Starting Miniature Painting on a Budget: Which Brushes Actually Make Sense?
We recently had one of those very relatable hobby chats: someone asks what brush set to buy at the start, and five minutes later we are deep in the eternal question of what you actually need versus what the packaging says you need.
And honestly? For a beginner, that distinction matters a lot.
The short version
If we are just starting with miniature painting, we do not need a huge premium brush collection right away. A basic set in the ~60 PLN range can be perfectly fine, but there are also much cheaper options that seem to cover the essentials.
The key point from our chat was simple:
what matters is less the marketing name, and more whether the brush shape is actually useful.
The legendary “standard brush”
At one point Michał summed up the whole experience perfectly with the immortal line:
THE STANDARDOWY PĘDZEL
Which, to be fair, is exactly how a lot of starter products feel.
You get a set with a grand description, lots of promises, and then after reading it more carefully it turns out that underneath all that drama there is… well, a standard brush.
That is not even necessarily a bad thing. A standard brush is useful. The problem starts when a beginner pays extra for fancy wording instead of getting the brush shapes they will actually use.
One important thing: drybrush shape
The most practical tip from this conversation was about the drybrush.
Michał noticed that one of the drybrushes in a starter set was cut flat/slanted, and pointed out that it is usually better if the drybrush is rounded.
That is a very handy beginner tip.
Why does that matter?
- a rounded drybrush tends to be more forgiving,
- it often gives smoother, softer drybrushing on raised details,
- and it is generally a shape many hobbyists find easier to control on miniatures.
So if we are comparing sets, it is worth looking at the actual brush head instead of just the label saying “drybrush.”
What Michał is using right now
Right now Michał uses this drybrush:
With the important and very honest caveat that it is, in his words, basically a branded brush from Temu.
And honestly, that is also useful information. In hobby gear, branding can matter sometimes — but sometimes the same or very similar tool exists in a much cheaper version elsewhere.
Cheap alternatives that may cover everything you need
During the chat, Michał found two cheaper options worth looking at.
Drybrush set for around 14 PLN
A full set of three drybrushes on Temu for around 14 PLN:
If someone specifically wants to try drybrushing without spending much, this kind of set may be enough to get started.
General miniature brush set for around 27 PLN
He also found a broader miniature brush set for around 27 PLN:
Michał’s summary was straightforward:
here is everything you need
And for a beginner setup, that is probably the most important part.
So what would we recommend from this chat?
If we boil the whole discussion down, the advice looks like this:
- if a starter set costs around 60 PLN, that can still be okay,
- but before buying, check whether the drybrush is rounded rather than oddly cut,
- do not get hypnotized by product descriptions,
- cheaper sets may give us all the essential brush types for much less,
- and at the start, having a practical set beats having a prestigious one.
A very realistic beginner philosophy
One thing we really like in conversations like this is how grounded they are in actual hobby use.
Not in “you need the best artisanal sable brush blessed by the Emperor,” but in:
- does it work,
- is the shape right,
- and is it worth the money?
That is a much healthier way to build a starter toolkit.
If we are new to painting miniatures — whether for Warhammer 40k or anything else on a similar scale — a cheap but sensible brush set can absolutely be enough to learn the basics.
And then later, once we know what we actually use the most, we can upgrade with purpose instead of guessing.
If you are currently assembling your first painting kit, our takeaway is simple: look for useful shapes, especially for drybrushing, and do not be afraid of budget options if they cover the essentials.