Four painting levels.
Four viewing distances.
Each painting level is defined first and foremost by its visual result: how the miniature should look at its intended viewing distance.
Choosing a level is not based on a fixed number of highlights, gradients, or techniques. Methods vary depending on the sculpt, colors, materials, and the project.
The viewing distances below are guidelines, not strict limits. They help determine a finish suited to how you use your miniatures; the detailed description in your quote remains authoritative.
Compare painting levels
The four levels reflect a progression in volume definition, color treatment, detail precision, and the care given to finishes.
To compare them, it is best to observe comparable miniatures, with similar lighting, framing, and scale.
A macro photograph can reveal details that are difficult to perceive with the naked eye. It is a useful complement, but it does not exactly reproduce the impression felt when looking at the actual miniature.
The best choice is therefore not necessarily the highest level. It is the one that corresponds to how you play, collect, and look at your miniatures.
Tabletop
Viewing distance: APPROX. 1 M
A fully painted, neatly finished miniature that is easy to read on the tabletop. The main colors are consistent, forms are clearly defined, and essential details are painted. The base is simple, painted, and finished.
This level is particularly suitable for complete armies and regular gaming. Up close, some transitions or secondary areas remain intentionally simple: what matters is that each miniature is immediately recognizable and the army looks cohesive as a whole.
When basing is planned, it remains simple, clean, and adapted to the entire army.
Tabletop+
Viewing distance: APPROX. 70 CM
A more refined gaming finish that remains clear on the tabletop and reveals greater definition at arm’s length.
Forms are more fully defined, with stronger shadows and highlights. Details that catch the eye—faces, weapons, insignias, or distinctive elements—receive extra attention.
Contrasts and finishes add more depth to each miniature, while maintaining visual consistency across the army.
Basing, when included, can feature more nuanced colors and finer finishes.
Tabletop Premium
Viewing distance: APPROX. 50 CM
A carefully refined finish, designed to look excellent both on the tabletop and at arm’s length.
Forms are defined with greater precision. Shadows, highlights, and transitions are deepened to better define shapes, differentiate materials, and highlight the focal points of the miniature.
Contrasts are carefully controlled, the agreed details receive more precise finishes, and the different painted areas come together harmoniously.
The basing, when included, fully contributes to this visual coherence.
This level is particularly well suited to collector armies, elite units, and major characters. It seeks a refined result without imposing the same degree of individual work and micro-detailing as a Display-level miniature.
Display
Viewing distance: 30 cm and CLOSE-UP VIEWING
A finish designed to be appreciated one miniature at a time, down to the finest details.
The treatment of form, shadows, and highlights is taken further. Transitions are refined, contrasts are precisely adjusted, and textures are developed to give the miniature greater depth and character.
Particular attention is paid to finishes, precise lining, secondary details, and carefully placed points of light. Each element supports the overall composition while rewarding a closer look.
The base, depending on the agreed project, can become a true component of the scene.
The Display level is intended primarily for collection and exhibition pieces. It is not necessarily competition-level painting, which has its own goals and requirements.
