Thursday, February 27, 2014

Do Not Miss: February 2014

A weird month for me because of my stupid bike accident, but being as it is the shortest month of the year, surprisingly good activity-wise all round the Internet!

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Help Painting Buddha with subtitle translations of seasons 1.2 and 1.3!

As you guys know, Painting Buddha is preparing two new releases of their Season 1 of DVDs.

First we have Season 1.2: "Freehands & Banner" with Stephan Rath

Then we have Season 1.3: "Basing Alchemy: Earth" with Matt Cexwish and Ben Komets

These are now in pre-order mode as they have not yet been released. This time, Painting Buddha plans to have as much languages as they can in the subtitles. As you know, I was in charge of all the subtitles in Spanish for Season 1.1: Target Identified. I want to have these 2 new sets of DVDs translated into Spanish too, but I need help! It's a lot of work for just one man in his free time (my free time is already swarmed with stuff to do!). For this reason, Painting Buddha has organised a group of people which will help with the translation of subtitles.

We need people who are able to translate 6, 7 or more chapters of a DVD, each between 4.2 and roughly 42 minutes. Average length is probably around 21 minutes.

In exchange for this great help, and being Painting Buddha a very generous initiative, this is what people who become Bable Fishes (helpers of this translation mayhem) will receive:

  • Everyone receives custom Bable-Fish T-Shirts, Stickers, Buttons and more - all designed by none other than Ben Komets and hand-made. This rare and valuable loot will not be available for sale ever.
  • Everyone receives a free Season 1.2/1.3 Bundle, signed by the team Each chapter will show the name and/or nick of the respective translator and - if you would like - the URL to your blog, social media page or website.
  • On our blog and our future website (planned for 2014) you will be eternally recognized as one of the immortal heroes of Painting Buddha with special titles and privileges.
  • You will be the first to be involved in Project "Beeble-Bable" - and that could possibly open a chest full of free stuff and gold for you.
  • We will not forget that you helped us.

Very very generous if you ask me!

So if you want to become a Bable Fish, go fast to Masterminis Facebook page and leave a message to Michael Bartels. If you especifically want to help with the Spanish translation, you will serve under my command ("Ahoy sailors! Best crew and captain in the world!"), so just contact me by email or commenting here. I will make sure you join my crew!

Happy "Bable Fishing" everyone!

Thursday, February 20, 2014

Painting with... David Soper

Golden Demon UK saw the return of an old time Slayer sword winner. After 20 years since his first Slayersword win, he returned to the contest, older and wiser, and despite the time of inactivity, improved painting skills. He managed to win not only 3 Golden Demons, but also take home the precious Slayer sword UK 2013. Let’s see what David Soper wants to tell us about his glorious comeback!


    Volomir: Being as you are, a miniature painting old glory, tell us about your very unusual painting story. When did you start painting miniatures? What happened that led you to come back to painting after so many years?

    David: Some time around 1980 there was a big craze for role-playing games like Dungeons and Dragons and it was through this that I first became aware of miniature painting. My interest shifted very quickly away from gaming to painting. The moment I saw those tiny figures I absolutely knew that miniature painting was the hobby for me!
    By the age of 14 I had developed a strong aptitude for art but my work had a tendency to get bogged down in lots of tiny tight detail. With miniature painting I had a hobby where I could direct all my obsessiveness to good effect. It would also help to free up my painting and drawing style as I studied towards getting a place at art college.
    Over the following years, as I left school and went to art college, I spent my spare time painting minis and began to develop and refine my technique. At first there was no info out there at all and I learnt by trial and error. It was through the pages of White Dwarf magazine that I gained exposure to a wider world of miniature painting and a growing awareness of just how much more there was to learn.
    Then we come to 1987 and the first Golden Demon Competition. I thought I was quite good but had no objective way of gauging the standard of my minis. That year I didn’t get past the regional heats. It gave me a kick in the pants and fired me up to prove that I too could make it to the finals.
    Up until this point I had been painting in splendid isolation, in 1988 Southampton had it’s own Games Workshop store and I was getting to connect with other hobbyists. I made it through to the finals, and I really could not have been happier. I didn’t expect anything more, so when I won gold in two categories I was genuinely shocked; and it forced me to reappraise myself as a figure painter. This marked the start of a period of intense effort to raise my game.
    In 1989 I managed to repeat my success and it was during the award ceremony that I decided to try to win the slayer sword! From then on all my painting and sculpting efforts were focused on that goal. I started the biggest and most ambitious project I had attempted to date, my Nurgle Predator.
    At the 1990 finals I was a mess of nerves, I’d put everything I had into this one model. I’ve little clear memory of the awards ceremony itself. I just found myself standing on the stage with the sword held up over my head and no memory of how I got up there!

