As miniature artists, we have a limited involvement when choosing our subject.
I’ve re-written that sentence about 5 times in an attempt to encapsulate all the caveats that need to be addressed.
- We choose the subject upon purchase.
- We have the freedom to modify the sculpt. We can resculpt, cut, alter it to our heart’s content.
- We may interpret the sculpt how we wish. From value, tone, object source lighting (OSL) to hue and composition.
However, I still feel like I am surrendering a certain amount of creative control unless I have sculpted the subject. Painting a miniature is, for the most part, a collaborative effort by two artists. This bust was sculpted by Raul Garcia Latorre and is sold by Hera Models. I’ve never met Raul or even talked with him online. Having painted his sculpt, I feel like I know him partially. It’s a kinship we share as a community, one that is uniquely ours in terms of the breadth of community involvement from different cultures, backgrounds, and ages.
When you paint a miniature, you are communicating with someone.
The intention behind painting this bust is singular: to break the fear we may feel when approaching bust painting. In one hour we create a custom skin tone mix using nothing but white, black and the three primary colours. Then we slap paint around to create something unique. The academic range is great for this. They are characterful pieces that can be interpreted in many different ways, allowing us to try different approaches from brush stroke, colour modulation, hue value etc. We do not have to worry about replicating a scheme on mass, or creating this skin tone ever again.
For one hour you concentrate on the creative process. It’s meditation for miniature painters.
For a 1 hour painting challenge, I have to admit I failed. I run over by about 35 mins, correcting earlier mistakes. But the challenge is exactly that, a testing experience for you to discover and learn from. I was enjoying the process and didn’t want to stop. The piece is far from the polished end product it could be. But that’s not why I painted this bust.
When you learn to draw you go through many, many sketch pads. These aren’t finished products, but notes on form. This bust is just that, a sketch. A note on form that I can use in other projects I wish to develop further.
If you would like to participate in the challenge please click on the picture below to access the tutorials. Post up your results on social media using #1hourbustchallenge
