February Update

 

Lathe at the Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History

February was a whirlwind of activity amid some of the coldest sustained wintry weather I have experienced in Virginia in the 30 some years I have lived here.  

An expertly painted NMM finish on a figure by Dave Colwell
that was best of show at Crimson Brush 2026. 

The main event was a figure painting class my brother and I took in Atlanta, GA as a prelude to the Atlanta Figure Society Show. The class was taught by Jim Rice, a well known figure painting artist, and was great. It focused on non-metallic metal (NMM) painting techniques.  That is a technique used for centuries by 2D artists and now adopted by miniature hobbyists to create the illusion of metallic surfaces, such as armor or weapons, using only matte acrylic or sometimes oil paints instead of actual metallic pigments that are not metallic at all but small flecks of mica suspended in medium. This method involves layering gradients of light and shadow to mimic how light reflects off metal, with a dark base color and progressively lighter shade highlights while incorporating subtle color shifts for reflections. One key advantage of NMM is its scalability and photographic appeal, as it avoids the glittery sheen of true metallics that can look unnatural under certain lighting or in photos. Additionally, NMM allows for greater artistic control since non-metallic paints can be customized with various hues to match specific themes or environments. However, it is very hard to do well on a miniature. Hence the class.

This is the figure we painted in the class.

I enjoyed the class and I think I learned a lot about  techniques that he showed.  I need more practice. The Mizar figure has several NMM surfaces on it included the breastplate, scythe, bell and censer. At home I added the graveyard backdrop to help protect the figure and convey the story of a medieval zombie hunter. 

After the class, the show commenced. It was a successful show with over 500 figures on display. Rob and I had several figures on display. In between we managed a trip to the Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History. It was his first visit there. 

We received several awards. Rob got two silver and two bronze medals. I got 4 silver and one bronze. The trip home was marred by yet another snow storm requiring me to take a hotel in Henderson, NC to let it blow over.

The next weekend was the Richmond IPMS Old Dominion Open. That is one of the largest model shows on the east coast aside from the IPMS Nationals. 

My brother again joined me as he had a flight coupon he needed to use. He entered 3 models and I had 10 in the contest. I was also a judge for categories that I did not enter. There were 1100 models on display with 245 contestants and 800 general admission folks. I met several friends form other meets and had a great time sharing stories. I especially enjoy talking with Don Johnson. He gave me detailed comments on how to improve some of my figures.

The contest went well. Rob received a 3rd place award for his Old King bust. I received a first place in dioramas for my Avenging Varus diorama. I also received second place for my 75mm figure of Herman Haupt. I received 3rd places for Mizar (see above) and Acinad and Koda mounted figure. I also received the Best Diorama special award. I also got some peer awards for Moby Dick,  Avenging Varus, and my 1st Virginian Infantry at Valley Forge bust.

Two trips to shows with the 1st Virgina bust and his long musket convinced me that the musket is just waiting to break off. So  I decided to make a small backdrop to protect the musket on this figure and help with  the story of an American Rev. War soldier at Vally Forge. Painting the backdrop was almost as much fun as doing the figure. 

I am making progress on a pile driver model for my layout. I will post pictures later.