"Fearsome Journey" Topic

I began painting miniatures in March of this year. That first figure was a hideous disaster, but I posted it anyway. It took courage to post it on Blogger and if I could do it there, I can do it here.

So here it is, the horrid, horrid first mini!

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My only exposure to the world of gaming and painting has been through blogger. My husband is crippled and I am responsible for his care and this makes it impossible for me to get to know any gamers or painters in real life. Blogger and now TMP is my only outlet for this hobby.

I continued to paint because the guys were so encouraging and game me good painting advice.

This is my second figure and it was a bit better.

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This is my 4th figure and the first one I was proud of

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It is very difficult to paint in isolation, to know I'll never meet another painter in real life and to know I'll never have the camaraderie one gets whilst gaming.

So I decided to paint up a figure that represented the courage it would take to continue alone.

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For me, this little guy looked fierce and determined, so I adopted him as my emblem.

I now paint pirates, zombies, critters galore, a little sci-fi and I'm even painting Essex (but I'm going to turn those historical Essex figures into Fantasy regiments hehehe)

I build my own terrain and I am sculpting and making dioramas as well. I love this hobby and am so glad I stumbled across that first wargaming blog as it has made my life worth living.

When getting to know people, I believe it helps to put a face with the name. That way we know we're all human and are more likely to treat each other with kindness.

This is me, Anne O'Leary

Thank you.

You're welcome! I think I remember that awesome little rabbit archer from another post here? Anyway, you've made great progress, and I'm looking forward to seeing what else you come up with.

(I'm still not quite ready to put brush to paint again myself yet, but ever closer…)

Anne,

Welcome to our little community. I have to chuckle, however, as your first attempts at painting are FAR superior to mine! I've been painting for more than 30 years now and still flinch when I think of those first horrid little paint jobs I did. Be patient with yourself, you are doing well. Solo gaming can be a blast. Post game reports here and share your battles if you like. Happy painting.

Well, the hobby can always use courageous members (speaking more about the caregiver role you have assumed than the painting, there actually.)

Considering that my own first delve into figure painting was 1/72 Revell soft plastics and Testors Model Master paints…

We all start somewhere, and we all progress at our own pace, yours is REMARKABLE progression in so few figures, it shows the passion you have for learning and application.

Keep at it, don't be afraid to experiment with different techniques, brushes & brands of paint. Everything you expose yourself to and learn about only adds to your depth of knowledge.

I cruise around the internet a lot, looking at other peoples work, reading tutorials and reading batreps. I'd really like to play Blood Bowl one day and LoTR and Malifaux and Empire of the Dead. It's expensive enough to buy figures for one team, let alone two in order to play by myself. I need to win the lottery!

You are a better painter than I am and I have been painting for decades. Some people just have the gift. If these are your first couple of figures, I can assure you that you will only get better. I especially like the little bunny, err, I mean Killer Rabbit. Yes, figs can be expensive, especially fantasy figs. I am afraid I don't have anything laying around that is even close to the genre you paint or I'd send you a few.

Anne,
For various reasons, like living in rather obscure places, I was a solo painter for years baclk in the pre-internet days, and didn't have much to compare my painting to. I got better--slowly--but the up side is that I developed my own style and standards.
Grelber

Anne,
I too began as a 'lone painter' -but never, *never* came close to the quality of your paint job, even by far: admiring (envious?) compliments!

Very nice work on the second to last. Would love to see your interpreations of Zombies.

VR
James Mattes

Anne,
You've come along way in painting in a very short time. When you're faced with life's many challenges, being involved in one of the arts is a welcome stress relief.

Plus all the Irish women I've known (as I dated quite a few in the past) are as tough as nails. So keep your chin up and trudge on.

John

Anne,
I've been painting since the 90s…
And I still think I stink!

Nice work! Keep it up!

1st Squadron salutes your endeavors, Anne.

Jay

I'm a big fan of your work since your first post.

And I'm another lone painter/gamer, so know that you're not really alone out there. :)

Anne,

There are various mechanisms that would allow you to play games online, for free, with ONLY those people who you wish to play with. I am not referring to MMORPGS or the like, but rather RPG tools which can also be used for solo gaming and small groups.

Check out Roll20 at: roll20.net
There are others, but they generally require an up front purchase, where this one does not.

While this is not mini painting, it may expand your sphere of communication to others who are also mini painters or just miniature collectors. Also, one can utilize this system for miniatures by creating "tokens" via a digital camera and your painted minis. These can then be shared and/or used in the online games played through the system.

I have read your blog often, and wish you the best. Kudos for delving into a hobby that many dare not tread (even many gamers cannot bring themselves to apply paint to models).

Cheers!

My respect and support for your efforts.

I know what it is to take care of a beloved person, so you get all my support.

Your painting is pretty good and it will only improve over time.

