Q &A

1.  What was the 1st figure you ever painted?

     Outside of the general armor kits that I built when I was a kid, the first “real” figure I think I

     ever painted was a 120 mm Verlinden kit of a Desert Storm Navy Seal. That was way back

     when I was in art school out in Seattle … probably mid 90’s. 

2.  What's your favorite painting medium and why?

     Scale 75 Artist Acrylics, 100%. I just love the creamy texture and how they blend so

     effortlessly. Mix in a little AK Interactive Ultra-Matte varnish and you’re in heaven … 

3.  Do you have a favorite figure manufacturer?

     Yikes … that’s tough! For 1/35th and 1/16 scale figures, I have to give to up to my friend

     Taesung Harmms and Alpine Miniatures. That really where I started to find my groove.

     Recently I’ve been drawn to large scale fantasy busts, and I have to say that Ignis Arts

     produces some truly beautiful sculpts.

4.  What are your favorite topics and or historical periods to paint?

     These days I really jump back and forth between historical and fantasy. World War 2 has

     always been a major draw for me, as well as the ancients - Greece / Rome. That said, the

     colors on Napoleonic figures are just so lovely to paint and offer a nice break from camo. Last,

     but not least, I think you can easily tell from my body of work that painting fantasy female

     subjects has been a real draw of late. 

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5. Do you have a favorite artist and why?

    There are just so many talented artists out there … it’s really hard to say. I’m constantly

    referencing work from Kiril Kanaev and Arnau Lazaro, pouring over their wonderful FAQ books

    from AK. I’m in awe of Erik Swinson’s work, and have really enjoyed getting to see his work up

    close at MFCA. I’m also a pretty big fan of Greg DiFranco, who’s been both an inspiration and

    a mentor over the years. 

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6. Do you have any advice for beginners?

    I really believe that successfully mastering face-painting is the most critical first step for any

    aspiring figure painter. With that in mind, I tell folks to jump into a large-scale bust - 1/10 or

    1/12 scale - and do their best to work through the subtleties of the face. The larger scale will

    also help refine blending techniques and detail work that can sometimes be merely suggested

    in smaller scales. The second best piece of advice is not to be scared … push your limits, try

    new things, be prepared to fail and try again. Nobody ever learned anything of value -

    especially in a creative endeavor - without first sucking at it, seeing the mistakes, and thinking

    through ways to improve. Lastly, ask for help. The thing I love most about this community is

    that we are all on the same journey, and everyone I’ve encountered in the hobby is happy to

    share their experiences … whether novice or master.