Freehand, painting designs and images by hand rather than using transfers, is one of the most admired skills in miniature painting. A hand-painted banner or shield gives a unit real personality. It looks intimidating, but good freehand is mostly about planning and patience rather than an unusually steady hand. Start simple and you'll be surprised what you can achieve.
Choose a simple, bold design
At miniature scale, simple designs read far better than detailed ones. Good first designs include:
- Geometric shapes: stripes, chevrons, quartered fields and checks
- Simple icons: a skull, star, crescent, sword or flame
- A single bold symbol on a contrasting field
- Repeating borders: dots, zigzags or dags
Avoid small text and fine detail on your first attempts. Strong contrast between the design and the background matters more than complexity.
Prepare a smooth surface
Paint the background in several thin coats so it's smooth and even. Any texture or lumps will catch the brush and distort lines. If the banner is sculpted with folds, remember the design will need to bend with them.
Plan on paper first
Sketch your design at full size on paper. Trace the outline of the banner if you can, so the proportions match exactly. Try a few versions and pick the strongest. Simplify anything that looks fussy.
Sketch onto the model
Mark guide points and lines lightly onto the banner using a thinned paint close to the background colour, or a very sharp watercolour pencil. Start with the centre line and key points, such as the top and bottom of the symbol, then connect them. Light sketch lines are easy to paint over if you change your mind.
For symmetrical designs, mark the centre line first and work outwards, checking both sides match.
Block in the main shapes
Fill in the main shapes in a mid tone using thin paint and several coats. Don't worry about perfect edges yet. Think of this stage as getting the shape and position right.
Tidy the edges with the background colour
This is the most important trick in freehand: you don't need to paint perfect lines first time. Once the shape is blocked in, go back with the background colour and trim the edges of the design until they're crisp. Working from both sides, design colour and background colour, lets you sharpen any line gradually.
Painting clean lines
- Use a brush with a good point and thin, flowing paint. Thick paint drags and stops mid-stroke.
- Load only a little paint, so the line stays consistent.
- Pull the brush towards you rather than pushing it away.
- Rotate the model so every stroke is comfortable.
- Brace your hands together and breathe out on the stroke. Our guide on how to hold miniatures while painting covers bracing techniques.
Add shading and highlights
Flat freehand on a shaded banner can look stuck on. Once the design is complete, add shadows to the design where the banner folds inward and highlights where it folds outward, matching the shading on the rest of the cloth. A thin glaze of the background shadow colour over the design in recesses ties it in convincingly.
Fixing mistakes
- Wobbly line: neaten it from the other side with the background colour.
- Shape off-centre: repaint over it with the background colour and start again. Thin paint makes this easy.
- Design hard to read: increase contrast with a darker outline or a brighter fill.
Freehand on shields
Shields are a great place to practise because they're usually flat or gently curved. Paint them separately before assembly so you can work at a comfortable angle. Remember that a curved surface distorts straight lines, so check your design from the viewing angle, not just straight on.
Adding wear and weathering
A little weathering makes freehand look like part of the model rather than a sticker:
- Sponge or stipple tiny chips of the background colour onto the design.
- Add a thin, dirty glaze along the bottom edge of banners.
- Paint small tears or bullet holes with a dark centre and a light lower edge.
Practise, then practise again
Paint your design on a piece of card or a spare part before committing to the model. Each attempt will be cleaner than the last. A finished freehand banner is often the first thing people notice in a unit, so it's well worth the effort.
Independent resource published by Blubbercove Ltd. This page is not affiliated with, sponsored by, endorsed by, authorised by or licensed by Games Workshop Limited.
Warhammer 40,000, Warhammer Age of Sigmar, Warhammer: The Old World and the names of associated armies, characters and places are trademarks of Games Workshop Limited, used here without permission and solely to identify the subject. This is an unofficial fan guide.