What I love the most about miniature painting

This pic was taken yesterday, in a random bar in Madrid, next to one of the most important miniature hobby stores in Madrid. A monthly painters gathering is coming back to life from the Spanish Team Forum, and the results were completely unexpected this time.

Some of the most famous Fantasy painters in the world are in this photo. Can you recognise them?

Yep. This is what I love the most.

PS: For those still wondering... Alfonso Giraldes (Banshee), Jose Palomares (JMPN), Elías Alonso (Morsi), Diego Esteban (Dieguete), Pedro Souto (Lotina), Pablo López (Paloji)...

Do Not Miss: January 2014

This is the selection of most interesting things read in January 2014. This first month has been a bit slow, not as much activity as the last few months... World Expo preparation has begun?

• Step by step, German Sniper Stalingrad 1943 by Mirko Cavalloni: Very interesting article on how Mirko painted this German soldier of WW2.


• Lelith Hesperax by Ringil: Really cool article on yet another version of Lelith Hesperax, despite Finecast!


• High Elf Army by Nadezdha Reka: I may be building a cool High Elf Army, but I'm certainly not as productive as her. Cool!!!


• Tzeench Standard Bearer by Mirko Cavalloni: Another very interesting tutorial from Mirko.


• Black Color Painting Tutorial by Flameon: Always doubting how to approach those blacks? Flameon has some answers for you.


• Interview with John Rosengrant in Massive Voodoo: Mr. Rosengrant is a very important person in the world of SFX and artistic work for Hollywood movies, but he also happens to love miniatures, and he was invited to Monte San Savino in 2013. The MV guys interviewed him and I find this immensily interesting and inspiring.


• L'ange by Benoit Cauchies: Probably just a simple sculpture for him. I just love it.


• Undead King by Roman Lappat: Super cool version of this bust by Roman Lappat. Nature at its finest.


• Chief librarian of the Aurora chapter conversion by Kirill Kanaev: I saw this and I said "Orgasmic". I'm sure you guys will agree with me!

WIP: Ellyrian Reavers Part 3

Previously on... WIP: Ellyrian Reavers

It's time to start putting some paint on those horses. Each of them is going to be different! For now I will just do some washes of the base colours of the horse skins. Since the priming job is already good for zenithal lighting, changing the colour but letting the black and white gradients underneath shine through will do the trick.

For example, this horse would be brown.

After those first washes, I insist with the colour to bring up the saturation. Also, the legs will be darker (nearly black) and I will do some work on the face. Basically outlining the eyes and the mouth. You can see how the mouth is also a bit darker.

This other horse will be ochre. First, with some washes.

Then again, insisting on the colour to make it more saturated, but always following the lighting scheme of the priming job.

This third horse will be dark grey. I will just go with some washes of a slightly dark blue over the priming. It is very difficult to distinguish, because its so light that it looks like I did nothing and I just left the prime base.

When I paint and define more the face of the horse, the colour starts to show a little bit.

A very similar colour is what I am going to use for the horse of the captain.

Tired of the horse colours, I decide to move on and go back once the rest is more advanced. I will move on to the golden parts of the horse barding and the rider.

For example, let's take one of the brown horses. In this pictures you can see what are those golden parts that I am talking about: borders of scale armours, bracers and shoulder pads.

In a next step I outline and use silver metal as final highlights.

I also use this step to paint the blue clothing on the riders. It's very interesting to see the pictures of before...

...and after.

Or in this one, these two pictures are from before...

...and these two, after.

Continue to WIP: Ellyrian Reavers Part 4

The beautiful and sad story behind the highest ranked mini of all time in CMoN

Very emotional stories around miniature painting lately. A few days ago I told you about the engagement minis story, a beautiful one with a very happy ending. This story is also beautiful and very emotional, but with a very sad ending I'm afraid. :(

Yesterday, I ran into this post in Bell of Lost Souls. As you all know, this blog is one of the most important sites for wargaming news all around the world. They published an interview to Victor Hardy, a miniature painting legend. Old schoolers will remember him for sure. Newbies not so much, but if you log into CoolMiniOrNot, you will find that Victor is the painter of a very well known classic piece, Golgotha, the highest ranked miniature in the site of all time, which was witness to the story I want to tell you about.

The great Golgotha, in all its classic glory.

This story was told by Victor in the interview in BoLS. Here is the extract from that interview, in the part where was talking about his comeback and about Golden Demon UK 2004 (a whole decade ago):

[...] This, however, is the best part of the story about the 2004 UK Golden Demon that was never told. The people I met were incredible, and among those it was meeting the French that made greatest impression on me. I had the pleasure of getting to spend the day with: Jeremy Bonamant (Bragon), Bruno Grelier, Allan C, Jacque Alexandre, and David Waeselynck. They had all piled in a van and drove form France—sleeping in the van the night before. These guys were crazy! They ranged from a teen ager to a man ns his late 40s—all crammed in the van. They were so enthusiastic and passionate about the hobby that they were on just another level. I spent the day talking to them about painting and looking at their work. It was awesome. I have so much respect for their work. Not since the Battle of Hastings did the French do so well on British soil. The French invasion swept the golden demons and Jacque Alexander took home the Slayer Sword.

Now here is the amazing part. Bruno Grelier had entered into the same category as Golgotha. When he saw that Golgotha had been disqualified, he gave me his trophy and asked me to take it. He insisted that I should have his trophy because he felt I deserved it. Now think about this. I had never met Bruno Grelier before in my life. We didn’t even speak a common language. He gave one of the most precious things a Golden competitor can have (i.e., his trophy) to a complete stranger. Only someone that is totally passionate and crazy about the hobby could do such a thing. I have always wanted to repay this random act of kindness. I have wanted to win a slayer sword and send it back to him. Unfortunately, I haven’t won any in a long while. I have never spoken to Bruno since that day. I hope to make a comeback and when I do I am going to find Bruno Grelier wherever he is in the world and pay him back with a sword! One day.

So it happened that while I was reading this story, a tear rolled down my cheek. The great Bruno Grelier passed away last year, and Victor, at the time of the interview, didn't know about this.

Victor, may you still find Bruno one day. Wherever he may be now.