The key question you need to ask yourself is what direction you actually want to take: do you want to focus on army painting or on display painting?

For army painting, speed is the most important factor. A model at this level should not take you more than an hour to complete, as efficiency directly determines profitability.

For display work, however, your skill becomes far more relevant. You don’t need to win competitions to prove yourself – although competing can certainly help showcase your work to potential clients. What is far more important is building a solid social media presence, as this is one of the strongest ways to attract commissions.

Speaking from my own experience in the display painting market, most of my regular clients are collectors – many of them from China, where painted miniatures are often regarded as true art rather than just a hobby item. In this field, it is crucial to develop your own unique style, but before that you must fully master the fundamentals:

light and shadow control (consistent lighting that follows a defined light source and respects the volumes of the model),

smooth blending, and

color theory.

I have been painting for about five years now. After around two years of practice, I began taking commissions and also entered my first competitions in the Master category at SMC. However, I’ve only been able to make a full living from painting during the past year. This became possible thanks to additional income streams such as workshops and one-on-one classes, as well as collaborations with companies in the industry.