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Kroothawk wrote:Get over it boys from North America and take a cool shower.
Polish girls usually have big breasts and among Fantasy fans it is not unusual to wear Fantasy/medieval inspired cloths (with decolletés for women's cloths). If you are that conservative, then better not go to European Fantasy events and game's fairs (or US football games with cheerleaders for that matter ). BTW, in the video she is wearing standard US cloths: T-shirt and Jeans.

Ok, for you non British Europeans let me explain it to you simply. I like boobs as much as the next man (being British if you throw in a big curvy bottom I am very happy). If I am walking down the street or in a medieval reenactment and some woman has their thruppenybits hanging out I would definitely call that a good day. If my wife doesn't catch me looking, an even better day. I have no issue with the unexpected viewing of female body parts.

However, if I am purchasing a painting DVD I am expecting a nice picture of the artist and some mini's - not some woman hanging her boobs out and saying "hey saddo, now I have your attention from looking at this DVD cover, it's about painting some minis, buy it".

What is so difficult to understand about that? I am not conservative. I just don't appreciate being marketed to in such a crass classless manner. So, I haven't even looked at it.

Quick question then for those not getting why the cover is a massive let down.

If you had never seen this case before and walked past it in a cd store, would you at first glance think it was

A: An instructive collection of miniature painting tips with one of the worlds greatest female painters on the cover

B: Porn with a slapper on the front, or perhaps a dodgy softcore show.

I personally dislike it because this is someone I had on a pedastal marketing themselves horribly, literally not showing their work in favour of showing their tits. It just feels like a let down that one of the very few high end well known female painters would rather let their boobs sell than their talent, and that even worse, that is an effective strategy :( Boobs sell. Boobs get guys to give products a glance they may not have gotten without them. I can't really hold it against her or her marketing team for doing it, but it still feels like she is giving the impression that her skills are less of a seller than her tits, which I can't agree with.

I just ordered "Le Grand Livre de la Peinture sur Figurine", thanks to you guys! I'll let you know when I get it. I finished listening to the first miniature mentor DVD and I liked it a lot... I'd like to order Mathieu Fontaine's tutorial, but being rather old fashionned, I'd rather order a DVD than download a file...

Phil

Counterquestion:
Is this a picture of the German chancellor doing a hardcore porn movie or visiting an opera in evening gown?



And yes, I obviously posted this DVD news expecting a discussion on painting instruction DVDs. And I would have succeeded on a European forum.

Kroothawk wrote:Get over it boys from North America and take a cool shower.
Polish girls usually have big breasts and among Fantasy fans it is not unusual to wear Fantasy/medieval inspired cloths (with decolletés for women's cloths). If you are that conservative, then better not go to European Fantasy events and game's fairs (or US football games with cheerleaders for that matter ). BTW, in the video she is wearing standard US cloths: T-shirt and Jeans.

fire4effekt wrote:Watched the film and i hate it. Why? Soft core porn music on a loop.

Well, most of us don't watch softcore porns that much and wouldn't have noticed, thanks for sharing your experience though

Get over yourself Euro dude. I'm sure we as Americans love breasts more than any other country, however it is sad when you have thinly veiled attempts to appeal to a vulnerable market (gamers).

As much as I'd like to motorboat the chick, I still have my own integrity and would prefer to not have them in my face when I'm trying to take someone's art skills seriously. It seems disingenuous to her talent to market it like that.

Kroothawk wrote:Counterquestion:
Is this a picture of the German chancellor doing a hardcore porn movie or visiting an opera in evening gown?



And yes, I obviously posted this DVD news expecting a discussion on painting instruction DVDs. And I would have succeeded on a European forum.

Dude, if I was in the audience of that opera I would be the one being dragged out by security for trying to lob a peanut or small ice cube into rather large target! Yes, I know it makes me sad and puerile but I am honest and she isn't trying to sell me a painting dvd.

Haha Kroot, I will never be able to unsee that now!

I guess it depends more on if that pic was on the front of a dvd titled " How to sit on brown chairs while speaking to a man in a tux". You might find the folks interested in the art of sitting on brown chairs confused as to why there is a giant pair of tits on the cover

Edit: Sorry if I am coming off arguementative here, its not my intention. This is just an interesting discussion. I had a look at those 2 "reviews" of the dvds. He has some fair points, but yeah, I agree with what others said earlier. Letting that much rage be apparant while mentioning his own products repeatedly leaves his reviews with no real weight and full of questionable statements.

Some of the best painting instructions I have seen so far are by Lbursley, free on ze you tubey. He does exactly whats needed for you to really learn, full explanations of paints beforehand, good view of the work, popups with tech explanations, and even sometimes info on brushes and things like how to keep them in good condition, mixing your own washes etc. I know everyone likely knows about him already, but I really enjoy those tuts.

But it's not a marketing campaign, is only one pic. Just one pic.

I would be complaining if they had made a commercial with her in bikini washing a car but...

You can't honestly say she is "selling herself" just for one pic.

Kroothawk wrote:Counterquestion:
Is this a picture of the German chancellor doing a hardcore porn movie or visiting an opera in evening gown?



And yes, I obviously posted this DVD news expecting a discussion on painting instruction DVDs. And I would have succeeded on a European forum.

Here now. posting something like that is just dirty i mean you dont see the US or Canadian dakkites posting pics of our cows do ya?. some of us to eat while perusing Dakka you know. you owe me a supper....

Sorry, I seem to have lost the train here: this is recommend as a good tutorial, but it's only in French? I thought this was also in English... or is the one that consensus regards as good is the miniature mentor one? Which... is in English?

fullheadofhair wrote:Dude, if I was in the audience of that opera I would be the one being dragged out by security for trying to lob a peanut or small ice cube into rather large target! Yes, I know it makes me sad and puerile but I am honest and she isn't trying to sell me a painting dvd.

