Merry Christmas from Miniature Tim!

The wife was good to me this year...

A bevy of Secret Weapon Washes and Pigment Fixer, along with Green Stuff Industries' Tentacle makers!!

Here's wishing you and yours an amazing Christmas!!

- Tim

 

A Matter of Opinion: To Thin, or Not to Thin Your Paints

After some emails I've received, it appears that the following statement from my last article wasn't exactly agreed on...even if all the comments say otherwise.

"What I won't be debating is whether or not we should be thinning our paints. This is already widely accepted as a need."

Seems some folks really did want me to debate the virtues of thinning your paints, versus painting straight from the pot. Oookay, let's debate it!

A Matter of Opinion: How To Thin Paints

Considering my most recent experiments with painting the Tohaa figure from the Infinity range, I thought it appropriate to bring up a topic that has been debated in the past. Specifically, what to use when thinning out your paints.

I've heard many different options, from Flow Aid to dish soap, acrylic thinner to the official Lahmian Medium now put out by GW. I also don't want to forget the tried and true water option as well, though people differ on whether or not tap water is good enough, or is distilled water the way to go.

But what should we use? Does it even matter?

Infinity: Hatail Spec-Ops Finished!

Rather than braving the mad dash at the stores during pre-Black Friday sales, Grey Thursday (what else are you supposed to call stores starting Black Friday shopping at 6pm on Thursday?), and the hellish Black Friday cacophony of madness itself last week, I enjoyed some time at home with family, a paint brush and my hobby.

In other words, I finished the Hatail Spec-Ops figure!

First Painting Foray into Infinity

You have no idea how much restraint it took for me to not title this "Painting to Infinity and Beyond". However, after my last post brow-beating the overuse of the Spanish Inquisition jokes, I felt it best not to. I do try and not be hypocritical, after all.

I've been fairly enamored with Infinity as a game for quite some time now. My favorite GW game has always been Necromunda, and with the release of Infinity a couple years back, I got all giddy with excitement for a highly detailed skirmish game.

I recently was given the opportunity to paint one of the newer Tohaa figures, the Hatail Spec Ops, and jumped at the chance.

How Many Spanish Inquisition Jokes Are There?

I mean, seriously? It was comedy gold when first spoofed by Monty Python back in 1970, and it still garners a chuckle whenever I hear someone say at a well-timed moment today. I absolutely love the Spanish Inquisition models by Victoria Miniatures, and have come up with every excuse in the book to buy them and paint them for myself.

However, there is such a thing as a dead horse, and I do believe the blogosphere has severely beaten it to a mangled pulp lately with the upcoming Codex: Inquisition. You can't browse the interwebz lately without tripping over either a title invoking the Spanish Inquisition, or the oft-linked to models that Victoria Miniatures put out. Enough is enough, people! We get it, there is many an opportunity to coin that phrase lately, and will be next week as well…but please do try and come up with something more original? Your readers will thank you for it, trust me.

*steps down off his well-worn soap box*

There. That being said, let's discuss my excitement and modeling hopes and dreams for the upcoming codex!

What Bloggers Do, When We Aren't Blogging

 Does anyone else hear crickets?

Wow.  This has literally been the longest span between blog posts that I've ever had.  It has also marked the only month in over 2 and a half years that I've only posted twice in said month.  Typically, you will see bloggers start apologizing for long gaps between posts, claiming that Real Life(™) got in the way, etc.  I'm not here to do that, though it did spark a topic that is interesting to me, at least from an editorial point of view…

Just what do we do when we aren't blogging?

Airbrush Newb Needs Advice

Hi, my name is Tim T., and I'm an Airbrush Newb.

After years of seeing even what an airbrush can do for the hobbyist in blogs like Dark Future Games, and talking to award-winning painters who compete in Golden Demon and Crystal Brush, I took the plunge and emptied my wallet on an entire set-up.

…but what do I do now?

Placing a Value on a Finished Army

Now we've talked about placing a value on your services as a commission modeler and painter in the hobby. How to price yourself, and the level of commitment it takes to actually be successful with your commissions.

