Journal · Spart Craft
Notes from the painting desk
Brushes, thinning and basing, written in Jackson Heights.
Jun 2026Painting handles and why they are not a luxuryHolding a figure directly means fingers on paint, paint on fingers, and a hand position dictated by where you can grip rather than where you can see. A handle removes…Read →
Jun 2026Basing a miniature: making the last five minutes countThe base is the last thing done and the first thing seen. A carefully painted figure on a bare black disc looks unfinished, and twenty minutes of basing lifts the…Read →
Jun 2026Airbrush compressors: the specifications that matterAirbrush compressors are sold on maximum pressure, which is the number that matters least for miniature work. Almost everything at this scale is sprayed well below the maximum of eRead →
Jun 2026Thinning miniature paint: how far is too farAlmost every miniature painting problem that is not a brush problem is a consistency problem. Paint straight from the pot is too thick for smooth coverage on small surfaces, and…Read →
Jun 2026Wet palettes: what they do and how to keep them cleanA wet palette keeps acrylic paint usable for hours instead of minutes by feeding it moisture from below through a membrane. For anyone painting in long sittings it is the…Read →
Jun 2026Why a detail brush loses its point, and how to slow it downA good detail brush arrives with a point that holds a bead of paint and releases it in a controlled line. Most lose that within a month, and almost always…Read →
Notes from the Jackson Heights counter
Practical notes about miniature painting supplies, written by the people who stock it.