Miniature Monogamy

For the past three years, I've painted exclusively Reaper miniatures. Reaper was the first miniature company I discovered when I started painting a few years ago. I've collected their minis over that time until I amassed this hoard:

I feel like owe a lot to Reaper. ReaperCon 2014 was the first convention I attended-- a four-day convention with tabletop gaming, sculpting & painting classes, contests, and panels with some of the best artists in the industry. It was a great experience learning from kind people willing to share their knowledge. ReaperCon inspired me to paint more, paint often, and keep working to improve my skills. I'll definitely be returning next year.

Lately, I've challenged myself to become more involved in the community and research as many different companies as possible in order to expand my knowledge of the hobby. Here's what's in my mixed bag so far:

Privateer Press - Hordes

Mantic Miniatures

Infinity Miniatures

Alkemy Miniatures

I know many people only paint a certain type of miniature-- especially ones specific to their particular gaming system. Others find a miniature sculptor they like, either within a company or one who sculpts for multiple companies, and purchase their work knowing the quality of the sculpt will make a difference. This past Monday, I received a shipment of Infinity miniatures I purchased when I became obsessed with the dynamic style and detailed quality of Corvus Belli's miniatures. I admit I had a hard time paring it down and when I opened this box, I knew I'd gone overboard:

Like I mentioned in my "...and Beyond!" post, I appreciate well-proportioned 25-28mm miniatures with dynamic poses, expressive faces, and well-rendered details. I haven't painted enough different types of miniatures to have specific preferences-- that's the main reason why I'm running this experiment. So far, I only know what I don't want to paint. For example, I'm a bit embarrassed to admit I don't care to paint skeletons or zombies-- it's just not my cup of tea. I find it difficult to stare at a mini for hours at a time when all I think when I look at it is, "eww" (I often sound like a 5 year old). However, I have a great appreciation for painters who are able to use many different styles to paint a broad range of miniatures-- from beautiful ladies to ghoulish monsters, terrain, mecha robots, and everything in between. I aspire to one day be that experienced and well-rounded in my own painting. I also realize that once I'm able to paint faster, I know that painting miniatures I don't particularly care for will become less of an issue since each one won't be a serious time commitment. 

In the meantime, I'll continue to research more companies and find as many different examples of miniatures as I can to find out what I like (and dislike) about the materials they're made out of, the quality of the sculpt, style, and overall experience. I find that I'm inspired to try new painting techniques on different miniature styles-- it can't hurt to mix it up!

While I'll always have a special place in my heart for Reaper miniatures (and Lord knows I have enough in my stash and will be painting them for years to come), after three years, I'm ready to branch out and paint some other types of miniatures. I admit, I feel a little guilty ending my monogamous relationship with these Reaper minis. At the very least, I'll be able to speak from experience when I talk about the pros/cons surrounding the different types of miniatures. First up will be a Privateer Press miniature and an Infinity miniature. I'll start each of them this weekend and have some Works In Progress pictures to show next week. We'll see how it goes!

Miniatures & Scale

When I tell people about my hobby, the first question they usually ask is, "Just how small are they?".  Since my blog is about the discovery of miniature painting, my goal is to make it accessible to everyone. Recently I was asked to include a basic overview of miniatures & scale for those less-than-familiar with the hobby. Happy to oblige!

The majority of miniatures I paint are 25-28mm. For those of us who were not raised on the internationally recognized decimal system of measurement, they're about 1 inch tall. Some are a bit larger and others are considerably smaller, and once the 25-28mm minis are attached to bases, the finished product is usually under 2 inches. Of course, bases can range anywhere from a simple, flat square to a hand-carved custom display base. To help put miniature scale in perspective, here are some pictures: one with a measuring tape & push pin, the other featuring my less-than-manicured thumbnail.

"What are they made out of?"