    Can you spot the differences?

    Winning the Sword in 1990 was a huge deal for me and remains one of my proudest achievements. But now I’d done that I had to consider my next move. I came to realize that I really wanted to simply get back to painting minis for my own pleasure. Over the following years that’s exactly what I did. I’ve never been a fast painter and, as I focused my efforts at refining my technique, my output slowed. As time passed, and other interests developed, that pattern continued until it wasn’t unusual for me to have only one mini finished in a year. Looking back I can also see that although my technique developed my painting style remained pretty much the same.
    The period where I dropped right out of the hobby is probably no longer than three or four years. I remember quite clearly that by 2002 I no longer considered myself a mini painter. I tried to paint some of the new Fellowship of the Rings minis and failed abysmally. Through lack of practice I had lost my technique and confidence. I was surprised by how much of a sense of loss that gave me.
    Although I was no longer painting I kept an eye on the hobby through the occasional copy of White Dwarf and increasingly through the internet. It was around this time I discovered Cool Mini or Not. The hobby had evolved and I was blown away by the degree of realism and the sophistication of technique now being employed by many painters. It was inspiring but daunting.
    What followed was a process of being drawn gently back into the hobby through some of my other interests. Around 2006 I started painting minis with an ancient Egyptian theme and then, in 2011, I painted some Dr Who minis that I made into a diorama. I found that I was hooked all over again.
    The big thing that enabled me to develop my ‘modern’ style as a painter was acknowledging and embracing my old school roots. This came together for me when I painted the Hellion that won the 40k single mini gold. To me that mini feels like a fusion of old and new and it sparked off a period of experimentation that resulted in the Dark Eldar diorama.

    Nurgle's Preador which won the Slayersword in 1990

    Volomir: How do you see the miniature world and miniature painting scene now compared to how it was back then?

    David: It’s very different now! For me it’s the online painting community that has really made the difference. The hobby has been opened right up and expanded by sharing of ideas and experience through blogs and forums. There is a far greater awareness of the many different possible ways of painting a mini now.

    Hellion, Gold in UK 2013

    Volomir: Have you seen changes in regards to techniques, ways of working or painting tastes? Was it difficult to catch up with the painting world when you returned?

    David: For the most part I don’t think that the basic toolkit of painting techniques has changed that much. The biggest difference I’ve noticed is the use of airbrushing which you hardly ever saw used for mini painting back in the 80’s & early 90’s.
    The thing that has really changed, beyond all recognition, is the way that painters now apply and combine techniques. I think that exposure to other painting traditions, like military and historical model painting and even fine art, has had a huge influence especially in the pursuit of greater realism. There is also a far greater range of materials and equipment being used. The combination of these factors with the online sharing of information means that there is now a huge diversity of painting styles/tastes out there.
    Broadly speaking tastes have moved towards greater realism and subtlety in miniature painting. There is also an increased appreciation of the more ‘painterly’ and artistic approach to mini painting.
    I think the ‘modern’ challenge is to use painting techniques with greater control, sophistication and subtlety to create a wide range of effects and greater realism. When I started to paint regularly again the prospect of catching up was very daunting! I had a big struggle to get my technique back, and I really had to work very hard at. Knowing that I could once do this was a double-edged sword feeding both my frustration and my drive to be able to do it again!
    I finally reached the point where I felt that I’d returned to the level I was at when I’d stopped painting. It was a great feeling but really only served as a jumping off point for a new era. I was back up to speed but I was not up to date! Since then I’ve focused my efforts on trying to develop my painting in a way that feels relevant to the modern hobby.

