A paintover is a digital art technique that began in the concept art and film industry. Studios used it to bring ideas to life quickly by painting over 3D renders or photos and adding new lighting, textures, and atmosphere.

At Artists Empire, I’ve adapted paintovers for the miniature hobby. Instead of concept sketches, I start with your painted mini. Using digital tools, I add cinematic lighting, smoke, sparks, muzzle flashes, glowing runes, and other story-driven effects. These are painted in by hand and blended with the photo, not applied through filters.

When needed, I combine photo elements in a process sometimes called photobashing to build a scene, then refine it with digital brushwork. The result is closer to digital illustration than photo editing — a piece of art built on your miniature that makes your model look like it belongs in a living scene.