Painted Perspectives is a series where we talk to miniature hobbyists from across the community about how they paint, what inspires them, and how they found their place in the hobby. There’s no single right way to approach miniature painting, and this series celebrates the many different paths people take to get there.
“For my painting style or focus, I have loved mimicking what I see in nature. I absolutely love painting something to look tangible and have the texture of what we see out in the world.” – Courtney DeVries
For this instalment, we’re chatting with Courtney DeVries, known in the hobby as Figuratively Speaking Minis. A member of The Army Painter Factory Team, Courtney is a Canadian miniature painter, competition judge, and international teacher. Guided by a belief that miniature painting should be welcoming and accessible to everyone, Courtney focuses on creativity, inclusion, and the joy of tabletop play. When she paints, she’s drawn to the tactile: texture, atmosphere, and the feeling that a miniature could exist in the real world.
How and when did you first get into miniature painting? What was painting your first mini like?
Courtney: I first started painting board game miniatures, because we played, and it was so fun! I hadn't realised there was this whole world of miniature painting up until then.
I had such a blast painting my first miniature, which was the Jedi from Star Wars: Imperial Assault. Then I painted miniatures from Gloomhaven and those are my first photographed minis.
Since you started miniature painting, what’s kept you engaged in the hobby?
Courtney: The feedback I have gotten as I paint has really kept me engaged with miniature painting. For the first little bit, when I started, it was because I needed a hobby. But now, it is definitely the feedback and the drive to keep improving and seeing just how far a paint job can go.
What sort of miniatures/models do you most enjoy painting?
Courtney: I most enjoy two types of models; the first being natural figures like birds and mice, and secondly absolutely grotesque monsters. The more horrific the better.
Are there techniques or colours you keep coming back to regardless of how your work evolves?
Courtney: I really rely on greens and browns. I feel most at home when I am painting with desaturated tones and natural colours. I always come back to those when I need a brain break from loud or pastel colours. I really can't do much with neon or pinks.
What mistakes have taught you the most and is there anything you still struggle with?
Courtney: I make a lot of mistakes and funnily enough, it is the foundational techniques I struggle with. I love to start a project but forget and regret not prepping the model better. Gaps and imperfections can wreck a paint job, and I have to remind myself to slow down and prep the model better for the best results. Paint can only hide so much.
What do you wish you’d known about miniature painting when you started?
Courtney: When I started, I thought that the best techniques to master were the hardest ones, like nonmetallic metal. I thought, if I could just paint that technique that would make me a good painter. But as I have done this for several years now, that is not the case. While there is an argument that those techniques can best demonstrate skill, it is not the be all and end all of being a good miniature painter.
I found my style and what I like to do and how I like to do it. No one can do it the way I do and that makes me happy. That makes me a miniature painter regardless.
So, I would tell my beginner self: just try those things, but don’t worry if you can’t do them yet and don’t get hung up on it if you can’t. This is art, and finding yourself in it is the best part.
Favourite colours to paint
Green and brown!
What do you listen to while painting?
I listen to music or put on a YouTube video of someone painting or modelling.
Brush you can’t live without
The Army Painter and Dungeons & Dragons did a brush collaboration a looong time ago and it was one of my first brush sets. I stand by that brush set. Best.
Favourite The Army Painter product
Airbrush paints are my favourite TAP products. They’re reliable and I use them often for brush painting too.
Most unconventional place you find inspiration?
Probably the ground, but then that tracks – I like looking at dirt.
👉 Keep up with Courtney’s work at Instagram and her website!
👉 Check out Courtney's top products from The Army Painter!
👉 Shop Warpaints Air
