Ursula · More True Metallic Metals (Part 2)

This is a continued experiment with gold True Metallic Metals. I haven't used a lot of the metallic paints before and I haven't practiced any TMM techniques since painting Lord Ironraven. In this experiment, I wanted a bronze, greenish-effect on the battle axe of Reaper Miniature "Ursula". I also wanted to paint some fun, bolder colors on her hair and bodice. I haven't painted orange hair before, and it was an interesting contrast to dull down the metallic paint and build up bright colors elsewhere on the miniature at the same time. 

For the metals, I painted a base coat 50/50 mix of Privateer Press P3's "Blighted Gold" & "Rhulic Gold". Then I added multiple, thin layers of Reaper "Green Shadow" to give a green tint to the metallic base color. I then highlighted and edged in Rhulic gold, though it doesn't read very well in these photos (a definite downside to TMM). Natural light definitely helped in these photos, and I'll soon decide if I want to paint a few touch-ups that will look better on camera and then take final pictures. For the rest of the colors, I used a wide range of Reaper paints:

  • Hair: Rust Brown, Marigold Yellow, Pure White
  • Bodice, Gloves, and Belt Sash: Surf Aqua, Blue Liner & Leather White 
  • Fur: Leather White, Brown Liner
  • Scale Cape (I call it her "Acorn Cape"): Olive Skin Shadow, Brown Liner, Leather White
  • Axe Handle: Olive Skin Shadow, Brown Liner
  • Eye Patch: Olive Skin Shadow, Leather White, Brown Liner

I decided not to line the TMM metal edges in an off-white and paint "hot spots" in a pure white, a common practice in NMM-- I'm not convinced I should mix the techniques. I think that matte white paint may stand out too much from the metallic paints and distract from the intended effect. Otherwise, I'm pleased with Ursula as a TMM practice miniature. She's one of the minis that's been sitting on my shelf for a long, long time after years of being intimidated by both TMM & NMM techniques. I improve only by experimenting with these different techniques, and I always learn something new each time I try-- some lessons learned from mistakes, others are happy accidents that I try to recreate on future miniatures. 

Dark Sword Box Party

They're here!!! The Stephanie Law Masterworks Dark Sword Kickstarter miniatures I ordered arrived yesterday. I wrote about this Kickstarter a few weeks ago, and I can't believe how time has flown-- Dark Sword really worked hard to ship these out during the busy holiday season!

Box Party

I opened the box and squealed like a crazed fangirl. Inside were glorious boxes of the Kickstarter miniatures along with my Thief of Hearts bundle & Marike Reimer DVD add-ons. Beautiful. I promptly popped the DVD into my Blu Ray player and hit "play" while I spread out & fussed over my new miniatures.  

Marike Reimer Introduction

Stephanie Law Kickstarter miniatures + Thief of Hearts Add-Ons

I'm really excited about the "Dark Sword Masterworks Miniature Painting with Marike Reimer" DVD made in 2012. Marike is touted as one of the most accomplished miniature painters in the industry and her work is absolutely stunning. She values smooth blending and has a sharp eye (and steady hand) for freehand detail. Just look at her "Guardian of the Sea" miniature:

Image from Dark Sword Miniatures - Guardian of the Sea sculpted by Jeff Grace & painted by Marike Reimer

It's truly amazing. Like stupid-good-hurts-my-eyes-how-is-this-possible amazing. I'm looking forward to learning more about her style and practicing similar freehand techniques. Practice makes perfect!

Chapter on Sheer Fabrics

I've already binge-watched Disc 1 (of 4) which contains:

  • Dark Sword Introduction
  • Marike Introduction
  • Tools, Paints & Brushes
  • Terminology & Paint Consistency
  • Basic Color Theory, Blocking and Base Coating
  • Blending & Layering - Shadows & Highlights
  • Female Skin Tones, Faces & Eyes
  • Sheer Fabrics 

So far, I'm loving it-- Marike has a calming voice and a fun sense of humor (I love the part about her sexy magnifying glasses). There is so much more content in the next few discs, including in-depth freehand sections on 3 different patterns on cloaks & capes. In fact, I needed to feed the cat. He jumped up on the table and pawed at me as if saying, "Stop staring at the moving light box and playing with these tiny boxes. I'm hungry now!". I obliged him, but I would have rather started Disc 2. If it were up to me, I would have ordered a pizza and painted late into the night. But alas, the pets and people needed feeding so painting will have to wait until tonight. In the meantime, I made some killer spicy chili, which was perfect with this cold front rolling through-- a perfect night for staying in & painting. Now for the hard part: I need to decide which of these many miniatures to start painting! 

Miniatures of 2014

Happy New Year! I've recently noticed a trend of miniature painters photographing the minis they've painted in the last year-- I think it's a wonderful idea! We should all celebrate our achievements, big & small as we enter 2015. Since I committed myself to the mini painting hobby back in April, I'm amazed how many miniatures I've completed in the last 8-9 months compared to previous years. In fact, I had a hard time grouping them all into the same space. I gave up half way through and ended up cramming the rest together. It reminded me of the annual class photo in grade school. "Short people in the front. That's it, now get closer. Closer... CLOSER! Ok, good. Now say 'cheese!'":

While this year I focused on developing several specific techniques, I also pushed myself to expand my knowledge of speed painting. Below are the miniatures that I painted to the best of my ability at the time, followed by the group of "speed painted" miniatures. (I've included the little Jedi miniature since I painted her in four hours, not including the base). Seeing as 100% of these miniatures were painted between April 2014 - Dec 2014, I think it's been a truly successful year for miniature painting! I can't wait to see what the next year holds. 

2014 miniature collection (4+ hours)

2014 Speed Paint miniatures (less-than-4-hours)

As far as my personal 2015 painting goals are concerned, I want to focus on basing. I consider creating bases for painted miniatures a "necessary evil", and I want to change that perception. While I know overcoming my view of basing will be an ongoing battle (or at least until I get good at it), I'm committed to taking my painting to the next level. I also want to try some freehand and tattoo techniques on a few miniatures. I plan on attending ReaperCon 2015 and I'd like to paint at least two competition-level miniatures to enter into their contest. I think all those goals are realistic-- here's to 2015!