“Okay,” I said, seeing we were ready. “To the paint.”
I grabbed my palette and placed it on the table between us. “This is a wet palette. The amount of paint we’re using is so small that it can dry out fast.” It was a white, square dish with a damp sponge and a piece of paper on top.
I smiled as Miller poked the paper just to see what it felt like.
Picking out a few colors I needed to start my miniature’s skin tone with, I added a couple of drops of each to the pallet, picked out a paintbrush from the cup, and dipped it into the clean water to get the bristles nice and wet.
“It’s just like regular paint,” I said, mixing a few colors until I got the right shade. “You want to make sure your paint it pretty watered down, or you’ll lose a lot of definition from the model.”
Grabbing my mini by the handle, I slowly and precisely painted all the areas that had exposed skin. “It’s kind of streaky because it’s so thin,” I said, leaning over to show him. “But that’s okay. We paint in layers to build up the color, and two layers are usually enough. It lets the shadows I made with the primer still show through. We’ll start with all the base colors, and then I can show you some tips on how to get detail later with washes and dry brushing.”
Nodding, Miller studied the colors I’d already added to the palette and then reached for a couple more. Figuring he’d be nervous if I watched, I returned to my mini and finished the first layer of the skin tone. Deciding to give the rogue I was painting a blue and gold color scheme, I moved on to painting their clothes and hair.
“What do you think?” Miller asked, shoving the mini he held in his hand toward me.
“Beautiful,” I said, grinning down at his dark magenta, green, and yellow-robed sorcerer.
Miller’s smile was worth it as he hugged the still drying miniature to his chest.
Leaving my mini to dry before I began working on the detail, I stood and stretched out all the kinks in my back as I walked toward the kitchen. “I’m getting something to drink. Would you like anything?”
“Water, please?”
Nodding, I instinctively reached for the little cabinet. Opening it, I stopped short with my hand inches away from the lavender sippy cup. Silently cursing myself, I closed the cabinet and opened the one next to it. Two glasses of water later, I returned to the living room and placed his glass by his side.
“Thanks,” he said, his tongue sticking out as he painted the tiny details of the sorcerer’s staff.
Seeing he was almost done with all the base coats, I walked him through how to use dark, watery washes of paint to deepen the recesses and how to dry brush to highlight.
“Eyes are hard,” he said, leaning over his miniature with the tiniest brush I owned.
Nodding, I laughed. “Don’t look too closely at my collection. I think I have more wonky eyes than straight.”
“Boop,” he said, making the barest contact with the model. Sitting back, he tilted his head as he studied his work. “I think she’s looking in that direction,” he said, pointing to his right. “And that one,” he added, pointing over his left shoulder.
Leaning over, I bumped his shoulder as I looked at his mini. “I think you’re right,” I said in a super-serious tone.
With a laugh, Miller placed his hand on my upper arm and pushed me away. “Hey, don’t make fun of Tabitha.”
Laughing at his antics, I took a good look at his mini. “Other than the slightly funky eyes, I think you did a wonderful job for your first time.”
“Really?” he asked, turning the figure this way and that.
“Really,” I replied. “Are you ready to work on your wizard?”
“Yes!” Miller leaned over the table and studied the limited selection I had. “I like this one,” he said, grabbing the wizard with the expressive cloak sweeping behind him as one hand was poise high with a ball of magic gathering in his palm and a dagger held in the other.
“Good choice,” I said, reaching for another miniature. “What colors are you thinking of going with?”
He studied the wizard for a moment. “I’m thinking blues and teals with a hint of yellow and pink thrown in.”
“Very vaporwave of you,” I said, reaching for a lovely forest green. “I