My MUST HAVE Miniature Paints 

Goblin Green for basing, because the 90's never ended.

You call yourself a Ben Komets fan and there's no Tank Brown or Dark Sea Blue????

I was expecting to hear about some good paints, instead I not only got that but finally understood wet blending. Thanks Jon

As someone new to miniature painting, this shit is gold.

I feel like wet blending is my favourite of all techniques, but you have blown my mind with how good you are with your colour choices. Blue with brown, red with cream, and somehow you've made it seamless. I'm officially boggled. I'd love a future video that goes into how you pick colours, and how you're choosing where to place each to get that lovely lighting effect.

When the list went A,2,D I legit spat out my tea😂

ive never painted a mini in my life but this guy's enthusiasm is contagious. i kinda want to try it

Since I was a young child I loved arts and crafts. I have done linoleum block carvings and made my own stamps. I learned crocheting, sewing and pottery in my tweens. In Highschool horticulture,drawings, painting. As a young adult painting houses, businesses. As a hobby I upcycle and paint just about everything and do wall murals. Bonus my husband was a auto body paint rep. So I got paint guns and have played around with so many brands of paints, primers, glazes, stains, fillers and tools. As a child on into my senior years I have Been encouraged, have inspired, have self meditated and dreamed up another project…it never ends. Currently I have turned our RV shop into a medieval castle. The shop doors are painted copper with faux black iron bars in a grid pattern and big 3D rivets evenly spaced in single file on my black iron bars, the drywall around the shop doors are painted to look like wood planks.The wood planks and painted to look like mortar in between the planks. It looks like a Dungeons and dragon castle, so I wanted to add some whimsy…so I painted a whimsical skull head popping out of the iron grid square-wearing a steampunk top hat waving hello. I named him Sully. I think being a artist is playing, creating what inspires you, getting to know your color wheel, experimenting with products. Usually they say don’t mix water and oil but it depends what and where you are applying it to. I have used wood stains over water based for shadowing. I create less mistakes if I use products on a sample piece to see how they interact and what effects they create. Well I took a pause in my artwork to watch your videos as before I started watching I stripped the paint and sharpie markers that my artistic 4 year old did on a giant Barbie doll and was waiting for the 3rd coat of sealer to dry so I can giver a new face and make her a new steampunk outfit so my niece will have a new doll to play with. Thanks for sharing your videos and encouraging me to dream and play some more. I realize a lot of viewers hate long comments but I have no clue how to do videos but I enjoy watching your channel and reading comments. I am deaf so my visuals and art is what keeps me going, it was hard losing my hearing in my mid 40’s as I lost communication with friends and relatives and work related associations. I’ve learned to just have gratitude to those that are there for you in life, that inspire you to be better in all aspects of life. Be well, be compassionate to yourself and others, share a smile and do what brings you joy… trust me it’s contagious ( look how many positive comments and people that learned something ; I bet you smiled with renewed enthusiasm) 😊

"50 must have miniature paints" Bank account starts sweating profusely.

You are rapidly surpassing the competition on RU-vid. I hope you have a good weekend. Also. Vallejo Light Grey. I can't live without.

Jon, you keep makin' 'em, I'll keep watchin' 'em. Thanks for this, and good to see you're improving at making videos way faster than I'm improving at painting minis. With your help, I'll get there though. Sloooooowly...

I love the whole P3 line. Tons of fantastic colors for blending and they work great out of an airbrush. I've recently discovered Scale 75 and their metalic and ink range is pretty fantastic.

