"There's an uncool trend of guys spending 500+ hours on one model.... now join me as I wet blend the skin on one section of this model for 50 hours and realize that I am not going to do much of anything other than paint this one model for the next two months!" 🤣
You missed his point... they spend 500+ hours over one year, he does it in 30 days. Basically he called them out for being complacent 🤡🤡🤡 small addition: this is meant as a joke not as an attack on the commentor nor on people who paint 500+ hours on a mini or anyone else really.
Its worse than that! now join me as I wet blend the skin on one section of this model for 50 hours THAT NOBODY WILL EVER SEE BECAUSE ITS HIDDEN UNDER ARMOUR Well, I guess its all part of the process...
I love that you called out being a parent! I love watching these golden demon videos bc I'll never have the time to do something like this but it's so much fun to see it done! I'm content with my hobby time, but seeing something done to this level is still so inspiring!
lol. I’ve been painting miniatures for over 40 years and I’ve never spent more than an hour to paint one 30mm scale miniature at a time. Two hours to paint a huge model. Nor do I know of anyone who spends more than this time wise on a single model.
This video is really motivating me for my golden demon submission. It's my first and there's 0 chance of me winning, so now I'm motivated by just improving and showing myself my progress rather than demoralized by that fact
I'd like to see a timed painting competition. Each contestant gets X hours...its either live or filmed(all painting hours have to be recorded and submitted). Would be interesting to see how good everyone is within similar limits.
Yea, I like that Golden Demon theoretically judges your effort, but I agree that a timed competition would be a cool, separate way to judge painting ability, if given the same conditions.
Miniature painting competitions aren't for reegular hobbyists anymore. They're for TH-camrs, Instagrammers, pro painters, and the like as part of their advertising.
90 seconds in, ninjon claims we aren't crazy. Ninjon, the man who painted a mini in his own blood and his audience of thousands, who watched the video. Totally sane.
Painting and writing in blood is one of the oldest mediums in existence and is valid funnily. Hard to paint with though without using additional agents in the liquid, at days end it’s not as good as paint. 😂
Yeah golden demon is cool but there are others. However seeing professional painters complain about not winning (which is happening a lot on TH-cam) is not great for people watching.
@@LosJakubos they act in an understandable manner, they poured 100s of hours into their works and dont even get noticed, while models clearly painted with less expertise are getting podium places. Refer for example to the literally unposed leviathan dreadnought that John Margiotta painted, no shade to the painter, but that entry is fully undeserving of a gold medal, and i can guarantee you there were 100s of other entires painted on a higher level that didnt even get halfway through the elimination process.
@jeremikrowicki970 Clearly painted with less expertise? Which one. Judged by who? A sore looser in a competition? I'm sorry but didint Ninjon himself, exactly a YEAR ago said in a video, that there will always be someone that will loose and someone that will win in this competition and there is no point in being a sore looser? And then he does what? Exactly that. Also, everyone knows how this competition works, it has always been like that since 90s, now people just have more platforms to bitch on about it. Sorry but for every youtuber to expect to win this competition is childish to put it lightly.
@jeremikrowicki970 Yeah, it's almost like art is subjective or something! All of those models with 100s of hours into them all end up looking the same to me, honestly. Yes, it's cool and objectively good work, but it all looks the same and because it all looks the same, no one's work stands out anymore like it did 10+ years ago when there wasn't such a glut of talentless people who learned their skills from the same handful of tutorials.
Man, I just gotta say as a new painter I really dig the message you send about perseverance and painting. I often find myself doubting my abilities and second guessing every little brush stroke or how long it's taking me to do one little thing. It's great to hear that even some of the best painters experience the same anxiety and to just trust the process. Reframing my headspace in this way has also helped me a lot in my personal life as well. Never would've thought I'd gain so much from painting little rat men! But hey thanks for all you do man and looking forward to following your journey this year!
@Ninjon, your videos and paint jobs just keep getting better and better. Thanks for inspiring us to keep practicing and pushing ourselves, while still enjoying to hobby!
For me, a competition means more than just competing. It is a fun day to spend with other hobbyists who are passionate about the hobby and share their views and tricks. Putting models on a table is to share your talent and to give people more models to view. It is always fun to see the same models painted by different people, just to see their own imagination. Yes, it is satisfying to win a trophy but being there and sharing your work, makes you a winner anyway!!! This year will be my first GD and I'm so excited to see some of the work of other people. I can't wait to see you beautiful giant monster!!!! :)
To take a different view point for Golden Demon competition In essence GW gets miniatures painted for free and uses those for marketing and advertising. From a marketing and advertising perspective, how GW does Gloden Demon is simply brilliant. Zero risk to GW, little capital outlay (with it being in the form of trophies), competitors provide their own miniatures, paint and time and they pay an e try fee in the form of registration for the convention to compete. Since the judges for the competition decide what they want to market and advertise for the company, the painting competition is already biased and certain paint styles or models will have been eliminated from the competition before the official judging even begins.
hey Jon, I really like that you included GOOD photos of the results! It's SOO MUCH BETTER than a 360 glory shot, it really helps to get a good impression of the paint job. Please continue doing this. Also, challenge accepted, I'll start on my Ushoran. I've got a tournamen in March and have yet to start 😬
It's the reality of all competitive endeavours in the modern world. There are likely 10x as many entries as past years, all painting at an extremely high level and there can still only be one winner. GD has really gone from an amateur competition to a professional one. The question for GW is whether GD has become so competitive that the nature of the competition has changed and they need to change the format to a system where you can achieve a level within your chosen category rather than a straight 1st, 2nd & 3rd.
