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

@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.