As an aside, this is a delightful illustration of the true purpose behind the burka and niqab; many people wrongly believe that a woman must be covered because she is inherently tempting, and will lead a man astray by her positive actions. The real reason, of course, is that there are men that are "sad and puerile", and will never be anything but. The burden of protection, therefor, falls upon these women who must protect these men from themselves; they cannot, after all, protect themselves.

Put another way "this is why we can't have nice things." Way of the world, I suppose...

1.) The DVD of the first post has English and Russian sound (although the painter herself doesn't speak English). The book I recommended in the 10th post is only in French.
2.) In countries with burkas, men freak out if they see a naked ankle. In lands with puritan ancesters, men freak out if they see a decolleté, in Europe (and SoCal I guess) men are used to a bit more of publicly shown skin. Concerning violence it is the other way round: More censorship in Europe, omnipresent in US-Videos and PC games and public death sentences in Burka countries. So there is a social context for this.

But I would like everyone to take this off topic discussion to their own thread in "general discussion".

Kroothawk wrote:1.) The DVD of the first post has English and Russian sound (although the painter herself doesn't speak English). The book I recommended in the 10th post is only in French.
2.) In countries with burkas, men freak out if they see a naked ankle. In lands with puritan ancesters, men freak out if they see a decolleté, in Europe (and SoCal I guess) men are used to a bit more of publicly shown skin. Concerning violence it is the other way round: More censorship in Europe, omnipresent in US-Videos and PC games and public death sentences in Burka countries. So there is a social context for this.

But I would like everyone to take this off topic discussion to their own thread in "general discussion".

Ugh - stupid logic right there. What a massive jump to go to just because I want a talented painter whom I admire a great deal to show me her minis to sell me something rather than a cheap titty shot.

Empchild wrote: ...If you are still intent on videos I know Mathieu Fontaine is creating his own and he is an understatably amazing teacher.

Damn, that's great news. I hope he keeps his top on, but I'd still watch it either way.

Mastiff wrote:

Empchild wrote: ...If you are still intent on videos I know Mathieu Fontaine is creating his own and he is an understatably amazing teacher.

Damn, that's great news. I hope he keeps his top on, but I'd still watch it either way.

Way to many jokes for me to head in right now. I get what people are saying here with not being able to take her as seriously, but it is no different then soem pics, and merchandise from our former presidents in not taking them seriously.

Also, with art, it's often more instructional just to show how it's done in good detail, than to endlessly talk and talk and talk.

Because things like how you apply paint is important, just seeing how an artist puts brush to mini is important, or even how the artist loads up a brush with paint, or mixes them.

Miniature Mentor has released another instructional video for download: Advanced sculpting by Jacques Alexandre Gillois
http://www.miniaturementor.com/painting_tutorials.html (scroll down)

Jacques Alexandre Gillois is considered by industry pros as the best sculptor in the world. He has worked for Helldorado, Blizzard, Studio McVey and SodaPop miniatures among others. He currently resides in Nantes, France with his wife and baby girl.

This one is strictly for advanced sculptors, others should buy the DVD by former Rackham Head Sculptor Aragorn Marks first.

Another one on painting metals and on using photoshop are in the works. Miniature Mentor only has the first two products on DVD, the rest is all download with DVDs "coming soon".

The book (Le Grand Livre de la Peinture sur Figurines) is simply amazing... Starting with the whole chapter on color theory, I just learn so much I've been amazed at how badly I've painted for the last 7 years. I've even dared posting a mini on CMON now!!! They have 2 more coming out, the second the help with painting whole armies and the third with scenery.

Phil

Kroothawk wrote:Miniature Mentor has released another instructional video for download: Advanced sculpting by Jacques Alexandre Gillois
http://www.miniaturementor.com/painting_tutorials.html (scroll down)

Jacques Alexandre Gillois is considered by industry pros as the best sculptor in the world. He has worked for Helldorado, Blizzard, Studio McVey and SodaPop miniatures among others. He currently resides in Nantes, France with his wife and baby girl.

This one is strictly for advanced sculptors, others should buy the DVD by former Rackham Head Sculptor Aragorn Marks first.

Another one on painting metals and on using photoshop are in the works. Miniature Mentor only has the first two products on DVD, the rest is all download with DVDs "coming soon".

Hey Krootster,
I just ordered and watched that one last week! It was super interesting to watch, but there were some letdowns.

Pros
1.) Jaques is amazing, with a very long history of sculpting under his belt.
2.) He reveals a few techniques that are handy in many situations, as well as some general info his thought process
3.) Watching him work is inspiring.

Cons
1.) He is using a Fimo blend, not GS, despite what it may look like on the cover. It really is a vastly different work process, the stuff doesn't dry and is soluble in Turpentine/White Spirits.
2.) The BIG one... They skip over the amazing work he does on the chainsaw, which I really found disappointing as I was keen to learn about hard-edge sculpting techniques as much as I wanted to see the organic aspect. This was a major aw fek moment for me.

Is it advanced sculpting? I suppose so, as you have to know a bit to follow what he is doing completely... but since most people use GS, I would consider looking at their GS 'Anime Girl' GS video with James van Schaik to start.

MajorTom11 wrote:Is it advanced sculpting? I suppose so, as you have to know a bit to follow what he is doing completely... but since most people use GS, I would consider looking at their GS 'Anime Girl' GS video with James van Schaik to start.

I have the Sniper Girl video and I think it's great. It covers the whole process, since the creation of a fitting metal frame, the basic shapes of the body, until the most complicated areas like the face and such.