So, last weekend was Warhammer Fest. My third time at the Fest, my third time of entering the Golden Demon 'Eavy Metal Masters category, and my second time of coming away empty-handed.
Initially, I was disappointed and somewhat dispirited by not getting any recognition at all. I realised that getting a placing in the top three was going to be really, really hard, with the likes of David Soper and Angelo Di Chello entering, but I had hoped I'd get a Commended Entry or even a Finalists pin, so I have to admit to being a bit knocked back by not getting any result at all. However, having had time to think about it, I have to be positive about it and look at my work objectively. Why did I not get anything? Well, the hard answer is my work simply wasn't good enough but you have to look deeper and think: Why wasn't it good enough?
Well. first off, the most obvious was that, as usual, I didn't give myself enough time to a proper job. Of course, I had as much time to paint the entry as anyone else did (for the uninitiated, the Masters category is based around all entries being the same model, no conversions allowed, and the model is announced a couple of months before the event- this year it was the Isharann Tidecaster) but I didn't manage the allotted time properly. I wanted to enter a few categories this year, and so I spent a lot of time working on other entries instead of the Tidecaster. As it is I didn't get close to finishing the other entries so all that time was wasted. This left me with too little time to get the Tidecaster done so it was a bit of a rush job.
Secondly, I didn't have a plan for the model, an overall vision as to how it would look. Actually I did, but I ended up deviating from it, and that's where I went wrong. To me, the design of the figure suggested the ornate and beautiful art deco bronze ladies produced by the likes of Tiffany. I decided to base my colour scheme on them- bronze or copper armour, alabaster skin and verdigris-coloured robes. Somehow, along the way, I lost sight of this idea so the colour scheme never turned out the way I wanted it to, leading me to not be satisfied with the look of it. In the end, the colour scheme didn't look too bad, but it wasn't what I had originally pictured in my head and, in those circumstances, it;'s difficult to produce your very best.
Finally, I committed a grave error, and decided to be a bit experimental with the rendering. I wanted to focus on doing different textures and finishes and, in doing so, I used techniques that I wasn't hugely familiar with, or over-confident in (such as the NMM on the armour) and the trial and error used in getting the effect right used up a huge amount of time. The armour, for instance, went through three different versions before I finally realised I was never going to get it how I wanted, and settled with what I had. As YouTuber Trovarion explains well in this video, Golden Demon really isn't the place to be stepping outside your comfort zone and trying something new like that. I should have stuck with what I knew and then I may have produced something that more realistically displayed my skills.
So, there we have it: how not to win a Golden Demon in three easy lessons. The thing is not to get disheartened. There's always next year. All I have to do is remember these lessons and put them into practice next year. In the meantime, I'm very interested indeed to see what Everchosen is...?
So, putting all that aside, how was Warhammer Fest?
Well, I have to say, the event goes from strength to strength, getting better every year. I'm certain it was busier than last year, and there seemed a lot more to see. It's actually getting to the point where I might have to consider going for both days, as there just wasn't enough time to fit everything in, even without going to any of the set seminars.
I'd decided that, this year, I was going to have a proper look around the licensee's areas, and see some of the other stuff that was on offer. I don't play as many games as I probably should, and wanted to have a good look at what was on offer. So, I managed to have a chat with one of the chaps who was demoing the new Blood Bowl Kerrunch 2 app game, which looked a lot of fun (I got a free t-shirt, too, which The Better Half has decided is hers...). I was also shown a demo of Warhammer: Chaos and Conquest, the new strategy game. If you're into worldwide conquest, it looks like the game for you. I also had a play on a level of Warhammer: Chaosbane, a Diablo-like isometric action game. Bloody good fun, that, and certainly something I'll be tempted by when it's out on PS4. There was also stations playing Battlefleet Gothic: Armada, Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus, Underworlds Online, Realm War and Vermintide, but I didn't get the chance to have a close look at those. And that was just the video games!
I had a sit-down demo session with one of the guys from Playfusion, taking me through my first ever game of Age of Sigmar: Champions, which I really enjoyed. I was instantly hooked and The Better Half seems interested in playing too...Unfortunately, I simply didn't have time to check out the rest of the stuff that was on show, and completely missed having a look at the Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay stand. Bugger.
I did, however, get to spend some time in the section devoted to the new Citadel Contrast Paints, and got to hear a lengthy discussion by studio manager Dave Cross on the ins and outs of the new range. I even had a short try out but, without my glasses, I couldn't really tell what the results were like! I have to say I'm very impressed by what I saw, though, and I'm looking forward to getting my hands on them properly, glasses and all... As soon as I do, be sure that I'll be sharing my thoughts on them.
As always, the best part of the day was meeting up with people. Events like this are a great way to touch base with old friends and people who I normally only get to converse with online, and I really must try and get to more of them. As it was, I was able to catch up briefly with John Blanche, Gav Thorpe and Keith Robertson, and have a pint and a chat with Dave Taylor and Jamie Hutber and bumped into Art Steventon just as I'd finished buying the event exclusive Primaris Leiutenant, which may well be a Golden Demon entry for next year...
And that was it for another WHFest for me. There was still so much I didn't get to see, and so many people I'd love to have had a chance to chat to, but there just wasn't time to see and do it all. I really am going to have to give serious thought to going to both days next year. Still, what I did see was as impressive as ever, and I really had a great time.
