Paper Miniature Tutorial: How I do it!

 There are many ways you can cut out paper miniatures. Anything from just cutting out a rough shape with a white background to an automatic cutting machine that will cut super close...While I do own the latter, I prefer the method below.

A rogues gallery...Art by David Okum

 First we start with the tools of the trade:

1.  A sturdy yet comfortable pair of scissors.
2. Elmer's disappearing purple glue stick. This is very important as you can see where you've applied the glue and where you haven't.  If you get any on the "face" side of the miniature it disappears. Best part is, the sticks are super cheap. Have a look at your local big box store in the school supplies area.
3. Chisel tipped Sharpie (for edging).
4. Fine point Sharpie (for any white areas).
5. Straight edge of your choice (I prefer a 6" ruler).
6. X-Acto knife for cutting along the line. Alternatively you can use a ballpoint pen so you can "score" the model. I generally use this when doing cuts that you need to do on the backside of the paper. This usually comes into play with buildings.
7. Finally, a really haggard looking cutting mat.

First get your sheet of miniatures.

This next step is very important! Cut along the "tops" of the minis (on this example it is the bottom) just above the black outline of the miniature. On the next cut, leave some white showing (I know this part is confusing but I put some text on the pic to show you what I mean!).

This step is optional but I cut them in half not only because my ruler is short but because when you're applying the glue it covers better and, if you use the purple disappearing glue, it doesn't dry as fast.

Next is on to the "scoring." Just lightly perforate the paper with the knife. If you're new or want to have the kids join in on the fun, you can use the ballpoint pen and press firmly along the line.

Fold along the line.

Apply the glue! Make sure you get good coverage on one side only, although I like to overlap a little glue on the bend. You can see the purple disappearing glue.

This is where that bit of extra paper running across the top comes in. You can't really see it but there is purple glue where the purple arrow is pointing. This way you can make sure everything is covered as you overlap the miniature. Nothing more frustrating than having to reglue a mini down the road. Also, press firmly over each miniature making sure you have a good glue seal (including the base insert!).

Chop the miniatures up into single figures. They will be easier to cut out if they're separated.

Cut around the black borders and free the miniature! This is completely optional; you can just do a simple oval shape or whatever you want. Some people like to do sharp edges with their hobby knife.

Now I hold the miniature so the thin side is facing up and go along with a chisel tip Sharpie all around the miniature stopping at the base making sure not to get any on the "face" side. Then I go along with the fine tip and color in any remaining white (not much on this mini, nice job David).

Boom, you're done and ready to game!

I can bust out a sheet of 12 minis in probably 15 minutes, maybe less if they're goblins or something. Some miniatures don't really have much of a black border around them. In this case, you might want to leave a white border around them as the Sharpies tend to bleed their color.

Hope you enjoyed this little tutorial!