Hey everyone 👋
Just a bit of an update and a peek behind the curtain…
In the real world, I work as a freelancer, and work’s been a little light recently. And, since I quite enjoy things like being able to afford food and having a roof over my head (call me old-fashioned 😅), I’ve been thinking about how I can make more of this channel while I’ve got a bit of extra time.
One of the big things I’ve been mulling over is monetisation. Now, the obvious route would be something like Patreon—but I’ve always been hesitant about that. My freelance work can be unpredictable, and if I suddenly get a big project, I might need to drop everything for a couple of months. If people are paying monthly for content, I’d want to give it 100% commitment and make sure everyone gets proper value. Realistically, that might not always be possible.
And honestly, I know the Patreon space is already pretty crowded. I don't know about you but I personally struggle to support all the creators I’d like to support, so no shade at all to the folks doing it full-time—hats off to them, seriously! 🙌
But with all that in mind, I wanted to try something a bit different.
🎨 So! I’ve decided to start painting single miniatures for sale.
Not commission work (for the same reasons as above), but pieces I’ll paint in my own time and put up for sale as and when they’re ready. If they’re popular, I’ll absolutely paint more. If not, hey—it was worth trying!
It’s been around 20 years since I last sold or did commission painting, so this feels like a bit of a return to form.
At the moment I’m thinking of offering a couple of different tiers:
Box Art Standard – A high-quality paint job on a standard base.
Display Level – Painted to a higher spec on a custom plinth, with extras like freehand, conversions, and added detail.
Pricing will be based on hourly rates. This is a business after all—with overheads, taxes, etc.—so I won’t be churning minis out at breakneck speed just to make a quick buck. And for now, I won’t be doing units or squads, just single figures to keep things manageable.
🤔 What will I be painting?
Good question. I’ve got a bit of a backlog (okay… a lot of a backlog 😅) of kits on the shelf, so I’ll probably start there. I did some digging and it sounds like something like an Ultramarine Captain might have the most broad appeal, I probably could’ve guessed that would be the case—maybe not a bad place to start while I get the ball rolling! But I’m still figuring it out.
🧠 Bonus idea: Painted heads!
Over time I’ve built up a little collection of painted heads. I do them for practice or to test paint schemes for upcoming videos, and most of them just end up in a box on the shelf.
So! I’ve picked out the best of the bunch and I’ll be putting them up on the website for sale as well. Each one has had a couple of hours of work, so they’re not rushed, and I’m only listing pieces I’m proud to put my name to.
They might be handy if you:
Hate painting heads (we’ve all been there),
Want a reference piece to paint your own,
Or just want something cool on your hobby desk.
They’re sold first come, first served, and due to current restrictions, I sadly can’t ship to the EU at the moment. Hopefully that changes in the future, but for now, that’s where we’re at. If anyone knows of a legal way to get round this I'd like to hear it.
This is all a bit of an experiment — maybe it works, maybe it doesn’t! But I wanted to be transparent and let you know what’s going on, especially while I’ve got a little extra time to invest in the channel.
I’m also open to suggestions for the channel — whether it’s video ideas, things you'd like to see painted, or other random thoughts. I can’t promise I’ll be able to do them all, but I’m always happy to listen!
Thanks so much for the support as always — whether you're watching, liking, commenting, or just lurking in the background, I massively appreciate it. 💛
Let me know what you think, or if there’s something you'd love to see painted!
Where you can get hold of me: