ArtinMiniature
Member
- Joined
- Aug 3, 2023
- Messages
- 3
Good morning... As we're now well into the New Year there will be several Spotlight articles posted within the coming months... Time for the first of this year's year's Spotlight article... Enjoy!!
Q: How long have you been painting miniature figures and how did you get into the hobby?
For the figures it will be about 25 years, they started a hobby club at work and nagged me to join as they got a bigger sponsor sum so I went to a hobby shop and saw the Historex Napoleonic figures, I loved the uniforms so went with those. Painted a bit on my own but joined a figurine club after I went to a show and realized that the shadows, lights and so weren’t the effect of the pictures getting taken for the magazine, but were really there to start with.
Q: Do you have any particular figure painters / artists that have influenced your style or motivated you?
My style is really close to my mentor’s one who thought me to paint with oils at the figurine club, rather realistic, certainly skin wise.. it’s getting outdated as now you see the weirdest colors but that’s what I like so I’m sticking with it ;-)
Q: What are your favourite brand of miniature figure paints and why?
Well, for the acrylic base I use the Master Series from Reaper, struggled with a number of brands but never could get the ratio water/paint right until I tried the Master Series, you can use it straight from the bottle.. I called it the acrylic for dummies, if I can paint with it everyone can LOL!! As for the oils I always used W&N but the last few years switched to Old Holland ones, great pigment and they come in smaller tubes.
Q: Approximately how long do you spend on a typical figure project?
That’s not easy to answer, been in a bit of a dip for about 2.5 years since hubby passed away, but before that I had one finished in about a month, depends on the difficulty off course and the season as with oils you have the drying time trying to assemble and the acrylic base during summer.. the fasted I had a bust painted was 2 weeks..
Q: Do you have a favourite manufacturer and why?
That’s a hard one.. For historical busts it’s Alexandros Models, he got me back to paint historical figures again after years of painting only fantasy, I really enjoyed painting the small busts from Riccardo Cerilli too.. Abyssoul, Kimera and Oubouros miniatures for the fantasy department. I must say I still have a soft spot for Metal Modeles as I started out with those once in the club plus they have the most beautiful horses, I hate cleaning up so a lot depends on that to start with.
Q: Do you have a favourite miniature figure show that you have attended or would like to attend?
Since the first time I went to the Scale Model Challenge in Velthoven, it’s the one I really like to go... alot of the ones you otherwise only see online can be seen for real there AND it’s not that far away from where I’m based... but I love going to smaller ones over here too, it’s all about catching up with friends with the same passion.
Q: Where do you see your miniature figure work headed in the near future?
Well I hope to get the drive back that I used to have and that I don’t get the shakes (seeing my age) once the drive is back I hope to be able to up my level a bit.. just being optimistic!!
Q: What are your current thoughts on the miniature figure world today?
Well, there’s a LOT of models around, it’s good to see younger people are still interested in the hobby, most of them in the fantasy part what’s normal I guess but always thrilled to see the odd one out though.
Thank you Kindly Sonia... fantastic insight your practice I'm sure all will agree!!
In the Spotlight with Sonia Loockx
For the figures it will be about 25 years, they started a hobby club at work and nagged me to join as they got a bigger sponsor sum so I went to a hobby shop and saw the Historex Napoleonic figures, I loved the uniforms so went with those. Painted a bit on my own but joined a figurine club after I went to a show and realized that the shadows, lights and so weren’t the effect of the pictures getting taken for the magazine, but were really there to start with.
Q: Do you have any particular figure painters / artists that have influenced your style or motivated you?
My style is really close to my mentor’s one who thought me to paint with oils at the figurine club, rather realistic, certainly skin wise.. it’s getting outdated as now you see the weirdest colors but that’s what I like so I’m sticking with it ;-)
Q: What are your favourite brand of miniature figure paints and why?
Well, for the acrylic base I use the Master Series from Reaper, struggled with a number of brands but never could get the ratio water/paint right until I tried the Master Series, you can use it straight from the bottle.. I called it the acrylic for dummies, if I can paint with it everyone can LOL!! As for the oils I always used W&N but the last few years switched to Old Holland ones, great pigment and they come in smaller tubes.
Q: Approximately how long do you spend on a typical figure project?
That’s not easy to answer, been in a bit of a dip for about 2.5 years since hubby passed away, but before that I had one finished in about a month, depends on the difficulty off course and the season as with oils you have the drying time trying to assemble and the acrylic base during summer.. the fasted I had a bust painted was 2 weeks..
Q: Do you have a favourite manufacturer and why?
That’s a hard one.. For historical busts it’s Alexandros Models, he got me back to paint historical figures again after years of painting only fantasy, I really enjoyed painting the small busts from Riccardo Cerilli too.. Abyssoul, Kimera and Oubouros miniatures for the fantasy department. I must say I still have a soft spot for Metal Modeles as I started out with those once in the club plus they have the most beautiful horses, I hate cleaning up so a lot depends on that to start with.
Q: Do you have a favourite miniature figure show that you have attended or would like to attend?
Since the first time I went to the Scale Model Challenge in Velthoven, it’s the one I really like to go... alot of the ones you otherwise only see online can be seen for real there AND it’s not that far away from where I’m based... but I love going to smaller ones over here too, it’s all about catching up with friends with the same passion.
Q: Where do you see your miniature figure work headed in the near future?
Well I hope to get the drive back that I used to have and that I don’t get the shakes (seeing my age) once the drive is back I hope to be able to up my level a bit.. just being optimistic!!
Q: What are your current thoughts on the miniature figure world today?
Well, there’s a LOT of models around, it’s good to see younger people are still interested in the hobby, most of them in the fantasy part what’s normal I guess but always thrilled to see the odd one out though.
Thank you Kindly Sonia... fantastic insight your practice I'm sure all will agree!!
