Ever Victorious Miniatures
I have been painting miniatures for more years than I care to remember.
I started off with Airfix plastics probably like everyone else until
I stumbled across " The Nottingham Model Soldier" shop where
25mm Garrison Roman Auxilliaries could be purchased for 8p each, to
stand shoulder to errrr head with my plastic legionaries. Yes, it's
was decimel before anyone asks.
Like anything. Painting miniatures takes practice, a lot of practice.
I would have to say now that I am a painter rather than a wargamer.
Fellow Newark Irregulars will testify that at varying times, I have
quite a few figures, but not really anything finished to an amount
I can game with. That said, it's an impressive "Wargames"
set up that "floats my boat" & inspires rather than
a superbly painted scale model . I hope I can see the skill in both.
The key event that helped me develop as a painter was discovering
" Miniature Wargames" & an article by Kevin Dallimore,
hereafter referred to as "The Great One". Starting from
a black undercoat & building up layers of colour it gave me the
effect I had spent years looking for. It takes time to learn the colour
combinations, but it suits me & the style of painting I like.
A few years later I had the privilege of painting for Foundry under
the watchful eye of the man himself.
To ease my urges to buy yet more lead I found myself painting friends
figures in return for paint or....er... more lead. I was apparently
getting to a good standard.
I started painting commercially after the birth of our first child.
Just part-time in order to replace my Wife's salary. I did this for
around two years & then when redundency beckoned, I decided to
take the plunge & go full time in November 1998. More by luck
than judgement at times we have survived thus far. In the first year
- no one warned me about the seasonal purchasing habits of wargamers.
Still I am doing something I love & I get to see the kids grow
up. Well to be more accurate, they get to see me sat at my desk painting
a lot. It's a coversation stopper at parties anyway, "you do
what???"
I now have an international clientelle & there are not enough
hours in the working day. I count Foundry, Renegade, Black Tree, Wargames
Illustrated & i-Kore amongst my trade customers. One of my proudest
moments was seeing my Perry Miniatures ECW appear on their website.
They are truly God's amongst men.
Dave Woodward
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