Tiny Plastic Spacemen

If you would like a commission painter quote, please click here for our current availability

Quality Levels

Tiny Plastic Spacemen can paint to a few different levels, depending on your requirements and budget.

We can match any codex, battle book or rulebook army colours you wish, or your own custom colours as well (to the best of our ability, based on pictures you provide). An airbrush will be used for priming and basecoating the majority of the model, with normal brushes finishing the finer details such as trim, applying pigments, etc. All descriptions below include a matte varnish for protection during transport and play.

 

Basic Quality

What models should get ‘Basic’ quality?

If you’re on a very tight budget for time or money, or just need masses of troops/cannon fodder in a single colour, this is the level you’re looking at. The idea of these models is to provide lots of your army’s colour on the table at a quick (and cheap!) rate.

How will these models get painted? 

These models will be painted fully assembled and will look fine from across the table (further than arm’s length), however up close you will notice that details such as faces, badges, weapons, and gems will not be painted. There will be some basic shading (due to the airbrush priming method) to help the overall look of the model, but no highlights such as drybrushing or line highlighting to pick out the edges – again, you can add the highlights later. If you have us assemble the models (which is an extra cost), you may notice small gaps or mould lines left during assembly, however these will not generally be noticeable from more than an arm-length away.

This level includes basic sand basing material if you wish, as well as a layer of varnish to protect the paint while playing and transporting the models.

Assembly is available!

About half the customers we get at TPS provide the models built (it’s part of the fun of the hobby!) while the rest simply order models and have them shipped directly to us. Either is fine, however keep in mind that if assembly is required this will cost extra. If we build the models and paint them at this level, you can expect a good, but quick job, removing major mould lines and ensuring minimal gaps so that will generally not be noticeable, even from close up. As a general rule we use super-strong and reliable plastic cement, however if requested we will use ‘super glue’ type CyanoAcrylate or CA glues from Bob Smith Industries, the leading CA maker in the United States. 

What to expect from ‘Basic’ quality

Because this is the lowest cost option, you are getting the barest of bare bones quality here – basically, all your models done in a single colour. No more, no less. It’s the cheapest of the ‘cheap and cheerful’ quality level. However, it is a start to getting a bunch of your army’s main colour on the table! And it also serves as a good starting point for adding further detail when you have time. 

If you would like a quote, please click here for our current commission availability

Basic Quality – Games Workshop Blood Angels Tactical Marine,
ready for you to add details at a later date!

Basic Quality is painted more or less with these steps:

1. Basing: done first to speed up the process
2. Primer: black, grey or white depending on the basecoat required
3. Basecoat: to match your army colour
4. Varnish: semi-gloss or matte varnish to protect the paint during transport and play, and also provides grip for future coats of paint when you decide to add details

If you would like a quote, please click here for our current commission availability

 

Tabletop Quality

What models should get ‘Tabletop’ quality?

This option is the normal standard usually used for the rank-and-file of a large army, basically the ‘cannon fodder’ that make up the bulk of your numbers. This is the ideal option for players of Age of Sigmar, Warhammer 40,000 and other large, mass army battle games. This painting option will look pretty good from a few feet away on the table or in the typical low light level of a gaming club or home dining room, providing the main colour of your army. This is also a good option for monsters in a Dungeons & Dragons game, or for large numbers of boardgame models such as zombies in Zombicide. 

How will these models get painted? 

Like the Basic option above, these models will provide lots of your army’s colour on the table at a quick rate, but beyond the Basic level, these will look much better up close, with details such as weapons, trim, base and more painted. The models will generally be painted fully assembled. The highlights will generally be edge lining on larger areas and drybrushed on smaller areas. Some washes will be used for shading, with a plain base of sand with scattered small rocks.

Assembly is available!

About half the customers we get at TPS provide the models built (it’s part of the fun of the hobby!) while the rest simply order models and have them shipped directly to us. Either is fine, however keep in mind that if assembly is required this will cost extra. If we build the models and paint them at this level, you can expect a good, but quick job, removing major mould lines and ensuring minimal gaps so that will generally not be noticeable, even from close up. As a general rule we use super-strong and reliable plastic cement, however if requested we will use ‘super glue’ type CyanoAcrylate or CA glues from Bob Smith Industries, the leading CA maker in the United States. 

