mfxposé #7: Woodland Scenics

It's been a while since we last posted, but we're back on board with some new interviews and posts on everything from terrain building to painting techniques.

We've lined up another company profile and interview this week and we were lucky enough to chat with Lynn Mitchell from Woodland Scenics about her company and their new in-roads with the gaming community.

Many of you would already be familiar with Woodland Scenics products from Tin Soldier in Sydney, HobbyCo and a bunch of other places that stock their wares.

INTERVIEW

Daniel: Can you give our readers a little background on your company? How it started, how long you've been operating, and which countries you export product to?

Lynn: We began as an architectural and engineering modeling firm making models for national and international corporations. At the time, no commercially produced scenery products existed on the market.

We made our own realistic looking model scenery using natural and synthetic products. During the summer of 1975, we displayed a sample of architectural landscape scenery at a model railroad trade show in Chicago. It was a hit, and we organized for the mass production doing business as Woodland Scenics. Our first catalog featured 28 products and our message was, and still is — it is all about realism and realism is easy!

By 1981, Woodland Scenics had more than 100 distributors nationally and was exporting to Canada, Germany and Sweden. Today Woodland Scenics, located in Linn Creek, Missouri sells more than 2,300 items for model scenery, educational arts and crafts, and gravity-driven pinewood race cars. We wholesale to more than 2,000 distributors and dealers in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe and North and South America.

The success of that small sample of the most realistic model railroad scenery on the market has grown into a full-scale modeling product business. For 34 years, Woodland Scenics has maintained their reputation as the industry’s foremost innovator of realistic model railroad scenery. We continue to set the industry’s standards for developing scenery and terrain building systems and for products tested for quality and safety.


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Daniel: What products does Woodland Scenics specialise in?

Lynn: We lead the world in manufacturing model scenery, offering complete systems for modeling—start to finish. From SubTerrain components for a layout base to terrain features and coloring systems to landscape materials and trees.

We really do have the most comprehensive collection of versatile, realistic and easy-to-use model scenery products on the market.










Coloring Rocks “Leopard-Spot Technique” Video Tutorial
Click here to replay video by visiting the Woodland Scenics website.



Daniel: What inspires you and your team when creating new products?

Lynn: Thirty-four years ago, we set the industry standard for model scenery by concentrating on high quality, realism and creating simple methods for model-making. Those are still our guiding principals. Modeling is a great hobby, and we want it accessible to everyone.

It’s amazing when we get letters and pictures from first-time modelers of all ages, especially those who say they never considered themselves as ‘artistic.’ They all say how easy it was and how much fun they had modeling, and they are all so proud of their results.

"Making a Tree" Video Tutorial
Click here to replay video by visiting the Woodland Scenics website.



Daniel: Which products are you looking at marketing to wargamers and the gaming industry in general?

Lynn: Virtually our entire line included in the SubTerrain, Terrain and Landscaping systems. If gamers can imagine it, they can create it with those products. They can make lightweight and realistic gaming board terrain easily, quickly and create it specific to their particular gaming board needs.




Daniel: What tips and tricks can you offer our readers when using Woodland Scenics terrain products or when terrain building in general?

Lynn: Our landscaping system is based on nature’s principal of contrasts and highlights. A young child would probably color the sky blue, the sun yellow and the leaves green. The real world is not this perfect, but rather it blends colors together in lighter and darker shades and mixtures of color. This mixing and blending will create the most realistic look for the layout.

It may sound difficult, like something only an artist would be able to do. But, it is much easier than it sounds. We keep the modeling experience simple and constantly remind modelers that there are no mistakes when modeling scenery ... at least nothing you can’t fix.

I’d like to draw attention to our Scenery Manual, a 100-plus page comprehensive guide to easily creating model scenery. It is loaded with tips, tricks, color illustrations and photos. It is very popular and most retailers carry it and it is also available through our website.

Daniel: What's the best aspect of your business and the wider industry?

Lynn: Our commitment to product innovation and quality is equal to that of our commitment to customer satisfaction with their modeling experiences. Every week, we hear from hundreds of customers with questions, comments, ideas and requests for additional products. We enjoy and encourage these inquiries and answer each one. We often request more information, pictures and permission to post their words and pictures on our website testimonial section or in our e-newsletter, Scenic View.

