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.