Regardless of our preferred miniature games or painting styles, there’s one thing that unites almost all mini painters. A vital necessity that everyone has but is as unique and personalised as a fingerprint. I’m of course talking about the humble painting desk!
Despite everyone having some sort of set-up, it’s a corner of the hobby that’s rarely talked about or shared. This is important hobby knowledge that’s languishing in the dark, unshared and shunned. Well, we decided to switch on our painting lamps and shine a little light on the subject, with four of our hobbyists within the company taking a moment to share their own little workshops and painting retreats within their homes or offices - showing off their set-ups, storage solutions, and unique quirks and preferences.
Adam's Painting Desk
Adam: One of the perks of working for a hobby company that you love is being able to sneak off with a few prototypes and samples. And I did exactly that with the Paint Station 50 found inside the Warpaints Fanatic Mega Paint Set. Truth be told, I did have racks from two different companies, and neither was as durable or as sturdy as the makeup from our proprietary MDF, which matters when you’re as abusive on your hobby gear as an ancient army painter like myself is.
I try to organize my desk so that the paints I use most are right in front of me. So, you'll notice a lot of Warpaints Fanatic which are all then arranged by colour and Triad affiliation. I'm right-handed, so I keep my brushes and airbrush to my right. Off to the left is where you'll find my collections of Speedpaint, then Metallics, then Washes, and above that my collection of Warpaints Air. Everything is organized by colour from cool colours to warm colours. This makes locating what I need a breeze which is helpful when you have over 430 paints in front of you at a time.
Tyler's Painting Desk
Tyler: You may notice my painting desk looks a little small, especially for someone who paints as much as I do. That’s because I have a painting table near our couch in our living room so that my wife and I can spend time together, watch movies or TV, and talk while I’m painting instead of me being locked away in another room the whole time. This small desk sits to the side, and I can pull it in front when I’m working on something. While this means I’m not able to have my entire paint collection out in front of me while working - those are all stored in another room - it does make me focus more on each project.
I’m comfortably able to fit my Wargamers Edition Wet Palette, a bunch of my brushes, my water cup, the models for my current project, and all the necessary paints on this desk. The Paint Station 50 from my Warpaints Fanatic Mega Set helps keep them all tidy and visible while working. Every now and then, after one project rolls into another and the paints start to sprawl out into the working area, I have to do a clean-up session where I assess what paints I have out and what I really need to keep out, then put the rest away, but it’s actually quite helpful in staying organised. You may be wondering about that arch light above the desk? Well, that’s actually a custom piece that my brother-in-law made for me several years ago, ensuring that my models are evenly lit the entire time I’m painting them. With my job here at The Army Painter, and my increased painting time for work, I’ll soon be expanding out to a second painting desk which will be able to hold a few more pieces of equipment and lights.
Steffen's Painting Desk
Steffen: When you paint miniatures for a living, having a well-organized desk is very important, especially for my painting desk in The Army Painter offices. Being able to see all of my supplies neatly displayed around me makes it fast and easy to find what I’m looking for, making sure I’m not wasting any time searching through all the paints. Since most of what I paint gets recorded for our YouTube videos as well, keeping the central area clear is just as vital. Using several of the Paint Station 50s from the Fanatic Mega Paint Set, I’m able to have the entire Warpaints Fanatic range at my fingertips.
Having a very bright light directly above my painting area is equally as important as properly lighting your models while working on them is also essential.
Lasse's Painting Desk
Lasse: This is my humble little workstation that fits on half of my office desk. This is the only available space in my apartment, so I had to squeeze everything together a bit, but then everything is within reach all the time, so it’s not all bad!
I recently moved my paints from a drawer and onto the table and it has been one of the best decisions I’ve made regarding my painting setup. Having your paints displayed not only looks good, but it also encourages you to paint more. Those little bottles are just inviting you to sit down and work. With each paint also having its own spot on the rack, it also makes it very simple to keep your station in order – the paint just goes back in its spot once you put some on your palette, and you don’t forget where you placed the bottle afterwards. Being someone who isn’t good at keeping my things in order, this helps me tremendously!
