I start this section on the blog with an interview to a very kind and cool painter, Antonio Peña.
The painters that will show you here are not the "famous" kind, but same as them, are so good.
Hope you find this section interesting.
Sara : Tell us a little about yourself , who you are, how you get started in this world and what taken you to decide on this hobby and no other.
Antonio: Hi, Sara! Well, I started as everyone, I think. I was very young, in 2002 or so, my friends and I played warhammer struck me too. I spent some time collecting my army of high elves. Although I was very bad player and painter, in the end, I left this hobby for many years. After 10 years, I was studying in college (and still am), I said "I want to collect again an army and this time to paint it at good level," this time dwarfs (I study engineering, I guess that explains all). Warhammer again the end of 2011 with my dwarfs, I have not played the game so far, and in May 2012 my first miniature painted for a competition, Bilbo Baggins. Even two years have not passed since then and I'm still here. Most dwarfs are still in their boxes.
I paint as an amateur and I do not do this professionally. I have not ever seen this way. I always do what I like, painting for me. I rarely accepted a comission and I'm not looking for customers or anything. For me, it is interesting to know why I have ventured to paint, because in my house there is not much interest in painting, I mean, they recognize a good job but the only one who has a special interest has been me.
Sara : What are the miniatures for you?, just " puppets " or a form of art and expression? Tell us if you want to transmit something or not when you are doing a project .
Antonio: For me, this hobby is an art. I think art is anything that is created in order to transmit or communicate something, whether emotions or ideas, in this case, through painting and modeling. Sometimes you meet people who take it more like "this is coloring toys" and that's fine, everyone has to do what he wants and seems good. I always try to have something to add drama and intensity to the model, although there are times I've played just something I've seen, just for the sake of painting something and practice.
Sara : What do you think of how it is structured this world , from contests to resources and information ?
Antonio: The painted miniatures are very undervalued, that's what I see wrong. The painter who want to live in this work has difficult because I have not seen any other job where more work here underestimate. When you format a computer, give private lessons of maths, you say a logical price and no one discusses anything. If you say you're going to paint a miniature, any price rise of 15 euros is a nonsense! I don't want to say what happens with prices between 60-200 euros. I am sure that the time should be valued more generously. But then, when you can see there are people who paint miniatures for 50 cents, then, hobbies are mixed, because the miniatures are the same.
I think now there are many resources to start and improve quickly painting. In my group of friends are people that are here before me and have said many times: "We did not have so much information before." Now with the internet and the courses and workshops everywhere, you can learn easier because when you go to a course of someone, you absorb part of that experience and avoid tripping on foolish technical aspects, I think.
About contests, I can not say much because I have moved very little. It is a good experience, you may know people, make friends and live a lot of crazy things with painters like you. So I recommend to go, especially for the experience, if the contest recognizes your work after, them, it's very gratifying too.
Sara : How do you do to motivate yourself and move forward in the typical moments of weakness when you think you are not good enough , or you have a mini that you don´t really wanna see anymore , how you still going on and finish it (if you finish it ) .
Antonio: Well, I try to finish what I start. I do not like having more than one paintjob on the table because I start to feel stress. I concentrate with one job, and that helps me to focus and enjoy more of what I'm doing . So I do not burn . My motivation really is that I love this. There is nothing I like more and always want more. I 'm painting even when I'm taking a walk (in my mind , of course lol). Sometimes when I'm really into a paintjob , I feel sick because I can’t think about anything else until I finish it . So very often finish things very quickly and I don’t finish them at the highest level . It's hard to explain , I really love my miniatures and especially some details I consider important , I work the whole project but I emphasize certain aspects and leave other. It's my way to work , I use every miniature to try something and I consider it finished when I see it has already done what I expected of it.
Sara : How to pass through a typical " bump " of level at which we all face at some point, that no matter how much paint you see your level does not advance ? How to give an extra push ?
Antonio: I'm lucky because I have not had time to stumble, I've been here two years and I have always felt that I was getting better, sometimes faster, sometimes slower. This hobby is something that you should think about all the time. You are in class, or on the street, as I've said before, and you imagine how you're going to do this or that. You think you're capable and you go home and do it, or you try with the predisposition that you will get it. In the end, you have to paint a lot to improve.
Sara : How do you face a new project? You look at the mini and then the idea, or have a thousand ideas in yout head and try to translate them ... Tell us a little about your creative method.
Antonio: (Yikes! LOL) That's crazy to explain. Let's see, I have a container of miniatures, as everyone, I guess. I know there are a lot miniatures that I won’t paint and I know what I want to paint this year. Recently, I worry for further improvement and learning with 54 mm scale miniatures. I choose the thumbnail that I will paint on impulse and rarely force it. I usually watch the prepared miniature unpainted and I wonder what this says to me and then try to tell that.
Sara : What advice would you give to those who just starting in this hobby and are lost?. How can they grow up?
Antonio: The only way to improve is painting a lot. It is essential to open your mind and be self-critical. There is much information on the Internet for download. There are several forums where you can ask. I think the first is to get culture, you have to study a bit because this is not random, here you have to prepare yourself. Of course, we must learn to appreciate other people's work and know how to receive criticism. As a tip, I have seen many people obsessed with recognition, they want to prove something, and I think we should forget that. Let no man deceive, we all like to win but first has to be that you're having a good. Then, if you get to love what you do so that when you show it to others, they also fall in love with your stuff, because it is fucking great because that means you're not only inspired but you're inspiring.
Sara: Your favorite things of the miniatures. Whether painting or building bases, fantasy or historical figures, marks etc. what you like most.
Antonio: This hobby is quite complete, I'd say I like almost everything but actually hate preparing Figure. Remove burrs and mold lines arethe worst for me. What I like best, is find a way to represent the idea and the feeling I want to convey. I love including drama and intensity to the scene.
Well, I think that antonio open his "miniature heart" to us, and have been very honest. Hope You like his interview.
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