NEWS: GenCon Indianapolis (August 2009)

Lynn: Our trip to GenCon was fantastic. The employees who attended said the gaming community was warm, gracious and very entertaining! They loved all the costumes, the enthusiasm and thoroughly entertained with the ‘larping’. I have seen the pictures from the show and heard some stories ... a great time was had by all.



The picture below is of the giant diorama our Product Development department built for the show. It was a huge hit! Several individuals wanted to purchase it ... but it was not for sale. Our scenery demonstrations went very well, and we had a constant stream of people who wanted to try it. We had a couple of show attendees write us to tell us how much they enjoyed the demos, and were delighted to find how easy it was to create dramatic looking scenery.



TUTORIALS & ONLINE MEDIA

Check out all the free how-to videos posted for Woodland Scenics, Scene-A-Rama and PineCar. Access all videos through www.woodlandscenics.com. The website also includes loads of project ideas, tips, techniques and answers to frequently asked questions.

LINKS

> Books & Videos (learning aids)
> Getting Started

VIDEO TUTORIALS

> Models of Dead Timbers and Fallen Logs
> Field Grass
> Making a Waterfall

mfxposé #4: Dark Sword Miniatures

We've had too many requests to profile a miniatures company to ignore. So get ready for our mega-article, this week in mfxposé we're featuring Dark Sword Miniatures. After getting in touch with Jim Ludwig, he was more than willing to send us endless pics of their jaw-dropping work.

Dark Sword Miniatures, Inc. is Jim's company and is located in Minnesota, USA.



DARK SWORD MINIATURES

Dark Sword Miniatures, Inc. was founded in 2002 in order to fill a gap in the miniatures industry that had moved steadily towards very stylised and sometimes over-the-top miniatures at the expense of more realistic miniatures.

Founder Jim Ludwig grew up on the classic Grenadier and Ral Partha sculpts in the 1980's and 1990's and was dismayed to lose both Grenadier and Ral Partha in the mid 1990's due to the collapse of the hobby market from the hot new card game "Magic the Gathering" dominating the hobby stores.

Jim's favorite Ral Partha license was the Larry Elmore line of miniatures they produced. Jim who had become acquaintances with Larry Elmore over the years and had begged Larry to take his license to Reaper Miniatures once Ral Partha closed up shop, but for some reason Larry did not do so as it was not at the top of his radar in those days.

So he boldly told Larry: "... heck, if you are not going to do something about this, I will start a small miniatures company as a sideline business and hire top sculptors and painters to do your artwork justice."

Larry Elmore simply responded: "OK, write up a proposal and let me review it."

Dark Sword Miniatures was born ...



Dennis Mize and Tom Meier were at the top of the list for realistic sculptors that could pull off what was needed. Dennis had done a large amount of work on the classic Ral Partha Silver and Steel series and other Elmore miniatures. Tom had done some work on it as well.

Dennis signed on quickly and was given the Elmore Masterworks line to sculpt as Dark Sword wanted to ensure consistency across lines. Keith Parkinson and Tom Meier came on next to start the Parkinson Masterworks line.

Jim Ludwig was always very fond of the "Fab Four" from TSR which included Larry Elmore, Keith Parkinson, Jeff Easley and Clyde Caldwell. These four artists really put TSR on the map in terms of amazing artwork back in the 1980's and 1990's.









Dark Sword had a plan and very soon Jeff Easley and Clyde Caldwell were signed on board along with Dave Summers to sculpt up Dragons and other assorted minis. Dave Summers had sculpted some of the best dragons ever produced for Ral Partha including the Great Red Dragon (Easley artwork) and the Golden Dragon of Chaos (Elmore artwork).

Dark Sword slowly ramped up over the next few years with a steady stream of boxed set releases from Tom, Dennis and Dave sculpting. They then offered their miniatures in single/blister pack format due to the demands of collectors and gamers. This prompted the start of their Visions in Fantasy range of player character types to fill in the gaps of the amazing artwork from the Fab Four. The sculptor Gael Goumon was brought on to add to this line.



Dark Sword's premium miniature lines were mainstays at the Origins Award's every year for Best Miniature/Miniature Line of the Year. Dark Sword took home top honors in 2005 with their Elmore Dragons Miniature Line sculpted by Dave Summers and Dennis Mize.

Dark Sword lost a couple of dear friends in October 2005 and March 2006 with the passing of Keith Parkinson and Dennis Mize. Jim tells me:

"... Their talent is still felt today and there is not a week that goes by that I do not fondly think of them and our conversations. They were both at the very top of their game in terms of skill-levels at the time of their passing ..."

