Back to School Musings
Welcome to another glorious morning in the BAR! We have some updates on a few things today that you may have heard of vaguely mentioned across the BAM channels… Whispers from the BARkeepers… Shushings from the stools… Yes, I will divulge some information about a new and exciting way to use your BAM miniatures. You’ll have to be patient though. First, I will take you through some brilliant work from fans and patrons alike.
With kids going back to school next week, I'll probably get some extra time to do some printing/painting of my own! Hopefully some of you parents out there will as well. I love to share my work with you all, but more importantly, I love seeing what you are making. Order up!
Community Art Spotlight
This week, instead of interviewing some of our own employees, we’ll be interviewing some of you in the community! There are almost 1500 of you dungeoneers, so it’s safe to say that you're probably a fairly diverse group from all sorts of backgrounds. From toolsmiths to teachers, bakers to buccaneers, highlanders to down-unders', we’ll take this opportunity to get to know some of you every couple of weeks. Today we have a two-for-one special from some folks who just happen to love to paint and shared in the #showcase channel of our Discord Server: AvatarofShibby and Brandon.paints. So join me now in raising them a glass as we toast their community spirit!
AvatarofShibby
Alex: Tell us about yourself
AvatarofShibby: I work as an Analyst in Cyber Security, miniature painting is really my decompression activity. I first got into miniatures with Warhammer 40k in 2015, but didn't really paint much and ended up selling them. I wish I still had some; I’d used a Golden Acrylic Gloss and they were hilariously bad. It wasn't until the re-release of Blood Bowl that I was hooked. Now I enjoy painting miniatures more than playing games.
Alex: How long have you been painting?
AvatarofShibby: I started actually trying to paint miniatures well in 2016, but it's only within the last year that I've really been painting regularly (several times a week).
Alex: Do you have any favorite techniques or tools?
AvatarofShibby: I really love dry-brushing for large miniatures. I was painting the Ironclad Tyranno from the Savage Beasts of Kinjo Island, and wasn't too sure how it would pan out. I tried dry-brushing and it just popped to life. I was really excited to share it with my friends.
Alex: What is your favorite model that you’ve painted so far?
AvatarofShibby: My favorite model so far is the Necron Psychomancer. The model itself is ok, but I got to use a variety of techniques and I was proud of the finished product. Combining Scale 75 metallic paints on the body, wet-blending on the skull, and OSL for the glow effects, really just made for a beautiful model in my opinion.
Alex: What draws you to BAM models the most?
AvatarofShibby: The consistency of the detail and variety is my favorite thing about BAM models. I love the details and looks, they're well engineered to fit together, and the pre-supported files work well. This really makes for a painless printing experience and allows me to focus on the painting I enjoy so much.
Alex: Do you have any advice for new painters or hobbyists?
AvatarofShibby: You don't need the finest mink hair brushes or the biggest most expensive paints to do well. I have a wide array of paints, tools, and brushes but I still use Army Painter paints and generic paint brushes more than anything else. Mixing your paint properly and perfecting your techniques will lead to better minis overall than just throwing money at it. Start small, figure out what works for you, and then grow your collection of materials from there.
Brandon.Paints
Alex: Tell us about yourself.
Brandon.Paints: My name is Brandon, and when I’m not painting minis or writing music (shameless plug - @inertiamusicmd on Instagram), I spend my days as an elementary school art teacher helping kids develop and explore their creativity, artistic understanding, and fine motor skills. I’ve been fascinated with miniatures and gaming from a young age. There’s just something about tabletop figures that has always enticed me. My first experience with “actual” miniatures was the game Heroscape. I️ would’ve been no older than 8 when I got it. While I mostly didn't play the game as intended, I liked to build different landscapes using my imagination and telling stories. I loved that it was a mix of sci-fi and fantasy - it opened up so many storytelling possibilities! Heroscape is what truly paved the way for my fascination with games like Warhammer, and more recently 3D printing. It’s truly been a lifelong pursuit, and I️ feel so fortunate to be able to say that!
Alex: How long have you been painting?
Brandon.Paints: I started painting about 30 years ago as a child. Artistry runs deep in my blood! I painted my first miniature about 18 years ago. It was an old metal Ork Burna-Boy from a blister, and I️ still have it on my desk today (albeit, not with the original paint job). I️ never really stopped painting miniatures since. There were some lulls here and there (I️ was painting my friend’s Orcs vs Empire Warhammer set, so I only painted when visiting), but I️ never truly stopped, and don’t plan on stopping any time soon.
Alex: Do you have any favorite techniques or tools?
Brandon.Paints: I️ have academic training in painting, so I like to apply it to miniatures. This means using lots of mixed paints and built-up volumetric layers (ie, painting a surface the way it would really look - has to do with understanding light and how it falls on different shapes and surfaces) rather than the simple base+wash+highlight. Using a wet palette is a must for this as it allows you to keep your blended colors fresh for ages and teaches you how to thin your paints directly on the palette. You gotta have a BIG round-tip brush too. Kolinsky brushes are my go-tos as they tend to keep their sharp points for the longest amount of time. Using a larger brush on something so tiny might seem counterintuitive, but tiny brushes can’t hold much paint in their bellies. The less paint a brush can hold, the faster it dries out. Since the larger brushes need to be dipped less you can focus on painting and stay productive. Size 2 and a Size 4 will do, but I use 6 or 8 for large models. I️ also couldn’t live without a good light! They make all the difference, because they let you see your work as it truly is, and can also be used for photography. Make sure to consider the brightness of the light (~2200 Lumens are great).
Alex: What is your favorite model that you’ve painted so far?