Because I'm a freak for lists (tad OCD perhaps?), for reference, here are the colors mentioned. Thank you for the video Ninjon, enjoyed it a lot, especially the demo! Blues Citadel: Fenrisian Grey Kimera Kolors: Blue Nocturnal N-Paint: Spirit Blue P3: Coal Black, Exile Blue Reaper: Midnight Blue (09019) Browns Citadel: Mournfang Brown, Rhinox Hide, Zandri Dust Nocturnal N-Paint: Leather Brown P3: Gun Corps Brown, Rucksack Tan Pro Acryl: Mahogany Vallejo Model Air: Rotbraun (71.271) Greens Nocturnal N-Paint: Poison Green P3: Gnarls Green, Ordic Olive Pro Acryl: Bright Pale Green, Jade Reds Citadel: Khorne Red Kimera Kolors: The Red P3: Sanguine Base Pro Acryl: Burnt Red Yellows Citadel: Averland Sunset Kimera Kolors: Cold Yellow, Warm Yellow Purple and Pinks Kimera Kolors: Magenta (? not 100% sure) Vallejo Game Color: Royal Purple (72.016), Squid Pink (72.013) Metalics Pro Acryl: Copper Scalecolor: Dwarven Gold (Oro Enano) Vallejo Metal Color: Aluminium (77.701) Oranges Citadel: Troll Slayer Orange P3: Bloodstone Scalecolor: Orange Leather Vallejo Game Color: Scrofulous Brown (72.038) Whites & Blacks P3: Frostbite, Menoth White Base, White Pro Acryl: Bright Warm Grey, Warm Titanium White Vallejo Model Color: Black (70.950), Buff (70.976), Ice Yellow (70.858) Note: There are some I wasn't 100% certain, mostly the Kimera Kolors which appear to have no name on the bottle. I will edit when I find out.

I think this is one of the best miniature painting videos I've watched since I got into the hobby. I've seen a lot of people use techniques, but this is the first one where I really got a sense for the satisfaction, and making wet blending feel actually achievable. Favorite colours are also *so* relatable. Even if I don't have any of YOUR favorite colours, I know which ones appeal to my own painting palette and it gets me thinking about other ways to use them in conjunction with each other. I've been having a lot of thoughts about over-reliance on certain shades, so it's nice to see familiarity with a colour recontextualized as a good thing.

"Slay the Grey" - this is my new battle cry on my days off work!

I feel like Agrax Earthshade is such a nice shade and so versatile. I use it a lot with a lot of colors. Also I love the consistency and opacity of Rhinox Hide.

Jon I am impressed at how new of a channel you are and how great your videos are. They are super well put together and super useful. You are already my favorite mini painting channel. Great work!

10/10 tendies. Won't be able to afford any of these for a long while, but I love that you included some tips on blending as well and I honestly just enjoy your content in general.

I never really understood wet-blending, but the first 30 seconds of work on his cloak perfectly illustrated the technique in such a clear and obvious way - truly appreciate it!

I have been devouring all this content. Got a starter set of paints and some mini’s coming soon. Stoked to start throwing some paint around. You guys are definitely a step above. Thanks for all the great info

That was a great video. I started simply wanting to now about the paints and was not expecting a tutorial but what I got was amazing and I thank you so much.

Great choices and excellent video! Very helpful and appreciate seeing the paints in action as you paint the mini! Thanks also for the wet blending technique tips! I have been doing this for some time, but mostly for flame related items. This is help me to "up my game" with establishing my shadows and mid-tones! Cheers!

MSP Maggot White and Vallejo Periscopes are some of my favorites. The MSP Maggot White has this nice pale teal hint to it that I love using on bone or as a highlight for colder whites and the Periscopes is my absolute favorite for black leather. It has this beautiful deep blue color that just brings out leather so nicely.

Thank you for explaining wet blending! Also, I wish I had a list that explained to me which paints to get before I got a big paint set from Army Painter....some colors are just not good, and it makes me sad.

Great walkthrough! Loved it Jon! It was a cool perspective to learn about paints, while you were painting something in the background. Them not being entirely relative was also pretty cool. Excellent!

I use Incubi Darkness a lot, and I found it is a perfect colour to mix with a red for shading that red. Plus you can use just incubi and white to get a nice (very) cold nmm silver.

Thank you for this great video! I like how you fill up the part of the video that is not about the title subject with even more tips and info instead of random painting shots! I was hoping to learn about one thing, but I actually learned about two :)

Thanks, Jon! I appreciate your videos and the info you share. I especially like how you explain and show examples of what you're discussing. You are the thinking man's painter with a flair for instruction. Keep making these vids, man. I love them.