The search for a top-notch sculptor brought Dark Sword to Jeff Grace who Jim had been keeping an eye on since Jeff entered back into the Freelance sculpting market after his tour of duty with WizKids. Jeff Grace had been trained by Dennis Mize and Dave Summers at Ral Partha.

Jeff also had a keen appreciation of the artwork we were working from. He was a natural choice and quickly ramped up to follow in Dennis Mize's footsteps as a key Dark Sword sculptor. Little did Jeff know that he was considered for the Caldwell Masterworks line before Dennis Mize offered to sculpt that line in addition to the Elmore Masterworks line.



While all of this was happening, a surprise email from a Mr. George R.R. Martin happened to pop into their email box praising their miniatures and asking if they were of the 54mm scale (which is always a nice compliment). It turns out Mr. Martin was a huge miniature fan and really liked the realistic miniatures they were doing. George had signed on with a huge multi-million dollar company called Testors Models to bring his miniatures to market.

After a couple years of spinning their wheels, they lost the license and Dark Sword was offered the chance to add another key license to their line. Jim was a huge fan of the books and jumped at the chance. Tom Meier and Jeff Grace are heading up sculpting duties on the line with Dave Summers jumping in on certain pieces as needed. Most miniatures in the line are in the standard 28-30mm scale which is the industry norm these days, but a few of the miniatures are getting the 54mm treatment as well.



Dark Sword works with a very talented group of painters that paint up their studio collection - Matt Verzani has been with them since the very beginning. Susan Wachowski paints almost all of their dragons, and Marike Reimer is now painting a good deal of Dark Sword releases. Alison Scheirman, Rhonda Bender, Anne Foerster, and Jen Haley have also painted miniatures for the Dark Sword studio collection. They are a very talented bunch - no question about it.



Looking forward, Dark Sword wants to simply focus on their existing premium miniature lines and really fill them out. All too often, companies get eyes bigger than their wallets and spin out of control and lose focus.

Dark Sword tries to keep things really tight by only working with a limited amount of sculptors, painters and licenses. Dark Sword has over 230 miniatures in their lines thus far and that number keeps on growing and should exceed 250 miniatures by the end of 2009.

You can check out their award-winning miniature lines at: www.DarkSwordMiniatures.com

UPCOMING: More on materials, reviews and a few other overdue posts ...

mfxposé #2: Nicolaas Smit

Our featured artist this week is Nicolaas Smit. He's a 21 year old Sydney-based digital artist who spent most of his younger years, in the late 90's through to the early 21st century, painting Warhammer and "... creating terrains to entice my young imagination". He's ventured through a variety of sets including Orcs, Chaos, Ultramarines and LotR.



INTERVIEW

Daniel: What was your inspiration to start painting miniatures?

Nicolaas: I was always a keen artist, sketching, painting on canvas, cardboard and sticky tape was my best friend as a young kid attempting to pry open every corner of my imagination to create anything I liked at the time. I remember seeing my first Warhammer battlefield at a family friends house, the artist/owner was not home at the time and I had strict rules as to not dare touch. I remember a layout of Tyranids and Space Wolves, so tempting it was to reach out for a closer look. Back home I began creating my own "Warhammer" from cardboard, foil, bluetack was great. It wasn't till months later my parents decided to invest in my first set of Warhammer. I remember choosing a set of Ork Boyz, that's when my Warhammer days began.

Daniel: Which artist in your field do you admire most and why?

Nicolaas: As a young kid I looked up to the adults and older teens of the industry. I only purchased my sets from the Warhammer store that was located in Miranda Fair NSW so I knew the staff well and would regularly stare in awe while they painted their models within the store. I was also inspired by the many talented artists that regularly painted there.



Daniel: What was your favourite miniatures project to work on?

Nicolaas: In my later years of Warhammer I worked on a few LotR sets, I had made a few terrains in theme with the movie, my favourite being a replica of the stairs from the Moria Mines. It was my largest project created and I think spent $50 alone on expanding foam to create rock like forms. Two people were needed to lift the creation in its completed form.



Daniel: What was your hardest project to complete?

Nicolaas: I think my hardest projects to complete have been anything that has yet to be completed. Unfortunately there are a number of uncompleted projects. Mostly some overworked single sets. I also have a number of sets that became very monotonous and especially when you have 50 Orcs to paint that are almost identical across the range. Grrr!

Daniel: What are your favourite miniature sets to paint?

