I asked this in general discussion and people sent me here, can anyone help?

Quote from account256 >>

I make my own paper minis, but I also sunk a lot of time, effort, and money into doing that.

For player characters, if I don't find art that matches the character, I create them in Heroforge and take a screenshot (PRO allows a capture with transparent background, which makes it a lot easier).

I then use GIMP to touch up contrast and color brightness for the print, and add a black border around the edges. Then I import the character picture into my Cricut software and add a base, mirror the figure to have front and back. Then I print-and-cut on the Cricut and glue the mini together (gluestick is much better than 'wet' glue).

If you already have access to a cutting machine, this is really nice and the minis come out beautifully.

Alternately, tokens are a quick, easy, and inexpensive way to make a good representation of monsters and PCs. I just use Word to size and print out the art, and a 1-inch paper punch gets the cut perfect every time. If you want to upscale your token, you can use 1-inch domed epoxy stickers, that are usually used to make bottlecap jewelry. It's simple and effective, and even looks good on the map. (works best if everyone is using tokens, if someone uses 3D minis, they look a bit 'flat' in comparison ;)

Quote from account256 >>

Here is an example of how the design looks:

As for painting:

Quote from account256 >>

You can use acrylic craft paint and thin it down:

Painting is easy, if you have a steady hand and good eyes, but can take some practice if you aren't naturally artistic.

I recommend Citadel paints (Contrast for realistic shading) and Nolzur's Marvelous Unpainted Miniatures from most game shops or online from miniaturemarket.com

Thanks!!!!

Quote from Memnosyne >>

Painting is easy

 totally - if you're okay with less than perfection when compared to what was in your head when you started.  If that's the case, it can take weeks and weeks. :)

I got a a bunch from a Reaper Bones Kickstarter years ago but found I just don't enjoy painting that much. It's not too hard if you just slap down paint how you want it then apply a dark wash over it to darken the lower areas. Doing it that way makes it fairly easy to make shadows.