The Art of Wargaming Tradecraft

2019 will be the 9th year Wargaming Tradecraft has existed. For some reason, it seems longer than that. My painting journey certainly has been going on for much longer. I want to inspire others, that's a goal of this website - and with that I'm going to take some time today to highlight some of my previous art, personal milestones and attempts to approach this hobby with an unique eye. I'm also going to share some of my personal struggles while traveling this path in hopes to help other creators who might be struggling with their own art.

If there's one thing I seem to have a pattern of, it's painting for myself. Exaggeration is a common style for me, using brighter colours and stronger contrasts.  I haven't always been totally OK with feedback I've received in the past, but much of those struggles was when I was younger and before I'd accepted that my style is going to be something I had to become comfortable with. It's always difficult to have people disagree with something you've spent a lot of effort on and put a lot of love in to. Try to see the useful advice, while still being true to yourself.

Take from this article what you can.

• At minimum, there's a bunch of great photos of some of my projects over the years
• Links to the projects and tutorials if you want to see them in detail.
• There's some insight into my process and history.
• I've also shared some of my thoughts and feelings as I can recall them at that point in time.

If you'd like to see more of what I've done, read through my Projects page and DeviantArt.

If you feel you've gotten something from reading my site for the first time or as a returning reader, all I can ask of you is please leave a comment here or on Facebook if something moves you or consider making a donation through PayPal.

Adventurers - Dwarven Cleric

The original model

Digging up some of my previous projects, I want to highlight a series I painted for a Dungeons and Dragons group I used to be part of, gifting them their characters when I left. Today's post covers the miniature I painted for my wife.

Her character is a Dwarven Cleric and I modified a miniature from Scibor Miniatures to create it. Some of the difficulties I had were:

1. Finding a good female cleric-type warrior model.
2. Finding a female dwarf.

They're out there... but you've got to hunt.

New Project: Mordheim Pitfighters

Things have been busy in my life this winter, between personal stuff and a promotion at work. As usual hobby stuff takes a back seat. Not specifically a negative thing, just how priorities need to work. Getting settled back into the swing of things and remembering that the hobby life is what helps me unwind. Some hobbying has been occurring and I'll write about that later as well.

While everyone's losing it over the new Necromunda: Lite, some friends of mine began playing Mordheim. After watching a few games, I thought, yeah, that's something I wouldn't mind trying out. I've done some reading and hunting for models, which makes the following a preview of what's on my bench now.

Have you been following the WIP photos I've been posting on Facebook?

Headshots from the Heart: Borderlands Figures Completed

The miniature Borderlands figures I've painted for our Headshots from the Heart charity marathon are complete! Below are the final photos of this great task, and remember that you can try to win them during the event by bidding in our auctions. (All proceeds go to the Childs Play Charity) The 24 hour marathon begins this Sunday the 26th at 12.30p.

To sweeten the deal, my dad's made 3 very nice glass display bells - we're going to include them with the three figures that end up auctioning for the most. (So if you want one, you'll have to keep this in mind!)

These are all painted in a style new to me. I've tried to achieve the cell-shaded look from the video game using exaggerated shadows and highlights while experimenting with how I apply them to the models. This may be less realistic, but I'm greatly satisfied with what I've created over the last two months and think they turned out looking fantastic!

I'm sure what you're wondering though is, "What do they look like?" I've posted the standard quality photos first, and included uber-high-res ones at the end of the article.

If you want to take a look at posts that show these works in progress, with descriptions, you can read the series. (I'll also be adding them to my Step by Step page.)

Colourblind Modellers

artist: Mordachai71

A short time ago, I asked a good friend of mine if he'd be willing to share what it was like being colourblind and painting minis. He accepted, and the following article is the first guest post on Wargaming Tradecraft. It shares a perspective I'm glad to be able to provide a voice for. Jim Tigwell is a philosophy graduate and dungeon master and has taken the time away from his own blog, Concept Crucible, to put together an excellent article that not only gives us insight into some of the challenges facing those who are colourblind, but also suggestions on compensating and how to turn it into an advantage.