Lovely video, thanks. Glad to see P3 paints represented so well. Seems like Privateer Press have pretty much given up on expanding it, but it still holds up very well I think.

Thanks for the list! Your tips on skin and your exposition mixed with painting demonstrations is helpful!

I was just looking for a vid for my miniature painting video addiction and right on point there you are! TY for the vid, I hope you will keep making them for a long time!

Entertaining and informative! Love the humour, A, 2, D! Keep up the good work, you really add something to the youtube minipainter mix!

amazing work, I learned so much from watching this, i love the effect you got on the book pages as well!

im so glad you told me how to wet blend cuz i have been scratching my head trying to figure out how to do it or what you mean when you say "wet blending" so im happy to finally get an answer to that. maybe a video that breaks down all the different techniques for dummies like me who don't really get the terminology.

Nobody talking about how he literally said a butt load of warm browns? Anyways, awesome video as always Jon! This was really helpful for me as I'm looking to bust into other paint ranges.

My wife and I have been painting together, and are looking to stock up on some new paints. Pro acryl’s boxed sets seem to be well regarded, cover a lot of the TYPES of colors you mention here and even appear in a lot of your choices... I think I’m pulling the trigger thanks to this. Love the new channel, keep it up!

For pinks, Vallejo fluo magenta is exquisite. I like painting vaporwave crap and it is extremely vibrant. I think it's my favourite paint!

I have been watching videos on wet blending for years, I have tried doing wet blending with no real success. You video is amazing and I am now excited to try it again! Thanks Jon! 😊

Thank you for finally putting the exact steps of wet blending into words. I was never sure if I'm doing it right because everyone just shows it but doesn't explain it. :)

P3 Coal Black is one of my favorite colors ever, so glad to see it mentioned here.

I know I say this every video, but the quality of these videos and information is perfectly articulated every time! You, miniac and midwinter minis is all I need

P3 Blighted Gold, I love that color and if I come across a part that could be a brass, copper, or gold that is my go to as it looks like a well used realistic golden color.

I dont think I have ever seen Jon so calm in any other video . Talking about pigments and paints really give him some Zen. Now After this we need to make it a series. What is your pigment list? What is your ink list? Other stuffs you can't live without. Like Mediums, flow improvers, varnishes, etc What other stuff do you find yourself to use on a day by day basis

When you wet-blended the hood, the edge highlights made it stand out and look really realistic. Good Job!

Saved for later use. This video inspired me, makes me want to get better at wet blending and made me question why I never used feathering before.

Such a good idea to show the colors and actually use them with other painting techniques. Keep up the good work! Your videos are rad!

I revisit this a lot, just as a way to kick-start pondering color palettes. The section on highlight colors made me view color theory differently. 10/10 content

this was so lovely and calm and a great insight into techniques and color choices. great video!

As a huge fan of Trapped Under Plastic I am stoked to see your personality coming through in your videos! And the explanation of wet blending was phenomenal!

Awesome tips on paint! You are the wet blending master!

Great list! I've only been painting for a couple years and only really have Citadel paints currently, so it's cool to get some suggestions for how to branch out!! Thanks Jon! The one paint that I think I will never be separated from is Skeleton Horde Contrast paint. It's just so useful and I'm able to get so much mileage out of it depending on how thin/thick I go with it.

Dude, I love the way you describe colors. Great video!

Loving your content Jon. I am just starting to paint and you help make it approachable with good info for everyone. Also I really appreciate the way you approached you hobby of hunting. You really approached the topic with a lot maturity and respect. I have been in the firearms industry since 2005 and enjoying hunting myself.

Man, this video is amazing! Great inspiration for awesome paints and a very nice tutorial on wet blending to boot :)

I’ve got nothing to add just commenting for the RU-vid analects 👍 Oh loving the content so far

I bought some of the "fantasy pro" Noctirna paints that they did with Vallejo. I have to say that I really enjoy the Crimson from that set. It is a nice burgundy color and it works well for shadows. Great video, learned a lot.

i found and really like Dark Star metallic they go on so nicely love there triad set as they are done as a base, shadow and highlight. plus you can add colours to them with no problem

Watching you wet-blend really helps the technique stick for some reason. Looking forward to trying it out tomorrow!

