A History of

Graymalkyn Miniatures

Some time ago, I joined my brother’s D&D group. It was at this time that I began to paint miniatures. After a few failed characters, I created a fighter/wizard named Graymalkyn. He survived until I left for higher education, and the name stuck with me. Over the years since then I’ve used the name in various computer and online RPGs (such as Guild Wars, Guild Wars 2, Tabula Rasa, Star Wars - The Old Republic, and a few more).

When I left for college, though, I put painting and gaming behind me for many years and found other interests, and life in general.

Early in 2016 I got laid off my job. I looked around for work for several months, but with no luck. So in 2017 I took a website development course. I found Javascript to be difficult. I understand the concepts, but struggled with the implementation. However, I found that the CSS and HTML aspects were simple. In fact, I would drive past billboards and mentally format them using those skills. So, I planned to pursue that side of the process.

But…life. My wife’s parents called and asked us to move to Grand Junction to help them with their needs. After putting our life on spreadsheets, we determined it was possible, so we did. Now she is on call 24/7, and I am her backup.

In 2019, I joined a game of Warhammer: Apocalypse that my brother and some friends were playing, and was immediately drawn into the whole Warhammer experience. I began to paint again and realized that I still had some skill in the area, and could now turn it into a way to support my hobby with this little thing called the Internet (more specifically: Etsy).

I have recently invested in a decent camera and am currently working on my skills. So better, clearer photos should follow shortly.

How I do what I do (S.O.P.)

Generally speaking, I paint whatever I feel like painting. It is normal for me to have multiple painting projects on my desk at any time. If, when I finish a model, it does not have a ‘permanent’ role in an army or on a display shelf, then I post it on Etsy. It’s also relatively common for me to make a trade for a model that I have already painted. When that happens, I will put the previously painted model up for sale and add the unpainted one to my to-do list. And, I much prefer painting to taking pictures, so I tend to put off the photography side more than I should.

Commissions

Commissions are not a part of my regular routine. I’m not opposed to doing them by any means, but as a one-man operation, I find it difficult to do what people want for the price they are willing to pay. It’s the “Mom & Pop Shop vs. Big Business” problem common in our world today. That said, I’m always willing to negotiate if you’re interested in commissioning my services. You may pay a bit more, but you know it’s a truly personal paint job.