    Silver Helm from 1992

    Volomir: Who are your favourite miniature painters and which would you consider the best or more inspiring miniatures of all time in your opinion?

    David: This is going to be a very selective and subjective list but among my favourite painters are John Blanche, Mike McVey, Darren Latham, Roman Lappat, and yourself (honest).
    Picking the best miniatures of all time is a tall order! Among those that have inspired me the most are your own Tribute to the Fallen, Stephan Rath’s Eldar Warseer, Roman Lappat’s Rhino King, Enrique Valasco’s Ogrum Ironheart, Raffaele Picca’s Giu’s Robot Repairs and last but not least John Blanche’s Chaos Minotaur conversion from 1987.

    Slayersword diorama, 2013

    Volomir: How did you prepare for this Golden Demon? Did you aim specifically for winning something? How did you come with the ideas for your entries?

    David: When I started the diorama I had no intention of entering any painting competitions. I was just doing it for myself as the new (at the time) Dark Eldar minis had just come out and they really caught my imagination. About a year into the project a lot of people started to ask me if I was going to enter it in GD2012. There was no way I could finish the diorama in time but the seed of the idea was planted, so I decided to enter GD 2013. The prospect of having another try at the Demons had been hanging over me for 23 years and was quite daunting so I entered some of my non GW minis into Salute earlier this year as a sort of ice breaker. My success at Salute gave me the confidence to push on with my GD plans.
    Once I’d made up my mind to enter GD the pressure was on. Having previously won a sword meant that there was an expectation that I might be able to do so again one day. I put every thing I had into the diorama and did the best job I possibly could on it. Which is not to say I think its perfect – far from it.
    My main focus was on the Dark Eldar diorama and the other two entries were almost accidental! The Hellion was actually the first piece I painted for the diorama but it became redundant when the concept and style of the diorama moved away from my original idea. I thought the Hellion was probably good enough to justify entering in it’s own right, so a couple of days before GD UK I dug him out from the back of the figure cabinet and based him up for the competition.
    I finished the diorama in July and I needed a project to keep me occupied and prevent me from going back and overworking the diorama in an effort to make it better. At that point the Skink priest came out and caught my attention as an appealing mini to paint. I decided to make a project of it and see if I could get it painted up in time for the competition. It’s the first time I’ve tried to paint a mini in such a short turn around time, and I had no idea if I could manage it. I decided to keep things pretty simple and just do the best paint job I could with no conversion or fancy base work


    Volomir: How long did you work on your winner diorama? How did you come with the idea for it?

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    David: I was working on my diorama for over two years and I couldn’t even begin to guess how many hours went into it. The diorama was in a state of almost constant evolution as my ideas for it developed. I was using the project as a way of trying out new (for me) techniques and materials. As a result of this my approach to using colour underwent a massive change in the early stages of the project. This is the main reason I could no longer use the Hellion as it reflected my older style and didn’t match the Scourge minis. If I’d started the diorama with the intention of entering it into GD I would probably have gone about it in a very different way.
    The initial idea for the diorama revolved around a scenario of conflict between rival gangs of Scourge and Hellions. I’d gone as far as making a completely different base for it but I put it to one side as it didn’t have the right tone. If you look back through the archives of my blog you will see the many changes the piece went through before it reached it’s final form. I’m very glad that I kept on changing and altering the base. I feel the final version is much better than the first. I learnt a valuable lesson about not being afraid to go in and change something, if I think it could be better.
    The biggest casualty, and personal disappointment, was the loss of the narrative element from the diorama. I realised that there was no way I would get it finished for GD 2013 if I stuck with the gang warfare theme. I decided to bring the project to a conclusion (two years was more than long enough) with the elements that I had finished. The result is a far simpler piece than my initial idea. That’s not a bad thing in itself but I knew I was taking a big risk by sacrificing the narrative of the piece in order to get the diorama finished.
    I learnt that both practically and temperamentally I’m not very well suited to big multi mini projects. That’s not to say I don’t think I should be ambitious in the scope of my mini painting but I need to recognise my strengths and limitations and plan accordingly.


