A painting brief that gets useful answers

List the physical models

Use exact kit or unit names and counts. Separate a character from the squad, even when they appear together in your army list. Record whether you own the models and whether they are on sprues, assembled, primed, partly painted or in need of repair.

If only some models need work, say which ones and what must remain untouched. The brief should distinguish ‘paint these twenty models’ from ‘finish the faces on these twenty models’. Include photographs of existing condition when it affects the work.

Explain what each reference means

Three purposeful references are more useful than a large unexplained mood board. Label the armour colour in one, the weathering in another and the base treatment in a third. State which details are essential and which are suggestions.

For box-art schemes, name the unit and the version you mean. For custom schemes, identify the dominant colour, accent, metallic finish and base. Do not assume two photographs show the same colour under different lighting; ask for a sample when an exact match matters.

Include the practical constraints

• The finish you want, with a relevant example and any mixed levels.
• Preparation, bases, decals and magnets, including work you will do yourself.
• Your country and region, local handoff preference, and who is sending the models.
• A budget with currency and what it needs to cover.
• The date needed in hand, and whether it is fixed or flexible.

A short example you can adapt

This is a hypothetical brief, not a customer project or a quoted price: ‘I have ten built, unprimed infantry and one character. I want a clean gaming finish on the troops and more detail on the character, with dark blue armour and matching sandy bases. I will send condition photos and two labelled finish references. Please separate painting, preparation, bases and return shipping in the quote.’

Add your country, budget and currency, and the date the models must reach you. Mark undecided details rather than guessing. Ask the painter to confirm the scope, earliest start, approval points and anything missing before work begins.

Ask for a response you can compare

Request an itemised scope, included work, exclusions, estimated start and completion, shipping arrangements, payment stages and change policy. Ask the painter to flag assumptions. ‘I have not decided on bases’ is much easier to resolve than an unspoken expectation.

Before work starts, turn the agreed answer into a stable record. Changes should identify the new work, price and timing and be accepted by both sides. Keeping the original alongside revisions prevents an informal message from silently changing the whole project.

A few common questions