At the same time, I don't think any of us have an issue with placing a monetary value on a box of bits, individual bits, or even just a half-finished model. Heck, there are entire bits trading nights at some hobby stores and national events like Adepticon.

But how do you place a value on a finished, personal army?

Is the New Codex the End of "Counts-As" for Marines?

Back in 4th Edition, we had the glory of the Chapter Traits system. So long as you balanced everything out, you could create a custom Marine Chapter that fit your taste, be it for story or competition. In 5th Edition, we had that carpet pulled out from under us, but it was replaced by the new musical chairs, HQ edition. Didn't feel like playing your Imperial Fists AS Imperial Fists? That's okay! Just use Calgar, paint him yellow, and give them a different rules set!

So far, the bonus in either of the past two editions, is that you could have your collection, model whatever you wanted according to the rules, and still use it. Who cares what color of the rainbow the figures were, so long as they were WYSIWYG, and your list was correct.

With the new 6th Edition Codex, however, and it's Chapter-specific rules, rather than character-specific ones, is this the end of the grand age of Counts-As?

New Space Marine Sprues...Was it Enough?

Now that the new horse is out of the gate, so-to-speak, how's he faring? Are the new marine rules playing to everyone's expectations? Better? Worse? I know that those of us getting the "Enhanced" iBooks version of the codex were let down quite a bit with the absence of the Force Requisition portion of the book. I'm sure that an update will rectify that, but still.

For those of us hobbyists, however, who do so enjoy the building, converting, and ransacking of kits for a single, solitary bit, just how do the new releases fare when in comparison to the bar set so high by the new Tau and Eldar kits?

High-Res, New Marine Imagery from Digital White Dwarf!

Games Workshop opened the floodgates this weekend, with the new Space Marine preorders. So much so, in fact, that their own site was crashing at the onset. Needless to say, I believe this will be a successful release, and I happen to be excited about many of the new and redone kits, while on the fence over one.

However, I'm guessing that from the title of the article, if you're here, you're wanting to see my compilation of all the high-res imagery I pulled from the digital White Dwarf. I was able to pull quite a bit, and even spliced together some of the two-part images as best as possible.

Take a look after the jump, and let the comments fly!!

Michigan GT by Dark Future Games!!

I've threatened to take a weekend away and head up to Lansing, Michigan for a while now. Reason being is the boys of Dark Future Games area solid crew of gamers and hobbyists after my own heart, and I'd love the chance to hang out with them outside of the Adepticon event once a year,

Looks like we all get our chance to do this! Enter, the first ever Michigan GT!

Check out the post at DFG here: MIGT: Michigan GT Sept 28-29; Everything You Need to Know!

And the main site here: Michigan GT

They are putting a ton of work and effort to make this an amazing first time event, and I only see growth and bigger events to come. Go check them out and give em some love folks, it's events like these that strengthen the community as a whole!

- Tim

This is a Hobby, not a Job

Now, I'm the first person who will admit that a firm deadline is a wonderful motivator. In fact, I've used many deadlines in the past to get projects not only off the ground, but finished on time and ready for a tournament. I'm happy with what I've turned out because of said deadlines, and will continue to set deadlines for myself in the future.

Unfortunately, many times in the past I've come to dread those deadlines. Seeing my hobby as more of a harsh commitment than something that I'm supposed to enjoy. Is there a line we can draw? How do we know where to draw that line?

How do we keep our hobby from turning into a second job?

New Space Marine Models and Codex: Image Compilation!

I've been warring with myself back and forth now on whether to post these or not. I write a hobby-centric blog, not a rumor and news-centric one. However, I am rumor and news hungry, an avid Marine player and currently planning my last power-armor army in the Salamanders.

I can't take it any longer!!

I've compiled all the current new release images I can find. I give all credit to the boards and blogs that have already posted these that I've mined the image from: DakkaDakka, Apocolypse40k, BoLS, links from Faeit and more.

Check out all the eye candy, both good and bad, and let the comments fly!

