Okay. Now hear me out. Have I abandoned yet another 80%* complete mini because every part of my flesh and skin and soul rebels at the thought of ever even looking at it again? Yes. Technically, yes.

But! I’ve now picked up a _vastly_ larger, more fine-detailed display figure that will need exponentially more patience and skill and time to complete. I see this as a clear win.

*~40-80%

#PaintingMiniatures #WIP

Tiny eye dots, tiny teef dots, and a patchy first couple of base layers for the skin, over black. The fool’s not even using a zenithal.

#PaintingMiniatures #WIP

Interestingly, at this kind of size, at this distance from my painting lamp, the _real_ light reflection reads much more scale-appropriate, so it looks like I’ve been highlighting here when I really haven’t.

In contrast, the first ‘real’ (fake) highlight placement.

#PaintingMiniatures #WIP

Right. Let’s get started on that hair then. All of which is entirely composed of additional beards.

#PaintingMiniatures #WIP

First beard(s) highlight pass sketched in.

#PaintingMiniatures #WIP #LegallyNotGotrek

*Hairdressing intensifies*

#PaintingMiniatures #WIP #LegallyNotGotrek

A further ‘drama’ pass on the hair.

#PaintingMiniatures #WIP #LegallyNotGotrek

Starting on the shadow-side arm fleshtones.

Aside: I will _always_ attempt skin ‘from black’ in the future. If you build up in thin layers you get such a developing sense of translucency for free.

#PaintingMiniatures #WIP #LegallyNotGotrek

Starting to sketch out what a full-sleeve tattoo might look like for a fantasy dorf. Ever get the feeling you’ve bitten off absurdly more than you can chew?

#PaintingMiniatures #WIP #LegallyNotGotrek

Finally starting into a slow expansion of the tattoo. This is going to take a billion years.

#PaintingMiniatures #WIP #LegallyNotGotrek

Immediately sidetracked by non-metallic metal. The eventual headstone of every mini-painter.

#PaintingMiniatures #WIP #LegallyNotGotrek

A little bit more axe wrangling, trying to get the big blocks in place on the upper and lower blades. Definitely needs a good old scuffing and weathering pass.

#PaintingMiniatures #WIP #LegallyNotGotrek

Removing the last of the bare primer layer as I try to avoid thinking about axe and tattoo progression.

#PaintingMiniatures #WIP #LegallyNotGotrek

At some point I really need to work out what I’m doing for hands. Those in the set both have weapons, but I’d rather he was just clenching his fists while screaming into the unseen, like the rest of us. I’ll have to see what options I have that are 3D-printable.
@dmcgk fantastic match of colours. I am amazed. The leather. The crotch scarves 😄. That axe reflecting the artist while he struggles with the 000 back there!
@1moremin 🥰 The trick was just to match his crotch scarves to my own.
@dmcgk 😂
omg it *is* a self portrait!
@1moremin 😂 All but my comfy memory-foam slippers, which I’m now regretting not kitbashing somehow.
@dmcgk when it’s revealed that this isn’t a miniature and you just kidnapped a wee beardy man and are taking photos of him in different and increasing brighter lighting… well, it’ll be awkward.
@RollleafD 🤣 I started using the wee face on my work Teams chat and so far no-one seems to have noticed that it's not actually me. I do have a ginger beard… though my hair is not (generally) in a top-knot.
@dmcgk feel like this is something I want to aspire to now 😂
@RollleafD This is secretly how I wanted to look when I got background extra work on Game of Thrones. In reality: corpse number four behind the dead horse.
@dmcgk But totally worth it
@madcollector We’ll see who dies first, me or the rest of the universe!
@dmcgk (a billion years pass like tears in rain) (splish splash)
(puddles)
@1moremin Cut to Darren, somewhere at the end of time, squinting down a unicorn tail in the light of the final dying star, job approximately half complete. (The unicorn’s thoughts on the matter are inscrutable).
@1moremin (At least there are still puddles)
@dmcgk (😂)
A shady figure with mop hair appears behind Darren (and Unicorn), holding a phone and squinting in solidarity above the Lake of Tears
@1moremin (The unicorn remains inscrutable)
@1moremin I wonder if there’ll be gulls.
@dmcgk oh, definitely. There will be gulls. And a very patient tiny Grotek, (*Gotrek* damn it!) thinking "next time I'll try another tattoo studio".
@1moremin At least I did his hair for him while he waited.
@dmcgk I am in tears here, puddles intensify
@dmcgk I suppose just slapping on an I♥️MUM and calling it done is out of the question? Beautiful work though!
@adam DON’T THINK I HAVEN’T CONSIDERED IT (Thank you very much 🥰)
@dmcgk really enjoying these progress pics
@davey_cakes Thanks! I suspect things are going to slow down quite substantially on this arm 😅

@dmcgk I have two palms and regular size and I still can't achieve such a fabulous hairstyle

*beard(s) included

@1moremin Maybe that’s the trick, if you lose both hands your hair becomes prehensile to compensate 😆