Through my connections at FLGS I got a new commission for a Reaper mini Cleric of good. I'm really excited for this one for a few reasons. First off I enjoy taking a step away from the grim dark future and instead a typical fantasy stetting type model. This cleric is as typical as it gets, robes, big hammer and a holy symbol. There are a few sunburst symbols too, clearly marking him as a good guy. The other reason I'm excited about this, is that this is for a character that is about as a old as I am...not the fictional age of the character mind you, but the gentleman that commission the piece has been playing the same character in the same campaign for over 30 years. It is important to me to do a great job on this piece, since the player clearly has a deep attachment to the character and this is the representation he and the other players will know him by.
I was provided a few pictures of the mini currently being used, as a reference point. The mini is a bit crude, but the main take away is the color scheme, particularly the red robes. More than anything else I want to match the color on the robe so that the players at the table who have been looking at the same mini for so long don't get confused by not seeing what they expect. If the players can't readily find their cleric, who knows how many adventurer's lives could be lost!
I'm going to use this mini to talk about my creative process quite a bit and to also track the amount of time that it takes to paint. Many people are surprised to when they hear what it costs to paint a single mini at a high level (for me it starts at $20). To that my response is to consider the hourly wage as opposed to the single cost of a finished piece. If you consider you are commissioning an artist to work on your project for anywhere from 2-5 hours, $20 doesn't sound like that much. Best case here we're in the ball park of minimum wage!
So what goes into a commission? The first thing I did was discuss what the customer wanted, giving some them some things to consider...
Bright colors vs. dark
Tattered and worn vs. clean
old weathered armor or pristince glowing magic weapons etc.
Other considerations are the basing and any customization. Special basing is not usually a big deal and would not effect the price much, but converting the models can depending on the changes. Not a big deal to swap out one weapon for another, but if I need to sculpt a cloak or change the stance of the model, it could be a really big deal.
This model required no conversions or special basing, so we're looking at base cost and not too much prep time...or so I thought. First is to scrape off the mold lines (this model had barely any). I did the usual cleaning with soapy water that I do for resin and metal models. There is a powder on them, so that they come out of the cast cleanly, that can make the primer and base coat look a little funny. This only takes about 5 minutes with a gentle toothbrush, then let it air dry.
There was minimal assembly out of the package. I just needed to glue on the arm holding the war-hammer. Litte bit of zap a gap does the trick...well it usually does when the cast is clean. This one was just a bit off and the forearm would not quite stick into the elbow.
I ended up needing to drill into the arm on both ends and add some piping in, to pin it in place. The fit was just not clean enough for the glue to hold them together. Also, the metal bends easily so I had to be careful not to snap the hammer or bend it too much while drilling and holding together for the glue. No issues with any of these steps, but definitely not time I had anticipated.
The next step is priming. This is another very simple step and not overly time consuming, but these add up: another 5 minutes in this case. I spray outside and usually just place the model on some cardboard. For priming I like to use as little paint as necessary on the model. The more primer you use, the more details on the model are filled in with paint. When I spray, I point the nozel on the cardboard and lightly drag across the model in short bursts, being careful to never begin or end the burst on the model. When you start and finish a burst there is residue that can come out and clump on the model.
I usually start with the most recessed areas first and move out when painting. This way I can clean up the messy lines as I work my way out. I took a slightly different approach with this model though. I have been focused on the color of the cloak and wanted to make sure I matched that first. The reason being is that the other colors I use are going to purposefully contrast or compliment that color. If I start with the recesses and get to the cloak last, I may find that the other colors I used are off, which presents a whole bunch of problems, ranging from having to repaint an area (wastes time and you lose the details of the model with each coat, to having to strip the whole model and start from scratch).
Here's the first few colors of the base coat on the model. The red cloak, yellow sunburst tabard, brown base, metal armor and flesh tones on one hand and face are applied. The base coating on there right now is about 25 minutes worth of work.
The next step is to finish the base coat, meaning there will not be any white primer showing anywhere on the model and each color is essentially mapped out on the model. From there I'll wash some areas to help with the shading, like the cloak or to make it look aged, like the greaves and pauldron. After that I'll do some blending on the cloth to create more dimension. I'll get some scratches and dents on the armor after that. Then highlight the face and hair to make it pop out. There are several areas in the armor where there is a gem. I need to figure out the best color for these then work on getting the light reflection looking realistic. The last point will be the hammer and the holy symbol. The symbol needs to be glowing and the hammer really needs to stand out as special artifact. I'll have more pictures to follow the progress soon!
