Origin Story

A few weeks ago I asked the ARTG33K74 if she could make a banner for my blog.  She got right to work and shot me an image that looked really awesome, but was too big for the banner dimensions to use.  I asked her if she would color it anyways, and, well, she did.



To a lot of people the above image might just look, "neat," or, "cool."  While it is those things and more, to me it's a reminder of a very fond memory.

It was a week or two before my 17th Birthday when ARTGEEK74 calls me up and says, "You're going to come with me and learn how to paint miniatures."  I had no other plans that day, and readily agreed.  I had never painted a miniature before then, and I was assured that a proper Gaming Geek should know how.  We swung by Leisure Hours Hobbies and I was asked what I wanted to paint.  Being a teenager and having no concept of money I answered with, "A dragon!"  Dragon miniatures can be very pricey, but we took a look in the discount bin and managed to find one.  I was happy cause I was going to paint a dragon.  With a picnic lunch in hand we headed out to the forest preserve.  With the sun shining down and a light breeze tugging at my hair is where this all began.  Here is the result of that fateful day.



That is the first miniature I ever painted.  I think we spent somewhere between three and five hours that afternoon.  During that time ARTGEEK74 taught me the basics that I would need to know.  Simple things like primering and brush cleaning, as well as some color theory.  In addition to using colors correctly I was taught my first painting technique: drybrushing.  The simple act of painting a darker layer, and then using a dry brush to lightly brush a lighter color over that layer in order to add texture. 




I got a little help with a bit of drybrushing at the end.  It was a lot of fun, and the experience was so compelling that when my Birthday came up a short while later I went back out to Leisure Hours as soon as I got out of school, and bought my very first set of paints and brushes.  I headed home as quickly as I could and I've been painting ever since.



Whether the similarities from the above artwork are intentional or not a part of me hoped that when the picture came back colored I would find him in blue and yellow.  Thank you ARTGEEK74.  Thank you for inspiring in me a passion and joy that has been a big part of my life for over fourteen years.  I have continued that tradition of sharing that joy with others.