That Cthulhu Jawn is an actual-play Call of Cthulhu podcast set in 1980’s Philadelphia. I discovered the podcast through Instagram and It’s a lot of fun. George, the GM, contacted me a couple of months back and asked me if I do commission painting. He’d seen my IG account and liked my work. I was quite flattered that anyone would think my stuff is good enough to pay for, and I told him so; but I offered to paint some miniatures for him for free if it wasn’t too big a job. It wasn’t.
George wanted these two miniatures painted for his players’ characters in a different game (I can’t remember what). I think they’re 3D prints from HeroForge. I didn’t think to take any “before” pictures. so this is the finished product. George picked the colors.
Anyone who knows me knows I need little if any excuse to paint a dwarf, or at least a dwarf miniature. I like this guy.
The minotaur was not so much fun. I admit I’m not really a fan of this miniature, but once I started rolling it came together pretty quickly.
The axe handle had broken off at some point below the hand , leaving him with a comically-short, massive cleaver. I fixed it with some plastic rod and green stuff. (The benefit of never throwing anything away is that I had the correct diameter rod at hand.)
One of the questions I never thought to ask is why these two very different characters are adventuring together. They seem an unlikely pair. Now that I think about it, the dwarf’s gun and wrench and the minotaur’s weird jet-pack thing give me a Spelljammer vibe. Maybe I’ll ask George if I remember.
As you may know, the last few months have been somewhat trying for me. George had to wait a bit for his miniatures, but at last they are finished and are winging their way home to him via the United States Postal Service.
Also leaving Dead Dick’s Tavern after an extended stay: Owen’s miniatures! This almost four-feet high stack of Plano boxes contains hundreds of classic Ral Partha and Grenadier miniatures, as well as a fair amount of other manufacturers. Several years ago (for those who don’t want to follow the link), my good friend Owen gave these to me; as he was done with painting and just wanted the space. I’ve been holding onto them ever since, hoping he would take them back. I even painted a few of them and posted them here to taunt him with his own miniatures.
It didn’t work. He really was done.
A couple of weeks ago, he asked if I still had them. Of course I did. He said that if I was ok with it, and if I still wanted to get rid of them, I could give them to his niece. She grew up watching her uncle play roleplaying games and paint miniatures. She’s in her 30’s now, running games of her own.
Of course I was ok with it. I’ve always said these were never my miniatures. They were Owen’s miniatures, I just held onto them for him. I told him that if I couldn’t give them back to him, then I would gladly pass them on to the next generation of Owen gamers, and I did.
But I kept a few.
Great work on the commissions Keith, it can be very hard following someone else’s colour schemes, and you’ve done a excellent job on them, shame Owen retuned to the fold, but at least the next generation will benefit from it, so nice to see them going to a place to be used.
Thanks Dave. Yeah, I’m glad the miniatures are going back to someone who can appreciate them. Some of them, anyway…;)
Thanks so much for doing these miniatures for me! They turned out absolutely amazing
Im case you wanted to know: the game that the two characters are from is a home brew game that some friends of mine and I have been playing for years. Think Shadowrun with D&D races
You’re quite welcome, George!
First off, congratulations on getting a commission! Both the minis look great, I love the bright vivid colours on the dwarf and his “come and have a go” pose. The minotaur is a tad cartoony but your painting’s really elevated it, the red skin is excellent.
Nice to see that Owen’s miniatures will live on!
Thanks Matt. The commission request was a surprise and an honor. I’m glad to hear George liked them. The skin was based with GWs Doombull Brown and highlighted up with Bugman’s Glow.
Nice work your painting has really lifted a couple of OK figures, it can be tough painting for someone else, though I’ve never been paid to do (who’d pay me!), I have done a few for friends, and the pressure to do a good job! Not for me, me thinks!
Great to see you passing those figures on to the next generation of gamer (and a lady one too, we need more of those!), just goes to show what we already knew, that you are a top bloke!
Cheers Roger.
Thanks! You’re right, Roger…I was hyper-aware of every brush stroke. There’s still stuff I don’t like about them (the iPhone camera shows all!), but since George is happy, I’m ok with it. As for me being a “top bloke”, I’m not so sure…I did keep the old Ral Partha “not-Death Dealer” and some old Grenadier dungeon dressing for myself, after all.
What? Don’t judge me. Those boxes sat in my house for YEARS, man! I’m entitled to purloin a few minis as a storage fee! 🙂