When you’re dragged away from your hobby space, those Space Marines aren’t going to paint themselves. Here are some tips to keep the hobby wheels turning while on the move.

Be Selective

Much as you’d like, you probably can’t take your full range of paints with you, unless you take a spare suitcase. Take just a few similar miniatures, a squad for example, and work in specific colours. It’s best to prime them first to save mucking about with sprays. This trip, I’m working on green armour for my Salamanders so I brought a range of greens and any colours I mix with them to get the effect.

Pack ‘Em Tight

While miniatures are getting more dynamic poses and, if you’re into Chaos, spikes, these bits can be fragile and break off easily. I wrap each miniature, or sub-assembly, in bubble-wrap and pack them into a small, cardboard box within my case for that added protection. If you can wrap the box in some clothes, all the better.

Separate the Paint

Keep the paints away from everything. You don’t need the bubble-wrap, but put them in a plastic bag so that if there are any spillages, the paint stays in the bag and not on your clothes.

Another tip if you’re using Citadel paints in particular is to clean out that ring of dried paint you always get around the lid. True, it’s a time-consuming pain to do it but it will help keep the lid on tighter and reduce the chance of a pot bursting open.

Protect the Brushes

Don’t just stuff your brushes in there. You’ll want them to keep their points. Use the plastic sleeve you get when you buy your brush and tuck it in somewhere safe.

Purchasable Options

If you have plenty of space – say, if you’re driving not flying – you can always try the Citadel Project Box. It’s made for exactly this purpose and has places for all your gubbins like brushes, modelling tools and the like.

Choose Your Hobby Space

Now that you’ve arrived with miniatures in-tact and your paints still in their pots, you’re good to go. Find somewhere with plenty of light and put brush to miniature. Yogurt pots make fine water pots (one for cleaning brushes, one for thinning paints) and you can turn any old card or plastic into a dry palette.

Happy hobby time!