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Big News from the Games Day UK:

Apparently, fighting broke out between two or three painters and GW officials as the judges ruling was questioned. Those firey Italians, passionate painters

This is the Slayer winner:


Here are two links for pictures of AMAZING paintjobs:

LegioPictorum

Further links will be added to my blog entry as soon as I get them in!

Enjoy!

I'll preface this by saying that all of the photos linked are incredible paint jobs.

That said, the Slayer winner seems a bit underwhelming--especially compared to the other entries. Could be the lighting/angle though.

 AgeOfEgos wrote:
I'll preface this by saying that all of the photos linked are incredible paint jobs.

That said, the Slayer winner seems a bit underwhelming--especially compared to the other entries. Could be the lighting/angle though.

All the pictures seem a little bleached out and think that is due to the flash. A lot of nice pieces there. As always, the European shows are head and shoulders above the US games day :(

Talking with a couple Golden Demon winners, the problem with competing at the top spot, it's not about who has the best paint job, but who didn't make a mistake or error while painting. Mold line, rough patch, or poor blending in a spot. At this level, judges are looking for flaws. That is why it always seems the more simple pieces win over more ornate or animated piece. There are more things going on that a painter can screw up. One painter told me he got only silver because the judges felt the paint was a little too thick in some spots.

 AgeOfEgos wrote:
I'll preface this by saying that all of the photos linked are incredible paint jobs.

That said, the Slayer winner seems a bit underwhelming--especially compared to the other entries. Could be the lighting/angle though.

True, but "underwhelming" and "THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS, IT'S CLOBBERIN' TIME!" have a veritable chasm between them

Looking at the pictures though, they are very nice work; still the softer, more blended style common to the Daemons over on the Continent, but with a much more muted palette of colours than the norm, which I really like.

Whilst that ork is a great piece of work, the vampire 'premonition' seems remarkable from the tiny picture of it I can see.

But fighting? Good grief.

The vampire premonition? Is that the one where a vampire is reflected in a mirror? A vampire reflected in a mirror.

 Avatar 720 wrote:
The vampire premonition? Is that the one where a vampire is reflected in a mirror? A vampire reflected in a mirror.

Only Lasombra don't cast a reflection noob...

...so actual, real games day physical nerdfights broke out, and we get a picture of the GD winner? for shame...

Even if vampires don't case a shadow, maybe the 'premonition' was that the lady would become a vampire-she wasn't one yet but would become one and it was a magical mirror. I, too, think that one should have won-that or the Nurgle daemon with a cryo tube on his back.

I have to admit, when I think of reasons to start a fight, "they just handed the other guy a sword" isn't in my top ten.

Not the first questionable choice for a Sword-winner in the last year or 2... I think it is fantastically painted don't get me wrong, but some other things have a lot more impact and superior variety of techinique. Not nearly as wtf (IMHO) as the UK slayer sword winner last year... That Necromancer was certainly also well painted, but it lacked the impact of a lot of other pieces that year... at the end of they day, it was basically just a stock model with very little if any conversion and basing work that was painted very well.

I expect a GD winner to look truly out of reach, on a level most of us would never reach, even if that level is just the dedication and time spent that most of us will never spend. At least this Ork piece is a little more in that direction, but like the Necromancer, it doesn't quite feel as out of reach as it should.

All subjective of course, and certainly nothing to scrap over. You can't go into this kind of thing expecting a win, if that's the reason you do it and the only reason, then you failed before you began if you ask me.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 AlexHolker wrote:
I have to admit, when I think of reasons to start a fight, "they just handed the other guy a sword" isn't in my top ten.

LOL

 MajorTom11 wrote:
You can't go into this kind of thing expecting a win, if that's the reason you do it and the only reason, then you failed before you began if you ask me.

I think alot of the people who go into the Golden Demon run studios where a Slayer Sword might have a dramatic impact on yearly profits for commissions etc and they may not be going in expecting to win, btu they pretty fairly expect the BEST painted mini to win, and after the technical skills are at a certain level I do think the impact and wow factor of a mini should come into play.

Don't forget the whole, I wasted 400-500 hours of my life on this fig and got nothing. Would have thought the rage would have been directed at the judges, not other painters.

Unless it was a "You stole my idea!" moment.

Holy crap "Premonition" is AMAZING.

And yeah, I want to see some Youtube of the nerdfight. That would be fantastic.

silent25 wrote:
Talking with a couple Golden Demon winners, the problem with competing at the top spot, it's not about who has the best paint job, but who didn't make a mistake or error while painting. Mold line, rough patch, or poor blending in a spot. At this level, judges are looking for flaws. That is why it always seems the more simple pieces win over more ornate or animated piece. There are more things going on that a painter can screw up. One painter told me he got only silver because the judges felt the paint was a little too thick in some spots.

This is it in a nutshell, and is exactly why the minis that win sometimes don't seem as impressive as other entries. The flaw that sees one mini drop below another often isn't visible in the pics we see online. And conversely, some minis just don't photograph well, awesome paintjob or no.

 AlexHolker wrote:
I have to admit, when I think of reasons to start a fight, "they just handed the other guy a sword" isn't in my top ten.

