(Editor’sA�Note: A�There are no mistakes. A�Just happy little accidents. A�Except that paint that I got on the base of the model. That’s a mistake.)
Over the last few years, mainly because of the web page and podcast, I have become interested in new games and even new types of games. A�Before starting the page, Chris and I mostly just played Magic the Gathering for our tabletop entertainment. A�Since then, though, we’ve branched out into Dicemasters and Heroclix as diversions. A�Heroclix, in particular, will be the focus of the next two articles.
Heroclix, as we’ve discussed, is a more cost efficient introduction into miniature games. A�I will talk more about it in my next article, either tomorrow or Wednesday. A�Today, I mention Heroclix because it has brought my interest in miniature games back to the front. A�I haven’t actually taken the leap into any of the games, but I did sign up for a learning how to paint miniatures class A�so that when I do finally take the plunge, I will have a quality army to present at games.
(Note: A�Image Missing. A�I looked for a picture of the unpainted model, but I can’t seem to find one. A�I found some terrible paint jobs. A�I’m not saying that I’m a professional by any stretch, but these ones looked bad. A�The best that I can do is my primed model from the first class shown below.)
As mentioned above, the first day was all about getting used to the process. A�We chose a miniature (either one that we owned or one that they provided), assembled it, and primed it. A�I looked over the models provided by the instructor and found one that required the least assembly and looked to be the easiest to paint since I’m a total noob and I just didn’t want to screw it up too badly.
To be honest, I wondered how we would spend an hour and a half doing just those steps, but the in between time allowed for questions and general chat among the class and the instructor. A�As I wrote on my Facebook, they are an eclectic bunch. A�One works at Old Sturbridge Village during the summer making pottery and another is a PhD student in polymer engineering at UMass. A�I learned about the different types of glue, paint, and models available and I am much more informed now when I go to make a purchase.
The second class was actual painting and I have to admit that I was very overwhelmed by the process. A�I even asked at one point, “Is anyone else paralyzed by choice?” after staring at my model for over 45 minutes. A�I looked at the paint choices. A�I searched online. A�I found nothing that helped until one of the other participants said something about looking at the model in pieces instead of a whole. A�Then, someone else suggested that I take a piece of the model with a large surface area. A�Both of those ideas got me on the right track. A�I grabbed one of the greens A�because I wanted to make him more of a wood elf than a high elf and I didn’t want to go crazy with the color scheme. A�I painted his cape that green color and was off to the races.