While some minis are made from plastic or resin, the majority of miniatures I've painted are cast in pewter. They come out of the box looking like this Reaper miniature:

Some are cast as one piece, others are in several parts and require assembly like this Privateer Press miniature:

"How long do they take to paint?"

For me, generally anywhere from 4-32 hours. It's a big range, and I personally choose how long to spend on a mini by asking myself this simple question:

What is this mini going to be used for?

  • One-time tabletop game: 2-4 hours. 
  • Many games: 8-24 hours (depending on how many people I want to impress!)
  • Display & Collecting: 12-32+ hours (depending on the projected detail & quality)
  • Personal enjoyment: however long I want!

And lastly, the final question I'm asked is, "Why do you enjoy painting these tiny things?"

Truly, I enjoy working with small-scale figures. They require a smaller volume of paint, less room needed for my painting setup, and the best part is that a $5-15 miniature is much less expensive than a large canvas. I also like the challenge of refining controlled painting techniques for the best possible results. It's a great exercise in patience!  

If you have questions, keep 'em coming! I'm happy to share my discoveries and look forward to learning from others as well. In the meantime, I'm waiting for my Infinity miniatures to arrive in the mail today-- I'll have more for you on Thursday! 

...and Beyond!

Last night I discovered Infinity The Game. The concept art & stylized minis brought back everything I loved about Mass Effect and Gundam Wing and when I recalled those happy memories, the subsequent flood of dopamine had me spiraling out of control... long story short I bought $100+ worth of minis. Yep, THAT happened. Glad Friday is payday. 

I absolutely love Corvus Belli's high standard for dynamic & detailed 28mm minis like this (links provided below)

I bought them both. After watching some of the Getting Started videos, I think I'm hooked. So far, I haven't been truly exposed to wargaming or futuristic tabletop gaming. In fact, I've only painted Reaper miniatures exclusively. However, after reading more about the overall campaign in their introduction (see below), I definitely want to learn more.

“One hundred and seventy-five years into the future Humanity has managed to survive despite itself, but for how much longer?

The human race has reached the stars. Travelling through worm-holes, enormous commercial ships, run by the international community, known as Circulars, jump from one star system to another. Circulars are controlled by O-12, an international organism that is the second generation United Nations but with much greater capacity for decision-making and for taking action. A single, massively powerful Artificial Intelligence that is present in the entire Human Sphere, and indispensable for the great powers, assists the O-12 in maintaining a fragile balance between them.

The old nations have grouped themselves into great international federations and have allotted between themselves the star systems that have been shown to be adequate for human life. These new powers, much more powerful than the old ones, continue to be moved by the age-old driving forces of human history: the quest for living space, resources and power. They all want the same and that makes peaceful co-existence difficult. Confrontation and conflict are the constant norm, whether they be open or concealed, of high or low-intensity, of long or short duration… the profession of soldier in this epoque is far from dull…”
— InfinityTheGame.com

I spent 3 hours perusing, adding, and whittling down my checkout cart. It was difficult. While I wanted to buy the Rule Book and two solid starter packs, there were miniatures that I just couldn't pass up. (Hello, Zondcat). In the end, I had to go with my gut. When I purchase miniatures, I look for these qualities:

Dontnod Entertainment/Capcom

  1. Dynamic Poses
  2. Well-Rendered Details
  3. Proper Proportions
  4. Expressive Faces
  5. Overall Visual Impact

I'm attracted to strong female characters & my favorite miniatures fit that description-- ones that aren't hyper-sexualized. In fact, my biggest Geek Woman-Crush is Nilin from the video game "Remember Me". Someday, I will pick up running, lose 20 lbs, grow a whole foot taller, cut off my long hair, add some highlights & cosplay as this BAMF. Wishful thinking, but I haven't given up hope! 

In the meantime, I'll broaden my horizons, continue to seek out awesome sculpts, and learn more about mecha-style miniature painting techniques. My shipment of Infinity minis should arrive this next Monday. I'll plan to have more pictures for you at that time along with some solid research examples. See you next week!