Thread won.

@tom: I think your pretty off the mark on the statement about not going to win. Ever fellow GD winner i know goes with their entry to win because if you don't think you will then you didn't put yourself into the work and then what's the point of entering. Games Day is fairly pointless after the first time you go as it's pretty much the same every year plus why would i spend a hundred plus hours for the goal of first cut. With that you also have to remember that painting is subjective and when you enter you have to know full well that a judge may not like your style. Competing is one of the greatest and worst experiences.

As for the statement of heads and tails above the U.S that is in perception as the UK to me is basic but thr French and Spanish are the best artistically. In the end its just.different styles and those again appeal to different judges. We have seen the french style really take hold in the states lately.

I believe I very clearly said it was subjective, and gave that as the very reason no one should go in expecting a win.

That doesn't mean not being competitive, it doesn't mean not trying to beat the pants off of anyone in your way, it doesn't mean not doing everything you can to go home with the sword... But expecting a win, no matter how good you are is arrogant to the point of stupidity IMO, given you don't know what your completion is bringing, nor the inclination of the judges. There is simply no way to guarantee it.

If the process itself, and the rewards that alone can bring when you have a fine model to sell, treasure or leverage towards a business if that is what you are doing are not sufficient for the entrant to be content, then I would submit they need a new hobby.

 AlexHolker wrote:
I have to admit, when I think of reasons to start a fight, "they just handed the other guy a sword" isn't in my top ten.

Strong work, sir. Strong work indeed.

At the higher levels, of course you go with the aim/hope/desire to win, and it's pretty crushing when you don't... but having a fight? Wow.
It does say in the Terms & Conditions that all decisions by the judges are final, so you have to accept that you might not like what might happen.

Some lovely entries there, no doubt about that - apart from Eowyn, all highlighted up with white to give the GW aesthetic, and nearly all of them on display plinths too I noticed. Also no Eldar, Tyranid, Dark Eldar or Tau love... where are all the xenos? (apart from the orcs).
I think the most interesting piece of information to come from this is what the judges score on - it's the technicality and finish, not necessarily the look of the piece that seems to get the highest score. Winners shouldn't get the Slayer Sword, they should get a Nerd Visit To The Chiropractor for having the stamina to hunch over a painting station for half their lives to win...

Do you guys think that finecast lowered the bar in the GD competition?

I ask, because of the generous helpings of flaws that the models have brought to the table, thereby giving the participants a lot less to work with then in the past.

A secondary question on this topic- Which types of models were more prevelent at this years competition- Plastic, metal, or finecast?

 Grot 6 wrote:
Do you guys think that finecast lowered the bar in the GD competition?

I ask, because of the generous helpings of flaws that the models have brought to the table, thereby giving the participants a lot less to work with then in the past.

A secondary question on this topic- Which types of models were more prevelent at this years competition- Plastic, metal, or finecast?

1. Why would finecast lower the bar? A finecast model without flaws is just as good as metal or plastic. I doubt these expert painters would just
buy the first finecast model they want to paint for GD and use it regardless of its flaws. They'd return it until they get one thats up to par, just like a casual painter would.

2. There are at most 4 Finecast models in the linked picture blog. All else are plastic, Forgeworld(resin), or custom sculpted.

Kudos to the dude with the Hellbrute painted up like that, it would take me a year to do that level of painting.

Lost of work-blocked pictures for me.

 timetowaste85 wrote:
Even if vampires don't case a shadow, maybe the 'premonition' was that the lady would become a vampire-she wasn't one yet but would become one and it was a magical mirror. I, too, think that one should have won-that or the Nurgle daemon with a cryo tube on his back.

The tag at the bottom of the mini says its a premonition that Isabella had of Vlads death at the hands of Wilhem.

 MajorTom11 wrote:
I expect a GD winner to look truly out of reach, on a level most of us would never reach, even if that level is just the dedication and time spent that most of us will never spend. At least this Ork piece is a little more in that direction, but like the Necromancer, it doesn't quite feel as out of reach as it should.

Maybe this sounds too "conspiracy theory", but maybe GW tells the judges to favor models that are within "reach" so as not to be too discouraging to their target market? Stock models or models with little converting done to them would be less intimidating to people (and especially children), and if you could easily identify the parts used then it might even convince some to go out and buy the relevant models just to give it a shot on their own?

 AlexHolker wrote:
I have to admit, when I think of reasons to start a fight, "they just handed the other guy a sword" isn't in my top ten.

For me 'they handed the other guy a sword' is a total deal breaker. I mean, the other guy has a freaking SWORD now. I ain't starting a fight with him.

 Empchild wrote:
As for the statement of heads and tails above the U.S that is in perception as the UK to me is basic but thr French and Spanish are the best artistically. In the end its just.different styles and those again appeal to different judges. We have seen the french style really take hold in the states lately.

Some of the French stuff I've seen has been absolutely mindblowing. Indeed.

"Paint me like one of your French minis?"

Sorry.

 BrookM wrote:
"Paint me like one of your French minis?"

Sorry.

Nicely done.

Damn, so no one got any photos of the fight ?