A Little Whimsy

And now for something completely different.

I would consider myself a fan of fairly gritty miniatures. I tend to collect more realistic sculpts, prefer a meaner, grimmer look than some of the comical sculpts of yesteryear. One of the things that drew me into the Games Workshop universe was the darker, grimmer art of the 1990's.

A new discovery to me is a French artist, Jean-Baptiste Monge. When I discovered this artist, I immediately thought of another favourite of mine, Arthur Rackham. His depiction of the natural world is superb, many a "proper" wildlife artist would be green with envy at his expertise. Coupling this with creatures of myth and folklore is not a new idea, but I struggle to think of any that do it this well.

I have a minor obsession with short, bearded folk - usually of the dwarf variety, but these figures are equally appealing. They are not grim warriors wielding huge axes, but rather more amusing little chaps with pipes and hats. I find them utterly charming - not a word I would usually use for miniatures, but there you go, perhaps I am mellowing.

If you are equally captivated by all this, you may well be interested in a kickstarter by Blacksmith Miniatures. If you fancy a break from wargames painting and just like to paint a nicely sculpted resin figure, then it's well worth a look. I have my eye on this lovely little trio. Go on, do something a little foolish, add a little whimsy to your life.......