Thanks for another great video, I'm just starting out, it was great to see your technique as well as colours you go for.

Great content! As a beginner it is great to get a good idea of what paints are best to pick up early.

Honestly, think this is your best video yet, production wise. Also very high on the quality of the content, but really, you had excellent focus on that camera as you showed us the techniques you were using the paints for. Thank you.

Thats the best of your videos by far so far (for me). Really interesting to get a perspective on a wider range of colors instead of "thats the 8 colors you need". Good stuff!

Love the videos and your explanation of your techniques

Wow, I have to say, this is low-key one of the best videos on wet blending I have ever watched. Never tried the technique yet, since it is always treated as extremely technical and so I have perceived it as too difficult for me, but you dispelled all that. I think using the word swishing helped a lot to ground this technique in reality for me haha. So thank you! I will give this a shot on an upcoming daemon prince project :D

Very informative video, not only on paints but also in wet blending. Great work!

Love your wet blending description.

Molten Bronze by P3 is one of my favorite metallic's because over white you get a rose gold look and over black you get a nice rich bronze that is just amazing.

Holy crap, there's a lot of good info here! Not only did you list great paints from a variety of manufacturers and in a variety of hues, you demonstrated a bunch of techniques while slipping in some key takeaways from color theory so subtly that most folks won't even notice they've been educated. Your casual, almost incidental explanations of wet-blending, feathering and highlighting are the most applicable lessons I've ever seen on those techniques, despite watching long tutorials supposedly devoted to them exclusively. I'm gonna have to watch this one end-to-end again, probably more than once, to absorb everything you crammed into this. Your channel is coming on strong as one of the very best resources for upgrading the skills of advance beginners moving into intermediate-level painting--a skill-range niche that is woefully underserved, actually. Keep up the excellent work!

Just what I didn't need. MORE PAINTS! lol. Great vid Jon. Loved the fig.

Great stuff Jon , loving the Chanel. I am a paint ahocalic so I get full ranges. Now I have another with Nocturna thanks bud 👍

Another solid one, keep up the good work Jon.

By the way, thank you for showing off such a beautiful model. I’m not usually an undead fan, but the sculpt was so beautiful, and your result so cool, I decided to buy one. Can’t wait for it to come, even if it takes some time (I live in Canada - those customs, man).

I just tried Vallejo's Liquid Gold range for the first time today. Might be a game changer for me. They have a reflective quality that you can't get with acrylic paint. I would highly recommend trying them out if you're considering branching out with metallics :)

Man, your painting videos are by far the most instructional, with clear explainations on the entire web!! Keep on doing it! You're on my FAV list!! Awesome job! And your wet blending technique......just, speechless!! I've tried that with contrast paints....they do the trick, but not as smooth and good looking as yours!.....but they pay me 3€ for comission so....I'll try your technique for my own minis!

Iron Hull Grey by P3. I think I end up with that on almost every mini I do. So glad to see you talking about P3 paints. They are where I started, and I'm surprised that so few people talk about them, probably my favorite line of paints. I always thought it was me being "wrong" like they were frowned upon or something, akin to Apple Barrel, but they were so creamy and cover so well. I've been using them for years though and they never fail to impress.

Great descriptors, Sir. Thank you.

It really helps to have someone explain wetblending and feathering with such a great camera angle and lighting. Keep up the awesome work! These videos really inspired me to try new techniques with colors i would have never thought to try and splat together. (like brown and blue) who knew right?

Thanks for your recommendations some interesting choices here and I noticed a lot of P3, time to pick some more up..

steggadon scale green, and temple guard blue. one of my favorite darker tones especially for super dark blues, as well as the opposite for something super vibrant and great for highlighting.

While painting my Salamander army, Army Painter Green Skin has been invaluable. It is THE perfect green for that army. Haven't found another use for it yet, but I'm still new, and I'm sure it'll pop up again.

I really enjoy linen white from reaper minis. It's a warmer white that I've started using for highlights and whatnot. I've only been actively painting for a couple months, and I find myself going back to it a bunch for all sorts of situations.