@@joshuagorrell9235 From my understanding the way it works in other competitions is that you enter for a category (e.g 40k single model) and then the judges divide the entries they feel have reached the required level into gold, silver or bronze levels with one best in show award. This means you could have say 5 gold entries, 12 silver and 23 bronze so the end result is more of a recognition of your current ability rather than a straight up prize. All models are judged together. It's just a way to make it less of a "feels bad" moment for more people and that they at least came away with some feedback on the level they achieved. There are certainly arguments for and against this type of judging.
@@joshuagorrell9235 this isn't the issue you think it is. i mean plenty of competitions in all kinds of mediums have multiple entries you can win. sometimes the best model isn't the best in every category, just the most categories. so, if they take that approach, it'll be like any other award show (grammies, Oscars, MVA, Game of the Year, Etc.) that's a much more organic approach rather than just having a podium. if they had 5 or 6 different categories and one was the best or have the best average placing out of all of them, then they would be the best model over-all, but the one in second overall might have had a better theme or better basing. Point is, it wouldn't be hard nor would it benefit you to skimp on other areas just to get a single category.
@Verity98765 and that would be great, but it's still subjective, and could be manipulated. An easier thing they could do is break it into the ranks, and if you've placed top 3, you can't enter that rank again, you have to move on
@@joshuagorrell9235 I don't see how that system could be manipulated? All art is going to judged subjectively unless they narrow it down into specific styles with highly defined parameters.
Now that you can make a career in social media as a miniature painter, of course the stakes have changed for competitions. A Golden Demon win is now a valuable advertising tool that results in higher engagement. Guys like Ninjon and Miniac want those trophies to advance their careers as TH-camrs.
I probably am in the minority, I don't care who won what, I care if their videos are approachable and I can learn from them. Just because you are really good at something doesn't mean you're good at showing others how to do it
I have no problem with someone spending as much time they want to paint their own model. 1 day or 1000 days its their own time. How anyone wants to enjoy their own hobby is fine... and none of my business 😅 there are also diminishing returns from painting time
It's nice that you said that the most difficult to figure out is a first part of a mini, because of no reference to the other parts. Second part is something that you can relate do the first and correct as much the second part as the first part. It is like that with every part, but when I finish, it all looks so much better than the first part alone. Gives me understanding of what I'm doing. I don't have enough experience to make first part accurate at first go, but I like it this way much more, than when I was trying to do everything at once (but the paint usage is worse - so much waste).
So sick of hearing big yt names whine about not winning Golden Demon. Zumikto made his video crying about how he didn't win and went so far to say that someone at GW must not like him personally for him to have not won. I saw his 800+ hour paintjob and tbh it wasn't as good as any of the top 3 winners in the category. Just because you spend a long time on a piece doesn't mean you deserve to win, neither does being a big name. If someone spends 1000 hours doing a terrific paintjob and i spend 1001 hours doing a bad paintjob does that mean i should win? No, it doesn't, and so many big yt names complain about GD becuase they didn't win. None of these names ever advocate someone else should have won its always about them.
This. It’s like, don’t cry because you lost. Someone is more talented than you and/or put more time and dedication into it than you and/or the judges just subjectively liked theirs better. That’s how these competitions go. It’s not uncool to spend 800 hours on one model, it’s impressive. If you’d rather compete at a different level, enter a different competition
This is a key point. I can edit a photograph of somebody in 5 minutes better than some can in several hours because I’ve got massive amounts of practice at it. Yes Zumikto is a good painter, as are the Squidmar boys but they are TH-camrs first and somebody who is pure painter will be much better.
I needed to hear that. I have a full time job and two kids. I love to paint and I want to think some day, with a lot of work, I could enter a golden demon project. But I just needed to cut to the chase here and live vicariously through TH-cam professionals and be happy with my once highlighted salamanders.
Yeah, the side/"B" build looks better than the main build, especially detached from the landing legs. I'd like to see what people come up with using all of those leftover side-build pieces.
Just spent an afternoon with friends at Upstairs Circus. Had some fun painting and thought you and the wife (and kid if wanted) would enjoy a night out!
I'm so glad I don't care to paint to a display quality standard. I'm just happy to have my models look good on the table. That's what this hobby is about to me.
I feel this is one of the best tutorials without being a tutorial wetblending demonstrations. It might be the high pigment paint you use but I'd have to chance going over the area multiple times to get anything resembling this .
