Our Miniature Hobby Lifestyle
Dive into a full spectrum of creative hobby articles, including tabletop miniature games, visual art and crafts, literature, photography, and much more.
Do you need to prime your miniatures and models before painting them? This is a common questions for new painters. There are three reasons why you should prime your models before applying any hobby paint. Priming helps paint stick to the miniature’s surface, protecting the durability of the paint. A good primer also smooths out […]
Do You Prime Your Miniatures? Here’s 3 Reasons Why You Should Read More »
The purpose of this article series is to offer a thoughtful perspective about what it means to be Lawful, Chaotic, Good, Neutral and Evil. As a GM I find myself creating a lot of NPCs and helping guide character creation for my players. Acting according to your Alignment can be one of those optional rules
Roleplaying Game Alignments: What Are They and How Do We Use Them? (Part 1: The Good) Read More »
Did you know that a messy desk can increase stress and make hobby work more difficult? Of course, you did. An organized miniature painting workspace helps you enjoy enjoy the process of painting. Let’s take a look at why you should be organizing your miniature hobby supplies, and why it will improve your miniature painting
Painter’s Delight: Organization Tips for a Less Stressful Miniature Hobby Read More »
So your players want to be “evil aligned murder hobos”, what do you do? How can you enjoy a game where your players’ just want to maim, pillage, and burn your carefully prepared world? These tips will help everybody enjoy the fantasy fun at your tabletop roleplaying game. If you’re running games for Dungeons and
How to Save Your RPG World From the Players Who Want to Burn It (Roleplaying Tips) Read More »
Hobby paint organizing can be a challenging task. I have hobby paint in every drawer, under the bed, and it’s spilling out of cardboard boxes under my desk. My brushes are in worse places! As a commissioned miniature painter, wargamer, and blogger, I’ve gathered a huge collection of hobby supplies. Just look at my desk!
The Perfect Paint and Brush Organizer? (JKB Concepts Hobby Organizer Review) Read More »
People with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have a hard time finding ways to cope, and drugs are often not the best answer. Tabletop wargaming is becoming an increasingly popular way for those suffering from PTSD to take care of themselves without feeling like they’re neglecting their needs. It’s also a form of therapy that’s not
How Tabletop Gaming Can Help with PTSD Read More »
What’s the difference between a matte and gloss varnish for miniatures? Simply put, a gloss varnish creates a reflective, shiny finish on your models. And, a matte varnish produces a non-reflective, dull or flat finish coat on your painted miniatures. But, there are more differences you should know in what varnish type to use, including
Matte Versus Gloss Varnishes for Miniatures and Models (Overview and Best Uses) Read More »
War of the Ring 2nd Edition is a great strategy board game that will keep you engaged for hours on end. This game has been praised by gamers, boardgamers, roleplaying gamers and wargamers alike. War of the Ring is fun to play solo or with friends and family members. The rules are easy enough for
War of the Ring is the Best Strategy Board Game You Have Ever Played Read More »
Villainous characters can make or break a role-playing game, and they can be difficult to come up with because villains are often the worst people imaginable. You can’t just give me a bad guy who runs an operation that you don’t like! Not only am I more interested in what they’re doing than your character,
5 Tips for How to GM a Fun Villain: No Such Thing as An Evil Genius Read More »
Are you looking for the ideal basing sand for miniatures and models? A finished base helps complete the overall look of a painted miniature or scale model. Applying miniature basing sand is quick, fast, and flexible. As such, I use basing sand often for my miniature painting projects. Here I share what I use and
Basing Sand for Miniatures (Ideas and Tips) Read More »
Are you looking for a way to smooth out your paint layers on miniatures? Miniature painting often requires that a painter blend multiple colors together to create transitions on a model’s surface. Although there are many color blending techniques, a tried and true approach is to combine paint “layering” with “glazing” to create smooth blends
Layering and Glazing for Non-Metallic Metal (NMM) Blending Read More »
Are you looking for a software-managed, accessible historical miniature wargame? Carnage and Glory II (C&G) is a historical tabletop wargaming system that allows you to engage in simulated armed conflict during the European gunpowder era (early-1600’s to late-1800’s). Carnage & Glory II is unique among other tabletop wargames in that it is computer-mediated with strong
Carnage & Glory II: Must-Play Historical Tabletop Wargame? (Review) Read More »
Are you looking for the best spray primer for painting miniatures? Aerosol or rattle can spray primers vary widely depending on the application. The best spray primers for plastic, metal, or resin miniatures all have three things in common. Great spray primers smooth out surface imperfections without distorting or obscuring details, and they help paint
7 Best Spray Primer for Miniatures (Review and Recommendation) Read More »
Inspiration is an unconscious burst of creativity. As a miniature painter or other artist, inspiration fuels our desire to make our visions come alive. It is an empowering intellectual and emotional energy. Without inspiration, there is zero internal motivation and all of our efforts are cold-hearted and dull. How do you find and nurture inspiration
Miniature Painting Inspiration (Tips for Motivation) Read More »
Are you looking to base your model with realistic looking dirt, desert, or earth? The easiest way to base your models is to use sand and glue. With a bit of ink, an eye for color and contrast, you can finish a lot of models with great looking bases. Basing your miniatures with sand is
Basing Miniatures with Sand (Quick Method) Read More »