How to win a gold deamon?

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Ogrebane

Active member
SO I want to enter a GD this year but the more I see the entries from last year the more intimidated i get.

I know there are alot of GD winners here so any advice would be good. I will be pleased just to make it to the GD (we do a regional thing in Oz and the best few from each state go to the GD)

I will be entering all the fantasy catagories as well as a few LOTR cats as well.

So how can you help? What inspired your wining entries and what do you think you need to get thru to the finals. Painting skill I will have to develope but anything else would be of great help.
 
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LavronYor

Member
Ogre, a lot of really cool pictures can be found in the Spectrum series of books. Not only can you get cool ideas for dioramas and such, you also get the color scheme as well. Or things like Heavy Metal or some of the Famous Fantasy Artist\'s books, Frank Frazetta, Boris, Luis Royo, etc.

Starting with a cool idea and then painting it well. Other things like conversion help. Good luck.
 
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Trevor

Brushlicker and Freak!
Tips? Ok...

1) Do something YOU like, makes it easier to spend weeks doing it.

2) You need something \'killer\' to make it stand out, this is usually conversion, freehand etc. You really need something to put you above the rest (although see 3 below).

3) Play to your strengths. You\'ll notice I\'ve never done freehand on any of mine, thats coz I suck at it. This will also dictate the categories you enter, single mini (except LOTR) pretty much HAS to be an awesome converison these days.

4) Don\'t shoot yourself in the foot. A killer model might lose out because it has a crap banner, better to have no banner. Not only do you need to make the judges go \'wow\' but you don\'t want them going \'uurrgh\'

5) Enter the \'lesser\' categories, the warhammer and 40k single are usually hotly contested. This doesn\'t mean you shouldn\'t enter them (you might get lucky like I did) but just be aware these are the categories most people go for.

So I tend to go for LOTR, because my strength is realistic style and good blending, no converisons in LOTR and freehand is pretty limited.

It helps to look at past winners, most of them stand out in some way and you need to do the same. I also think you need to pass the far and near test: at a distance does your model stand out from a pile of others on the table? That will probably get you in the first cut, then when the judges pick the thing up and look at it really close are they still impressed? You need to make them go \'wow\'.

I would say that your Brettonian ogres would be a good example of a thing to do for GD, it has conversions, opportunity for freehand, its quirky and makes people go \"thats different\' (although that can be a double edged sword).

I\'ve often thought of doing a themed set of entries, so you do say Blood Angels, with an entry in single, unit, vehicle, and duel.

One thing thats quite cool is to take a GW pic and turn it into a mini, if I get a chance I\'m doing a 40k single based on a pic in the demonhunters book this year.
 
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Zordana

Member
They use a magnifying glass, so if you are gonna do difficult techniques, make sure you do them really, really smoothly. If you can\'t do them smoothly then just don\'t do them.

Freehand and banners for the win! ;)

Conversion work may push you over the line if done well.

Apparently lotr models need to be in lotr colours too.

Best advice is probably to stay away from overhighlighting if you can\'t get it smooth enough for magnification scrutiny. Same goes for NMM and the like.
 
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wereweevil

Member
yep, all of the above.
and don\'t forget the small things, like mould lines, flashing, natural pose of the model etc.
and it may seem pretty obvious - but paint ALL the model! there have been entries in the past that would have placed, but for the fact that the painter \'missed a bit\'...
 
Talonicus

Talonicus

New member
I agree with all the above. You pretty much have to convert your entry to make it unique and stand out from the crowd.

A well done and relevant base are also essential. A bad base or an over the top one can seriously damage your chances.
Follow the rules! when I used to go to GD it always amazed me how many people did not follow the simple guidelines such as base size.

Display stand bases are good, they help lift your entry up, but the figure must be removable. If its a battle scene etc, the 30cm square rule is rigid.

Your painting has to be absolutely the best you can manage, you must be your own harshest critic. If you think something is poor or can be done better, the judges will too.

If its a diorama make sure all the pieces interact, make it tell a story.

Winning is in the details, if your painting is good the difference is getting all the little tiny bits right.
 
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Rodnik

New member
I guess my disclaimer is that I\'m *not* a demon winner---and I\'m relatively new to painting.

The single biggest challenge I\'ve seen for anyone----

Understanding that painting well is about \"ass-in-the-chair\" time. That is, the longer your ass is in the chair, the better you will paint.

It\'s back to Vic\'s quote---\"..aim high..try hard..\"

Push every aspect of your painting---do the best you can possibly do----if the model you produce is not the best work you\'ve ever produced---then you probably need to try again.

