About:

My name is Wouter Schaap and I’m organizing this miniature painting workshop by Marc Masclans in Utrecht the Netherlands. I have been in the hobby for over 16 years and have attended multiple courses by some of the best in the industry. Witnessing first hand the effect a professional can have on the skills and development path of an individual. In 2022 and hopefully beyond that I want to bring the best miniature painters from around the world to the Netherlands to share their knowledge.

Objectives of the course:

This will be a seminar, meaning a two day workshop. In this seminar we will work on technical, theoretical, and practical concepts about painting miniatures. The objective of the course is to show Marc’s work methodology in order to interpret and solve volumes of a figure. It will show the approach and development of the painting process, emphasizing how the brush is used in all its possibilities. Technical concepts of stroke will be shown and the possibilities of tools combined with the use of various types of acrylic paint will be explained. A series of topics considered basic to be able to paint any type of figure, such as those explained in the section of content and program, will be discussed. The objective of the course will be to learn about and understand Marc’s work system to paint any type of figure. All participants, no matter their level, will be able to learn how Marc’s painting processes work as a way to improve their respective ones. Marc has a technical methodology, developed in a professional manner over 10 years, through training with great miniature artists and personal experience. You will see how Marc uses the brush, and how he solves the different problems that appear during the painting process, something that will be useful once you face it by yourselves. We all make mistakes, and they are important to our learning process, but it is also important to understand what and where are those mistakes, and how to correct them. Last but not least, this seminar also aims to be a meeting point for all enthusiasts of the hobby, to share a weekend of learning, enjoying the company of other modelers, and enhancing and expanding the ties of our community.

Content & program:

During the course we will work on a bust. The miniature will be a new release from a company Marc often works with, and will be agreed upon with the workshop organizers. In any case, Marc will consider the characteristics of the figure in order to work on the different topics over the weekend.

Saturday morning (09:00 until 13:00):

Skin and organic volumes.

Interpretation of organic volumes such as face or skin, from a sketch B / W to several interpretations in color, to correctly understand the different volumes and how to paint them. The technique will be developed from the sketching and the brushstroke. We will see how to interpret a three-dimensional volume and how to get strong and natural contrast in small models. We will learn to use tools such as brushes, airbrushes, etc. to achieve a realistic looking effect. Most of the work will be done with brush by the students, but Marc will do some demos with an airbrush to show how he combines it.

We will also talk about color issues. We will see examples in figures and illustrations to better understand the concepts. There will be demonstrations from Marc along with the explanation.

Saturday afternoon (15:00 until 19:00):

Practical session: Attendees will be able to put into practice the explanations of the morning. All afternoon Marc will supervise the work and make corrections.

Sunday morning (09:00 until 13:00):

NMM and Textures. Leather and fabrics

Theory and demonstration. Marc will explain how to create a metal surface with non-metallic paint, as well as how to paint fabrics and leathers.

Using non-metallic paint to represent the effect of gold, copper, bronze, steel, etc. The technique will be determined by the sketching and the stroke. You will learn how to interpret a three-dimensional volume and integrate the reflections of the environment. We will learn to use tools such as brushes, airbrushes, etc. to achieve a realistic looking effect. We will discuss color theory to understand how different materials work and how they behave.We will see examples in figures and illustrations to better understand the concepts. There will be demonstrations on my part, along with the explanation, and finally a practice exercise will be done.

We will work on the painting of leathers and fabrics, explaining the method that Marc uses to represent these types of materials. We will focus again on the process, from the sketch, the stroke, and the type of finish according to the material. We will study how to represent different materials not only from color but also contrast, brushstroke, stroke, and angle of the folds.

Sunday afternoon (15:00 until 19:00):

Practical session: Attendees will be able to put into practice the explanations of the morning. All afternoon Marc will supervise the work and make corrections.

During most of the course, the explanations and demonstrations will be done on the piece that all the attendees will share in order to be able to put the knowledge there. However it is probable that, some of the example demonstrations are made on other pieces that Marc is going to bring. The idea is that you can understand the concepts as clearly as possible.

Marc will have a Step by step done with the figure to make the explanation easier to follow. If it’s possible Marc will show it on a screen or TV or else on a tablet.

FAQ:

How do I get there? Can I park my car?

The event location is close to a big parking lot, usually there's plenty of room for 14 more cars, so parking shouldn't be a problem. There are plenty of busses that stop nearby that go from Utrecht Central Station. 

Who do I contact for questions?

You can contact Wouter Schaap via wschaap91{at}gmail.com or find me on facebook using this handle: https://www.facebook.com/wschaap91 

Do you give out refunds / can I transfer my ticket?

Since we have to rely on a small amount of participants showing up we do not give out refunds. You can however sell your ticket on to someone else. In this case make sure to contact me at the mail address above.