Inq28: The Finished Inquisitor and Retinue

Holy crap on a pogo stick, has it really been a week and a half since Games Day? Getting my boy ready for his first day of Kindergarten, work and some extensive hobby studio organization (a post on that later) has made time fly by! My apologies to all for the delay in getting these final photos of the finished product taken, up and online.

While I already mentioned I didn't make it off the table, I'm okay with that. I'm happy with what I accomplished in six...yes six...days. And even better yet, I was able to connect with some friends, who also happen to paint so much better than I, who were extremely helpful in critiquing my entry. These guys truly gave me some serious insight on what I could have done better, and even how to improve the entry for perhaps a reappearance in Crystal Brush next year. I cannot thank them enough.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again; do not hesitate to ask a fellow painter for advice, no matter how well known they are. Every single painter I have ever asked for advice and constructive criticism has been beyond courteous, helpful and become someone I look forward to seeing each time we all get together.

On to the pictures!

Games Day Image Dump 2: Armies on Parade and More

Originally I was only going to do one Image Dump for Games Day this year...until I realized how many pictures I took. That's when I decided to separate the Golden Demon entries from the rest of it all so I could do everything a bit more justice.

This time around will be Armies on Parade, and then some miscellaneous shots of Forge World upcoming releases and Lizardmen sculpts. Watching Armies on Parade unfold, I do believe that next year I'll be entering the local AoP competition to try and make it into the Games Day event. Of course, I'll also attempt a couple or five Golden Demon entries as well, but I've come up with a new philosophy on those that I'll share at a later date.

On with the pictures, part two!

Games Day 2013 Image Dump 1: Golden Demon

Games Day this year was a whirlwind of activity. Not only was it busy, but it was the shortest Games Day I've every attended, having ended by 5pm! I had a blast seeing old friends that I only get to see but once a year, connecting with new ones and just enjoying hanging out with like-minded souls who all have a love for the hobby.

There was an immense amount of intense competition this year for Golden Demon. While my Inquisitor never made it off the table, and I'll address why in a post later this week, I can the keep but showcase as many of the entries as I could.

The one thing I will ask in this image dump, is that if you see your entry, chime in with a comment! I'd love to hear from you, and any tips you may have for budding Golden Demon Painters out there.

Less talk, more pictures!!

Inq28: Paint Progress and Freehand

One more day and I can stop painting until 1:30 in the morning...

...I mean, I've got more done, yay!

Seriously though, I've made significant progress in the past two days and thought I'd give everyone one last peek before the final strokes of the brush are done.

Inq28 Squad: Painting in Progress

You know that dramatic, sharp intake of breath we see in the movies and television so often? The one that is so very well rehearsed, and used whenever something shocking has happened? Yeah, that one. It's got to be fake, right?

Not when you step on your Inquisitor at 7:45am as you try and get you and your son out the door in the morning, it isn't. That dramatic intake of breath is very real, let me tell you.

...enough of the drama that I started my Monday with yesterday, lets take a look at the progress so far.

Inq28: The Rest of the Retinue

Well if I'm going to enter the Golden Demon, 40K squad category, I suppose I should fill out the rest of his retinue, right? I gave it some thought, and while I would love to fill each and every spot in the retinue with a custom converted figure, I just simply don't have the time for it. Looking through the bevy of awesome sculpts I already have available to me, I made some choices.

Of course…that doesn't mean I didn't do some more conversion work.

Inq28: Ordo Hereticus Inquisitor Conversion

See what happens when I have a deadline looming? I get productive!

Originally I was hell-bent on recreating, and re imagining even, my Ordo Xenos Inquisitor that I did two years ago for Golden Demon. I planned on using the new plastic Farseer as a base for the conversion and even found a metal Harlequin Shadowseer for his staff for the project. The reality of the situation is I just have too much going on, and need more time to devote to that project as the concept for it just isn't as clear as it was for the Tech Magos.

Quickly switching gears, I dove into my available kits and models and inspiration struck for a new Inquisitor…

Inq28: Mechanicus Tech Magos Conversion

I did it…I finally took the leap and designed something for Inq28. Of course, it helps that I have the ulterior motive of placing an Inquisitorial Warband into the 40K Squad entry for Golden Demon at Games Day, but that's besides the point.