    Volomir: How do you plan a new project? Can you tell us how do you go about when creating a new miniature and how much time do you dedicate to it?

    David: Once I’ve had the idea for a project I usually spend quite a lot of time just thinking about it before I get started. I will put together a folder of reference material using any sources that seems appropriate. This might include photographic references, textures, colours, book illustrations or pictures of painted minis that are relevant or inspirational. Some of the images in my folder may be used as direct reference but most will be there for inspiration. I also plan my colour palette early on as this will be a major element in creating the look and feel of the project.
    I gather together all the elements I think I’ll need and start to experiment with the composition. It helps me to view these tests objectively if I photograph them. I think it’s really important to have a clear vision of the final composition before you start any proper work on the piece. Once I’m working on a project my ideas for it almost always change and evolve. The initial planning provides a strong foundation for that change.
    Finding time to paint can be tricky and there are some weeks where I won’t get to pick up my brushes at all. Usually, however, I can steal a few hours during weekday evenings and I always try to build in some proper painting time into my weekends. I don’t tend to have fixed deadlines for painting a mini so I’m able to take as long on a project as I feel it needs. I like to break a project down into stages and plan out how I’m going to tackle them and it helps me to do this if I have an idea of when I’ll be finishing. I will try and set a rough timescale. For example I want to finish my current project over the Christmas break or thereabouts.



    Volomir: What is your opinion on Games Day and Golden Demon UK 2013? Do you see big differences in how it was back then and now?

    David: My memories of Games Day 1990 are a bit hazy after 23 years but I was struck by how different 1990 & 2013 were in terms of atmosphere. Back in 1990 the (admittedly smaller) main hall seemed far busier and more crowded with many games and demonstrations taking place. My abiding memory is of all the noise and especially the deafening roar that went up when the Demons were awarded. Although that may say more about my state of mind at the time!
    The 2013 Golden Demon competition itself was a very different experience for me from that of 1990. Overall I thought the organisation and structure of the day were a great improvement. Sorting the minis first into finalist and then winners gave the day a feeling of progression and helped to keep & build the excitement. In 1990 you dropped off your minis and then had to wait until the end of the day to find out if you’d won anything, it was a long day. The awards ceremony itself was far better organised than In 1990 when you had to struggle through the crowds out front to get up on stage and collect your prize. I thought that the organising of the winners back stage was a massive improvement.

    Skink Priest, 2013

    Volomir: What do you think about the controversy around how Games Workshop’s latest policies and how they are treating Games Days all around the world?

    David: I try to be philosophical about it and take a ‘let’s wait and see’ approach. Over the years there have been a few times when Games Workshop’s policies have stirred up a storm among hobbyists and generally it worked out OK.


    Volomir: And finally, a very important question! Are you going to retire again for another 20 years? Or do you plan to stay with us for a while?

    David: It might be rather cool to disappear and then come back and win another Slayer Sword when I’m 70! But I’ve enjoyed returning to the hobby. I think I’ll stick around this time!

I think this has been the longest interview that this Blog has ever seen. How many interesting answers! A great pleasure to be able to read these lines filled with wisdom and experience from having seen Golden Demons since they were born. We hope to see you stay with us for a long time, David!

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

WIP: Ellyrian Reavers Part 4

Previously on... WIP: Ellyrian Reavers

I need to do this in all the horses, so let's take a closer look in detail at the process. First I put a base of a dark brown, Chocolate Brown will do in this case.

On top of that, a layer of a lighter brown. English Uniform for example.

And on top of that, lighter areas of yellow.

Those yellow areas are now covered with gold metallic paint.

Highlighted with silver metallic paint.

And metallic medium for the highest light spots.

