DarkTraveler777 wrote:I used BTP for a brief period back in 2005 and 2006. They were the first professional painting service that I commissioned and initially I was very pleased with their work. However, I soon learned that their painting style did not suit the majority of armies that I played, and the cost to quality ratio was skewed in a manner that I did not find acceptable.
I agree with what others have posted regarding the friendly and professional manner in which BTP conducts business. I really think that is BTP's major strength. In each and every commission I conducted with BTP I felt confident that I would receive my miniatures back painted to my specifications. And towards the end when I was unhappy with a commission Shawn worked with me to bring about a somewhat satisfying conclusion to some problems that arose. So, in the arena of customer service they are top-notch. However, when it comes to painting I simply would not recommend the service. I have found their painting is problematic mainly for the high price and inconsistency of paint work they produce over an extended period of time. Having an army painted in stages where you send chunks at a time resulted in figures that sort of looked cohesive from afar, but had glaring issues the more scrutiny you gave the models. And I am not referring to the scrutiny between various paint levels, I am talking outright different colors used on the main elements of the army, basing, ect. Not having consistent paintwork over a span of a few months was a major deal breaker for me and why I prefer to use commission studios who have a smaller staff and less turn around in their painting staff.
For assembly and conversions my opinion is different. After having followed BTP's YouTube videos for a number of years I remain impressed with some of the creative ways in which they assemble and magnetize their client's models (which they charge a suitably hefty sum for). I would still consider sending an assembly project their way if I needed that sort of service, but I really doubt I would ever send another model to be painted.
For the morbidly curious here is the primary army I sent to BTP back in 2005.
http://bluetablepainting.com/view_gallery.php?galleryID=219
This gallery also contains some of the later additions to the army.
http://bluetablepainting.com/view_gallery.php?galleryID=87
BTP is great at painting undead. Their "style" of painting makes mummies, skeletons, and rotting corpses really pop. I was less impressed with how they handled models of living creatures and war machines.
For another US-based service that I absolutely adore check out Garden Ninja Studios.
www.gardenninja.com
I have been using that service for over three years now and have had nothing but success. Plus, some of the projects that Garden Ninja has painted for me have spanned multiple years with the consistency of the paint work staying so close that it is difficult, or at times impossible, for me to distinguish when one model was painted over another.