Originally I was going to be working on this over vacation, but filleting over 75 fresh-caught trout and vacuum-sealing them took far more time throughout the week than I had originally planned. Ah well, I'm still on track…a hastened track, but still on one, to get it all completed by Games Day.

Enough with the yammering, on with the conversion!

Taking the Hobby on the Road

Tim's going fishing folks! That's right, I'll be in northeast Iowa for the next week going trout fishing, hiking and generally enjoying time away from the hectic world we call life.

Of course, that doesn't mean that I'm leaving the hobby at home, perish the thought. However, how does one best take the hobby on the road?

How to Handle Commission Work

I occasionally take on commissions. Lately I haven't, only because of my nasty work schedule, and two pre-existing commissions I needed to finish up first, but I have done my fair share of commissions in the past. Commissions can be a funny thing though, and can put folks in a right awkward spot depending on how comfortable you are with them, how much you want to charge, how badly you want to get your name out there as a commission painter/sculptor/etc., techniques you will or wont do, where you will and won't ship to, etcetera, so on and so forth.

Considering I'm in the middle of a table build right now as part of said commissions, I thought I'd bring up the topic, and highlight some guidelines, based on my experience, for the working side of the commission relationship.

The "Hobby-Hammer" Syndrome

Math-Hammer, List-Hammer, Theory-Hammer…every which way I turn, there is yet another term for the trying to get the absolute most out of every point paid for in an army of 40K or Fantasy. There are Excel charts, algebraic equations, trigonometric formulae, and entire subcultures devoted to figuring out just what it takes to remove 3.2 MEQ models from the table per round of shooting with every piece of wargear ever written.

There are times it seems that we gamers spend more time with a calculator in-hand than we do with dice and a tape measure! Thank God I try and avoid that…

Or do I?

Welcome to what I've coined "Hobby-Hammer".

Birthday Contest Winner and a Surprise!

And the winner is....

A Hobby Perspective: Allied Forces

With the coming of the Eldar, comes the onset of my own personal case of the "Ooooh, Shinies!!". However, I refuse to plan yet another full army. My wallet and, more importantly, my schedule will just not allow it. However, I don't have any problem to with this, as I have had a bit of a hobby-epiphany, a revelation even.

What is this mystical revelation when it comes to the new Eldar? How to handle an allied force, from a modeling and painting perspective.

Birthday Contest! Miniature Tim is 2 Years Old!

Has it really been 2 years already?! While my archive may go back to 2010, I didn't really start blogging until May of 2011, with the launch of Miniature Tim.

With my first blog birthday, I cited quite a few articles from a handful of blogs that I read and re-read on opinions on successful blogging. Check out all the links and article here: "Miniature Tim is 1 Year Old!"

In the meantime, read on for what's coming up for the blog, as well as this year's Birthday Contest!

High-Res Eldar Images from Digital White Dwarf

While I may have stopped reviewing the Digital White Dwarf monthly, I do still want to share the wonderfully high-resolution images of the next new and shiny models coming our way on occasion. With the stir that the upcoming Eldar release has caused, I feel it only fit to share all the images that are plastered within the new White Dwarf I just downloaded to my iPad from Newsstand.

So without further ado, read on and enjoy the pictures!!

Getting Back in the Saddle

Boy, it's been a while since I put knife to plastic, putty to figure or even paint to resin. Overtime at work, work trips, helping my wife prep for an out-of-country mission trip, and other outside forces have conspired against any sort of productive hobby time lately. So how to fix this?

Get back to the basics of working when I have the time to do it.

Now that means I'm writing blog posts and working on models post 9pm at night, but I'm working on them again, and it feels good!

So what's on the desk?

Horus Heresy Weekender Coverage by Apocalypse 40K

This is a shout out to everyone who wishes they could be in the UK right now and at this event!

Loken from Apocalypse 40K took his own personal Thunderhawk from LA, and is currently blogging live coverage, so everyone go flood his blog for the latest news on upcoming projects, figures and more!

...and if you hadn't caught the other two links, go HERE for his blog!