Came for the minipainting, stayed for the background music

best blending tutorial ever, thank you Ninjon!

Man I'm so glad you finally have videos out with such great advice! Thanks Ninjon. Love the Podcast as well. 👍🇺🇸👍

I actually use a lot of my Ranger Vintage Patina metal paint. I bought it to add age to handmade jewelry but now i use it for my models. They come in a lot of various colors, including metallics and already have mixing balls inside of them. The viscosity is perfect. The colors are highly pigmented. I do seal my minis after, because the paint is meant to be scuffed off of metal after it has dried. So it can flake off if not sealed properly, but they glide on and cover well.

Broken Anvil Miniatures - one of my favourite and longest-running Patreons...love their minis!

Your like this smooth wet blend of Scott and Brent from Goobertown hobbies. Killing it on videos. I know understand wet blending a bit better. No favorite color yet, but I'm just starting to build my paints up to "good quality paints" but Viper Green/Naga Green from Reaper will probably be my nostalgic choice for Orcs and Goblins.

Earned a sub with this video! Appreciate all the tips, thinking about just buying the Duncan's paint set but may just buy a bunch on this list!

I think that I've learned more about painting from this one video than the last fifty painting videos I've watched! I've seen loads of tips and tricks that I can copy, to replicate what the other painter is doing but this video has really opened my eyes to painting intuitively. Colour selection is something I do struggle with, it's like approaching a job without knowing which tools to use so only ever using a hammer and screwdriver for everything and I've had some really burnout simply through that frustration so this is really, genuinely helpful! :D Two paints that I've been absolutely loving recently, that you didn't mention are Black Templar and Skeleton Horde from Citadel's Contrast range. Black Templar is great for any kind of rubberised material and I've used it a lot as base colour too, I just really like the way other paint looks over the top of it. Skeleton Horde is great for bone obviously, put parchment, wood, skin, and metallics all benefit from a wash.

Another great video, I really enjoy the little jokes and whatnot to break up the learning. Amazing looking model as well at the end! Need to have a go at more techniques (like feathering) to improve

Thank you for taking the time to paint a miniature on a miniature painting channel. Great vid, awesome paint job. If enough people keep prodding about wet blending I will be forced to try it.

“Find something to feather and you’ll feel really good because it’s instant gratification.” Thanks for that special tip ( and here I thought I was watching a video about paints! 😉. Seriously, this is the best piece I’ve ever seen on the subject (paints, not feathering). 😊

Hey Jon a great exercise for painters to try that made me so much better at doing faces; and that is paint skin tones using only three colors! (Red, yellow, and White) I encourage you or anyone who reads this and has not done this to give it a try. Thanks for a great video!

Came to get some ideas for good paints to get, ended up unexpectedly learning a bunch about painting that had no clue about before

I'll chime in with what other said because it's nice to see how happy Jon is on the podcast when they talk about the channel haha. But honestly really good presentation on how wetblending and feathering works, these are some really good close up shots! it got me eager to try some wetblending again :D

I’m relatively new and use reaper bones paint. I tend to mix black and dark brown together, mix a bit of gold and yellow, skeleton bone is my absolute favorite for several things

I quickly fell in love with Glistening Blood from Army Painter. It has that consistency that sinks in like contrast paint, has some purple hues mixed in with the red, and is very glossy. I find it perfect for fresh blood, but it's so good that I end up using it for anything I want to have a shiny vibrant red.

Scale75 Mojave White and AK Tenebrous Grey make it onto literally every single model I paint. They are just the perfect, muted, allround off-white and off-black I've ever come across, and they translate into literally everything.

Dayum what a fabulous channel! What I love: 1) You use P3 paints. P3 does not get enough love on RU-vid so kudos! 2) You give permission to use a colour you simply like or have a nostalgic attachment to. Awesome. 3) Creature Caster, a company based in my mother country-Canada! OK, that was in another of your videos. Kudos, anyhow. Overall, seven thumbs UP!

I wanted to get my hands on those minis and hadn't realized they weren't available yet until yesterday when I tried to buy all of them.