I will be attending the Cold Wars convention in Lancaster, Pennsylvania on the weekend of March 13 through March 16 2020. Aaron Lovejoy and Elizabeth Beckley-Bradford of Miniature Monthly fame will also be there, and all of us are in addition to the great Hobby University team. That’s a lot of people teaching a lot of different classes on a lot of cool miniature painting related topics! (Scroll to the end for links to buy convention passes and class tickets.)
My four classes take place on Saturday, March 14. I hope some of you will be able to make it out, but for those who can’t, I hope these photos and tidbits of info are helpful!
Or if you can make it to AdeptiCon in Chicago on March 27, I still have seats available for my Critique Clinique class. Tickets are no longer available online, but feel free to show up at the door. Or if you can’t come, enjoy this online excerpt.
Source Lighting: March 13 at noon
The Yeti Shaman is available in plastic or metal. Ghost of Christmas Past is not currently for sale.
I have long said that one of the interesting things about source lighting is that the effect is much less about brush skills than many ‘advanced’ effects. It’s far more about understanding principles of where to place light and shadow and colour choices. I used the techniques of washing and drybrushing to paint the Yeti Shaman on the left. I followed the same principles I used to paint the Christmas Past figure on the right, which was painted with layering and glazing techniques.
Useful blog post:
How I painted the source light on Christmas Past
Non-Metallic Metal Blades: March 13 at 4pm
These weapon sprues are not currently available for sale, but hopefully will be soon.
If you admire gorgeous smoothly blended non-metallic metal (NMM), it’s easy to get caught up in the idea that blending (or lack of it) is the key to whether or not it works. This is actually not true, and more and more I am seeing fantastically painted pieces that use a lot more texture in painting NMM. What is more important than brushwork is an understanding of the light and dark values of colour and where to place these on various shapes to create the illusion of shiny metal. My NMM blades class uses a quick streak method of paint application to practice during class so we can spend a good chunk of time trying to understand those key principles.
Blending: Cheat Code Unlocked: March 14 at 2pm
Sir Malcom is available in plastic or metal.
Speaking of smooth blending, do you wish there were a quick and easy way to make something like the cloak on the left look more like the cloak on the right? Last year in a workshop with Fernando Ruiz (highly recommend if you get the chance!), I learned a technique to float acrylic extender and paint on top of a painted foundation like the lefthand cloak that allows you to create a blended result to end up like the cloak on the right. I think it’s so nifty I want to share the knowledge!
Useful blog posts:
Example of block-in with standard blending via layering.
Who ‘should’ attend classes and workshops?
Feathers, Fur, and Scales: March 14 at 10am
Dire rats are available in plastic or metal.
There are a lot of different techniques you can use to paint animals and components of animals (fur cloaks, etc.) Which is ‘best’ depends on the nature of the sculpt, the level of result you’re after, and the amount of time you have available. This class includes a survey of several techniques, as well as some tips for how to paint more accurate and interesting looking critters.
Useful blog posts:
Step by step paint of a kangaroo.
How to paint patterns on fur.
Some additional ways to paint fur patterns.
Painting a scaled hydra to display standard.
Cold Wars Registration and Event Signup
You can buy a pass to the convention and reserve tickets for classes here until March 15, 2020.
Check this link for descriptions of all the classes being offered by the Hobby University for Cold Wars 2020.
Bird with a Brush 