- Tim

 

Get More Done with Time Management!

This is one of those topics where you'd think that the subject line alone would be enough. Do you get more done with appropriate Time Management? Of course you do! By the logic of the statement alone, managing your time appropriately is key to getting anything done, be it at work, at home, or indeed even in our hobby. The question though, is how. How do we appropriately manage our time so that we not just get time for our hobby, but we manage the time spent in our hobby so that we get the most out of it, and actually complete projects?

We're going to take a look at some key areas on how good time management can actually help us in the hobby, starting with how to make time for it in the first place, to applying those skills to small-scale projects, large-scale projects, and competition-level projects.

Adepticon 2013 Image Dump: Warhammer Fantasy

Day three of the 2013 Adepticon Image Dumps brings us finally to the subject of Warhammer Fantasy. This will also be the final image dump of this year's Adepticon Coverage. It is as comprehensive as my schedule allowed, but mainly is just shots from the Warhammer Fantasy Championships, single-player tournament.

I missed quite a few photo opportunities of various demos, the dealer room, and Lord knows what else. I did get into quite a few seminars, which I'll be covering as separate articles all their own, as well as catch up with some amazing friends I just don't get to see often enough. With the weekend as busy as it always is, and my sheer want for just some time to decompress, I decided to take time to actually catch up with as many of those friends as possible. Honestly though, if the pictures over the last few days do nothing else, I hope it encourages you to attend Adepticon 2014 so that we get the chance to catch up as well, especially if you've never been!

On to the pictures!!

Adepticon 2013 Image Dump: Crystal Brush

Needless to say, I took a metric crap-ton of pictures this past weekend. As promised, day two of the image dumps consist of the Crystal Brush entries for the 2013 Crystal Brush Competition. Unfortunately, family needs and work kept me from entering anything this year, but that didn't stop me from drooling all over the glass while I took these pictures.

I've been asked why would I spend so much time looking at, and even studying to some degree, other people's entries into a contest like Crystal Brush, or Golden Demon. Honestly, for two reasons: 1) because in those display cases, lies buckets of inspiration for me, 2) studying other amazing entries, especially when I'm competing against them, can be a touch humbling, and does a person good. Entering competitions such as these can be intimidating, but when you can enter them, doing your very best, and at the same time, being humble enough to actually learn something from your competitors and good criticism, then you can only improve,

Enough of me on a soapbox, let's get to the pictures!!

Adepticon 2013 Image Dump: Warhammer 40,000

Is Adepticon really already over?

I'll be taking the next few days and pushing out some fairly large image dumps, categorized according to genre, as well as a full image coverage of all the Crystal Brush entries. Yes, I realize that the weekend is already over, but there is a good chance that I've got pictures of something that others may not have gotten...or you just want a no-hassle place to view all the Crystal Brush entries. I know I get inspiration from seeing all the insane and amazing armies at Adepticon, and thought I'd share!

Either way, the first image bank will be devoted to the 40K side of things, followed up by Crystal Brush, then Warhammer Fantasy.

Enjoy the pictures folks!

Adepticon Countdown and Upcoming Coverage

At the time of posting, we'll be at T-Minus 2 days and counting until my yearly pilgrimage to Lombard, IL commences. My friend Doug  and I will start the morning with a solid diner breakfast before making the four and a half hour drive north to Chicago to start a four-day gaming fest.

...what do you mean I'll be getting there late?!?!?!

The Virtues of Digital Content

Like it, love it, or hate it, digital gaming aids are here. In fact, they've been here for a very long time. For those of you who swear you haven't ever used one, check to see if Army Builder is on your computer, or if you've posted an army list or paint scheme to your favorite forum...

...or read gaming blogs.

The current state of media, as well as our hobby, darn near dictates that you either are using, or will be in the near future, some form of digital gaming content with this hobby of ours. This time 'round, we're going to look at what is currently available to us, the benefits and criticisms both, and try to dial in just how useful digital content really is.

High-Res Tau Pics from Digital White Dwarf

Image Dump!!

