Painted Perspectives is our 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.
“My aim has always been to help beginners build confidence in an entertaining way!” – Millie Paints
For this instalment, we’re chatting with Millie Paints, a UK-based painter and content creator known for her approachable tutorials, clean aesthetic, and helping beginners feel confident at the painting desk. She says she tries to find a balance between keeping things simple without compromising the end result whilst making her tutorials inclusive and approachable. Since starting during the pandemic, Millie has built a welcoming community online, sharing techniques, insights, and encouragement for hobbyists at every stage.
How and when did you first get into miniature painting? What was painting your first mini like?
Millie: I got into miniature painting during the first COVID lockdown. My husband, Sam, had painted since he was a child and bought me a Drukhari Combat Patrol as a way to help with some of the anxiety I was struggling with. I remember being surprised by how peaceful the process was, and how proud I felt of the result, even though it was my first attempt. I still have that first miniature and look at it all the time; it’s a really nice reminder of how much progress comes with time.
Since you started miniature painting, what’s kept you engaged in the hobby?
Millie: After my first year in the hobby, I actually slowed down and took a short break. I returned to painting after my dog passed away, using it as a way of processing things and dealing with my grief — I’ve found that painting has really helped me process my emotions over the years!
When I came back, I started sharing my work more seriously on social media. People were incredibly supportive, and this awesome community just grew. People started asking me for tutorials and commissions and that was how my business was started. Since then, the community I’ve built on Instagram and Twitch has been a constant source of motivation. Being able to help others enjoy the hobby keeps me engaged.
What sort of miniatures do you most enjoy painting?
Millie: Warhammer 40k is where I started, but recently I’ve enjoyed branching out into a wider variety of miniatures. I love TTRPGs and have a couple of D&D campaigns that I dungeon master for, so I really enjoy painting monsters for encounters.
I’ve also started working on busts as a way to push my technique on larger surfaces. I do always come back to a big centrepiece character though; I really enjoy models that tell a story.
Are there techniques or colours you keep coming back to regardless of how your work evolves?
Millie: My work leans towards a fairly clean, muted aesthetic, although recently I’ve been trying to push contrast more as a way to grow. My favourite artists tend to have a grittier, more grimdark feel, which I try to emulate when I can.
My favourite part of the process is usually the final stages: basing and weathering the miniature. There’s something really satisfying (also terrifying) about taking a clean model and adding pigment powders and oils to give it a history.
My favourite colours to work with are reds — I love a deep red cape!
What mistakes have taught you the most and is there anything you still struggle with?
Millie: Comparing myself to other artists taught me a lot, but not always in a positive way. I enjoy looking at other painters’ work for inspiration, but it can easily become comparison, especially when looking at more experienced artists. Learning to focus on my own progress has made me much happier with my work.
Another big lesson has been learning not to force creativity. Because painting is now my job, it’s easy to feel pressure to produce work even when motivation isn’t there, which can lead to burnout. Giving myself space to step away and return when inspiration naturally comes back has made me more productive and more creative.
Finally, don’t be afraid of mistakes. It’s how we learn. It’s okay to get it wrong and start again, or to carry on and see what happens — sometimes it’s just part of the process.
What do you wish you’d known about miniature painting when you started?
Millie: I wish I’d understood how important it is to master the basics early on — learning how to thin paint properly, control the flow from the brush, and develop brush control in general.
Shortcuts and painting hacks can be helpful, and I still enjoy using them, but understanding the fundamentals first makes everything else much easier to learn.
Favourite colours to paint
Purple, white, and red!
What do you listen to while painting?
An audiobook or a Twitch painting stream
Brush you can’t live without
Tesseract Miniature Studios Workhorse and Ruby Brushes: The Signature Six.
Favourite The Army Painter product
All of the washes (cannot live without them), and Warpaints Fanatic Dark Olive and The Darkness — I use them in every miniature.
