With over 60 thousand attendees at Gen Con 2019 this year, it’s a perfect place to show off your PP painted minis and dioramas. But I’ve changed some things up this year—with Monsterpocalypse being an exciting hit that first released at Gen Con 2018, I’ve decided to add a category devoted exclusively to Monsterpocalypse this year. The game is both fun to paint and offers the artist ample room to be creative; I’ve seen many incredibly painted figures both in person and online. Well, now it’s time to show them off in a category all its own!

Better still, we’re moving to an open category for most everything else. No more forcing different models into different categories; I just want people to enter what they feel is true and from the heart. Are you proud of a unit, a single character, or a group of characters with an incredible scenic base? Maybe it’s a huge gargantuan or two waging war. Whatever it is you’re created, bring in to the competition, and let’s get it into the spotlight for everyone to see and appreciate.

Like a good gaming campaign aims toward the final encounter and scene, our competition culminates with the diorama. This is where miniature art and storytelling come together in an amazing way. Although not common, dioramas are always unique and command attention and recognition. I’ve seen many absolutely wonderful dioramas in the Formula P3 Grandmaster competition over the years, and I look forward to many more to come, especially at this year’s Gen Con.

Not only are we giving out money as prizes, but we’re also using a classic style of issuing awards. A small panel of professional miniature painters and designers will judge every entry. We will honor entries that surpass basic tabletop quality with bronze, silver, or gold standards. We even have an award for Recognition of Artistry; this award can be honored to any entry, regardless of where it places. This is for entries we feel are particularly creative or ones that move us in some way. They might be someone’s first miniature, painted from the heart, or a fantastic conversion that impresses us… In the end, this award is for pure creativity.

And with that in mind, I look forward to seeing you and your most impressive entries in just a few weeks in Indianapolis!

Trophy Time!

Hey, guys, Danny here, hobby and terrain specialist with Privateer Press. It’s that time of the year again: summertime! Summertime is when my very favorite event happens. Yes, I am, indeed, talking about the P3 Grandmaster Painting Competition! In this competition, painters from all over the world compete to show their skills in miniature painting and to push their craft and passion as far as they can for a chance to win a wonderful cash prize and the super-cool, super-exclusive, super-amazariffic P3 Grandmaster trophy!

One of my jobs as hobby and terrain specialist for Privateer Press is to make sure we have amazing trophies for these events. Over the years, we’ve gone through a few different variations of trophies for this competition, but this one is by far my favorite. The original design was done by Art Director Mike Vaillancourt, and the sculpt was created by Stuart Spengler. After the digital sculpt was 3D printed, it was molded and cast in resin. You can see one of the castings right out of the mold below.

After I receive the castings, I clean the seams and sand any small imperfections. I have to keep in mind that these will be finished with a high-polish metallic paint, so even the slightest imperfection will actually stand out quite a bit.

I tend to prime these trophies black and then spray them down with a gold metallic. At this stage, I spray the surface with a misting of water, and then I mix brown and black ink and wash this all over the trophy. Next, I use a paper towel to wipe off the surface so the dark wash only remains in the deeper crevasses of the sculpt. Using a metallic buffing compound, I add a higher polish to the gold, making sure to leave the dark in the shadows. Finally, I use Thamar Black to push some of the type and logos to pure black and make them stand out. These trophies actually come together fairly quickly and are most fun to do.

If you plan to attend Gen Con this year and know your way around a paintbrush, I highly encourage you to enter a model in the P3 Grandmaster competition. It’s a fantastic way to test your skills and get feedback from our studio professionals as well. So, check out the rules to enter this competition.

I hope to see you there! Come win one of these cool trophies below! Really! DO IT!

Also, be sure to follow more of our hobby and terrain progress on Instagram.