Interview with miniature model painter, Zuke.

What do you call your hobby? I couldn’t think of the name for it.

Good question neither can I. Modeling miniatures I suppose.

How would you describe what you do?

Basically all I do is just paint the models. They’re the models out of games; generally a lot of kids of play them and all that sort of stuff. But it’s a really big game; most of the miniatures are from War Hammer, which is basically a tabletop war game. Part of it’s based in the medieval period, fantasy, dragons and all that sort of stuff. Or you’ve got the futuristic battles with laser guns and all that sort of stuff. I am not too interested in that side of tings its more the medieval fantasy stuff.

So do you paint ready-made miniatures or do you make some of them yourself?

A bit of both, most of the time they’re ready made but you can modify them however you like. Like changing weapons or decking them out with different sorts of clothes. But most of the time you’ve got a model there. They make the basic models and you’ve got do whatever you want to customise them.

How and when did you become interested in painting models?

How was I walked into a Games Workshop. That was the name of the place, which was War Hammer, which is basically their brand and a shop where they sell their miniatures. I just walked in there and I saw all the table top games going on and just fell in love with it straight away. I had a look at the showcase of models that they had already painted and thought I could do this it’s pretty easy.

How long ago was that?

That would have been about two years ago now.

And what attracted you to it?

Fantasy, I am a medieval buff; I love all the fantasy sort of stuff, pixies, mainly dragons but. I love the dragons.

What are you working on right now?

I’ve got a barbarian fighter that I am painting and the other one is an Ice Queen. It’s tiny, small, intricate, and very hard to paint.

How big are they usually if they are characters?

They all come on a base which is 35mm squared, which is basically what the miniatures themselves stand on. So if you can imagine something small enough to stand on something like that, that’s how big they are. Usually including base they’re about 50mm high, which will depend on the model itself. Generally 25 mm by 50mm is the size.

Where do you look for inspiration when you’re working on something new?

Internet is the key place, there’s lot of people into the medieval period that love doing art and I sort of pinch some of their colour schemes. Or you might see something that you like. Definitely the internet. Otherwise there magazines that Games Workshop bring out called White Dwarf, they bring them out once a month with new articles, painting techniques and competitions.

Do you have a favourite piece?

I do: it’s a little blue goblin. I love goblins.

What was the most difficult piece you have created and why?

The most difficult piece is the one that you are doing at present. It’s always the hardest one because you are always improving your technique. Every time you do a model you try and do something different and try and get better every single time. Every time you do a model you try there’s so many techniques you can use that everyone is hard. But I’ve got a model that’s been sitting on my desk since I started and I’ve always been scared to start it. It’s a knight that’s half undead, so half skeleton, riding his horse.

So have you started it?

No, I’ve base painted it and that’s it, as far as I have gotten. It sits right in front of my face when I am painting.

What would be your favourite part of the process?

Almost finishing, you get excited that you’re almost done when your just about to start the base because most of the model is done and you stand back and really look at what you have created. That would definitely be the best part of the painting. That and seeing the response on everyone else’s face when they see it for the first time and they are asking questions like how did you paint those eyes.

Miniature painting interview continued on next page
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'Zuke' is also a fantastic 3D Model Artist, check out his site, sds 3d arts, for 3D Modelling