I\'ve recently been working on my entries for the GD Atlanta. I have a new-found respect for the guys and gals that win at these competitions. Skill is simply not enough. It takes tenacity---and alot of it. After spending 60 hours on a figure that is maybe 50% done----well....it gets more difficult to put my ass-in-the-chair.
 
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StarFyre

Active member
yeah..tell me about it...

Rodnik..I know your pain..

entering my first GD in april (sadly..it\'s considered prob the world\'s hardest one to enter....Paris...(well..Paris or Spain IMHO and most I speak to). Anyways..just a break right now...done an hour..gonna do another hour or 1.5 before bed...93.5 hrs so far...april 9 in contest...estimation is 150 hours or so more of time i need...and not sure if i will be ready :(

Being my first...extra stress as my soon to be fiancee is coming to the show and she is the one who is making me enter it. my dad says since she is supporting me there, I have to do well....

yeah...ok.....good...*sigh*
hehe

good luck in Atlanta..I would have loved to come but saving up for next years wedding and some bills and gotta work on this Paris entry, the something for Toronto in late may :)

Sanjay
 
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dogfender

New member
Id like to add, that if you are in the US, articularly Los angeles gd.. u might want to go for the cartoony highlights... the judges seem to go ape over stark, non-blended models...
 
Einion

Einion

New member
My advice would be: don\'t try.

Make things for yourself and do the best that you can do. If some arbitrary group of judges (many of whom you can take it for granted don\'t know their arse from their elbow) think it\'s worthy that\'s a nice bonus but I don\'t think that as a rule you should work toward awards.

\'Gong-hunters\' as they\'re referred to over here, when disappointed (and I mean when, it\'s certain to happen to everyone at some point) stand a good chance of having the entire experience spoiled for them - which I can attest to from personal experience and from the reactions of modellers I know who have not got what they \'deserved\'.

As Michael Schumaker (?) said when asked for advice: get used to losing :)

Einion
 
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Albert Moreto Font

Member
DON\'T enter so many categories i suggest... you will probably get to the demons with them all but win with none because you will have less time to spend with each entry... it\'s way better to concentrate with a couple of them and do them the very very best you can... I\'d say do what you like, but if what you really want is winning a demon, be careful, i did what i liked a year ago and the result was a very rackham look like hehehehe so i didnt place.. instead i tried a much more GW style in my next projects and the results have been great so far (and of course do what you like inside the judges tastes\'s limitations ;)) and of course.. work hard and practise practise and practise... :D
 
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Ogrebane

Active member
I dont want to enter to win a Deamon. Although that would be nice. I need a reason to help push me to the next level. I also need an excuse to travel the 1000km to go and have a look.

Ive won a few local paint comps but I would like to have a go at an aussie wide comp. The only way I can see to lift my game is to compete against a tougher crowd. I dont expect to win I expect to get better at painting.

Thanks guys for all your help, its put me on the right track. I know were I will devote most of my time now.
 
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Ogrebane

Active member
I have only ever painted armies so I want to start painting single minis. Gives me a reason to paint em I guess
 
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ardyer

New member
Another tip from a non-winner: Just go. I have been going to US games days for 5 years now, and I made first cut for the first time last year. BUT I got better after every time I went. The chance to get critiques from the best as well as get tips and ideas is priceless. There are a lot of very good ideas that are poorly executed that never make the magazine. Plus, entering GD is like crack :D
 
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Matt Cexwish

Member
Well, another Tipp from me...

Think about something you always wanted to see... then do it, if this thing never has been done before, just do it (or do it at least 2 times better...:p...)...

Something FUNNY, but not so well painted can -if it is REALLY Funny- beat a well painted mini... no big deal, because it is characteristic...

Do not overdo it... think about the strenght of black (...) and where too much colors are disattracting from the idea... the mini...

Finally... Look for the best Minis in the competition and destroy them with a big iron stick... nobody can win shi** with nothing...

...

Just kidding on the last one...:D...

I won my Gold by reapidingly reminding myself of... Bein Thougher Than The Toughies, And Sharper Than The Sharpies... lol... oh, and with bribing that darn refs...:D...
 
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Trevor

Brushlicker and Freak!
Yeah, just going helps. When I first went I\'d yet to find CMON, I had what I thought were good entries, but when I got there one look told me I didn\'t stand a chance. But it gave me a kick to improve myself and do better.

Looking at the entries in the flesh gives you a far better idea of what the judges are looking for and what you need to achieve to win, it certainly helps in getting you to the next level (well it did with me).

That thing about expectations is true as well, its a killer if you don\'t get what you think you should (and I mean AFTER you have seen the competition, not before). Two years ago was blood sweat and tears with one entry and it didn\'t place, so last year I made a point of just painting some minis I wanted to paint and entering them, if I won cool, if not I\'d had fun painting them and learnt a few things.
 
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