So, thanks to all the GW staff who go to so much effort to put this event on, congratulations to all the Golden Demon winners and, hopefully, I'll see you all there next year!
Initially, I was disappointed and somewhat dispirited by not getting any recognition at all. I realised that getting a placing in the top three was going to be really, really hard, with the likes of David Soper and Angelo Di Chello entering, but I had hoped I'd get a Commended Entry or even a Finalists pin, so I have to admit to being a bit knocked back by not getting any result at all. However, having had time to think about it, I have to be positive about it and look at my work objectively. Why did I not get anything? Well, the hard answer is my work simply wasn't good enough but you have to look deeper and think: Why wasn't it good enough?
Well. first off, the most obvious was that, as usual, I didn't give myself enough time to a proper job. Of course, I had as much time to paint the entry as anyone else did (for the uninitiated, the Masters category is based around all entries being the same model, no conversions allowed, and the model is announced a couple of months before the event- this year it was the Isharann Tidecaster) but I didn't manage the allotted time properly. I wanted to enter a few categories this year, and so I spent a lot of time working on other entries instead of the Tidecaster. As it is I didn't get close to finishing the other entries so all that time was wasted. This left me with too little time to get the Tidecaster done so it was a bit of a rush job.
Secondly, I didn't have a plan for the model, an overall vision as to how it would look. Actually I did, but I ended up deviating from it, and that's where I went wrong. To me, the design of the figure suggested the ornate and beautiful art deco bronze ladies produced by the likes of Tiffany. I decided to base my colour scheme on them- bronze or copper armour, alabaster skin and verdigris-coloured robes. Somehow, along the way, I lost sight of this idea so the colour scheme never turned out the way I wanted it to, leading me to not be satisfied with the look of it. In the end, the colour scheme didn't look too bad, but it wasn't what I had originally pictured in my head and, in those circumstances, it;'s difficult to produce your very best.
Finally, I committed a grave error, and decided to be a bit experimental with the rendering. I wanted to focus on doing different textures and finishes and, in doing so, I used techniques that I wasn't hugely familiar with, or over-confident in (such as the NMM on the armour) and the trial and error used in getting the effect right used up a huge amount of time. The armour, for instance, went through three different versions before I finally realised I was never going to get it how I wanted, and settled with what I had. As YouTuber Trovarion explains well in this video, Golden Demon really isn't the place to be stepping outside your comfort zone and trying something new like that. I should have stuck with what I knew and then I may have produced something that more realistically displayed my skills.
So, there we have it: how not to win a Golden Demon in three easy lessons. The thing is not to get disheartened. There's always next year. All I have to do is remember these lessons and put them into practice next year. In the meantime, I'm very interested indeed to see what Everchosen is...?
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| My Isharann Tidecaster |
Well, I have to say, the event goes from strength to strength, getting better every year. I'm certain it was busier than last year, and there seemed a lot more to see. It's actually getting to the point where I might have to consider going for both days, as there just wasn't enough time to fit everything in, even without going to any of the set seminars.
I'd decided that, this year, I was going to have a proper look around the licensee's areas, and see some of the other stuff that was on offer. I don't play as many games as I probably should, and wanted to have a good look at what was on offer. So, I managed to have a chat with one of the chaps who was demoing the new Blood Bowl Kerrunch 2 app game, which looked a lot of fun (I got a free t-shirt, too, which The Better Half has decided is hers...). I was also shown a demo of Warhammer: Chaos and Conquest, the new strategy game. If you're into worldwide conquest, it looks like the game for you. I also had a play on a level of Warhammer: Chaosbane, a Diablo-like isometric action game. Bloody good fun, that, and certainly something I'll be tempted by when it's out on PS4. There was also stations playing Battlefleet Gothic: Armada, Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus, Underworlds Online, Realm War and Vermintide, but I didn't get the chance to have a close look at those. And that was just the video games!
I had a sit-down demo session with one of the guys from Playfusion, taking me through my first ever game of Age of Sigmar: Champions, which I really enjoyed. I was instantly hooked and The Better Half seems interested in playing too...Unfortunately, I simply didn't have time to check out the rest of the stuff that was on show, and completely missed having a look at the Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay stand. Bugger.
I did, however, get to spend some time in the section devoted to the new Citadel Contrast Paints, and got to hear a lengthy discussion by studio manager Dave Cross on the ins and outs of the new range. I even had a short try out but, without my glasses, I couldn't really tell what the results were like! I have to say I'm very impressed by what I saw, though, and I'm looking forward to getting my hands on them properly, glasses and all... As soon as I do, be sure that I'll be sharing my thoughts on them.
As always, the best part of the day was meeting up with people. Events like this are a great way to touch base with old friends and people who I normally only get to converse with online, and I really must try and get to more of them. As it was, I was able to catch up briefly with John Blanche, Gav Thorpe and Keith Robertson, and have a pint and a chat with Dave Taylor and Jamie Hutber and bumped into Art Steventon just as I'd finished buying the event exclusive Primaris Leiutenant, which may well be a Golden Demon entry for next year...
And that was it for another WHFest for me. There was still so much I didn't get to see, and so many people I'd love to have had a chance to chat to, but there just wasn't time to see and do it all. I really am going to have to give serious thought to going to both days next year. Still, what I did see was as impressive as ever, and I really had a great time.
So, thanks to all the GW staff who go to so much effort to put this event on, congratulations to all the Golden Demon winners and, hopefully, I'll see you all there next year!