My gaming group has been shinking more and more over time, so I'm in the brink of trying "solo gaming" too, and fortunately there are several systems that contemplates the possibility.

Thanks for sharing your pieces with us.

Best wishes.

Thank you so much for taking the time to talk with me. It means a lot to be accepted by painters and gamers. It's also nice to have people to talk to about how excited I am about the hobby. As a newbie, I'm like a 14 year old kid who is still really excited about it.

I've got a crowded painting table right now, a wizard, a flying monkey, another female pirate, a fully armoured knight, a Lannister Lady in Waiting from Game of Thrones, Theon Greyjoy from Game of Thrones and a mouse knight. I've also got a collection of really cool frogs but I don't have the skill to paint them yet.

I'll try roll20.net Justin.

My zombie is pretty gnarly and unconventional. He's the first zombie to ever exist and Suzie Swagger is going after him with her scimitar!

What a great character. Love the eyes, and the fur is really subtle.
He doesn't even look like he's heard of our 'Rabbit Proof Fence'!

Salute.

Anne,
playing with miniatures turns too easily to be expensive, but it exists another way to play with them, and you are already practicing it when you invent their background story (and you are as gifted as storyteller as painter). To develop the personal history of your figurines is almost an informal solo RPG. And to create and develop their general setting can be very enjoyable, for instance for your 'pirettes and zombies' romance (romance?). Spain was torn by civil war during the War of Spanish Succession: maybe the governor of some minor 'sugar island' not far from Haiti seized this opportunity to claim himself the prince of an independent statelet (perhaps he was from Catalonia, the most defiant of the 'Crowns of Aragon' what-if-catalonia.blogspot.fr?). Then you feel tempted to design its flag ('national' flags in the modern meaning appeared only during the Revolutionary period, but there already were 'identification jacks' to mark the nationality of ships), the uniforms of its small army? Searching relevant documentation may unexpectedly unveil subjects rousing your curiosity: the web is an almost infinite library. Does some 'mysterious [Skull?] island' open to a chtonian 'lost world' TMP link à la Pellucidar en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pellucidar (with dinosaurs and cave girls in fur bikini, of course link)?
You'd also be curious about, at least in rough lines, the geography, economics, multicultural population of the island. And besides Voodoo YouTube link, is Santeria link practiced by a part of the population? Did the cult of Santa Muerte link reach the island, and how is it tolerated by the local Catholic clergy? And you'll have to 'play' the numerous intrigues and plots; and how are the relationships between this mini-country and the Freres de la Cote Brotherhood? You'll soon discover your Imagi-Nation gets a life of its own, like Frankenstein's creature!
And it will attract other elements like a magnet: for instance your Brother Barnabas the Boob link looks 'generic' enough to moonlight in this setting; say a poor wretch having lost most his sanity in 'Lovecraftian' circumstance (he saw zombies), now half-time aggressive beggar half-time raving prophet…
You have the aspiration, inspiration and potential of a trobairitz en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trobairitz: cheers!

Off-topic Anne, but it would be abysmally stupid not to seize such a rare opportunity (a Daughter of Venus among TMP members!) to ask a feminine opinion about (imaginative) women soldiers costume: TMP link and chiefly TMP link .
'Historical accuracy' is less a concern than femininity and appeal to a painter and gamer.
Thanks in advance for sharing your woman advice

Thank you abdul!! I've been thinking too small. I do have another big story I'm working on along with this short one.
The other story involves a dragon, wizards, gods, humans, animals, knights, ladies of ill repute, nice ladies and even the Tardis from Doctor Who (which I'm scratchbuilding). It takes place in Ireland and in Canada. It will take a good six months to finish. The third one I want to do would be based on history, I just have to pick a period and country I'd like to base it on.

And to save money, some of these characters will have to do double duty in multiple stories, which I'm doing with this one. The two Gods from my big story show up in this one. They're critical to the plot development and they allow me to introduce a bit of a Greek play element into things. Gods having human failings and interfering with the lives of men, etc.

I'll pop over to put in my two cents on the uniform question.

Where is the follow button on your blog? I couldn't find it when I went to follow you.

You are the Rabbit Archer. The flower threw me off for a moment, but I looked closer. Yep that's you. You have hit what you aimed at. Surely.

@ Anne: the follow button disappeared from most blogs several months ago: now you have to copy the url of the blog, click on the 'add' button at the top of the list of blogs you follow and paste it in the window appeared. In my case following is irrelevant since I edit previous posts (or add comments to them) rather than posting new messages.

Gods? Wow! Your creations can be of cosmic proportions!

Love the bunny archer! I have a conversion figure of a SYW mounted Highland officer into Bunny Prince Charlie to lead my battlaion of Badgers in Kilts.

Figure painting is not necessarily a gift, but a skill that can be honed and sharpened with practice. Keep it up and keep posting your results!