Brandon.Paints: Usually my favorite model is whatever I’m working on. One favorite that comes to mind is the Vengorian Lord. It’s a literal smorgasbord of visual concepts, and it’s a real puzzle to get the differing elements to work cohesively. It's a gaming piece, so it’s not my most technically impressive work but was just so much fun to paint and figure out! It’s one that I’ll always look at with fondness.
Alex: What draws you to BAM models the most?
Brandon.Paints: The Sanshoo Waterdancer was the first BAM Mini that I’ve painted, but certainly not the last. What drew me to BAM is their distinctive style. No one else produces minis like BAM. The best way to describe them is “fun and highly paintable.” I️ love how creative and lighthearted each sculpt is! There are so many different surface textures to play around with. Physically, I enjoy how the style is a bit cartoony and exaggerated - simply put, they’re just really fun to paint. Mostly I paint for fun and relaxation, and BAM models lend themselves to that. It’s a big reason I’m looking forward to getting my hands on the Orrix for Rivenstone… They just look SO fun!
Alex: Do you have any advice for new painters or hobbyists?
Brandon.Paints: 1. Get or make a wet palette - it’ll make your life easier, you’ll understand your paint better.
2. Find someone experienced with painting as a mentor. Either meeting up for lessons, sharing pics and getting critiques, asking for advice, etc. There’s so much info out there, that it can be overwhelming. Having a person willing to guide you is a total game changer, and most experienced painters will be THRILLED to share their knowledge with you - so don’t be scared to ask!
3. Don’t compare yourself to others. It doesn’t matter if it’s a world-renowned painter, or someone at your local shop. Just don’t do it. Everyone is on their own painting journey, and comparison can kill your drive to continue. However, if you find a painter you like, feel free to message them. Oftentimes these experienced painters have tons of great advice and are more than willing to help.
4. Don’t be so worried about perfection. New painters are often so worried they’re going to ruin their minis, that they never actually paint them. I encourage you to jump in and be fearless. Mistakes are okay. They’re normal. They’re welcome. Learn from them! Every experienced painter had to start somewhere. Sometimes I️ have to repaint things 10-20 times before I️ get it right, and it’s important to accept that. The more you paint, the better you'll become. It just takes time, like any other learned skill. Don’t give up!
Thanks again Shibby and Brandon for sharing. We hope to see more from you both! Feel free to visit Shibby's Instagram page and Brandon's Instagram page for more sweet minis.
A Rolling Rivenstone Gathers No Moss
As those of you who are following Rivenstone already know, the BackerKit store is now closed! Thank you for making the Kickstarter such a momentous occasion for us here at BAM. Hanna will be busy sorting through any payment problems that might arise and, once those are sorted, the finalized list of backers. That list will be the priority when it comes to the delivery of the product upon completion. We will be doing more in-person events closer to the official release date, which I’m sure will involve demonstrations amongst other things that have yet to be determined. I would like to just state that while we aren’t currently running an official volunteer program for Rivenstone, there may be other opportunities to work with your FLGS in order to grow your local metas (also tbd).
I’d like to do a big community shoutout to Kirk Bushell in the Discord server for his development of the unofficial app “Venngeance”. Venngeance is a coalition building app that he made specifically for Rivenstone. It’s easy to use, incredibly detailed, and Kirk has made it available to everyone for free. (Thanks, Kirk!)
Speaking of community developed content, if you’d like to try Rivenstone out before it’s released online, the talented folks from Barracks Action have made a Tabletop Simulator mod that you can download and use to try it out with friends. Both of these items can be found from our public Discord server.
Behind the Anvil
There is always a ton going on behind the scenes here at BAM and while I can’t talk about everything I can give some teasers here and there. Speaking of which, BAM has been developing a new way for you all to use your Patreon models in the form of Broken Anvil Battle Arena (working title). BABA is a hex-based arena combat game that Faye and Hungerford have put together that is coming down the pipe. While I won’t talk about the mechanics of it, I will say that the game will come with assets that you can both print AND 3d print to make a fully playable game from the comfort of your own home.
If you watched our livestream last week, you may have picked up on some hints on there being new ways to get physical minis directly from BAM… Starting soon, we will be adding a select group of models curated from our Patreon releases to add to our webstore! These models will be produced directly at BAM HQ and held to our rigorous standards. More details for this will be coming, however, we at BAM hope to be greatly increasing the amount of production of this sort, hopefully getting our product into the hands of you who don’t or have no desire to 3d print.
We also have two big new community based events coming up: the Wild Terrain Pack Design-a-Thon, and the Name the Machine Volume 2 challenge. As a community, you will get to have a direct say on the results of both of these, and I, for one, am really excited to see what you all come up with. Also, this is the final week of Paint Fight 2, so make sure you get those submissions in before the end of the month! For more information, read the post details here.
Lastly, I will be doing regular updates on production with the intention to better answer questions like, “When is ‘The Will’ being made?” or “How is Rivenstone production going?”. I’ll also be continuing to tease the upcoming month’s Patreon releases in various ways (sketch art, renders, painted examples, etc).
Last Call
Sadly, it’s closing time once again for the BAR. Time to dim the lights and close out your tabs! Look out for a fully rendered teaser of the September Patreon release this week. I’ll also be taking the opportunity to work on some minis I’ve been painting and progress on my Rivenstone terrain board that I’m making with the help of terrain models I’ve picked up and printed from the Patreon. Do you have any miniatures you’ve painted that you want to share with the world? Have you been working on any terrain for Rivenstone or other games? Then hop on into the BAM Discord and share with us — we all love to see it!
Thanks again for joining us this week! If you haven’t already, feel free to check out our My Mini Factory Tribes or Patreon here!
