Busts of Beauty

No, not that kind of bust, you crass soul.

We're doing something a little different today, just to keep you on your toes (or stumps, if you're unlucky enough to be missing toes). The weekly showcases are great at showing off artists and their paintjobs, but I mostly focus on Games Workshop sculpts, as those are really the extent of my knowledge and experience with painting miniatures.

However, that does cause me to shoot myself in the foot (watching out for my toes, of course), as there's so much more wonderful work out there that isn't exclusively on a Warhammer model. Busts are something I've seen circulating around a little, and I'm always so very impressed with the standard. I view them a little as the ultimate challenge in painting, as it really is to a display piece standard. Plus, what an amazing canvas to work on to allow yourself to practice your painting ability.

So with that, and the rather helpful kick in the right direction courtesy of @minimatt_87, here is a brand new venture in looking at some of the amazing work performed on busts within the community. I hope you very much enjoy.

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1) @chkminis

Perhaps one of my favourite artists, Toni always creates gold from the end of his brush with his miniature painting. So transferring those skills to a larger scale in the form of a bust, has clearly been as easy as pie. The utterly incredible work on show here makes this piece look like a digitally designed work of art. The fact it was all done by hand blows my tired mind away. The natural blends of colour to form the skin, as well as the saliva and blood effects, are truly next level. I would advise you head over to Toni's page so you can see this bust in all it's glory.

This bust can be found at @heramodels_minis and was painted by @chkminis

2) @minimatt_87

Matt is the man we must all thank for the creation of this article, so let's all slowly clap and chant his name. He came to me proudly with this pretty awesome bust, and so I will return the favour by proudly showcasing his work. The NMM work on the gauntlet claw, as well as the shoulder pad is expertly done, as is the weathering. This wonderful paintjob allows the power of the pose to come through, and that's the point of a bust isn't it? I think that's enough confirmation that you should go and check out Matt's work in full now.

This bust can be found at @daybreak_miniatures and was painted by @minimatt_87

3) @alba_otin

Our third bust today has been provided to us by Alba, with her incredible job on this scarf wielding lion. Busts seem to allow huge creativity, given how interesting the sculpts tend to be, and I can only imagine how fun this was to paint. clearly Alba thought so, as that fun has converted to an inspiring paint job. Specifically, I'm in love with the work on that scarf; the texture and gradients are simply incredible, in fact, if this bust was just one big scarf, I'd be done for the year. Go have a look in detail over at Alba's page!

This bust can be found at @daybreak_miniatures and was painted by @alba_otin

4) @raerah

The next bust on the cards today is courtesy of Rae. She is a shining beacon of light that we all need in our lives, constantly shining that light on others. So here is the light being thrown back into her face. This sculpt has a range of different textures to work through, and Rae has done an excellent job in allowing those to shine through. I particularly love the shades of green used for the cloth, and it perfectly contrasts the hair. The skin tones are also blended nicely, allowing a natural look to come through. Go have a closer look at this bust over at Rae's page!

This bust can be found at @nerikson91 and was painted by @raerah

5) @reaper.hobbies

Tommy is providing us our next bust to fill our visuals with, in the form of Geralt the Witcher. I'd imagine most people here know who this sculpt, so the pressure was on Tommy to do it justice. And by George, he did. From the pale skin tone, to that beautifully chalky looking armour, the paintjob is instantly recognisable as the character it's meant to be (which is a challenge in itself). The absolute best part of this work are the incredible eyes, so I implore you to check out Tommy's page to see for yourself.

This bust can be found at @cults3d and was painted by @reaper.hobbies

6) @becklespinax_hobbyspinax

Next up might be my favourite bust of the day! Becky has chosen to go down the reptile route, and I must say that was the right direction to go. This sculpt is truly awesome with so many different details. So luckily, it has received the paintjob it deserves. Going for a red skin tone was a powerful choice, but yet again, the right one. It allows all of the other colours to pop perfectly, complimenting every aspect of the bust. Also, that bone is pretty incredible right? If you don't think so, then go educate yourself at her page.

This bust can be found at @3dartdigital and was painted by @becklespinax_hobbyspinax

7) @oscarlars

We've got the rather sicknegly good Oscar up net, with this beautifully strange bust. The real visual stimulation here lies in the amazing paint job performed on the floral headress. The blend of colours, featuring blues, purples and greens, are simply beautiful. Upon looking closer at the brushing technique, you can also see the wonderful work in bringing out texture where there is none. That is true talent, and one that should inspire us all to challenge ourselves more. Please go and have a look in more detail at his page!

This bust can be found at @arkegonos and was painted by @oscarlars

8) @guardian_lion_miniatures

Closing our beautiful busts today, is this artist with his eerily beautiful vampire/demon/man/thing. Maybe we'll just call him Greg for simplicity's sake. Well Greg looks wonderful. I'm really quite a fan of the painting style used here, which looks a cross between cartoons and wax works. Not everything needs to be painted in a photo-realistic clean style, and this is a refreshing example of that. The finished product oozes atmosphere, and that's the true beauty of painting. Go check out this artists page for a detailed look at that incredible red eye.

This bust can be found at @tytantrollminiatures and was painted by @guardian_lion_miniatures

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That will be all for today I'm afraid. Yes I know, I could also look at busts all day too, but the days are getting shorter and the list of things to achieve are getting longer. I very much hope you have enjoyed something a little different, with this look at busts. There's been some truly wonderful art on show across the board, and you would be doing yourself a favour of the highest order, if you went and had a more in depth look at the busts in question, as well as the artists behind them.

Another great thing you could also do, is support the makers behind the busts, by checking them out too. There are plenty of small time companies and people that need the support within this hobby, more so than the big corporations. Yes, we do all love Gams Workshop and what they have done with this hobby, but there's plenty of new kids on the block.

And if nothing else, I hope this has inspired you to maybe take a leap and pick up a bust to practice your skills on. I know for sure it has convinced me that I would like to do so, and if you're anything like me (and I hope for your sake you are not), then you'll be convinced too.

Big thanks to @minimatt_87 for being the fuel for this fire to take place, and to you for reading. If you would like to be featured in some capacity in the future, or have ideas for a new topic or article, please get in touch via plasticpreacher@gmail.com or @plasticpreacher on Instagram.

Catch you on the flipside!