He likes big butts and he cannot die

Venom Troll painted min

Venom Troll, front (Epic Miniatures). Photo by Devon Jones

That’s not entirely true. He CAN die if you disrupt his ability to regenerate. But that headline would have been enormous. Like his butt.

Bringing it back around.

Venom Troll painted min

Venom Troll, back (Epic Miniatures). Photo by devon jones

This Venom Troll print from Epic Miniatures was a speedy one-session paint job. We started supporting their Patreon about five months ago, and Devon was happy to finally get a chance to paint a min from their impressive collection. Impressive like this guy’s butt.

I’m sorry. I just can’t stop.

Devon is in love with a new-to-him oil-paint technique he picked up from Secret Weapon, which he used for the base. Water-mixable oils are easier to clean up than traditional oils, but we recommend keeping mineral spirits on hand anyway to make your job easier. Secret Weapon recommends Phtalo Green, but Devon likes Sap Green, so we link to that paint in the materials below.

Paints for the miniature:
Pro Acryl Bold Pyrrole Red
Pro Acryl Coal Rack
Citadel Colour Contrast Black Templar
Citadel Colour Contrast Nazdreg Yellow
Citadel Colour Contrast Plaguebearer Flesh
Citadel Colour Contrast Skeleton Horde
Citadel Colour Contrast Snakebite Leather
Citadel Colour Contrast Volupus Pink

Paints for the base (all Winsor & Newton Artisan Water-Mixable Oil Color):
Raw Sienna
Burnt Sienna
Raw Umber
Permanent Sap Green
Olive Green
Payne’s Gray
Burnt Umber

Masterwork Tools is an Amazon Associate and earns a small commission from qualifying purchases. The first two paints for the miniature are from Monument Hobbies, and we also earn a small commission on qualifying purchases if you buy the paints through our links.

The one where Devon can't let it go

A few years ago, Devon welded me a steampunk light switch for my studio. It was a sweet Mother’s Day present, but sadly, it kept falling apart. I didn’t want this well-intentioned gift to become a lifelong emotional burden for him, so I finally forced him to give up on it.

Or so I thought.

Apparently, he held on to that failure for years, because he surprised me recently with this 3D-printed version. He’s put more skill points into 3D printing than welding, and this one is solid.

Get the free design from 3dprintingworld. They paint it with iron paint, but Devon opted to print this light switch with iron-infused filament and rust it with hydrogen peroxide, salt and vinegar. Find the technique at Protopasta.

Now maybe he can find some peace.

MAKER MONDAY: A rose by any other name...

Roses are cut from MDF wood and spray painted. Photo by Monica Jones

… wouldn’t be called a rose. It would be called something else. This is basic vocabulary.

These laser-cut roses were a quick way to finish off our kids’ Easter baskets. I spray-painted them, but if you have more time than I did, adding more color would be a nice touch.

The 1/8 inch engineered wood I initially used was flimsy, so I tried 1/8-inch acrylic. It was was better, bit these are still fragile, so don’t expect them to last forever. If my kids really love them, I’ll try 1/4-inch wood.

Find the .svg files at Creative Fabrica. The bundle includes roses with different sayings, which you could use to make a bouquet if you’re feeling ambitious.

I bought a subscription to Creative Fabrica in a moment of weakness after I saw the 800th Facebook ad for it, but I have no regrets. Masterwork Tools gets a small commission from sales at Creative Fabrica through the link above, but I discovered we had an affiliate account after I decided to write this blog post. I’ve been using it for personal and commercial projects, since my membership gives me rights to use the designs in my own finished products. If that’s important to you, be sure to read the fine print. Sales rights end if you cancel your membership. You can also pay per design.