Learn the basics of miniature painting on Roman Lappat's Beginner Workshop

Good Monday Morning Jungle,

Check back with actual miniature painting workshop dates!

you might have recognised that the Voodoo jungle is quite busy these days. Many reviews ahead, many private coachings ahead and meanwhile we are making ready to leave for Monte. Monte!!!!

Well, nonetheless two weeks ago we had a great Painting Class in Munich, Germany.

It was one of the famous MV's Jars Beginners Classes, number 43 so far.

First, big thanks to Peter, Andreas, Andreas and Vlad who organised the whole class upfront and who really did a great job on that task concerning location and a sleeping place. Many thanks to all the helping hands from P3, a group of gamers and painters in Munich of whom many did attend to the class. It was also very interesting for Roman to see that the class was full with 24 students of whom only one was a repeater of the class!

A big thanks to Hansi who took most of the photos!

Peter and Roman did arrive early in time on Friday to set up the class ...

The hallway to the classroom.

And inside it was packed with students.

On Friday we started with a lot of theory and went for basing as the big task for this evening.

Another big thanks goes to the sponsors of the class, those companies who help MV with their support to bring a happy painting time to different locations:

PK-Pro

Sockelmacher

Juweela

Modelmates

and Kellerkind Miniatures.

Friday night went by quite fast and we gathered again on Saturday morning to give the theory another go and prepare everything for painting.

Luckily we were in Munich, Bavaria and Hansi and Julian organised lunch with Brezels, Beer and Weißwurst. A perfect bavarian breakfast and lunch. Thanks for your efforts guys, you made us all really happy!

We went directly into painting after lunch and therefor I'd like to quote Piotr who did sent me a great email about his feedback to the class. Thank you, Piotr.

Piotr:

"First of all I would like to thank you for such great event. It is great what you do. I think after such workshop at last I can fully see what the whole idea of MassiveVooDoo and your version of happy painting is about. It really helped me to answer few questions:

How painting should make me happy?

How to find inspiration?

Where to find it?

What is the story behind the work?

I know that those questions are trivial, but after some time of painting you start to feel "burn out" and questions like these become harder to answer. My point is that apart from showing different interesting techniques, you workshop is also a bit philosophical. Before I only looked and judged the miniatures only based on what I see. I always skipped the part where a painter writes a short story that stands behind a miniature. Now I can see how much did I loose and important the story is. How much it helps to understand why things where painted/done one way and not another. That is why I see the creative part in your course as an essential one."

Demonettes recieving colours, a lot of purple this time ...

Peter was helping the students with his sharp eyes ...

Painting Saturday night away ...

Piotr:

"There were two things that have amazed me:

1) How good you were prepared. You had everything, every material you spoke about.

2) How confident you were at the beginning of the workshop saying "by the end of the workshop, all of you will have a nicely painted demonette".

I really didn't believe that. 24 people. Everyone on a different level. Everyone with his own expectations and limits (mine - fast painting of course). And the best part is that it was as you said! Your course has many little steps that we all took together and we all ended up with fully painted miniatures, each on a detailed bases. Full control. It was just almost perfect organization."

Piotr:

"Why almost? Well I have just one critique point. The very end. It was a very hard and very exhausting weekend. In all it too us about 28 hours to reach your goal. But the finish took us 10 minutes. We took a photo, you gave a speech and we all went home. For me that wasn't enough. It is always nice to get a feedback, but not only about my work but also to hear/see what the others could do better. I think that with a constructive critique we learn. And with so many different miniatures it was a perfect opportunity to learn more. Especially from World's best painters that are alive. I would see it as a feedback round where you take each miniature in your hand, give comments and go onto the next demonette. Something like you do where we were around you table and you were showing blending or wet-in-wet, and we all stand around you. I understand that it would take 30 minutes longer (1 Minute for each mini is more then enough), or maybe something should have to drop out (if even possible?!) but the BÄM effect of what you were trying to teach us would be much bigger."

Well, Piotr is right here. Thank you for your honest feedback. Feedback to each demonette is by far not a bad idea. We already tested this feedback after the class on some classes in the past and Roman found himself rather quick telling mainly the same to every demonette:

- Keep on happy painting! Do not get frustrated!

- Train on your blending skills (Brushmoves, Dillution, Clean ups and Corrections)

- Train on increasing the contrast range of your used colours

- Be self-confident and do not worry to make mistakes. Mistakes will teach you your own way of painting. And you can not avoid them. Everybody does mistakes, happy little acciddents.

Another problem is that some have to leave earlier as they have to catch a train or have a long road home. It ain't that easy to really get this into the class and to keep it fair to everyone.

Well, you all did painting and let's see the results. Many different painters in different painting skills achieved the following during the class - Roman and Peter were very proud of you all:

Thanks to all of you who attented the class and were so eager to learn. It was a pleasure to have you as students and we from Massive Voodoo hope that you are infected with happy painting. Paint until the world ends and start your journey on this neverending path of colours and joy.

Keep on happy painting!

Best Wishes

Roman and Peter