This year, after much hesitation, I finally felt ready to take the plunge and test my skills at Gen Con, one of the world’s largest gaming conventions. It was both nerve-wracking and exciting—a mix of anticipation, doubt, and curiosity.
In this article, I’m going to talk about my first-ever in-person painting competition. I’ll highlight the pieces I selected, the questions I had leading up to the competition, and the feedback I received from the judges. I hope you learn some interesting things I picked up along the way.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Growth comes from discomfort: Entering competitions pushes you to improve through honest critique.
- Contrast is key: Strong darks and brights prevent models from looking flat.
- Validation matters: Feedback from peers and judges confirms progress and motivates further growth.
EVERYONE STARTS FROM THE SAME PLACE
Since I started painting in 2019, I have seen the work of many professional and amateur artists and thought there was no way I could paint as well as they do. However, throughout my journey, I’ve heard that one of the best ways to get critical feedback is by entering competitions.
Entering these competitions allows you to receive impartial feedback from judges. Who have zero incentive to tell you anything but the truth. They aren’t concerned with BOOSTING your ego, or afraid of hurting your feelings.
They just call balls and strikes on the pieces in the competition.
It wasn’t until this year that I felt I had grown to a high enough skill level to enter models into a competition. Since I couldn’t find a local store or group holding competitions, I got the opportunity to enter my pieces at Gen Con, the largest four-day gaming convention in the world.
No pressure, no pressure whatsoever. Everything would be fine.
GETTING READY FOR GENCON (INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA)
You can enter one model into each category in terms of entry rules. The categories included:
- Single Model
- Unit (multiple models in a cohort)
- Large Scale
- Scale/Historical
- Gundam
- Diorama
- Open (anything can enter)
Since I had a little over eight weeks to complete the work, I decided to enter models I had already painted in the Single Model and Unit categories. These models were originally painted to a tabletop quality, and I wanted to see how they would fare at the convention.
The big question was: What was I going to enter into the Large-Scale category?
Should I use something I had already painted, or paint something specifically for the competition? Ultimately, I chose to paint something new.
I paint a lot of Warhammer 40K and Age of Sigmar models. But for this competition, I wanted to do something striking and different, so I decided to paint a dragon. I chose the “Brown Dragon” from Lord of the Print, a 3D sculpting company.
However, I didn’t want the dragon to actually be brown. Instead, I chose to base it on the animal that most reminded me of this model—a crocodile. I then sat on the project for the next several weeks while finishing a project for a client and dealing with life’s other demands.
MAKING A DECISION
I officially started working on this dragon just after Fourth of July weekend, three weeks before Gen Con. Prepping, priming, and base coating the model were pretty ordinary. I took extra care to fill all the gaps and make everything as smooth as possible to avoid issues when I started painting.
I prime all my models in black and then apply a series of colors from dark gray to white to create a zenithal highlight effect. This helps me get over the analysis paralysis that sometimes hits when starting a new project.
Working from dark to light, I applied base coats of a very dark green across the entire model and then focused on some lighter green for the belly to mirror the reference photos I used for the crocodile.
TIME IS RUNNING OUT!
After finishing the belly, I hit a small slump. I was unmotivated and unimpressed with the work I had done so far, to the point where I almost gave up on it altogether. I’m not sure why, but it just wasn’t working for me.
So, the model sat for another day or so….
Tick-tock, time was a-wastin’!
After taking a break and not looking at the model for a couple of days, I came back refreshed and ready to go. I worked on the rest of the dragon and the base, making sure they complemented each other.
I found some reference photos of sand and stone cliffs that I loved. With this inspiration, I worked on the base, which ended up being fun and easy—it never felt like a chore.
Finally, from assembly to the completed paint job, the model was done! And, I had three days to spare. Whew!
SUBMISSION AND VALIDATION
When it came time to submit my models, I arrived early and was the second person in line. The coolest part about waiting in line was the chance to talk with other painters about their work and hear what they thought about mine.
It was incredibly humbling and validating to have people, who were also competing, say such great things about my work. I’ve always struggled with praise and compliments, thinking that while my friends and family believe my work is good. Certainly, they are biased and lack the nuance of the hobby to gauge how well I’m doing, right?
Well, it didn’t matter!
Receiving praise from these expert painters validated all the things I’ve heard about my efforts. From an objective point of view, I was very grateful and further confirmed the creative instincts of my friends and family.
My models then sat in the display case for three days while the convention continued. They were displayed alongside pieces where you could tell the artists had spent an untold amount of time.
I tried to suppress the anxiety of what the judges might say about my work. But of course, it lingered, the doubts swirled in the back of my mind ceaselessly.
My friends at the convention stopped by to look at the display cases. Offering incredibly kind and motivating words, but each time we talked about it, I felt waves of nervous nausea for what could happen.
AWARDS CEREMONY
Saturday evening finally came, and I headed over to the awards ceremony. My friend Mike and his children had just finished their shift at the Boardgames library and rushed over to support me—this was an act I was extremely grateful for.
The painting competition awarded each artist one of four awards:
- Merit
- Bronze
- Silver
- Gold
At the end, a miniature is awarded “Best in Category” for each of the entry-types (shown above).
The best way to describe these awards is to think of them like letter grades: a Bronze award equals a grade of C, Silver equals B, and Gold equals an A.
In my first-ever painting competition, I received a Bronze award for each of my entries.
JUDGE FEEDBACK ON MY PAINTED MINIATURES—MORE CONTRAST
A few days after returning home from Gen Con, I received feedback from the judges.
The biggest takeaway was the contrast in my models needed improvement. The difference between the dark and highlight area was flat.
My darks weren’t dark enough, and my brights weren’t bright enough. A lack of contrast can make a model look flat. Which is not something you want for a three-dimensional figure.
However, the judges did say that my work was clean, and they were looking forward to seeing my growth over the next year.
My friend Andrew, you might have heard of him lol, has told me more than once “Contrast does the work, and color gets the credit.” I thought I had enough contrast, but it turns out I did not.
SUMMARY FEEDBACK FROM THE JUDGES
| NOTES | Details |
|---|---|
| Contrast Needs Improvement | Judges highlighted that the contrast in my models was too flat; darks weren’t dark enough, and brights weren’t bright enough. |
| Importance of Strong Contrast | Lack of contrast can make a model look flat, which is undesirable for a three-dimensional figure. |
| Positive Feedback on Clean Work | Judges noted that while contrast was lacking, my models were clean and showed potential for growth. |
FINAL THOUGHTS
What are my final thoughts on entering pieces for competition? First off, I believe that when your friends and family tell you your work is good, you should believe them. I believe that growth happens when you do things that make you uncomfortable.
I was very uncomfortable putting my pieces up for judging. The feedback I received from bystanders, competitors, and judges has put a new fire in my belly to improve. I’ve have been home for a few days, and I’ve already started planning my pieces for next August.
I have to agree with many other painters out there—I highly recommend entering painting competitions!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Alexander Foust is a loving husband, father of twins, and committed Emergency Room Nurse. Balancing his personal and professional life, he finds strength in his faith and enjoys fitness, miniature painting, and tabletop gaming. You can reach Alex who is open to miniature painting commissions via email ([email protected]) and his MARLevel Painting Facebook page.
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Glad to see you got some expert feedback and I too look forward to how your work evolves from here.
Thanks so much!
Congratulations! And well done also for being brave enough to put yourself out there and face the judgement of strangers.
Much Appreciated! I’m already excited and getting ready for next year!