If you’re a TTRPG player, a tabletop wargamer, or just like to play board games, there are pretty good odds that you’ve painted a miniature before. And if you have, you probably wish that you had a nice, organized painting area, to make painting those minis easier and more enjoyable.
Enter the DMG Mini Painter System
Dogmight Games, makers of many an artisan-crafted GM screen like the one I recently reviewed, just launched a Kickstarter campaign for a modular, magnetic painting station made from fine wood. Pledges will be delivered in waves, and a minimum pledge of $20 allows backers to choose the exact pieces that they would like.
The Kickstarter campaign just launched, and will run through Tuesday, August 30th. You can pledge here.
New to Kickstarter? Check out our crowdfunding primer.
DMG Mini Painter System Components
Note: My review is based on a prototype copy, so it is subject to change and may not reflect final component quality.
The DMG Mini Painter System consists of several different wooden components that magnetically interlock. They are available in 16 varieties of woods from around the world. The components vary in price depending on the rarity of each of the woods, and you can choose to mix and match different wood types per component. Dogmight Games sent me a large selection of the Painter System, all fashioned in Redheart, a type of redwood from South America.
Stand
The stand is the largest of the DMG Mini Painter System components. They are reversible depending on how you arrange your components, and can hold up to 35 paint pots, or a variety of miniatures and tools. Prices for these range from $70 for a North American Cherry wood, all the way up to $257 for a Central American Ziricote.
Painter
The Painter is a miniature painting handle with an aluminum stabilization armature. It comes with 4 matching caps that attach magnetically, allowing for quick swapping of miniatures when painting. Each cap contains cork, and you can attach miniatures to them with either Blu-tac or wire pins. The Painter and caps attach magnetically to the Paint Pedestal tile.
The Painter ranges from $39 for a North American Cherry wood, to $82 for a Central American Ziricote.
Tiles
The tiles are where you will find the most variety for your setup, allowing you to tailor your Painting System exactly to your needs. These each range in price from $20 for a North American Cherry wood to $57 for a Central American Ziricote.
In addition to the Paint Pedestal above, there are these tiles currently available in the Kickstarter:
Small Pot
These hold up to 12 dropper-style paint bottles.
Large Pot
The Large Pot holder accommodates 7 of the paint pots common to Citadel paints.
Channel
The Channel Tile has two 1.5″ channels, and can hold a combination of paint pots.
Watering Hole
The Watering Hole can hold up to 6 brushes vertically, and includes a metal water pot that rests on cork lining.
Open
The Open tray is a general-use tray. Use it to hold tools, glue, paints…basically, it’s your miscellaneous tray.
Brush Stand
The Brush Stand holds up to 15 paint brushes upright.
Media Tray
The Media Tray can hold your cellphone, so that you can watch painting videos or view reference images. In the case of the one that I was sent, there’s also a small tray included in the front.
Some of the tiles were developed after Dogmight Games sent my painting station, so you will have to view them on the Kickstarter campaign page. They include: A Mag Light tile (additional charge for the built-in magnifying light), a horizontal Brush Tray, a cork-lined Beverage Holder, and more.
Corners
The corners help to arrange your painting space, as well as add utility. The Kickstarter currently only offers the type of corner on the right, which has magnets at the top to hold parts of the Painter. It’s possible that the brush holder corners may be available through the pledge manager. Prices for the corners range from $10 for a North American Cherry wood to $47 for a Central American Ziricote.
The DMG Mini Painting System: The Verdict
Dogmight Games has taken their amazing woodworking, and bent it towards a highly-usable tool for any miniature painter. They’ve even provided a downloadable pdf that you can use to plan out exactly what you can fit for your painting area:
There are many different types of setups you can make, depending on your needs and how much room you have. Here are a couple of examples of mine:
There are more examples of setups on the Kickstarter page, too, if you need more inspiration.
As the system is modular, there’s room to grow. Dogmight Games will be selling the Mini Painting System on their site after Kickstarter fulfillment, so you can always add to your setup as your needs grow. And Dogmight Games is also open to feedback from backers. While the Kickstarter preview page was up, some potential backers said they preferred a horizontal storage solution for brushes, and Dogmight added that option into the Kickstarter.
The DMG Mini Painting System is a very useful tool for the miniature painter. I love the modularity of the design, allowing you to get exactly the setup that feels the most comfortable to work with. The magnets work well to keep the pieces connected, but also allow you to quickly separate the pieces and rearrange them as needed. The quality of the craftsmanship is evident just looking at it, and no matter which wood you choose, it will be a lovely addition to your workspace.
I have a feeling that this product will up anyone’s painting game, as they’ll be challenged to create something even more beautiful than their DMG Mini Painting System.
For more information or to make a pledge, visit the DMG Mini Painting System Kickstarter page!
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Disclosure: GeekDad received a copy of the Mini Painting System for review purposes.