Nicolaas: I've always enjoyed painting my LotR sets, in particular the Rohan horseman. I enjoyed the fact that I could put so much variation with colour scheme and details for the horses themselves but also with the armour and flags the riders wore.

Daniel: What miniature sets or genres would you like to paint in the future?

Nicolaas: Something different that's not available, I'd love to see a miniature Star Wars set or something awesome like that.

Daniel: Where do you source your materials and tools from?

Nicolaas: Although I bought most of my paints and brushes from the Warhammer store I equally loved purchasing from Vaggs Hobbyshop which is still located outside of Miranda Fair, NSW. I'd occasional buy materials there but nothing beats a visit to the beach for some sand, dirts and rocks for terrains, catch some surf while you're there.


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Daniel: Do you have any custom-made or special equipment for painting, sculpting and modifying your miniatures?

Nicolaas: I used to regularly use a foam cutter which I made from scratch using a coat hanger wire, batteries and some thin wire, and lots of my favourite sticky tape. [Damn, that's cool, I'll have to mock one up and give it a try, thanks for the tip - Daniel]

Daniel: What tips and tricks can you offer our readers?

Nicolaas: My favourite trick which I always shared with my mates back in the day was a technique I regularly used to create blood and gore. It involves a few drops of super glue which then you drip some watered down blood coloured red paint onto the wet super glue. The glue and paint form some chemical bond and instantly dry into some goopy looking mess. I often used it on dead Orc carcases on terrains I made, the results were never the same and occasionally you'd get some decent intestine designs and the like, oh those were the days.



NEXT: Terrain basics, more materials and finally, Ibigawa rocks...

Boardgame Figurines

As a follow-up to our previous post on some unknown figurines, we've tracked down the boardgame, thanks to our readers.



DUNGEONQUEST

Developed in Sweden in 1985, it was released by Games Workshop in 1987 and is currently out of production. Check out this Wikipedia article on the fantasy boardgame.



Expansion sets and more figurines were created to extend gameplay, BoardGameGeek has a great listing on it with plenty of interesting images of painted and unpainted miniatures.

I've found a few more photos on Flickr featuring painted versions of the characters, including the one embedded below.



I'd love to find the time to finish painting these miniatures and will keep you posted with progress pics once I do.

Wanted: Miniatures & TSR Figurine

As a little side-step from our usual blogging, occasionally I'll be putting up "Wanted" posts like this one for various odds and ends.

TSR LJN AD&D TERRIBLE TROLL

Produced by TSR, this LJN Advanced Dungeons & Dragons figurine was part of the "Terrible Troll & Goblin" figure set.



I've found a bunch on eBay in the States, but I'm looking for someone in Australia.

Does anyone have this and want to swap or sell it?

Send me an email if you have just the Terrible Troll and are interested in selling it. I don't need it to be in the box-set or to come with the little goblin.

We're looking to modify and re-sculpt certain parts of the troll and paint it up. I'll definitely be posting progress images on this blog once the project gets underway.

BOARDGAME MINIATURES (Updated 21/04/09)

A number of years ago I was given a set of 4 miniatures from a boardgame made sometime during the late 80's or early 90's. As you can see I've only painted two of the four. Their scale average is around 33mm, so a fraction taller than your standard Milton Bradley / Games Workshop miniatures (~28mm).





Does anyone recognise these?

I know this post is called "wanted", but in this instance I just want to know where they're from.

Send me an email if you know which boardgame they're from. I'm pretty sure it was an early TSR or Milton Bradley production but I can't seem to find it on Board Game Geek.

UPDATE 21/04/09

Thanks to the emails we've received in response to the unknown boardgame figurines above, we've found out that these guys actually from a Games Workshop production: Dungeonquest © 1985 / 1987. Check out our new article for details.

mfxposé #1: Giuseppe Borzone

Starting today we're treating you to the first in a series of exposé interviews with miniatures artists from all over the world.

Our featured artist this week is Giuseppe Borzone. Born in Genova, Italy on 14th May 1969, he graduated from the Brera Academy in Milan '93-'94 in Set Design.

I've been in contact with Giuseppe for some time now and have looked forward to posting his interview on this blog. If you're based in Italy or Europe and would like to get in touch with Giuseppe, contact us for a referral.

Sit back, enjoy and check out the photo gallery and attached video clip.



INTERVIEW

Daniel: How long have you been creating miniatures?

