most of the time they are plastic, older ones, and some companies still use pewter.Its easy to paint but hard to master kinda think. Not really hard to make presentable pieces though. At this level of quality maybe an hour or so for me. I use paint/ink washes and have learned how to use them fast. But it should not take much longer for someone new to it. there are TONS of people that share their hobbies online. It's fun. Most miniatures are for board games and RPG games. For instance, I love the Warhammer 40k universe but I never play the game, I like to build the little army and makeup like stories for them. Then when I get board or need money I'll sell them on eBay and start over again.