Welcome to Miniature Painter Spotlight!

While we work on producing and delivering our unfulfilled projects, this new series is all about celebrating the talented artists in our community, who turn CMON miniatures into beautiful works of art. Get ready to meet them, know a bit more about them, and get a peek into their creative process!

For the first interview, we have José from Spain, who goes as @jogosmodelpaint on Instagram.

Hi there! First of all, we’d love to get to know you better! What is your name, where are you based, and how old are you?

Hello world! This is José Antonio González Aguilar. I’m 30 years old, and although I was born in a mountain town in the south of Spain, I now live in Málaga, a lovely coastal city not very far from my roots! Taking the first two letters from my name and surname, you get the word “Jogo,” which literally means “Game” in Portuguese, and I’ve embraced it as my nickname.

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How did you get started in miniature painting, and what drew you to the hobby?

Everything started with board games, that’s for sure. I can remember my very first board game that included cool miniatures instead of meeples or tokens, and while I got used to playing with gray miniatures, I always wanted to bring them to life.
It was because of a wonderful YouTuber who (still) makes glorious free video tutorials that I felt encouraged to try it myself! He was painting, episode by episode, the very same board game miniatures after all.

What are your go-to brushes, paints, or tools you can’t live without?

I’ve been testing different brushes of all sizes and qualities, and the truth is I haven’t decided yet which brand or product line is my preferred one. There are lots of factors to consider, including the price… Expensive brushes may be good, but they don’t last forever.
On the other hand, I have a clear choice for the paints – always Vallejo! To be honest, it’s a Spanish brand, so maybe I’m not being truly impartial here. But it’s not the only Spanish brand, and still the one that outshines!
Apart from that, the tool I can’t live without is the modelling knife, the only thing you need to remove those unwanted mold lines.

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Do you follow a specific workflow from start to finish?

Sure! Remove mold lines, prime, then the magic happens while painting—and once you feel it’s done, it’s time to give it some matte varnish.
The painting step has no specific workflow, I’m afraid. There are lots of factors that determine whether you should start from the shadow tones, midtones, a zenithal light with the airbrush, or just from an OSL sketch.
In any case, I usually start from the deeper elements of a miniature and move to the most exposed ones, in order to avoid accidental brush strokes.

Where do you find inspiration for your color palettes and designs?

I usually go for results that match the official art illustrations, created by artists more talented than me! This way, the miniatures are easily identified on the board, even by new players. If a new player checks the profile card and sees that their character wears a red jacket, the miniature definitely has to wear a red jacket!
Still, in very specific cases, I’ve modified minor details or the incidence of light for the sake of coolness. But that’s happened in less than 5% of my entire collection, I think.

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What’s the most challenging miniature you’ve ever painted, and why?

Hmm, I would say it was Ebrietas from the Bloodborne board game. Not only because of her huge size and how hard to handle that makes her, but mainly because of her complex design, both in terms of form and color. Too many elements, all of them with soft colors and transitions, mostly wet skin all around. She is an eldritch beauty, but also quite a grimy alien being.
Yeah, it took long hours to blend it all together. Not to mention the extra hours I spent removing her mold lines!

Is there a piece you’re especially proud of? Tell us the story behind it.

Oh sure! I’m aiming to paint my entire collection of Marvel United as a true piece of art. And the results are clear: recently, in a regional painting contest, I was awarded a gold medal in the Animals category with Cosmo, and also a silver medal in the Standard Miniature category with Nova!
I’ve been an all-in backer in its three crowdfunding campaigns so far, so this project could last for years. And I’ll enjoy every single miniature accordingly!

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Do you usually paint for display, for gaming, or both?

It was just gaming until I challenged myself in that regional contest. Since then, I’ve been thinking more on the display level, but the truth is, I feel my heart will always aim to paint my collection to enhance the gaming experience.
Now, my plan is to keep reducing the “gray tide” while also getting ready to show something different in the next contest.

What advice would you give to someone just starting out?

Fear not the result of your first paint jobs! No one created pieces of art on their first tries, and even the best artists look at their old miniatures and consider whether it’s worth giving them a repaint. I even learned how to clean and remove paint from a miniature before learning how to paint it!
Take a band of regular enemies from any board game and try to paint each member in a different way, using different techniques. What do you feel while drybrushing one of them? Does it look better than the one you painted with contrast paints? Or do you prefer to put down the base color and then give it some washes, the classic way? Does this brand have better coverage for the Slapchop technique? Is it worth buying an airbrush to try the sundrop effect?
The only way to understand and know each answer is to give them a try!

You can find José on Instagram:
@jogosmodelpaint

We hope that you enjoyed this interview with José. Stay tuned for more interviews like this, and updates on our projects.
Please also make sure to keep an eye on the Project Updates page for Crowdfunding and Pre-Orders.