Figure painting is the hobby of painting miniature figures and/or model figures, either in its own right or as an adjunct to role-playing games, wargames, military modeling, etc.
Because of the small scale of these figures, the often finely sculpted detail can be lost by simply applying solid color. Many of special techniques allow the painter to emphasize the detail in the figure and make it "come alive".
Painting can be done by a professional painter, who may have more time to devote to painting, and/or greater painting skill, than the person wishing to have the figure painted.