In lieu of reviewing the digital issue 400 from White Dwarf, I wanted to take advantage of the 360 degree images in the digital version, as well as the ability to enlarge and see huge versions of the images when available, and compile a large gallery of high resolution images of the upcoming Tau release.

This is going to be one of those rare moments when I'm going to let the images speak, and shut my yap for once. Enjoy!

Why the New Tau are God's Gift to my Hobby

Better late than never, I finally got my eyes on the WD pictures that were taken with the new Tau in them. See what happens when I leave for Vegas for a work trip and lose touch with the hobby news world? I pulled these from the Advanced Tau Tactica forum, so all credit goes to whomever should get it.

I've been dying to get my hands on a new Tau codex for such a long time. Why you ask? Because in my humble opinion, Tau are God's Gift to hobbyists like myself.

Yes, yes…I'll explain.

Adepticon is Going to be Different This Year…

Needless to say, I've been in a mad dash to get everything prepped for Adepticon. What with working as much overtime as I have been lately, attempting to keep the blog up (I know that we're well behind schedule in updates, but it can't be helped at this time), prepping for a work trip this weekend and into half of next week… Painting has taken a backseat to everything else.

And then a few things happened...

When Worlds Collide, Will One Suffer?

Now there's a bit of a foreboding statement, isn't it? No, I'm not throwing away all my wargaming supplies or armies, I'm not throwing in the hobby towel or anything drastic like that. I'm speaking towards the dichotomy of every hobbyist's life of reality versus toy soldiers. We all have responsibilities outside of our local gaming store and of course they take precedence over tabletop warfare...

My question to you, however, is how much can our hobby "give" before it "breaks"?

Flames of War, The M5A1 Stuart, & A Tribute to a Hero

No, I haven't yet dipped my toes in playing Flames of War yet, though I do love their detail at such a small scale. I do, however, have a love of history, both of ancient and more recent times.

I also have a wife who's grandfather didn't just turn 90 last year, but is a veteran of WWII, 2nd Armored Division, Hell on Wheels, 82nd Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, and wounded in the Battle of the Bulge.

This man is a hero of mine, and the M5A1 Stuart was his tank.

Digital White Dwarf Review: February 2013

I'd say a decent way to start February is with a timely review of said month's White Dwarf issue...

But is the February White Dwarf a decent way to start the month? Lets take a look.

Digital White Dwarf Review: January 2013

Okay, let's be a bit honest here...I'm playing catch up with this review considering I'm currently reading the February issue. That's also the reason this is being posted late on a Saturday night. Considering that its still January though, I just didn't feel right not covering this issue.

Of course, the stars of the issue are the Dark Angels, but lets see what else the issue had in store for us, eh?

Unboxing: Iron Shark Pattern Jetbike by Kromlech

With Dark Angels having just been released, I have some aspirations on a Heresy-Era force, utilizing said codex. One kit in particular that vexed the community at large for quite some time are Jetbikes. Everyone and their brother wanted jetbikes, including me!

Forge World has recently released the "Scimitar" pattern Jetbike, and I like it quite a bit, actually. What I do not care for is the price point of said kit. I know, I know, it's Forge World, and sky-high prices are to be expected. But are there any alternatives?

Enter Kromlech's "Iron Shark" pattern Jetbike.

James Wappel Painting DVDs Kickstarter!

So I've backed a couple Kickstarters before without really covering them here, though I wish I would have.  Specifically Studio McVey's Sedition Wars and the Free Mars graphic novel from Dave Pauwels and Nic Giacondino (better known as Aerion the Faithful to those who are a fan of his artwork).  Honestly, the only reason I didn't cover them is because of my own unthinking excitement to be a part of them, without thinking of promoting them here.

So why preach the word about Jim's Kickstarter? Well, beyond the fact that him and Cathy are some seriously nice folks and amazingly talented painters…

A Glance Back While Looking Forward

Happy New Year!!!

...Oh, right. I'm a tad late for that aren't I? Well, combining a young boy's birthday, two holidays, work and a wife who slips on ice to wrench her ankle to hell and back will do that to you.

So how did I do this past year? Did I live up to my hobby goals I set last year? Lets are a look!