precinctomega
New member
I\'ve noticed some trends in mini painting that are most noticeable on CMON but have not yet totally burst out onto the mainstream. Some are obvious, others are less so, and I thought I\'d ask for some come-back to see whether people agree or think I\'m way off-base.
1. NMM. A trend that\'s been gathering pace for about six years. It\'s almost unheard of now to see Rackham or Void minis that use metallic paints, and more and more examples are being seen on the GW gaming tables as this trend moves down from the pro-artists to the talented gamers. SE-NMM has enjoyed some popularity but does not seem to have taken off so well, possibly due to the technical difficulty of convincingly executing the technique.
Both techniques are finally being seen at GD events world-wide, but GW still seems to favour the use of metallics.
2. Limited Palettes. Again, led mainly by Rackham painters, the inclincation of the mid-nineties towards models packed with minute, mouth-watering details seems to be ebbing away to a more modernist appreciation of large, flat areas of colour. The focus for the pros and experts is now more on conveying the texture and richness of the fabric than in showing off how tinily they can paint letters.
The gamers are still to catch up, but many armies now being produced are focusing on large blocks of colour, broken up by detailed areas such as skin and parchment. GW Imperial Guard ranges and the classic Space Marines are where this trend is best seen.
As a sub-text to this trend, some pros are showing both inclinations, with the details being immensely subtle additions to the base colour. Not, I suspect, something we will see much of on the gaming table.
3. Thoughtful Conversions. Not to do down the pros, who\'ve been doing clever, delicate conversions for years, but only now are we beginning to see the lower echelons of expertise appreciate things like balance and proportion, not to mention a reduction in the clutter that used to make identifying many a conversion a sport in itself.
I\'m sure there are others, but these ones have caught my attention. This is based on a vague study of what models are selling best on eBay and for the highest prices, as well as comparing recent CMON, B&C, Dakka and Portent submissions.
Regards
R.
1. NMM. A trend that\'s been gathering pace for about six years. It\'s almost unheard of now to see Rackham or Void minis that use metallic paints, and more and more examples are being seen on the GW gaming tables as this trend moves down from the pro-artists to the talented gamers. SE-NMM has enjoyed some popularity but does not seem to have taken off so well, possibly due to the technical difficulty of convincingly executing the technique.
Both techniques are finally being seen at GD events world-wide, but GW still seems to favour the use of metallics.
2. Limited Palettes. Again, led mainly by Rackham painters, the inclincation of the mid-nineties towards models packed with minute, mouth-watering details seems to be ebbing away to a more modernist appreciation of large, flat areas of colour. The focus for the pros and experts is now more on conveying the texture and richness of the fabric than in showing off how tinily they can paint letters.
The gamers are still to catch up, but many armies now being produced are focusing on large blocks of colour, broken up by detailed areas such as skin and parchment. GW Imperial Guard ranges and the classic Space Marines are where this trend is best seen.
As a sub-text to this trend, some pros are showing both inclinations, with the details being immensely subtle additions to the base colour. Not, I suspect, something we will see much of on the gaming table.
3. Thoughtful Conversions. Not to do down the pros, who\'ve been doing clever, delicate conversions for years, but only now are we beginning to see the lower echelons of expertise appreciate things like balance and proportion, not to mention a reduction in the clutter that used to make identifying many a conversion a sport in itself.
I\'m sure there are others, but these ones have caught my attention. This is based on a vague study of what models are selling best on eBay and for the highest prices, as well as comparing recent CMON, B&C, Dakka and Portent submissions.
Regards
R.
). I think you could also had somthing like more realistique colors, duno if that\'s a new trend or not, but I haven\'t been noticing a lot of minis with flashy colors lately. I actually tend to prefere the more cartoonie style, problem is I don\'t have a clue about how to paint it. 