What to expect from ‘Tabletop’ quality

These models are the rank-and-file members of a mass battle army, so they are expected to die in pretty big numbers compared to your large monsters and vehicles. Therefore, generally there’s not a huge amount of effort put into making these models look great. The “arm’s length” rule usually applies: if it looks good at arm’s length, stop painting 🙂 Adding more detail isn’t usually advised. So if you look up close (as in closer than 12″ or 30cm, or at a zoomed-in photo that is larger than life size) you will probably spot mould lines or small details such as belt pouches and eyes that are not painted. You will see areas in shadow such as under an arm or behind a weapon held against the chest that are 100% black rather than painted in the base colour – this is because from above at an angle, you and your opponent will never see these parts of the model. However, any missed details will not be noticeable from more than an arm’s-length away – the ideal of tabletop quality models is not fine detail, it’s merely to get lots of your army’s colour on the table. 

Get a quote! Click here for our current commission availability

Tabletop Quality is painted more or less with these steps:

1. Basing: done first to speed up the process
2. Primer: Generally a ‘zenithal prime’, which is black in the shadow areas, then grey over the majority of the model, then white from directly above – or with a primer colour that closely matches your army colour
3. Basecoats: to match your army colour or ‘block in’ the major areas of colour, such as flesh on uncovered skin, medium silver on unpainted metals, cloth colours, etc.
4. Highlights then Washes
5. Varnish: protects the main color during the detail painting
6. Details: lenses, some gems, eyes, screens and other details are picked out at this point
7. Varnish: to protect all the work done so far
8. Base: using the same steps above
9. Base Rim: to match your army base rims for overall cohesion
10. Matte Varnish: final varnish to dull the gloss of previous varnish coats

If you want a quote, please click here for our current commission availability

 

Good Tabletop Quality

What models should get ‘Good Tabletop’ quality?

This level is for more important models like sergeants, captains and other battlefield leaders. This is also a good option for ‘centrepiece’ models like your biggest monsters, flyers and tanks that will be in the centre of the fighting! Player character models in a Dungeons & Dragons group or party are best done at this level, as well as the characters in a game such as Zombicide, Kingdom Death, the various ‘quest’ type games (Blackstone Fortress, Dungeon Siege, etc.). Monsters in games like Rising Sun, Kingdom Death and Blood Rage are best done at this level as well, since they are so integral to the game. 

How will these models get painted? 

These models will be zenithal primed or pre-shaded by airbrush before basecoating for smooth shadow & highlight gradients. During assembly, they will have more time spent on them to cover up gaps and remove moulding lines. Gun barrels will be drilled where appropriate with appropriate-sized drill bits. More work will be done to bring out the detail to the eyes, face, weapons, icons, headdresses and more. Any decals included in the kit can be applied if requested. The base will also be a step up from the standard, with some scattered details such as grass tufts, debris and other pieces.

Assembly is available!

About half the customers we get at TPS provide the models built (it’s part of the fun of the hobby!) while the rest simply order models and have them shipped directly to us. Either is fine, however keep in mind that if assembly is required this will cost extra. If we build the models and paint them at this level, you can expect a good, but quick job, removing major mould lines and ensuring minimal gaps so that will generally not be noticeable, even from close up. As a general rule we use super-strong and reliable plastic cement, however if requested we will use ‘super glue’ type CyanoAcrylate or CA glues from Bob Smith Industries, the leading CA maker in the United States. 

What to expect from ‘Good Tabletop’ quality

‘Good Tabletop’ level models are meant to lead and be the focus of an enemy’s might, so they will have better quality details than a rank-and-file Tabletop quality model. If looking up close (closer than 12″ or 30cm, or a zoomed-in photo) you won’t spot any stray mould lines, and small details such as belt pouches and eyes will definitely be painted at least one colour (with a wash or basic highlight). Even areas in shadow will have some colour on them, rather than remain all black like a tabletop quality might have. However, any missed details will usually not be noticeable from more than an arm’s-length away – the ideal of tabletop quality models is not fine detail, it’s merely to get lots of your model’s colour on the table. 

Get a quote! Click here for our current commission availability

Good Tabletop Quality – Eldar Dire Avengers with Exarch
(with standard quality bases as requested by customer)

Good Tabletop Quality – Eldar Crimson Hunter
(with standard quality base as requested by customer)

Good Tabletop Quality is painted more or less with these steps:

1. Basing: done first to speed up the process, using a couple of grades (grain size) of sand and different sizes of gravel glued onto base
2. Magnetizing (at extra cost): completed at this stage for ease of painting
3. Drill Gun Barrels: where appropriate
4. Black Primer: first primer coat on all overhanging areas (under arms, wheel covers, etc.)
5. Grey Primer: provides shadow and main primer layer for basecoat
6. White Primer: provides smooth highlights on larger or rounded areas
7. Basecoat: to match your army colour
8. Highlight Basecoat: usually this means edge highlighting in strategic spots, using a colour lighter than the basecoat
9. Basecoat Wash: to darken shade or recessed areas
10. Varnish: protects the main color during the detail painting
11. Secondary Basecoats: skin, weapons, armor trim and other areas get their main basecoats at this stage
12. Highlights on Secondary Basecoats: again, this is usually edge highlighting weapons and other larger areas (skin gets a soft blend of a lighter skin shade)
13. Secondary Basecoat Wash: to darken shade or recessed areas
14. Details: lenses, some gems, eyes, screens and other details are picked out at this point
15. Varnish: to protect all the work done so far
16. Decals: any requested decals applied at this stage
17. Chipping: any requested paint chipped areas (such as around shins, knees, mud guards, etc.) applied at this point
18. Weathering: some mud and streaked dirt can be applied at this point if you request, for a battle-worn look
19. Base: main colour, wash and highlight
20. Base Rim: to match your army base rims for overall cohesion
21. Varnish: mostly for the base to protect the rim from knocking against other models but also for any areas of the model that were touched up
22. Matte Varnish: final varnish to dull the gloss of previous varnish coats
23. If you want to see how this compares to the other available quality levels, click here!

If you want a quote, please click here for our current commission availability

 

Display Quality

This is what everyone wants! However, not every model needs to be display quality, and not everyone can afford it…but if you’re really keen, it can be done!

If you want a model that will make your friends go WOW! when you place it on the table, go for this. Choose this level if you want a really nice, high quality model you’d want to put on a shelf, behind glass or under a light to show off to your friends, yet can still put on the table to put it into battle.

What models should get ‘Display‘ quality?

If you’re a Games Workshop player, primarchs are the ideal choice for Display level. Also, high-ranking characters that have had their own books or series, such as Gortrek, Eisenhorn, Eldrad, Ynnead and others. Forge World titans are another perfect choice, although their size means a lot of extra work (and cost). 

Not playing GW games? Perhaps the overall leader of your army or a ‘movie-famous’ vehicle or robot would be the ideal choice! 

If you’re a boardgame or RPG player, your absolute favourite game character is a great choice for your first Display-level character. 

How will these models get painted? 

Essentially the same steps as a Good Tabletop model, but with great care and attention paid to every single element of the model and its base. A model at this level will have much more time taken to provide more depth to the model, using a wider range of colours for shading and variation, and also thinner layers of paint for a finer finish. There will also be many extra techniques that you won’t see on most tabletop models, such as oil pin washes, pigments and much more.

Assembly is available!

About half the customers we get at TPS provide the models built (it’s part of the fun of the hobby!) while the rest simply order models and have them shipped directly to us. Either is fine, however keep in mind that if assembly is required this will cost extra. If we build the models and paint them at this level, you can expect a thorough job removing all major and minor mould lines, and ensuring that gaps or mould lines will not be noticeable, even from close up. As a general rule we use super-strong and reliable plastic cement, however if requested we will use ‘super glue’ type CyanoAcrylate or CA glues from Bob Smith Industries, the leading CA maker in the United States. 

What to expect from ‘Display‘ quality

‘Display’ level models are meant to lead your army and be the single focus of your enemy, so in a large army these will be usually be huge models, or if  a single model on foot they’ll be larger than even normal leaders. These models are usually painted much brighter and mounted in a large and impressive base with many details. If looking up close (closer than 12″ or 30cm, or a zoomed-in photo) you shouldn’t see any mould lines, and even the smallest details such eyes, gems, buttons and other tiny details will be called out in a specific colour. Shadowy areas in shadow will have a dark version of the base colour and may even have highlights picked out to draw your eye to details that nearly all other paint jobs will miss.  

Get a quote for your own Display level model! Click here for our current commission availability

 

Display Quality – Imperial Knight Warden kit

So what does ‘display quality’ mean?

• The main thing is that when looking at it very up-close, for example a single hand’s distance or at full screen resolution, you wouldn’t spot any mistakes, stray brush marks or anything that isn’t meant to be there. Nothing should take away from your viewing and enjoyment of the model.
• No gaps between model pieces
• No mould lines
• Where appropriate, gun barrels will be drilled with appropriate-sized drill bits, including details like the side holes on Space Marine bolter barrels.
• Smooth, seamless colour blends by using an airbrush, several colour hues with very thin layers of paint, plus custom mixes where necessary.
• Airbrushed glow effects in areas that make sense to have it (such as lights, lava, eyes, energy weapons, ‘daemon vents’) – or where you request it, of course!
• Various techniques will be used such as hairspray weathering, salt weathering, marble effect airbrushing, chipping, use of various pigments and more, to get the desired effect you want on the model.
• The model will have a scenic or themed base, using spare model parts, resin or brass etch pieces to make it look extra-cool. This can be your choice to match a particular background or your army, or I can match the base to the model in an artistic fashion.
• Names and icons can be freehand-painted on scrollwork or banners (for an extra charge).
• Of course any decals you like from the model kit, plus extra decals I may have on hand.
• It will still be playable on the table (meaning you’ll be able to touch it without paint or pigments coming off) but will be a much higher quality and have more detail done to it than any tabletop-quality model.