Once the golden edges are done, I paint the white and blue tiles. First, a simple basecoat of white and blue, careful not to mess with the recesses.

The key to the effect of the tiles is the outlining. Thin lines of nearly pure white on top of the white tiles and very light blue (Space Wolves Grey) on top of the blue tiles.

The process is pretty simple but it can be time consuming since we are painting a whole unit. So much work deserves another dose of "before" and "after"!

Before...

...after!

Continue to WIP: Ellyrian Reavers Part 5

Thursday, February 13, 2014

A week of recovery

You might have noticed how the activity on the blog has suddenly stopped for the past week. Well, this has a reason!

That's how I looked at this time on Thursday last week, injured, bloody, sad and hurt...

Exactly one week ago, I had an accident while biking my way to work (as I do everyday). That morning the floor was wet and one of my tires is pratically slick, so while going quite fast downhill I got distracted, tried to break with one hand only and I lost control of the bike and fell quite hard. I had 16 stitches on my chin which I still have (hopefully tomorrow they will be removed), 4 broken teeth (that I know as of now because every day I find a new one...) and multiple abrasions on hands. I'm recovering quite well but seems like I will be member of a dentist club or something because of all the visits I will have to pay them...

But always look on the brightside! It could have been much worse. So I'm happy because I'm alright and here's the proof!

Much better with this bagpipe courtesy of David Rodriguez (Karaikal) XD

The fact that I am writing these lines means that I am much better now. I will be back in action very soon!

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Painting with... Roman Lappat

As you know, every year I try to conduct interviews to the Slayersword winners of the past year. Although Games Workshop plans to destroy the contest entirely (at least from what we have been witnessing lately), 2013 was still a Golden Demon year. Therefore, today I have the enormous pleasure of spending some time asking a few questions to my beloved Roman Lappat. He was the winner of Slayersword Germany 2013, the first of the season, and possibly the most espectacular of them all. He is one of the most well known painters of late, patron and founder of Massive Voodoo, also the most well known blog around our miniature obsession.


    Volomir: Roman, it is a pleasure to have you here today, I am very excited to hear your thoughts as I am a big fan of your work since the very early days of Massive Voodoo. And when I finally had the chance to meet you, we became very good friends, so it is even more important for me! Please tell us a bit about yourself for the people that still don’t know about you. Can you tell us when did you decide to become an artist and why painting miniatures?

    Roman: Hey Rafael, my pleasure to sit down with you virtually to answer your questions. Well said, I am also very happy to call you a friend. I can just give your compliments straight back to you as I do like your work very much. My name is Roman Lappat and I am fulltime figure painter and painting class teacher. I decided to make a living from my passion back in the end of 2006 and started with painting armies on comission. Meanwhile, after I painted over 2000 figures I gained much experience when it comes to Miniature Painting and so also my fields of work has changed. I do not paint armies anymore, only do single individual showcase pieces as comission work. I do not call myself an artist, I rather leave that to others and I am thankful if someone else thinks what I am doing is art. For me it is my daily passion and work.


    Volomir: We know you are a professional artist, but have you learnt to paint miniatures all by yourself? Is it very different from other kinds of art? Have you attended courses, or do you have some sort of personal master?

    Roman: Well, you already got my thoughts about the artist thing. Yes, I am a self-thaught painter. For sure I have learnt a lot from other painters but the most important parts of what I today know about miniature painting happened while I was sitting at my table working with colours and the brush. There I had many "Click-moments" where I did start to understand how everything from all the massive tutorials the internet is offering comes together. There is for sure a connection to other sorts of Art when it comes to Figure painting. The way you work with colours, the way you can work with light situation, the way the decision of your colour choices influances all of the piece and much more. Like I said, it all comes together when you paint and train your skills hard. Sometimes I find myself in days where I don't have to think about something while painting. No rules or instructions in my head, just the flow of painting at all goes well, because I have done it so very often. So far I did take part in one class by another painter, Stephan Rath from Germany. This was two years ago and was really interesting to see his way of painting figures. In my early beginnings I did not take part in classes as there just was none offered close to my hometown. I was happy to get to know some local painters who answered my annoying questions frequently. A personal master? Mmh ... though question. I do like to see figures painted by others and I really enjoy the variety of personal styles that appear if you look close enough. That variety is so big that I can not really point out a favourite master in the figure painting scene. Even if a piece is not painted to perfection I do enjoy to see good and vibrant ideas in projects and this sums up the miniatures I like to an uncountable number. As true masters I see painters from Art History from ancient times to now. There is so much to learn and it never stops when you study true artwork.


