Squirrels Unpainted Miniatures: Small-Scale Painting Tips

By Welcome to Monster Fight Club! | Published: 2026-10-31

Category: How-to Guides

Learn how to paint tiny squirrel miniatures with a brush-size guide, fur-detail tricks, and a step-by-step process for tiny critters.

Quick answer

Paint small squirrel miniatures by working from a clean, primed surface with a size 0 or 1 brush, building thin layers from dark to light, and using a fine detail brush only for eyes and fur highlights.

Why tiny fur needs a different approach

Squirrel miniatures are small enough that heavy paint can fill in the fur texture before you notice. Thin your paints to a skim-milk consistency and apply two or three light coats instead of one thick coat. This preserves the sculpted detail and gives you more control over color build-up.

Small-scale painting also means your brush choice matters more than on a 32mm human. A brush that is too large will overload the tiny tail and face, while one that is too small may not hold enough paint to cover the surface evenly. Start with a size 0 round for basecoats and switch to a size 00 or 000 for eyes and fine fur strokes.

Brush size guide for critter minis

For the three squirrels in the set, a size 0 or 1 round works well for basecoating the body and tail. Use a size 00 for the face and paws, and a size 000 for the eyes and any final fur lines. If you only have one brush, a size 0 with a good point can handle most of the work, but you will need to clean and re-point it often.

Avoid using a brush with splayed bristles on tiny fur; it will leave stray marks that are hard to correct. Keep a separate older brush for mixing and thinning paint so your detail brush stays sharp.

What to expect from unpainted animal miniatures

Unpainted animal miniatures like these squirrels often have delicate features such as small ears, toes, and tails. They are not gaming pieces with stats or rules, so you can paint them in any natural or fantasy scheme without worrying about unit colors. The lack of packaging also means you should check for mold lines and small flash before priming, since handling during shipping can bend thin parts.

Step-by-step painting process for tiny squirrels

Clean and prime: Remove mold lines with a sharp hobby knife and gently scrub the minis in warm soapy water. Rinse and dry completely, then prime with a thin coat of gray or white spray primer. Common mistake: spraying too close or too heavy, which fills in the fur texture. Checkpoint: after priming, the fur detail should still be visible under a thin, even coat.
Basecoat the body and tail: Thin your base color (such as a mid-brown) to a skim-milk consistency and apply two thin coats with a size 0 or 1 brush. Let each coat dry before the next. Common mistake: not thinning enough, which creates brush strokes and obscures detail. Checkpoint: the color should be solid but the surface texture should still show through.
Paint the belly and face: Use a lighter cream or tan for the belly, cheeks, and muzzle. Apply with a size 00 brush and keep the paint thin. Common mistake: flooding the eye sockets or nostrils with paint. Checkpoint: the lighter areas should have clean edges and not spill onto the darker fur.
Add fur highlights: Mix a lighter version of your base color and paint fine, short strokes along the direction of the fur on the back, tail, and head. Use a size 000 brush and barely touch the surface. Common mistake: using too much paint so the strokes blob together. Checkpoint: highlights should look like individual fur strands, not a solid patch.
Paint the eyes and nose: Use a size 000 brush and a tiny amount of black or dark brown for the eyes and nose. If the eyes are sculpted, place a small dot in the center; if they are flat, paint a small oval. Common mistake: making the eyes too large, which gives a cartoonish look. Checkpoint: the eyes should be symmetrical and small enough to look natural at arm's length.
Seal and check: Apply a thin coat of matte varnish to protect the paint, especially on the tail and paws. Let it dry fully. Common mistake: using a gloss varnish that makes the fur look wet. Checkpoint: the finish should be matte and even, with no shiny patches.

Product facts

Squirrels - UNPAINTED: Set includes 3 unpainted squirrel miniatures with no rules or stats. You get three critters to practice small-scale fur and face painting without game-specific color requirements.
Squirrels - UNPAINTED