As you can imagine, due to the amount of work needed to make a really good display model, this should be reserved for very special models indeed! Please note this option will also add a significant amount of time and cost to the estimate.

Display Quality – Imperial Knight Warden kit

Freehand example

In addition to the painting steps outlined above, Display Quality adds many more steps to make your model stand out on the gaming table:

1. Basing: the base will be built up using various modeling materials and the model posed as much as possible on the base
2. Zenithal priming and pre-weathering done before applying basecoat
3. Second Highlight for Basecoat for extra contrast
4. Gloss Varnish followed by matte varnish: protects the paint applied so far
5. Secondary Basecoats: careful masking of main basecoat and then painting skin, weapons, armor trim and other areas for their main basecoats 
6. Highlights and Second Highlights on Secondary Basecoats
7. Gloss Varnish: protects the paint applied so far during the oil wash and detail painting
8. Oil Wash: a wash that provides a defined dark edge for armour panels and areas of the models such as where the skin of the hand meets the metal grip of a weapon – an advanced technique taken from scale modeling
9. Gloss Varnish and second Oil Wash: if required to give extra depth
10. Matte Varnish: protects the oil wash and provides grip for detail painting and pigments
11. Details: lenses, some gems, eyes, screens and other details are picked out at this point, with highlighting and shading as needed
12. Varnish: to protect all the work done so far
13. Decals: any requested decals applied at this stage
14. Chipping: any requested paint chipped areas (such as around shins, knees, mud guards, etc.) applied at this point
15. Rust: pigment washes or spot treatment using texture paints
16. Dust: a light, very thin layer of brown or tan applied by airbrush across the lower half of vehicles and lower legs of infantry models
17. Heavy Mud: light-coloured mud and streaked dirt can be applied at this point if you request, for a battle-worn look
18. Fresh Mud: dark-coloured mud and streaked dirt can be applied at this point if you request, for a fresher ‘just from the field’
19. Final Details: oil and fuel stains, footprints, handprints, fresh scratches, etc.
20. Gloss Varnish: for tough protection layer over all the work done so far!
21. Base: main colour in the proper colours, plus washes and highlights
22. Base Details: any bits or model pieces painted at this point in the same fashion as the rest of model
23. Base Rim: to match your army base rims for overall cohesion
24. Final Dust: same as the previous very light dust layer, this simulates light road dust on vehicles – done in the same colour as the base
25. Varnish: mostly for the base to protect the rim from knocking against other models but also for any areas of the model that were touched up
26. Matte Varnish: final varnish to dull the gloss of previous varnish coats
27. If you want to see how this compares to the other available quality levels, click here!

If you want a quote, please click here for our current commission availability

Display Quality – Imperial Knight kit

 

Museum-Quality (aka Golden Demon, Crystal Brush)

I rarely have the time to devote to a single model like this, however I have entered high-effort models into Golden Demon before. It’s something I aspire to do with each model I do for myself, but honestly I would not be comfortable trying to get someone to pay for, because of the number of hours put into something really really good. I would consider a model of this level to be a Golden Daemon or Crystal Brush finalist at a minimum, and would probably never leave a display cabinet.

However…if you have the funds and the time, I have the skills to do it! So get in touch if this is something you are interested in 🙂 

 

Matching your army – We can match any codex, battle book or rulebook army colours you wish, including your existing army. You will need to supply example pictures so we have a very good idea of what we are matching. Please note that because of lighting, camera and photo differences, matching of paint colours and finishes is nearly impossible to get exact unless we have your models in-hand, but we will do our absolute best to match the colours you want.

Mixing and matching quality levels – We can also mix and match levels of painting quality within a model or army (as seen in some of the sample pictures), we will talk about this as we discuss your project.

Expectations – We are fully aware that what people think of ‘good v. really good’ varies from person to person. No matter what quality level you want, you can expect regular photo updates and will be asked to provide feedback, answer questions, etc., to make sure you get what you’re expecting. We want to make sure your models will meet your expectations!

 

If you would like a quote, please click here for our current commission availability