Glossary
Miniature painting terms, in plain English
NMM, OSL, zenithal, contrast paint, wet blending - the words that get thrown around in guides and forums with no explanation. Here's what each one actually means, and where to go for the full how-to.
No painting experience required to use any term on this page.
On this page
- Technique terms
- NMM (non-metallic metal)
- OSL (object source lighting)
- Zenithal priming
- Drybrushing
- Wet blending
- Edge highlighting
- Paint & materials
- Basecoat
- Wash
- Glaze
- Contrast paint
- Speedpaint
- Primer
- Varnish / sealant
- Scale & basing
- 28mm / 32mm
- Basing
- Standards
- Tabletop-ready vs. display standard
- FAQ
Miniature painting jargon is the shorthand hobbyists use for specific techniques, paint types and scale conventions - terms like NMM, OSL and zenithal priming that show up in guides and forums with no explanation attached. This glossary defines all 16 of them in plain language, each with a link to a full guide wherever one exists.
Technique terms
The words that describe what your brush is actually doing.
NMM (non-metallic metal)
NMM is painting a metal surface - a sword, armor plate, a gun barrel - using only non-metallic paint, relying on light, shadow and a sharp specular highlight to read as metal instead of actual metallic pigment. It's harder than reaching for a silver paint, and it's why NMM sits in PaintMini's Expert tier alongside OSL and freehand. Full method: non-metallic metal painting, step by step.
OSL (object source lighting)
OSL is painting a miniature as though a light source that's physically part of the model - a glowing sword, a lantern, a power core - is lighting the surfaces around it, with the light color fading out the further a surface sits from the source. Full method: object source lighting, step by step.
Zenithal priming
Zenithal priming is spraying a light color - usually white or grey - straight down onto a dark-primed miniature, so raised surfaces catch the spray and recesses stay dark. It builds a rough highlight and shadow map before a single coat of color goes on. Full method: zenithal priming, step by step.
Drybrushing
Drybrushing is loading a brush with paint, then wiping almost all of it off on a paper towel before dragging the barely-loaded bristles across a model. Paint only catches on raised detail and texture, which makes it fast and forgiving - the standard first highlight for rock, fur, chainmail and basing texture.
Wet blending
Wet blending is working two paint colors together on the model while both are still wet, so they merge into a smooth gradient with no visible hard edge between layers - the opposite approach to building up highlights in thin, dried, separate layers. See wet blending vs. layering for when to reach for which.
Edge highlighting
Edge highlighting is a thin line of lighter paint run along the raised physical edges of armor, weapons and cloth folds, simulating light catching the edge itself. It reads clearly even at arm's length across a tabletop. Full method: edge highlighting, step by step.
Paint & materials
What's actually in the pot, and what it's for.
Basecoat
The basecoat is the first solid layer of color applied over primer - flat, opaque, no shading yet. It sets the actual hue everything else builds on.
Wash
A wash is a thin, dark, ink-like paint that flows into recesses and settles there, adding instant shadow to detail without touching the raised surfaces much. It's usually applied over a basecoat, before highlights.
Glaze
A glaze is paint thinned down until it's almost transparent, applied in thin coats to shift a color's tone or add a subtle tint without hiding what's underneath - the opposite job to a basecoat.
Contrast paint
Contrast paint is a paint formulated to basecoat, shade and tint in one pass over a white or zenithal-primed model - it pools darker in recesses on its own instead of needing a separate wash step. Full guide: Citadel Contrast, explained.
Speedpaint
Speedpaint is Army Painter's version of the same one-coat idea as Contrast paint - a tinted, self-shading formula built to take a miniature from primed to tabletop-ready in one or two coats. See Speedpaint vs. Contrast for how they actually differ.
Primer
Primer is the first coat applied to bare plastic, resin or metal - it gives paint a surface to grip that raw material won't provide on its own, and it's what a zenithal highlight is sprayed onto. Buying guide: best primer for miniatures.
Varnish / sealant
Varnish is a clear protective coat applied once painting is finished, in matte (no shine, the usual tabletop choice), gloss (high shine, common on wet-look surfaces like blood or slime) or satin (in between). Buying guide: best miniature varnish.
Scale & basing
How big the model is, and what it stands on.
28mm / 32mm
28mm and 32mm describe a miniature's approximate height from foot to eye in millimeters, not its full height including a helmet or weapon held overhead - the two most common scales in modern tabletop wargaming. A 28mm and 32mm model from different ranges won't always sit at a matching height side by side.
Basing
Basing is finishing the round or square base a miniature stands on - texture, static grass, rubble - done last, after the model itself is painted. Full guide: basing miniatures, step by step.
| Term | One line | Full guide |
|---|---|---|
| NMM | Painting metal without metallic paint | Guide |
| OSL | Painting a model's own light source | Guide |
| Zenithal priming | Overhead spray for instant highlight map | Guide |
| Edge highlighting | A thin bright line on raised edges | Guide |
| Basing | Finishing the base, done last | Guide |
| Contrast paint | One-coat basecoat + shade | Guide |
Standards
Tabletop-ready vs. display standard
Tabletop-ready means a model reads well from a couple of feet away across a game table - solid basecoats, a wash, maybe a drybrush highlight, done. Display or competition standard means every technique on this page gets used at once - NMM, OSL, freehand, wet blending - built to survive close-up photography and judging, not just game night.
Questions people ask about these terms
What's the difference between NMM and OSL?
NMM paints a metal object without metallic paint. OSL paints the effect of a light source that's part of the model - a glow, a lantern - shining onto nearby surfaces. They're often combined on the same model: NMM for the armor, OSL for a glowing sword the armor sits near.
Is drybrushing the same as dry brushing?
Yes - it's written both ways in different guides and forums, one word or two. Same technique: wiping almost all the paint off a brush before dragging it across raised detail.
What does 28mm mean on a miniature?
It's the model's approximate height in millimeters from the feet to eye level, not to the top of a helmet or raised weapon. It's a scale convention, not an exact measurement - two 28mm ranges from different manufacturers can still differ slightly in actual height.
Are Contrast paints and Speedpaints the same thing?
They solve the same problem - one coat that basecoats and shades at once - from two different manufacturers, Games Workshop's Citadel line and Army Painter. The formulas, pigment strength and how they pool in recesses differ enough to matter; see the full comparison for which suits a given model.
Do I need to know NMM and OSL to paint miniatures well?
No. A basecoat, a wash and a drybrush highlight is a complete, tabletop-ready paint job on its own. NMM, OSL and freehand are what separate a display-standard model from a tabletop one - worth learning when you want that jump, not a prerequisite to start.
Do I have to varnish a finished miniature?
Not to play with it, but varnish protects the paint job from handling, dice, and case foam over time, and it's the only way to get an even matte or gloss finish across paints that dried at different sheens.
See these terms applied to your own miniature
Upload a photo, pick your paints, and get a scheme that names the technique for every surface - no guessing which term applies where.