MINIATURE PAINTING OPEN

A jolly big adventure ensued in May when I headed to Bristol for the Miniature Painting Open
competition, run by Cult of Paint. This is a painting contest with broad categories and three classes of
entrants: Beginners, Standard and Masters. I tried my hand at the Standard contest and was lucky enough
to win a Bronze award for a boxed diorama I entered in the Storytelling category. It’s the first thing I’ve
won for painting in a long time and was a big boost to painting motivation.
As well as a cool opportunity to see loads of excellent painted models for inspiration and idea-stealing,
the event showed the shift that is happening in miniature painting. What were previously simply playing
pieces for wargames are being used to tell stories and evoke emotions. Dare I say it, miniatures are being
treated like art. It’s a medium that has only been around for perhaps forty years, which compared to
novels, movies and television is very young, so it makes sense it is in its infancy and has endless room to
grow.
I find the telling of a story the most interesting aspect of this changing scene. A diorama can be a few
nicely-painted models on a scenic base, but weaving a story into the piece adds a layer that goes deeper
than the technical skill involved. Roman Lappat was an inspiration to me in working a narrative into a
diorama, in particular his vertical scenes built into picture frames, and his YouTube channel was a major
factor in getting me painting competitively again.
I’m aiming to attend other smaller painting competitions and shows, such as the Fen Model Show in July,
and watch the landscape of miniature painting continue to evolve.