Make-it Monday: Mini Painting Practice Progresses

Green squad goblins

I've spent the last couple weeks making some headway on my Bones minis. Last night I finished painting up the first of four eventual goblin squads. I decided that since each squad contains an archer, a guy with a club and one with a spear that I need to make the squads look different from each other in some way. My plan is to do each of them with different colored hats and kilts. The group above is green squad. I plan to do the others in red, blue and brown.

I'm hitting a point in my mini painting where I'm getting a bit frustrated that my skill is not matching where I want to be. I know that part of the problem is my tools. I have excellent paints, and a few decent, if a bit worn out Citadel brand brushes. However, I don't have a good drybrush, and my detail brushes are really crappy ones I picked up at Michael's or some-such place. I think it is time that I bit the bullet and picked up some decent brushes from the artist's supply store.

With this particular painting effort, I really focused in on highlighting, which is an area where I've struggled in the past. I feel like I did a good job with the goblins' faces, musculature and cloth elements in that regard. I think I need to work on my washes next. I still rush it a little, and tend to just use a single black-brown mix for everything. I'm fairly certain that is why my minis take on a "muddy" coloration when viewed in person.

Still, I have to remind myself that these goblins were some of the least carefully sculpted models in the Kickstarter offering. They came three to a sprue and are small creatures to boot. Looking at the bright side, I should be glad I managed to make them something worth putting out on the table.

The harlot from the townfolk pack. I named her Esmerelda. I also got the second candelabra painted!