Top 10 Hobby Stocking Fillers to Bankrupt you this Christmas.

The tree is up.

You’ve managed to wrestle a turkey back home.

Toys are bought and wrapped for the kids.

Now, what to buy yourself? That’s the real conundrum.

Or what to buy your partner? That awkward SOB with this weird hobby? Do they want an Ork? The salesperson sure does seem to think they need Games Workshop super glue?

Let’s look at the top hobby nick-nacks to fill your stocking with this Christmas.

1) W Artel Miniatures.

Name of MiniatureKaterina – Prophetissa Bellum
Cost$19.99 without shipping.

A Russian manufacturer that skirts perilously close to Games Workshop’s IP, these seemed like a nice place to start. One of the drawbacks is the length of the time packaged takes getting from one side of the world to the other, and I haven’t really seen them in person. None of which is Artel’s fault!

Katerina is surprisingly small – looking at the photo and how detailed it is, you’d expect a much, much larger mini. But no! Like Smurfette, it’s tiny and perfect, with etched details that will make you wonder why other brands don’t use the same casting process?

The packaging is beautiful and their range is huge! If you are unsure of what to buy stay in the Grim Gothic category as these miniatures can be used across a wide range of skirmish games. The casts are crisp, clean and unbelievably precise. Whatever the purchase, you will be happy. Just order soon as shipping times are really long!

2) Subscription to Fantasy Figures International

NameMagazines
Cost£27 1 Year Sub (other offers available).

Physical media feels like an oddity today. But I stare at screens all day (on my admin days at least). Painting miniatures is a physical interaction, so it’s nice to flick through physical media about miniature painting. Featuring some of the top talents in miniature painting, this is giving me the same kick White Dwarf did years ago. Varied authors, reviews, and spotlights, this is proving to be a once-a-month treat I cannot do without.

They also have a fine section of orbiting publications, such as the superb After the Apocalypse.

3) Iwata Takumi Eclipse Airbrush

Name Iwata Takumi Eclipse Side Feed Airbrush
Cost£229 Without shipping from Airbrushes.com

You can read the full review here on this workhorse of an airbrush. What are you looking for in an airbrush? Fine fades, versatility – for me I just want the damn thing to work. Iwata airbrushes are engineered to the Nth degree and this thing handles anything and everything. A great all-around brush for around £200.

4) Kimera Core Set

Name of MiniatureKimera Core Set
Cost73,20 € without shipping from PK Pro

Pure pigment paints you say? Why would I need these?

Firstly they help your understanding of colour mixing and matching. It’s a common avenue of exploration for online students – understanding why we use the colours we do, and how to use the colour wheel to create your vision. This set comes with the colour primaries (but frustratingly not a turquoise!), black, white and a wonderful instructional booklet on how to use the paints.

These paints supplement any paint range offering great coverage and vibrant pigmentation. Do you want to up the vibrancy of your red robes? Mix a little ‘The Red’ into your favourite colour and away you go. These are a little finicky to use and come with a satin medium to help modulation the flow of paint.

5) Broken Toad Brush Set

NameBroken Toad Kolinksy Sable Brushes
Cost€45.00 without shipping

Fine, ass, brushes. Who couldn’t do with a new set of scintillating brushes? Comparable to the Windsor and Newton Series 7, these are hand-made using 100% pure Siberian male Kolinsky sable (Mustela Sibirica) hair, ensuring quality and durability. They come wrapped in a beautiful presentation box and make for an attractive gift for your loved one, or yourself.

If you are looking for something more experimental I can highly recommend the Spear Head Series which was used to create the armoured effect on Zardu Lyak.

6) Lil’Legend Gift Vouchers!

Name GIFT VOUCHERS
CostVarious

Not sure what to get, but want to get something? We’re delighted to announce the launch of our gift voucher store. You can purchase special commissions like Primarchs, single characters, tuition experiences and custom amounts to put toward our Live Painting Courses.

7) Redgrass Games Glass Oil Palette

NameRedgrass Games Glass Oil Palette
Price£16.90

Oil painting is hot right now. We’ve explored the topic in the Patreon Courses using them to modulate underlying acrylic tones and adding pin washing to recess. However, with this tool, we give ourselves an opportunity to explore the topic more fully. Like all products made by Redgrass, this is quality made, durable and hard-wearing.

8) The outsiders choice- make up palettes.

NameMake Up Mixing Palette 12PCS
Cost£7.19

The bizarre choice of the group – metallic make-up palettes. Great for mixing oils, acrylics, holding mediums and fantastic for mixing colours before pouring them into an airbrush. A cheap, yet utterly useful item perfect for ANY hobbyist. I’ve been using them to mix up colour before adding them into the airbrush cap to catch any dried cells of paint BEFORE it runs through the airbrush.

They’re just really, really useful!

9) Hulk Atomic Mass Games

NameHULK from Atomic Mass Games
Cost
$34.95 excluding shipping.

With the runaway success of Atomic Games Marvel Crisis Core and my child’s love for the character, I thought it high time to paint something from the range. Easy to source, put together and fun to paint, this miniature is great for new and veteran painters alike.

Slap some dollar store acrylic paint on it with loved ones in a big drunken pile on, chuck on some Vivaldi and use fine Scale 75 Artist Range acrylics to create a masterpiece. Either way, you’ll have fun.

Alongside this miniature, you can get the paint along with the series we have produced, influenced by the artist Alex Ross. This is recommended for students interested in developing their brush work, but it’s a fun series to watch and try new techniques alongside our community.

10) Kiril Kanaev’s FAQ

NameKiril Kanaev FAQ
PricePriceless. 56,17€

One of the finest miniature painters of his generation, Kiril has committed his accumulated knowledge to this tome. 488 pages, dense with information about colour theory, composition, paints and their attributes, non-metallic metal, real metallic metal, fur, leather (CATCHES BREATH). All of which is presented in a gloss semi hard cover book, with clear pictures and writing. The step by step guides are a wonderful showcase alongside the theory.

Warning – this is very much for advanced level miniature painters. It is easy to read, but dense – it’s a book that needs to be studied to get the most from it. But what you are buying is the finest book ever written about miniature painting.

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Miniature Painting Course Library.
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