How to Paint the Fungus Leshy and Seaweed Leshy Miniatures

Quick answer

Start by checking that both leshies are fully primed, then basecoat the Fungus Leshy in warm earth tones and the Seaweed Leshy in cool greens and browns. Build color with thin layers, use a controlled wash for depth, drybrush or edge-highlight the raised textures, and finish with a matte varnish. The whole pair is a weekend project.

Leshy miniatures reward a simple approach because their shapes are organic: caps, fronds, bark, and vines. You do not need advanced techniques to make the Fungus Leshy and Seaweed Leshy look good on the table. You need clean basecoats, one or two washes, and a few deliberate highlights.

This guide walks through the process in order, with the specific mistake to avoid at each stage. If you are painting plant miniatures for the first time, follow the steps as written before you experiment with your own color schemes.

What you need before you start

Gather a primer, a small set of acrylic paints, two or three brushes, a wash, and a matte varnish. A wet palette helps keep thin layers workable, but a ceramic tile or plastic lid works too. Keep a cup of clean water and a paper towel within reach so you can rinse and wick brushes without leaving your seat.

Work under a daylight lamp if you can. Plant miniatures rely on subtle green and brown shifts, and warm indoor bulbs make those shifts hard to judge. If your only light is warm, check the figure near a window before you commit to a final highlight color.

• Use a dedicated primer rather than craft paint for the first coat.
• Keep two water cups if you use metallic or ink colors alongside regular acrylics.

Step 1: Inspect and prep the figures

Look over both figures before painting. Pathfinder Battles Deep Cuts miniatures are supplied primed and ready to paint out of the box, and the packaging shows the figure clearly so you know what you are getting. Check for mold lines, bent fronds, or spots where the primer looks thin, and fix those first.

If a frond or cap is bent, warm it briefly with a hair dryer on low and ease it back into shape. Do not force it cold. Once the figure sits flat and the surfaces look even, you are ready to paint.

• Common mistake: skipping prep and painting over a mold line, which stays visible under thin layers.
• Checkpoint: the figure should stand without rocking and show no shiny bare spots.

Step 2: Confirm the primer and plan your palette

Deep Cuts figures come primed, so you usually do not need to re-prime. If you do add primer, use a thin coat and let it cure fully. A thick second primer coat fills the deep cuts that make these miniatures easier to paint, which defeats the purpose.

Decide your palette before mixing anything. For the Fungus Leshy, plan a warm scheme: ochre, muted red, bone, and dark brown. For the Seaweed Leshy, plan a cool scheme: olive, teal-green, kelp brown, and a pale highlight. Writing the plan down keeps you from drifting mid-project.

• Common mistake: adding primer over an already primed figure and losing surface detail.
• Checkpoint: your palette should have one dark, one mid, and one light tone per figure.

Step 3: Basecoat the largest areas first

Thin your paint to a skim-milk consistency and block in the biggest areas. On the Fungus Leshy, that means the cap and the main body mass. On the Seaweed Leshy, that means the leafy body and the main stalk. Two thin coats beat one thick coat every time because they preserve the sculpted texture.

Do not worry about neat edges yet. Get the large shapes covered, then let them dry completely before moving to smaller details. If you rush and paint into wet basecoat, you will pull the layer apart and create streaks.

• Common mistake: applying thick paint to save time, which clogs the deep cuts.
• Checkpoint: the basecoat should look even, with the primer no longer showing through.

Step 4: Paint the secondary details

Once the main masses are dry, pick out the smaller features. On the Fungus Leshy, that means the underside of the cap, the stem, and any spore or gill shapes. On the Seaweed Leshy, that means individual fronds, vines, and any shell or stone accents. Use a smaller brush and keep the paint thin.

This is the stage where the two figures start to look distinct. Keep the Fungus Leshy warmer and the Seaweed Leshy cooler so they read as separate creatures on the table, even under mixed lighting.

• Common mistake: using the same green on both figures, which makes them blend together.
• Checkpoint: squint at both figures; you should still see two different color stories.

Step 5: Apply a controlled wash

A wash adds depth in the recesses and does most of the heavy lifting on organic shapes. Use a brown or dark green wash depending on the figure, and apply it with a brush you control rather than flooding the whole model. Let it settle into the deep cuts and around the base of each frond or cap.

If the wash pools on a flat surface, wick it away with a clean, slightly damp brush before it dries. Pooling is the most common reason a finished miniature looks muddy instead of shaded.

• Common mistake: flooding the entire figure and leaving tide marks on flat areas.
• Checkpoint: shadows should sit in the recesses, not on the raised surfaces.

Step 6: Highlight the raised textures

After the wash is fully dry, bring back the light. Drybrush the largest textured areas with a lighter version of your base color, then use edge highlighting on the fronds, cap rim, and any sharp plant edges. Keep the brush nearly dry for drybrushing and use the side of the tip for edges.

Two lighter passes look better than one heavy pass. If you go too far, you can glaze a thin layer of your mid-tone back over the area to pull it down.

• Common mistake: over-drybrushing and creating a chalky, dusty finish.
• Checkpoint: highlights should catch the highest points and read from arm's length.

Step 7: Finish the base and seal the paint

Paint the base in a neutral earth or moss tone so the figure looks grounded. Add a small amount of texture if you like, but keep it simple so it does not compete with the miniature. Let everything dry completely before varnishing.

Apply a matte varnish in two thin coats. Matte suits plant miniatures because it keeps the organic surfaces from looking plastic. If you want a slight sheen on a cap or wet frond, add a tiny dot of satin varnish after the matte coat dries.

• Common mistake: varnishing too soon and smearing still-soft paint.
• Checkpoint: the finished figure should feel dry to the touch and show no glossy patches.

Leshy painting steps at a glance

1. Prep and inspect: Check for mold lines, bent fronds, and thin primer before you open any paint. Checkpoint: the figure stands flat and looks evenly primed.
2. Basecoat large areas: Thin your paint and block in the biggest shapes on each figure in two thin coats. Checkpoint: no bare primer showing through.
3. Add secondary details: Pick out caps, fronds, stems, and accents with a smaller brush. Checkpoint: the two leshies still read as different color stories.
4. Wash for depth: Apply a controlled brown or green wash and wick away any pooling. Checkpoint: shadows sit in recesses, not on flat surfaces.
5. Highlight raised textures: Drybrush the broad areas, then edge-highlight the fronds and cap rims. Checkpoint: highlights catch the highest points without looking chalky.
6. Base and seal: Paint the base in a neutral tone, dry fully, then apply two thin matte varnish coats. Checkpoint: no glossy patches and no smeared paint.

Products used in this guide

• Pathfinder Battles Deep Cuts - Female Human Oracle: Pathfinder Battles Deep Cuts come with highly detailed figures, primed and ready to paint out of the box, with deep cuts for easier painting and clear packaging that shows exactly what you are getting. You can skip a full priming step and start basecoating sooner, and the clear packaging lets you check the sculpt before you buy.
• Pathfinder Battles Deep Cuts: Meladaemon (Famine Daemon): Pathfinder Battles Deep Cuts are highly accessible for any hobbyist, require little to no assembly, and are ready to paint out of the box. If you want more plant-adjacent or monster practice after the leshies, this line keeps the same low-prep workflow.

The Fungus Leshy and Seaweed Leshy are forgiving figures to paint because their organic shapes hide small mistakes and reward simple layering. Follow the steps in order, keep your paint thin, and let each stage dry before the next. Once you have painted one pair, you will have a repeatable process you can apply to any plant miniature in your collection.