    Volomir: Do you think Internet tutorials are enough to learn about painting or do we need something else?

    Roman: Mmh, I think Internet Tutorials are a great start as if they are provided for free everybody is able to get hold of the information provided and can try it at home. Make some experience on his own which is most important, but internent tutorials just can teach you to a certain point. Sometimes it is also good to see techniques used in real, for example during a painting class where the student is also trained in the techniques. After you have seen and studied someone else's way of painting you will read tutorials different again. Just depending on the skill level of each individual. So I am very happy that the miniature world is filled with painters who provide classes worldwide to spread knowledge and their personal experience. This helps the painting results and skill rise. DVD's are also a very nice thing to learn from, but same here I allow myself to say that you just learn to a certain point. During a class there is time to ask questions and get well founded answers while during a session where you watch a DVD you are stuck to the information which is provided by the producer. Also the painters community is growing and I can speak for Germany and Austria, where I know a lot of friends and other painters who gather up regularly to paint. During these painter's meeting, friendship is found, improvement and exchange is made and having this regularly provides a nice learning curve for everybody involved.


    Volomir: How did you decide to create Massive Voodoo? How was it that Massive Voodoo became so big? Tell us the secret of your success!

    Roman: In the beginning of my "career" I was working hard in about four to five german forums and exchanged a lot of my recently made experiences to those interested. As a lot of questions dropped in this became very big after two years and the unpaid work of answering as much as I can brought me close to some kind of burnout. I decided to make my own webpage then and planned stop doing so much in the forums. Back in those days I just meet my very good friend Raffale Picca and he was much more into the Internet-things than I was. As I asked him about some help with my own page he said I should consider starting a blog on my own. A daily diary. I really enjoyed that idea and I did choose the name "Massive Voodoo" from my belly. The blog was started and I was alone posting there. Soon I felt lonely and started to invite some really close friends to it to have a living room to exchange ideas and thoughts and finished miniatures with eachother, even there are large distances between some of us. Well, there has not been a big plan about that since then, just the joy of happy painting and spreading the word about one of the greatest hobbies on this planet. I guess MV became so big as everybody involved is still a normal person who tries to live his "hobby" as good as he/she can. Another important thing on MV is still the help we provide to other painters, sometimes via the blog (articles, FAQ, etc.) but most of them happen behind the curtain when tons of emails are answered with painting experience. I don't think there is a secret behind the success of MV. It is just a place to meet kind painters and enjoy the spirit of happy painting together, in good and bad times.


    Volomir: You are a very productive painter. We’ve seen lots of your miniatures in the past few years. Which work of yours is your favourite?

    Roman: Though question again. When I look back on what I have painted so far I can not name one single piece of my own that is my favourite. My gallery on CMON is filled with over 500 uploads and these are definatly not all the figures I painted. Really hard to tell. I guess I painted over 2000 figures since the end of 2006 and now I shall name one. I am not able to. I have a lot of pieces where I brought a lot of personal emotions in like I used to do on canvas while I was painting more canvas pieces than miniatures. For me at the moment, I would carefully name the diorama "The Last Light" as one of my favourites by my own as there is a lot of personal emotion to be found in it. In every project you learn about yourself and your character when the project is a challenge for you. So did I with the Diorama of the Blood Angels and the Tyranids. I learnt to reach my own borders and go beyond them with strength, pain, fun and tears. That makes me very proud and I never was as proud on a figure project like I am with this one. So far.

    Click on the photo for more details.

