Commission / Contact

I've been a brush-for-hire for nearly a decade, and I've been painting for over half my life. I love working with theme, and emphasize atmosphere and a sense of world cohesion, much of it drawn from my work in illustration and photography.

I do almost all of my painting in non-metallic metal (NMM), which adds a sense of richness and quality that I feel traditional metallic paints lack, and for higher-end work, I have a love of atmospheric source-lighting and elaborate bases that add a sense of place and story (besides making them really stand out on the table).

While it's obvious I love the hobby aspect of things, I'm also an avid gamer, and everything I work on is designed for functionality, from a nice display base with high overhangs designed for easy measurement or dioramas with removable models.


Note: For those more interested in instant gratification, I do occasionally have projects specifically for sale, rather than done on commission.

Contact
For a quote or request, please contact me by email.

PLEASE NOTE: recently, a few requests have gotten tagged as spam. If I don't respond within a couple days, please nudge me (if you found me on forums, a PM would be great, or leave a comment here with your email address (they're all moderated, so your contact won't be public). I'm trying to set up a filter so my mail client recognizes your messages. Sorry for the inconvenience.



A Little More on What You're Getting:
On Estimates:

This is on a case-by-case basis, and I'll respond as quickly as I can to any estimate requests if you contact me (the more details, the better-- I will usually initially ballpark it and ask for more details).

As a reference point, basic 30mm(or so) infantry, painted at the levels at which I paint most commissions at (Non-metallic metal, above tabletop, depending on your standards), run at around $17-25/mini or around $25-35 for character levels (which people often want at a higher standard). My source-lit pieces will be in this second bracket, with rare exception. The next major larger size (most often on a 50mm base, and usually in the 54mm height range) will similarly generally run around $40-60 for nice tabletop or $60-100 for character level. The larger a model is, the more the specific model's detail and paint style affect the price.

I charge purely based on approximate labor and materials, not on the models' gear or dollar value: size and complexity (of the model and paint job) are the biggest factors in most estimates. If you like my work but are working within a budget, I'm happy to do simpler designs to fit your needs.

On Volume:
I tend to work at around the skirmish group or squad level (5-15 models), but am happy to work on any scale from a single character to a complete army or board game.

On Painting:
I prefer to do NMM but, if you would rather have regular metallics, or are working with a budget and would rather that work go towards more miniatures, freehand, etc., I'm perfectly willing to work with you.

I'm happy to do freehand, and find that it really does make those centerpieces stand out.

If you want specific decals applied to your miniatures, expect to supply them yourself-- sorry, I don't have many on hand, though you might get lucky and I'll have what's needed.

On Assembly
I itemize assembly separately. Despite being quite experienced, there's an upper limit to how quickly one can assemble models well and, while I try to keep this cost down, doing a thorough job cleaning will add to the total. This will generally add $4-10 per model, of course based on complexity.

If you're looking at getting the most for your money and confident about your assembly skills (especially with models that aren't designed as modular/poseable), I'd suggest prepping the minis yourself. I'd be happy to give you some pointers.


On Conversions and Sculpting:
Before I became as active in painting as I am, I was an avid sculptor, and still am. I can do anything from minor alterations and cutting, to sculpting from scratch from instructions or an image you provide. I am also willing to do concept sketches (or, if your project requires it, full renderings to accompany your character) on a tablet.

Small modifications tend to be $2-$10; reposes or other complex projects are often in the $50 range: of course, the nature of these projects is inherently individual, so it's hard to get more specific than that.

Currently, I can do basic molding if something needs to be produced en masse, but this will significantly add to a project's time.

On Magetization:
This is an area I've been breaking in to, and have enjoyed mixing up my painting with drilling every now and then. The cost of magnets will be factored in to your total-- you don't need to worry about picking them up.

What I really have to offer over the next guy selling magnetizing services is that I'll go the extra proverbial yard and give your minis more dynamic poses.

On Basing:
Basic 1-2 element basing is complimentary in any paint job. Resin/metal bases, inserts, or other basing material will need to be provided by you, or I can supply them for an additional cost (see supplies below). I can also sculpt more elaborate bases, if you're looking for something extra.

On Supplying Materials:
If you don't have your miniatures, I can purchase them with a small additional fee for my time. I will likely purchase them from the cheapest readily available source. I will expect the full cost of any of my purchases up-front. I'm perfectly happy with clients purchasing materials and shipping them directly to me.

For common supplies (paint, sculpting putty, basic basing supplies etc.), cost is be factored into the estimate, and generally won't change the cost except under exceptional circumstances (for instance, a very high volume of something, or if you absolutely need something in a paint color that I don't have and don't intend to use outside of the commission).

On Payment:
I typically expect half of the estimate paid before I start work. (As stated above, the cost of any purchases I need to make will be added to this.) I take the second half of payment after I've shown you the photographs of the final product I will ship, but before I ship. I accept most forms of payment, though I'm not set up to take credit/debit (this can be done through Paypal, though).  For small commissions or if I've worked with you before, I will usually just take one payment before shipping.

A commission may end up taking more work than the estimate. If it's a small amount more, I'll comp the extra work. If it's looking like dramatically more work, I will contact you when I realize this, and we can work out what to do from there.

Note: I may accept miniatures in trade as part of my payment. I'm fairly picky about this, and it will depend on my current interests, but it's fine to offer something.

On Shipping:
Shipping costs are added to the total of your order, and will be a close estimate or exact shipping. I strongly encourage buying insurance both ways, and will not be held accountable for any damages, outside of exceptional circumstances.

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