Giuseppe: Since I was a student at the Academy in Milan, to study Set Design we had to construct a model, this was back in 1991/1992.

D: What was your inspiration to start creating miniatures?

G: Films, the amazing thing was that towards the end of the 70's, the movies I saw at the cinema seemed real! When I came across photos from the set with various specialists actually creating the shot in a garage or in a studio with models – and then actually filming them – I thought it was the most astounding thing I'd seen in my life.

D: Which artist in your field do you admire most and why?

G: There are so many, maybe Douglas Trumbull, but I don't consider him a colleague. He's a genius. He invented marvellous and unforgettable sequences. He's a true artist, like those from the time of the Renaissance in Italy.

D: What was your favourite project to work on?

G: My own unfinished project. Of which I only have trial tests.

D: What was your hardest project to complete?

G: The last one! I had only 2 weeks to submit it. I've sent you photos of the workers loading it for transport to the film studio.



D: What miniature sets or genres would you like to paint in the future?

G: I'd like to do a Science Fiction project, like most everyone I think.

D: Where do you source your materials and tools from?

G: Anywhere, and I use anything, but above all construction materials and hardware.

D: What are your tools of the trade for painting, sculpting and modifying miniatures? Do you have any custom-made equipment?

G: You'll be disappointed. But I use a hobby-knife and pencil and naturally my own hands. I don't have equipment, I do it all by hand. I paint with acrylics and occasionally use spray-cans.



D: What tips and tricks can you offer our readers?

G: Miniatures do not have to be absolutely true-to-life reproductions. They're pictorial representations of something, just as it once was before computers, like matte paintings used in film sequences.

Naturally, you don't exaggerate the liberal interpretation, in other words you don't do action painting.

D: How do you perceive the relationship between the use of computer graphics and miniatures for special effects in films?

G: Very good, when it's entirely described in the end credits or in a specific article that talks about the film's production – as does not happen with Italian producers and set designers who declare, after having used scale model samples with lasers or photos, that it's all the product of digital technology.

D: What can you tell us about your industry in Italy and Europe?

G: Well! The British are champions, you only need to see the last 007 film! The French tend to do like the Italians, they'll use model samples and then say it's all CGI!

In Italy during the 60's and 70's we had true masters like Mario Bava, none exist today. There are two or three studios in Milan who, to create a little 20cm plant, will ask for €10,000 euros!

There are also the Slavs, they're great. But in the last film on Hannibal Lecter, filmed in Bohemia, the producer Dino De Laurentiis didn't even credit them in the titles – something that, for example, the Americans didn't do in the film Aliens vs Predator.



ORIGINAL ITALIAN INTERVIEW

Daniel: Da quanto tempo stai lavorando con le miniature?

Giuseppe: Da quando ero studente all'Accademia di Milano, per fare le scenografie bisognava costruire un modello era il 1991\1992.

D: Quale è la tua ispirazione per cominciare a creare le miniature?

G: I film, la cosa stupefacente era che alla fine degli anni 70 i film che vedevo al Cinema mi sembravano veri! Quando ho visto delle foto dei set con alcuni specialisti che creavano quelle riprese in un garage o in uno studio con i modelli e poi li filmavano mi è sembrato la cosa più stupefacente che avessi visto in vita mia.

D: Quale artista nel tuo campo ammiri di più e perché?

G: Ce ne sono tanti, forse Douglas Trumbull, ma non lo considero un collega. Lui è un Genio. Ha inventato cose meravigliose sequenze indimenticabili. È un vero Artista, come quelli che c'erano nel Rinascimento in Italia.

D: Quale è il tuo progetto preferito che hai fatto?

G: È un mio progetto non - realizzato. Di cui ho solo i test di prova.

D: Quale è stato il tuo progetto più difficile da completare?

G: L'ultimo! Avevo solo 2 settimane per consegnarlo. Ti ho mandato le foto mentre degli operai lo caricano per trasportarlo ai teatri di posa.

D: Che tipo di miniature o che generi di modelli vorrai creare nel futuro?

G: Mi piacerebbe fare un progetto di Science-Fiction, credo come tutti.

D: Dove trovi i tuoi materiali ed attrezzi?

G: Ovunque, uso qualsiasi cosa, ma soprattutto materiali edili e ferramenta.

D: Quali sono i tuoi ferri del mestiere per verniciare, scolpire e modificare le miniature? Hai delle apparecchiature specifiche?