    Volomir: The Last Light is an absolutely crazy piece. Where did you find the strength to work on such a huge project? Haven’t you gone mad with it?

    Roman: Those who have read the step by step article over on MV might have recognised that I was close to madness. The strength was found in my soul and in my passion. I also wanted to proof myself to achieve my goals. This is truely hard to describe what was going on inside me during those 3~4 months while I was putting 450 hours + in that piece. I can't describe it, but what I can say is that madness was close, really close and I learnt during the project: If madness is smiling at you from a deep darkness than it is best to smile back and invite to a dance!" I hope this answers this question properly.


    Volomir: I think your diorama has beaten the world record in Fantasy painting regarding the number of miniatures in a single artwork. Do you think someone will try to create a bigger diorama with more minis? Is that even possible for a normal sane person?

    Roman: Yeah why not, everybody can do that if he finds the guts to push through madness and beyond and has the will to be very disciplined about his goals. While I created that piece I knew something like that was not done before and I really enjoy the thought of inspiring people with it. I am looking forward what the inspiration I might have planted in other brains might come up with in the future. I already have some more plans with even more figures in a single diorama in my mind but as I have seen the hell behind creation of such a piece I am carefully smiling about those ideas and wait for the right time to come to create them.


    Volomir: Who are your favourite miniature painters and which would you consider the best or more inspiring miniatures of all time in your opinion?

    Roman: I can only speak for myself and from my point of view. There are so many great and inspiring painters outthere that I am not able to tell who is my favourite right now. I would say everybody who paints figures is my favourite painter as everybody shares the love and passion and spreads the word about this beautiful hobby. Back when I started I was inspired by painters like rusto, automaton, Yellow One, JMPN, Volomir, Jeremie Bonamont, Banshee, Georc, Bestienmeister, Ben Komets and many, many, many more that I am not able to list here. I am still inspired by so many painters that this list would also grow too big.


    Volomir: We have seen you participating in contests and events in many countries, but I don’t think you have ever visited us in Spain. Are you planning to do it in the near future?

    Roman: Yes I do and I hope I am able to do so soon, but my calendar is always packed with painting class weekends to stay alive and travelling always costs. Additional to that I also have a normal life, a great girlfriend, family and friends I want to find time with to cherish life.


    Volomir: And finally, last but not least. I’m sure any painter new to the hobby is eager to hear some counsel from you. Do you have anything to say to help someone who is starting now and would love to become a master painter someday? Would you recommend others making it a way of life and becoming professional?

    Roman: To someone who just starts with the hobby of miniature painting I can say: Don't compare your work with others, never. You will quickly feel bad or unworthy and that is very, very stupid and wrong. Everybody is equal in this miniature painting community. When you see the progress you make in painting figures as a muscle you should know that you can train those. In fact they will only grow by training and it is the same with your painting skills. Many painters these days are way beyond good painters and do amazing stuff but everybody trained hard for it. Don't think you can reach this point very quick without training and learning from it. This won't happen. Give yourself the time you need to make your muscles grow and have fun while doing so. With fun in your heart you learn much more easier than without it. I would also recommend staying put in becoming better but I don't like the impression of the word "master painter". I think this word puts so much pressure on newbies to the hobby that some are so much fasscinated by the thought of becoming master, but might just find grief and anger while trying to learn how to train their muscles. Let's say there are more experienced painters and some are more unexperienced. Experience can only be found in training what you want to improve. Now back to the table and the brush :D
    Becoming a professional is a though decision. Professional means you are trying to make a living from it and I would rather not recommend that to anyone as first it means struggling. The way of a self employed "artist" does not offer much security in life. This feeling of security can be found in other jobs but definatly not in this one. It's again a question of passion and guts.

I was completely sure that this was going to be an absolutely amazing interview with great thoughts spread out there and lots of happy painting. Roman you are a great painter but much greater friend, and it's been both a great pleasure and honour to have you here in Volomir's Blog sharing your Massive Voodoo. Here's to many years of "Massive Volomir"! :)