28 Drybrushing
15:05 Accurate basecoating
16:02 Fixing mistakes
17:40 Using shade paints
19:36 Highlighting
21:35 Waterslide transfers
23:09 The finished model
23:53 First mini vs Latest mini
25:11 Credits

Music by Midwinter Minis.

Here are some useful links for stuff we use. Amazon gives us a few pennies if you buy using these, at no extra cost to you!

[joshbecka]

“I have never built or painted a war thing” best sentence of the day

[nautilusshell]

The most important thing to remember for beginners is to never compare your work with the box art! They are professionals that have painted for years and do it everyday as a job, there is no way your models will look like that when you start painting. Focus on choosing fun color choices and experimenting with painting techniques as you get more comfortable! Don’t feel ashamed to try something new or a color scheme that is not official! Have fun and be proud of your work! There is nothing more fulfilling then having your own work on display on a shelf or table!

[sundowner]

By no exaggeration, this has gotta be the best beginner friendly tutorial on youtube - watched this a few months back before tackling my first ultramarines, and it's fun to come back to this to see that those same techniques still apply. Hats off to you Guy for getting a fool into this wonderful hobby

[JBasilix]

Damn finally somebody who actually tells the basics and not some frickin high class art lesson.
I appreciate this video a lot. Pretty much every tutorial I have seen up to now was way to advanced for an absolute beginner.
"Go ahead with the airbrush" as if I have an airbrush just sitting around! Or "Use some wash" without explaining how or even what that is. And ofcourse working with 7 different pots of paint for a simple marine.
This video just made my day. It gave me some real motivation to go and paint some models while giving me some more realistic outlook on what I can expect.

[MrHendrix]

Guy tells us a story of an incident with a knife leading to a lifelong scar then proceeds to cut towards himself while trimming

[insomniacg]

"You wouldn't expect it to be rainbow..."

Dana Howl has entered the chat

[Robothian]

I've just started getting my boys into WH40K (ages 10, 12, &13) and they have been very hesitant with their first models and terrified of mistakes. After they watched this video and saw how well your nieces did, it really motivated them to move forward and onto other models. Thanks for the video! And the help in sharing a 25 year pastime with my kids!!
P.s. my daughters took a shine when they heard other girls painting as well, I couldn't be happier!!

[MrBones]

I've been collecting for 7 years now and this has finally given me the confidence to get painting, I have painted nearly 400 models in 7 months. Thanks for the tips

[angelsoffurtitude]

step 1: apply base color all over the model
step 2: lots of nuln oil
Job's done

[insomniacg]

Bonus protip from an artist who's drunk the paint water too many times: Use two water cups. One's your dirty water that you wash your brush in, the other's your clean water that you wet your brush with. Much less time spent on refills

[ZombieGuy]

I don’t even have any warhammer minis. I don’t have the money to collect warhammer minis. I watched this whole thing.

[Abyss_Watcher]

Gonna be honest, this is my second time trying to get into the hobby side of 40k and this video has certainly helped me not get intimidated again. Thank you.

[garyc]

GW should just add a QR code to this video inside their starter boxes.

[Vortagh]

Oh my god, an eleven year old paints better than I did when I was 18. I wish I had these videos back in the late nineties. Written instructions with four accompanying images, one of which being "After basecoat, base colours and blacklines - now paint the rest of the miniature." really sucked. This was a great video, as always! I recently got back into the hobby, after pausing between 2005 to 2020 and boy did all these videos by you, Miniac, Goobertown, Duncan, etc etc help me paint minis, that I am so very proud of.

[ariesmusic]

This is a reeeally good vídeo. Thank you so much!

[riverdelavidawilliams]

Guy: “I’ve paint hundreds of models”
*flashes back to that week when he painted an entire army of orks and then another entire army of deathguard*
Guy: “Maybe thousands of models”

[SquidmarMiniatures]

1000's of minis Guy, geez! After your next 400 models in 3 days challenge it will be even more!

[lewispowell]

My girlfriend has deicided she wants all my spare nurgle models but is scared of painting them, im sure she will be happy to try after watching this thankyou

[gamerman]

This is probably the best beginner video I've seen. All other videos like these usually is by skilled painters, but this is the first time I've seen someone actually show alongside actual beginners.

[nomore]

Hey! Please read! I just re- stumbled across this video. I watched it 1 year and 9 months ago. Thank you. Thank you so very much buddy. You see, I've been wanting so bad for about 15 years to get into the hobby. Like many, I was terrified of painting. I'm no artist. Never built a model kit. I was terrified of it, and thought I would never be apart of the 40k tabletop community. Then I found this video one day after watching "play on tabletop". You made me believe that I could paint. You made it look simple. So I took the plunge. Again thank you. I've painted so much in 1 year and 9 months. I have tyranids, ultramarines, sisters, necrons, and my wife is now painting an orc army. You actually changed my life in a very very very positive way. ::::Shakes your I wish yall the best.