G: Rimarrai deluso. Ma uso il "cutter" e la matita e naturalmente le mani. Non ho delle apparecchiature faccio tutto a mano. Le dipingo con i colori acrilici e qualche volta uso addirittura le bombolette spray.

D: Che consigli e trucchi del mestiere puoi offrire ai nostri lettori?

G: Le miniature non devono essere riproduzioni pari-pari della realtà.
Sono rappresentazioni pittoriche di qualcosa, come lo erano una volta prima dei computers, i Matte Paintings usati nelle sequenze dei Film.

Naturalmente non si deve esagerare nella libera interpretazione, insomma non si deve fare Action Painting.

D: Come percepisci il rapporto fra l'uso del CGI e le miniature per gli effetti speciali nei film?

G: Molto bene, quando viene descritto per intero nei titoli di coda o in un articolo specifico che parla della realizzazione del film, non come avviene con i produttori e gli scenografi italiani che dichiarano, dopo aver campionato dei modelli in scala con i laser o con le foto, che è tutto frutto della tecnologia digitale.

D: Che cosa puoi dirci sull'industria delle Miniature in Italia ed in Europa?

G: Beh! Gli inglesi sono dei campioni, basta vedere l'utimo film su 007! I francesi tendono a fare come gli italiani; campionano e dicono che è tutto CGI!

In Italia negli anni 60 e 70 avevamo dei veri maestri come Mario Bava, ora non esiste più nessuno, ci sono due o tre studi a Milano che per fare una piantina di 20cm chiedono €10.000 Euro!

Esistono gli slavi, bravissimi. Ma nell'ultimo film su Hannibal Lecter, girato in Boemia, il produttore Dino De Laurentiis non li ha nemmeno accreditati nei titoli, cosa che per esempio non hanno fatto gli americani con il film "Alien vs. Predator".

NEXT: Keep an eye out for Materials #3 next week, covering tools, brushes, Ibigawa rocks and more.

MiniatureFX.com

Welcome to MiniatureFX.com!

We've been kicking around the idea for this blog for quite some time. Finally it's here and we're looking forward to sharing our experiences with you. We'll experiment, test-run techniques and materials, plus review products and miniatures in general.

I've been inspired by the blogging success of a friend and colleague in the digital media industry to kick-start MiniatureFX.com. On that note, if you're into 3D and sci-fi and are after some serious inspiration and great tutorials, check out Paul's blog at The Process Diary.

While I have a personal preference for painting Fantasy and Mediaeval/Historical miniatures and creating terrain, I'm also a big Sci-Fi buff and will try to deliver content applicable to painters for that genre.

I'm not here to judge anyone's style or technique. Heck, I'm self-taught so I'm sure there's plenty things I do that can be achieved with easier, more economical methods. If you know of any, post a comment or contact me and I'll give it a test-run and blog the results.

I'd really like to see MiniatureFX.com grow and develop into a resource hub with video footage, slide shows and tutorials. Feel free to contact me via mfx@arcaeon.com with thoughts, opinions and tips.

You can look forward to some upcoming reviews on materials I've been using lately. Everything from paint brushes (Sable hair -vs- Taklon synthetics) to brands of lichen, lacquer, palettes and more.

Keep an eye out for interviews with featured artists from around the world, showcasing some of their work and discussing technique. I feel wargamers can learn a lot from experienced terrain-builders in the film industry or in model train-set construction. So I'm keen to bring across tips and tricks from featured artists in those areas and apply them to historical and fantasy scenarios.

I'm currently working on a series of Warhammer High Elves for a private commission and will be taking you through the process from time to time. I'd like to work on some Ancient Greek, Roman and Etruscan warriors before trying Celts and other similar peoples. I have a full-time job running a design studio in Sydney, so forgive me if my own personal projects take a while to kick-start. I've got an old set of Battle Masters (anyone remember that?) that I'd like to finish painting up one of these days ... not to mention HeroQuest ... plus I'd really love to attempt grafting some figurines together to make key characters from The Ancestral Trail at some point ... for some 90's nostalgia.

With some great pieces of polystyrene in storage, there'll be dungeons, citadels and ruins with plenty of great terrain and water effects to keep this blog occupied throughout the year.

So whether you're an amateur or seasoned painter, into fantasy-adventure miniatures or model train sets and terrain-building, welcome aboard, subscribe to this blog and spread the word. I'm looking forward to engaging many of you through MiniatureFX.com, learning some new tricks and passing on what I've experienced.

All the best,
Daniel