Painting Boxers: Tips for 28mm Miniatures
By Wargames Atlantic | Published: 2026-10-17
Category: Tips & Care
Learn practical steps for painting 28mm Boxers miniatures from Wargames Atlantic, including color choices, brush techniques, and common pitfalls.
Quick answer
Start with a light gray primer, then block in the Boxers' iconic red sashes and dark blue or black trousers. Use a fine brush for facial details and a wash to bring out folds in their loose clothing. Keep a consistent light source to avoid flat results.
Choosing the Right Primer
For 28mm Boxers miniatures, a light gray primer works best because it preserves the brightness of later colors without making them look chalky. Avoid black primer if you plan to paint light skin tones or white garments, as you will need many thin coats to cover it.
Color Palette Suggestions
The Boxers historically wore a mix of civilian and makeshift uniforms. Use dark blue or black for trousers, red for sashes or headbands, and off-white or tan for shirts. For the skin, a warm brown base with a lighter highlight gives a natural look. Stick to matte paints to reduce shine on the tabletop.
Common Mistake: Overloading the Brush
A common error is applying paint that is too thick, which obscures fine details like facial features and fabric folds. Thin your paints with a drop of water and wipe excess on a paper towel before touching the miniature. Two thin coats always look better than one thick one.
Step-by-step painting process
- Step 1: Prime and basecoat: Apply a light gray spray primer. Once dry, basecoat all skin areas with a warm brown, trousers with dark blue, and shirts with off-white. Use a size 2 brush for broad areas. Checkpoint: Ensure the primer is fully cured before painting to avoid tacky surfaces.
- Step 2: Block in details: Paint the red sashes or headbands with a bright red, and any weapons or tools with gunmetal or dark steel. Use a size 1 brush for these smaller areas. Keep your paint thin enough to flow but not run. Common mistake: Painting red over dark blue without a white undercoat can make the red look dull. Apply a thin layer of white first if needed.
- Step 3: Wash and highlight: Apply a brown or black wash to recesses (folds, eyes, weapon grooves). After it dries, drybrush the raised areas with a lighter tone of the base color to bring out texture. Finish with a matte varnish to protect the paint. Checkpoint: Let the wash dry completely before drybrushing, or you will smear the shadows.
Product facts
- Boxers: THE DRAGON WAKES! China 1899. A populist movement secretly supported by the Empress Dowager has risen up to expel all foreigners from Chinese soil. Called the Yihequan (Fists of Harmony and Justice) but “Boxers” by foreigners because their members practiced martial arts, the group attacked both foreign residents of China and Chinese who had converted to Christianity. The uprising culminated in the siege of Peking… The historical setting helps you choose accurate colors and insignia, such as red sashes and Chinese-style clothing, to make your miniatures look authentic on the tabletop.
