Monday Miniatures: Blacksmith
![77142_w_1[1]](https://caffeineforge.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/77142_w_11.jpg)
The response to the blacksmith was mixed. Some people loved the classic mini, and others found themselves looking forward to some of the more interesting ones in the coming weeks. Regardless, we have 7 versions for your viewing pleasure.
Obviously I skipped the eyes this week, but with good reason. I gave myself an hour on the stop watch and went to town. Paint, break. Wash, break. Highlight, break. Touchup. Out of time. It could use more work, but I’m very happy with how efficient my painting is getting. I’ve been working on a unit of skaven. Painting 50 rat men (23 down, 27 to go) and speed is definitely a virtue.
Brian took a 30 year break from painting, but now he’s picking the brush back up. If this is him while he’s rusty, I can’t wait to see him when he’s back in the saddle. The muscle highlights and the texture of the apron are outstanding.
David is taking dark skined smith for a ride through his new light box. Much clearer now!
Dirk sends us a WIP. He plans to back and add the red glow of the forges, which sounds pretty awesome.
Arjen couldn’t get too excited about this one, and is instead focusing his attentions on next week’s mini.
If you notice the glove on Tallghost’s mini, look up. Some painters saw that as a glove, and others as a bracer. These are the little details I love in this weekly post.
Jes’s tawny apron comes off a little yellow in contrast to the backdrop, but I think it is a really great leather apron, and a whiter background would show that off better.
Barnabus email pictures to caffeineforge@gmail.com by 1/25/14
Large Earth Elemental – This one wasn’t a part of the vampire back, but it is a great mini with plenty of detail for the experienced model, and plenty of simple techniques could make it great as a bigineer. If you don’t have it, it’s only 7 dollars – you should pick it up.
I was emailed a couple of suggestions last week – but the reaper website was down. Please continue to send me your suggestions. I’d like to keep these posted at least a month out.
Caffeineforge 
Excellent work, all!
Some notes on photography: I think David could get an even better picture in his new light box by placing the mini more to the back or shifting the lightbulbs a bit forward. There is less light falling on the front of the mini than I would expect. Jess is experimenting with backgrounds. I did it a lot, see my posts a year back: purple and whatnot. I finally settled for my current background as it makes my camera compensate for the darkish background, thus soaking up more light from the mini, which is good, while the color in the background is not messing with your mini’s colors, either directly, through e.g. green reflected light falling on your mini, or indirectly, as your camera may try to compensate for what it perceives as an excess of a certain color. I think Tallghost did a good job adding a background that is both interesting and does not mess up colors.
To be honest, I wanted a background, but just panicked when it came to choosing colors. I shouted “GREY GOES WITH EVERYTHING!!” and painted up some Hirst Arts blocks.
I didn’t have this mini in my collection (sold 25% of the set to a friend) but I am nearly done with next week’s already. I am excited to show off my 2nd Caffeineforge mini. Hopefully my lightbox will workout a bit better this week too. So much else goes into painting minis, than “just painting”!
I am experimenting! My light box came with blue, red, green, and white backgrounds, and I’m trying to see what works. The box is significantly larger than I thought it would be (measurements are not my strong suit 😉 ) so, yeah. 🙂 I’m loving seeing so many participants!
I’m looking forward to next week’s mini. I already painted him once, but I may paint him again since I accidentally bought a second one. 🙂
If you do, send them both in!