How to paint 28 mm heads and how to use them?

Like in real life, heads are vital features in the universe of wargames. From the modeling point of view, they're the most significant things when it comes to diversifying your miniatures. From the rules point of view, they're - just like any other part of a figure - points that can be shot to if visible to the enemy. That is why even in tabletop miniature gaming, it's essential to watch your head.

What are 28 mm heads miniatures and what are they used for

If you ever saw a set of 28 mm heads for wargaming miniatures and wondered what the meaning of this is, let us clarify. These aren't only for creating piles of cut-off heads, like some Chaos worshippers from Games Workshop's Warhammer do. Although it would surely be an imposing piece of terrain, not everyone would find it practical.

Besides using heads by themselves for any scenery, you can always make use of them when converting your models. Whether you need some heads for your customized figures or want to add more variety to your units, you should find these bits usable. They should also work as accessories for some of your more "barbaric" characters, such as Orcs or Dark Gods worshippers. They are more than likely to keep several heads close as trophies.

The different types of 28 mm heads miniatures

We discussed many different ways of using 28 mm miniature heads. It’s natural that if there is something with a wide range of usage like this, it’ll also have many different types and forms. Look at the range of heads in our webstore at Kromlech. It doesn’t exhaust the possibilities, but it may give you an idea of how many various kinds of sets of heads exist.

Starting with the most usual division - on male and female heads - we can go through the one depending on kinds of hair or headgear (with hats, helmets, etc.), straight to the different bits for different wargaming factions and races (alien heads, mutant heads, and so on).

Moreover, a scale can also be a significant feature - especially when searching for some suitable bits for your figures (sorting the products with this option can help you save time). Of course, in this article, we focus on the 28 mm scale, but it’s good to remember that heads for both larger and smaller models also exist, so you should pay much attention to the description before buying anything. And if you want to avoid possessing heads unmatching the rest of your model at all costs, you can always try 3D printing with our Kromlech 3D Workshop. That solution will give you more control regarding the size of your bits.

Finally, we need to mention the theme of heads. It might sound a bit odd, but even the heads themselves can differ because of the clime they’re designed in. For example, the fantasy ones won’t have any futuristic add-ons, such as robotic eyes or even modern goggles - indeed, that wouldn’t fit this particular genre. It’s like with terrain (for which you should always look on the wide Tabletop Scenics offer) or gaming accessories such as tokens, markers, templates, etc. - you don’t necessarily need to keep them in the theme of the game you play. Still, it’ll add much immersion to that experience if you do.

How to paint 28 mm heads miniatures

Painting your 28 mm miniature heads depends on the type you choose. Of course, one of the most critical conditions will be the race of the portrayed head. Painting skin on an Orc head is entirely different from painting one on a human head (not to mention other races or kinds of monsters - even more wicked in terms of colors and facial expressions).

Another thing that can impact your painting of miniature heads is whether you want to paint one (for example, for a character) and do it as well as possible or you’re preparing an army and need to finish many heads quickly. Remember - heads are pretty small, even compared to other parts of the figure. If high-level painting isn’t a must for you, consider using some techniques to fasten the whole process.

First, paint like a machine - repeat every step on every model before you proceed to the next step.

Obviously, heads are as numerous (or even more) as miniatures - including different shapes, sizes, and painting methods

Secondly - don’t be afraid of using contrasts or a rational dose of washes and drybrushing. These solutions can fasten your painting process without sacrificing much quality.

And finally - don’t be so precise. The solutions we stated above may not highlight all the details of your figures, but the final look of your army will still be perfect for a tabletop.

The benefits of using 28 mm heads miniatures

Ok - now we know the purpose of 28 mm heads for miniatures. We listed their types and even the ways you can paint them as well. The last thing to do is discuss the benefits of using such... things.

Besides the best visible benefits we’ve partially stated before (diversity and unquestionably larger cafeteria of possible choices), there is at least one more thing. It’s somewhat connected with those listed here but adds even more significance to using 28 mm heads.

What we have in mind is the possibility of leveling up both your converting game and a variety of customizations. If you look into our modeling and basing category, you’ll find many practical tools for doing everything we just wrote in this article. Among them is one type of product that deserves special attention. These types of products are magnets.

Thanks to the use of these handy accessories, you can make the heads of all of your troops swappable. The process of doing so is pretty easy itself. Magnets come in various sizes - all of them are relatively tiny, but even within that small-sized cafeteria are micro ones. Depending on the type of heads you wish to add to your troops (or maybe instead on the kind of troops themselves), you’ll need these micro magnets, or perhaps a bit larger ones. Then, with the use of glue and a hobby knife, you can easily attach them both to the bodies and the necks of your figures. And that’s it. Now you can enjoy playing (or presenting on the shelf) your unique army with customization possibilities like no other!