Here you can find a list of services offered:
- Painting service for collectors, companies and gamers
- Private coaching
- Group workshops and courses
- Elaboration of tutorials, videotutorials and articles
- Others
Painting commissions
The general procedure for a painting commission is explained below.
The first step would be describing what would you like to commission. You can be as detailed as you want, or you can leave most of the decisions to me. After this, I’ll be able to give you a quote and estimated completion dates. A few emails are usually enough to complete this step.
In order to lock your commission slot into my work calendar, I will usually ask for an upfront payment of 25% of the total cost.
The next step would be shipping the miniatures. I highly recommend that you use a tracked service for this, and that you use a nice cardboard box with enough filling to prevent any damage to the models. You can also buy the miniatures online and have them shipped directly to me to save in shipping costs and avoid customs.
While I am working on the models, I can show you progress pictures if you want, so you can check how they are looking so far and give feedback. If you are not interested in the progress, that’s ok too, usually I feel more comfortable just flowing with the paint and leaving pictures for a later stage.
After the commission is finished, I’ll show you the final pictures/videos from several angles. If you are happy with the result, I’ll send you an invoice, and all that is left is making the final payment and shipping the models back to you.
Conversions and freehands
I can perform simple conversions to your models, for example repositioning of limbs, removing parts, adding extra bits, or sculpting simple greenstuff details. For advanced freehands, I can design them myself, or I can try to copy a reference provided by you.
Sealing
Varnish is free and optional. For gaming pieces that will be handled a lot, I will usually apply a couple coats of matt varnish with my airbrush. For higher levels, unless you tell me otherwise, I’ll apply the bare minimum of protection (1 thin coat), or none at all, to avoid altering the paintjob. If the model goes on a display plinth, varnish is most probably unnecessary.
Painting levels
I offer three painting levels: gaming, display and legendary. You can find examples of each one at the gallery. Keep in mind these levels are not strictly defined by a checklist of features, but rather, they depend mainly on the amount of time invested relative to the size or complexity of the miniature.
Gaming level
This is a level for miniatures painted in bulk, be it armies, boardgames, warbands, etc. You want your miniatures to look good at an arm’s length, as a cohesive group.
I will use speedpainting techniques such as preshading, wetblending, contrast paints, oil washes, drybrush, special effects, and others. I will focus on the important areas of each miniature and on the general color scheme.
Display level
A greater degree of quality for heroes, elite squads, centerpieces and other singular models that you want to really stand out by themselves, both on the battlefield and on your display cabinet.
This level allows for a higher painting complexity. This includes nice skintones and faces, simple freehands, simple textures, simple object light source (OSL) effects, non metallic metal (NMM), weathering, more elaborated basing, etc.
Legendary level
The greatest degree of painting quality that I am able to offer. All my knowledge and skills will be focused into creating a one-of-a-kind piece of miniature art. I will carefully design and plan every aspect of the project: composition, mood, ambient, light, color, storytelling, terrain, details, backdrops, etc.
Advanced freehands and textures, advanced skintones and fabrics, light effects, multiple light sources, scenic basing, and other high complexity techniques are typical of this level.
Prices
Every miniature is different, so I don’t see it useful to have a fixed rate for a handful of arbitrary categories, that’s why I don’t use a price table, I prefer to evaluate each project individually. In order to get a quote, or just a ballpark estimate, I need at least a small description of what would you like to commission, so don’t hesitate to drop me a message.
Packaging and shipping
I always ship the models tracked and carefully packaged. Unless you’d like to hire a faster service, I’ll use the most economical tracked service I can find, usually Spain’s postal service, as in my experience it works very well.
I have succesfully shipped miniatures to USA, China, Korea, Australia, UK, half of Europe, Russia and south america, so you can rest assured that your miniatures will arrive in perfect condition. In rare cases though, and despite my best efforts, accidents can happen. If, for any reason, a model is damaged during the delivery, I will fix it at no extra cost, just ship it back to me and I’ll fix and ship it back again as soon as possible.
You are responsible for any customs taxes and fees, at both ends.
Pictures, videos and other resources
You’ll be granted free access to any non-public tutorials, videos or images created from your commission. This includes Patreon exclusive content, for example.
Any pictures, videos, documents or other content that I publish for free, are the intellectual property of Vardek Miniatures, under this Creative Commons License.