Well, figured it was finally time to join WAMP here, and maybe even start up on a blog or something. How are we supposed to start these things? Oh, right...

I've been playing with lead (and eventually, tin, plastic, and other materials) miniatures since I was in 5th grade, when my Grandmother bought me my first set of miniatures for D&D; I think it was "Dungeon Denizens" or some similar catchy name set from Grenadier. It had a harpy, some slime, and some other stuff in there that I don't remember too well. Anyway, I slapped on some Testors enamels that I had around from building car models, and thought that was the coolest thing ever.

Fast forward about 30 years, and probably a literal ton of different miniatures and multiple failed--and a few successful--forays into using different types of paints and techniques, and you arrive here. At this blog. ;)

I didn't really push myself to learn much more about painting until about 1995, though. Most of the miniatures I had before that were the occasional PC or monster for D&D games that we had going, and there were a few years after leaving high school where I didn't do any painting at all. That changed when I moved up to Seattle for the first time, and got hooked into Warhammer 40k (back then, it was still 2nd edition). I started collecting more of the little dudes, and started putting paint on them in a bit more care than I had before. I was an ok painter, and even won a few "best painted" awards at some game shops and local cons, but it wasn't until probably about 2000 or so, when I discovered Cool Mini or Not! that I started really pushing myself to improve my paintwork.

The internet has offered an amazing resource for aspiring painters. Just seeing works by Jennifer Haley, Thierry Husser, Cyril, Ali McVey, and countless others, is itself enough to make one want to push themselves. The fact that many of these incredible painters also often take the time to take work-in-progress shots and/or write up some articles, however, is a literal gold-vein for those who want to make themselves a better painter.

Now, I'm hardly on the level of those I just mentioned, but I have learned a lot, and can say relatively unashamedly that I am a much better painter today than I was 5 years ago. I still have a lot to learn, though, and that's where this thing comes in. :)

I hope to try to document some of the things I try in my quest to become a better painter. There are two reasons for this. First, it allows me a place to keep my notes, so I can remember something that works or doesn't work. Second, it might actually help someone out there who's wondering about some of the same things that I may wind up trying here.

Anyway, that's probably enough rambling for now. I'm happy to be a part of the WAMP community, and hope that I can contribute something useful--or, at least, entertaining.