In two weeks (okay, precisely 15 days), my new Kickstarter campaign will begin: 'The Orcs of Inneath!' However, if you think that the only star of this new adventure will be the new range of resin kits, well, maybe I have a little surprise for you!
My first modeling book, Painthology (the title may change!) will finally make its debut! Not to diminish the immense work done on the range of miniatures, not at all, but I must say that this little side project, which I've been working on for a couple of months now, is exciting me like few other things have before, and the reason has deep roots.
For years, I've had the idea of creating a book where I could talk about modeling and share with you what I've learned in over twenty years of hobby, with all its joys and pains, satisfactions and frustrations. But for one reason or another, I always gave up on turning this personal ambition into reality.
Let me be clear: these are not just empty words; quite the opposite!
What you see, in fact, are entirely unseen images, resurrected from the darkest corners of my hard drive. Specifically, these .jpg files date back to June 2014, a lifetime ago!
At that time, I had indeed started writing a painting book and was doing some graphic layout experiments, despite all my technical limitations in this field (at the time, my resources were even more limited than they are today; I had even sold my motorcycle to fund my very first sculptures!). I must say I had a lot of fun, but I felt that something wasn't quite right. It wasn't so much a technical issue, but something more fundamental: myself!
I didn't feel ready, frankly. The more I spent hours writing, collecting material, editing photos, and doing layout tests, the more a little voice in my head kept saying, 'Are you sure you have something worth sharing?' Not that I'm a professional painter now, mind you, but ten years ago, the idea of publicly throwing myself at readers, without having proven anything yet, seemed at least pretentious, if not arrogant.
So, with a bit of sadness, I decided to set aside the project. I don't regret that choice at all because it was dictated by common sense: who was I to explain to others how to paint? Besides, the book was structured as a full-fledged painting manual, in an excess of zeal and methodical practice, so it seemed doubly arrogant to present myself with a product born of passion and enthusiasm for sharing something with the community, but also dangerously fragile from a pedagogical perspective.
Painthology is now born not only with ten more years of experience (and self-esteem!) but also with much more to say. Firstly, the volume isn't so much aimed at providing a comprehensive and exhaustive guide to miniature painting, a path I still don't feel capable of teaching, but it is more of an anthology (hence the name) of unpublished modeling projects that will be accompanied by step-by-step tutorials and more theoretical sections where I explain my approach to some of my favorite techniques (like stippling!).
A book that doesn't teach how to paint miniatures but shares with you my approach to painting and everything I've learned so far. The heart of Painthology will be six modeling projects (you'll start seeing the first work in progress as soon as the KS campaign storm is over, which will inevitably leave me very little time for anything else!) that will take you back to Inneath, the fantasy universe I've been painstakingly creating for years.
It won't be just Orcs, although they will naturally have a particular focus, but these projects will involve all the ranges produced so far. These six dioramas will represent a significant challenge for me, and I thought that trying to step out of my comfort zone would be an especially interesting experiment to document through a photo book, allowing me to gather enough material to address various topics, not just basic techniques and general principles of painting, but a true unfiltered reportage of my creative process.
In addition to the six dioramas, the main content of this first volume will also dedicate some space to the genesis of this new range, 'The Orcs of Inneath.' I thought it might interest you to read about how a range of miniatures comes to be, from the ideas that kickstart the concepts to more concrete aspects like budget management or preparation for final production.
Moreover, Painthology will not be limited to the physical book but will include additional digital content that will delve into some painting techniques, showcase the six dioramas in all their detail, and provide you with .stl files ready for 3D printing of certain scenic elements specifically sculpted for their realization.
The cover price, not yet finalized, will be approximately €38 for the paperback version. So, what do you think? Are you curious to discover more details about the six projects I've started working on?