Choosing Paints and Brushes for D&D Nolzur's Marvelous Miniatures

Quick answer

Buy a small set of miniature-specific acrylic paints and two or three synthetic brushes rather than a big craft paint kit. Nolzur's Marvelous Miniatures arrive primed and ready to paint, so you do not need to buy primer or strip the factory coat. A starter set with a detail brush, a base brush, and a wash will cover most of what these figures need.

Nolzur's Marvelous Miniatures are sold primed and ready to paint out of the box, which changes what you actually need to buy. You are not starting from bare plastic, so the usual first question, what primer do I use, does not apply here. The real decisions are which acrylic paints bond well to that factory primer and which brush sizes match the details on the figure.

This guide breaks those decisions into simple rules. It covers paint type, brush sizes, and starter set contents, with honest notes on where cheaper supplies are fine and where they will slow you down. Product examples come from the WizKids Store catalog, including Nolzur's figures and related miniatures that share the same painting workflow.

Start with miniature acrylics, not craft acrylics

Miniature acrylics are formulated with finer pigment and thinner consistency than general craft paint. That matters on Nolzur's figures because the deep cuts molded into the sculpt are designed to hold thinned paint and create natural shading. Thick craft paint fills those cuts and hides the detail you paid for. A small set of 10 to 16 colors from a dedicated miniature paint line will outperform a 30-bottle craft set for this specific job.

You do not need every color. A practical starting palette is a black, a white, a flesh tone, a brown, a metallic silver, a red, a blue, a green, and a yellow. You can mix most other colors from those. If you already own craft acrylics, test them on one figure before committing; some work fine when thinned, and some separate badly on a primed surface.

• Thin paint with water on a palette rather than straight from the pot.
• Two thin coats look better than one thick coat on primed figures.
• Skip artist canvas acrylics; their binders are not made for small resin and plastic details.

Brush sizes that match Nolzur's detail level

For most Nolzur's figures, two brushes do 90 percent of the work: a size 0 or 1 round for base coating, and a size 00 or 000 round for eyes, straps, and edges. A larger size 2 or 3 round helps on big areas like cloaks and dragon wings, but it is optional at the start. Synthetic bristles hold up well with acrylics and cost less than sable, which makes them the better first purchase.

Brush care matters more than brush brand. Never let paint dry in the ferrule, and reshape the tip with your fingers after rinsing. A cheap brush that keeps a sharp point beats an expensive brush that has splayed. If you paint often, buy two of your favorite detail size so one can dry while you use the other.

• Size 1 round: base coats and medium areas.
• Size 00 round: faces, hands, and small gear.
• Size 2 or 3 round: cloaks, wings, and large monster bodies.

Primer and paint compatibility on pre-primed figures

Nolzur's Marvelous Miniatures come primed and ready to paint out of the box, so adding another primer layer is usually unnecessary and can soften fine detail. If you want a different base tone, use a thin coat of acrylic paint or a colored wash instead of spray primer. This keeps the factory primer intact and avoids the risk of a chemical reaction between two primer types.

If you do decide to re-prime a figure, test on a small area first and let it cure fully. Some spray primers go on hot and can damage thin parts. For most painters, the simpler path is to trust the supplied primer and start with paint.

• Do not strip or re-prime a Nolzur's figure unless you have a specific reason.
• Use a wash or thin base coat to change the overall tone.
• Let any added layer dry completely before handling the figure.

What a starter paint set should include

A useful miniature painting starter paint set for these figures includes a range of opaque acrylics, at least one metallic, and a wash or shade. Washes are the fastest way to add depth to the deep cuts on Nolzur's sculpts. If a set skips washes, buy one separately; a brown or black wash alone will improve your first figures noticeably.

Avoid sets built around a single project unless that project matches what you paint. A generic 12 to 16 color starter set covers player characters, monsters, and scenery. If you plan to paint many figures, add a few extra flesh tones and a second metallic, since those run out or get muddy first.

• Look for a set with at least one wash or shade.
• Check that the set includes a metallic; buying it separately is fine.
• Skip sets with tiny 3ml pots if you plan to paint more than a few figures.

Budget trade-offs that actually matter

You can start painting Nolzur's figures for the price of a small paint set and two brushes. The place not to cut corners is your detail brush, because a splayed tip makes eyes and edges frustrating. The place you can save is on base-coating brushes and on palette tools; a ceramic tile or a plastic lid works as a palette.

Buying a larger paint set upfront only pays off if you paint regularly. If you are testing the hobby, a small set plus one wash is enough to finish several figures. Upgrade later once you know which colors you reach for most.

• Spend more on your size 00 brush than on your size 2 brush.
• Use household items for palettes and water cups.
• Add colors one at a time after your first few figures.

Decision rules for buying paint and brushes

• If you are painting your first Nolzur's figure: Buy a 10 to 16 color miniature acrylic starter set that includes a wash and a metallic, plus a size 1 and a size 00 synthetic brush. This covers a full figure without overspending.
• If you already own craft acrylics: Test them thinned on one figure before buying more. If they cover unevenly or fill the deep cuts, switch to miniature-specific paint for detail work. Keep craft paint for bases and scenery if it behaves.
• If you plan to paint many figures: Add a second detail brush and extra flesh and metallic tones. These are the colors that run out or get contaminated first. Buying two detail brushes early saves frustration.
• If you want painted figures without the hobby: Choose pre-painted lines instead of buying supplies. Wardlings figures come pre-painted and are aimed at families and younger players. Skip the paint aisle if painting is not the point for you.

Catalog examples for your painting queue

• D&D Nolzur's Marvelous Miniatures: Dragonborn Clerics: These figures come highly detailed, primed, and ready to paint out of the box, with deep cuts for easier painting. You can skip primer and start with thinned acrylics, and the deep cuts reward a wash rather than thick paint.
• D&D Nolzur's Marvelous Miniatures: Animated Acid Breath: This figure is also primed and ready to paint out of the box, with deep cuts for easier painting. The same paint and brush choices apply, so one starter set covers both a character figure and a monster.
• Pathfinder Battles Deep Cuts - Hobgoblin: Deep Cuts figures are highly detailed, primed, and ready to paint, with little to no assembly required. If you paint both Nolzur's and Deep Cuts, your paint and brush kit works across both lines without changes.
• WizKids Wardlings RPG Figures: Boy Wizard & Imp: Wardlings are pre-painted miniatures for families and gamers of any age. These are a good reference point if you want painted figures without buying supplies, or a comparison piece next to your unpainted work.

Who this buying approach fits

Best for

• New painters starting with Nolzur's or Deep Cuts figures that are already primed
• Players who want a small, focused paint and brush kit rather than a full studio setup
• Gamers painting both character figures and monsters from the same starter set

Not for

• Collectors who want display-ready figures without painting; pre-painted lines are a better fit
• Painters committed to historical or display-level techniques who need specialty pigments and sable brushes
• Anyone looking to re-prime or strip factory-primed figures as a first step

Pick a small miniature acrylic set with a wash, add a size 1 and a size 00 synthetic brush, and start painting your Nolzur's figures as they come. The factory primer is an advantage, not a problem, and the deep cuts in the sculpt will reward thinned paint and a wash. Expand your palette only after you know which colors you actually use.