Big, clanky and full of personality!

That’s how I’d describe the Cog Automaton I had the pleasure of painting this weekend. If you saw my previous blog-post you’ll know that I won the chance to paint a prototype from the game Rivals: Masters of the Deep. Set in a Steampunk world of underwater adventure, this forthcoming game is packed full of fantastic miniatures.

The model I was sent had been 3D printed which was a first for me. I should probaby point out that this is because it is a pre-release prototype, and not the finished product. Despite a few rough edges, it was a nice, lightweight material to work with, and pretty easy to clean up with a file and modelling putty. It intrigues me to see where this technology will take our hobby. I wonder if we’ll be printing our own miniatures in the future?

When I was thinking about how to paint the Automaton, I sought inspiration from various nautical sources.

Clearly, the miniature shares design cues from ancient pressurised diving suits and so I knew I wanted to use warm metallics such as brass or copper. Equally, the round design made me think of those bright red decomissioned sea mines that you see at British seaside towns. The big flat areas were perfect for building up gradients and blends, and I was able to get some lovely transitions up from purpleish crimson shadows up to vibrant scarlet zenithal highlights (something my photos don’t do justice).

Whilst I don’t know much more about Rivals: Masters of the Deep at this point I certainly look forward to adding some more of its miniatures to my collection. The cartoon style and colourful art direction are a nice departure from the grittier Games Workshop miniatures I usually paint. Last week the game relaunched on Kickstarter and has already funded – head over and check it out!

What do you think about Rivals: Masters of the Deep? What’s your view on 3D printed miniatures? Tell us in the comments…