Hello everyone! Today, we're going to chat with artist Jonathan Paul Pfund, whom you can find on Instagram under the handle @wavecolors.tabletopart (https://www.instagram.com/wavecolors.tabletopart/). He has painted the "Sister with Torch" for us.
DakkaDakka: Your work inspires modelers and players alike, and you have your own fan base. We've all seen your successes, and we're curious: how much time does it take to go from painting your first miniature to reaching your current level?
Jonathan (@wavecolors.tabletopart): I painted my first miniature more than 20 years ago. My first miniatures were from the Lord of the Rings series by Games Workshop. I'm still a huge fan of Tolkien's world today, and I still paint a lot of the Middle-earth miniatures from Games Workshop. But I had a long break from painting miniatures, and my first attempts looked very trivial, to be honest.
I really rediscovered painting miniatures in 2017/2018. Of course, I started with some Middle-earth miniatures again—some dwarfs from Erebor. It was a lot of fun, and I completely fell in love with it. I was really happy with the results, and even with the first pictures I posted on Facebook, some people asked me if I could also paint for others. I didn't even know at that point that something like this was possible. I was studying then and thought, "Okay, why not? Let's give it a try." And I slowly got into commission painting and painted more and more minis for myself and others.
To give a final answer to the question: lots of practice, patience, and passion. Above all, learning new approaches, techniques, and color understanding in a playful way. I learned most of it myself, step by step.
DakkaDakka: Could you tell us about your very first painted miniature (or even show it to us)? Did it turn out well right from the start?
Jonathan: My first one is hard to pinpoint because I painted a bunch of Moria Goblins. But I think I still have some of those miniatures.
DakkaDakka: You know, there are so many gadgets out there for painting minis these days—special glasses, holders, airbrushes, and all that stuff. Do you use any of those yourself? Do you think they actually help or are they more just for fun?
Jonathan: For me, a very important tool is a wet palette; I would really recommend it to everyone who paints minis or wants to try it. Holders are also important, in my opinion, to have better control over what you do and for easier handling, especially for brush control, which is an important part of painting minis. An airbrush is a very effective tool to make smooth transitions and for painting big models in particular. But it is not really necessary when starting with the hobby.
DakkaDakka: Do you have any DIY tools or hacks that you use? Maybe some secret tips you'd like to share?
Jonathan: One tip I can recommend is if you get a dot or any paint on a part of your miniature, quickly wash your brush and just put a little bit of water on the brush tip and brush over the part you messed up. Of course, this works best if the color you inadvertently got on the mini is well-mixed with water or thinner and not too thick. After this, make the brush dry again and brush over the part to suck up the color you have diluted, and if needed, brush again gently—like wiping a table with a sponge. It's not guaranteed that the whole paint goes off, but even if it's just a little bit, it's easier afterward to paint over the messed-up part.
DakkaDakka: What advice would you give to beginners who are just starting to paint miniatures?
Jonathan: Don't be frustrated after your first mini. Don’t compare your miniatures to those from people who have been painting minis for years or decades. And don't let the miniatures you see on social media unsettle and demotivate you. Be proud of your work and try to improve next time.
DakkaDakka: How do you approach choosing color schemes for models?
Jonathan: For me, it's all a matter of feeling—very intuitive, just from a gut feeling.
DakkaDakka: What was your first impression of our miniatures when you started working on them?
Jonathan: Honestly, I thought, "That's a lot of details," but it appeared that it seems more than it is. So it's a perfect balance between details and bigger surfaces. It's not too time-consuming (of course, it always depends on what you want to achieve with it) but still has elements that can be worked out very intensively.
DakkaDakka: Ever had one of those "eureka" moments while painting, where something just clicked and took your skills to the next level?
Jonathan: I think for me it was when I painted my first non-metallic metals, which looked quite close to actual metal! I really wanted to achieve this technique, and of course, learning never ends here—like with everything related to miniature painting. But the first time I was happy with my NMM results, and after some trial and error, it really felt great.
DakkaDakka: We all know that to make a miniature really stand out on social media, you need to take a great photo. How do you usually go about photographing your work? Any tips or tricks you can share for getting the best shots?
Jonathan: I would recommend putting the miniature in front of a background—like a gray, black, or white paper or piece of fabric. Then place some lights in front of the miniature, not from the sides—more from the camera's viewpoint. So just put them quite close to your camera or phone. Figure out the correct settings on your camera or phone; the most important are the aperture setting and the exposure time.
Σχόλια