Challenge not accepted! But I like watching you spend hours and hours on a single really well painted mini while I bust out an army while only putting in 50% effort. :)
Hi there! I have no idea if you gonna read this but I wanna say thank you! Thank you for every video you've created and thank you for everything that might come I the future! I've kinda lost interest I this hobby over the last months. But a few weeks back I found your channel and just watched so many of your videos and regained interest. So ... thanks! ❤
I'm 2 minutes into the video but that face is painted to perfection and the way you've done the base is amazing, I feel a golden demon on the horizon for you
I think alot about Sam Lenz comparing 2D canvass painting to miniture painting. You would never question a professional canvass painter spending hundreds of hours on a painting. For some reason the models being used for a game make us think they are a lesser art form. To each their own
It is different. Hundreds of hours of canvas is also sketching, drawing, imagination, perspective, composition (to a bigger degree) etc, on top of the size + the detailing. It's not about the art form, it's being realisitc. As much as I love miniatures, the amount of work going into canvas is simply much greater
I get your point, but I would counter with the simple fact of surface area. A canvas can be multiple square feet, whereas most infantry sized minis are a scant few square inches, if that. To spend the same amount of time painting both of those would be madness
@@TheEvilErmine yikes. For more ambitious miniature projects, there is a huge amount of sketching, drawing, planning, and composition. It's a disservice to art to think that it just happens. Poe (the author) wrote down the process needed to make The Raven work - it was a huge amount of toiling and very little "fanciful inspiration". These things don't happen by accident - I know a lot of miniature artists that sketch the model and "prop up" things in order to make sure they work. The Slayer Sword winner by Alexandre Dos Santos is a prime example: creating the asymmetric reflection of a vampire didn't happen by accident.
@@tychoMX oof. We can enjoy the hobby without trying to make up an interiority complex. You know, scaling the complexity is not really an argument, since both can be increased, and I'm not questioning the technical ability of painters ;)
johnny boy i love your golden demon video series'. That last cities of sigmar one was unreal and this big rat is looking incredible! Can't wait for the next vid
Didn't Vince Venturella give the competition up as well? There are many amazing painters who don't bother from what I've seen. It's a competition like any other, but it's also subjective. So even if I had the talent for it, I wouldn't stress over it.
I think for Golden Demon they should do unique categories that are released 2-3 months before application which limits the amount of time. It also means that competition is more direct with competitors having similar models etc. It does limit freedom but the tradeoff is that judges and audience can really see the comparisons between competitors and reduces biases in certain models being more likely to win as the categories would group similar models or themes together. The plus side is that an open category can still be viable. Categories would be set themes, for example individual model entry for one year could have the theme of undead etc. It means painters with more experience with a theme get to show off those skills rather than getting similar models winning year after year. It would hopefully open up to more kitbashing to see more unique models.
It seems like golden demon needs more judges and more specific metrics for placement, and to give reasons for disqualification. Feedback and open communication are great ways to win community support.
I like this idea. I painted Varag Ghoul chewer to the best of my ability and just started another BB orc and set no time limit. Think I've learned a lot in the last year but really get to put it into practice. Reckon we should all be trying this.
I haven't painted anything for competition for several years. The last time I painted something was just before the pandemic where I picked up a silver. I've not entered a Golden Demon for nearly 10 years. So I've been thinking about entering a few this year, starting with a comp at a local show and then build up from there.
All we have to do is look at the Squidmar guys for this. They had one painted that took a lot of time and all other entries were quick and they still got multiple commended entries. If you go in to win, yes you gotta spend a shit ton of time, but if you go in for fun and maybe commended, you definitely dont
i have a flexi spot desk - it is awesome, at 6 foot 3 i have never had a desk that fitted someone of my hight. now i can adjust it perfectly standing or sitting. i work alternating standing and sitting 40 minutes at a time.
I have an eye on the Squidmar Open. I am nowhere near good enough to place in the top but it looks like a more chill competition which will be good to measure my skills and have fun
"they stand behind their product" Well I sure hope so! It is a standing desk, after all! I want one of those EvoBags so bad, they look _awesome_. Probably wouldn't stop my bird from throwing my paint bottles or trying to drag my projects around but still. Also, watching the wet blending and defining highspeed is so chill. Love it.
My plan is to finish my Chaos Marines starter set, 2 wardogs, and 5 terminators left, and get Abadon and make him a proper center piece. Looking forward to it whenever that happens lol.
I get it, but like if someone enjoys pouring half their waking hours into one mini, why shouldn't they enter it? I say that as someone who's probably never spent more than two hours on anything.
@Ninjon - thank you for this. I'm nowhere near Golden Demon standard... yet. 😂. Ill be attending my 2nd Adepticon this March. I'm getting better each model i finish and learning new things. Right now I'm perfecting the wet blends and glazing... Necron blades. I entered my 1st painting competition this past August at Gen Con. I hope to enter Golden Demon some day. Thanks for sharing and keeping it real honest. Oh... and yeah... my youngest is in 8th grade. Its easier when you dont have young ones. 😊
I'd like to imagine myself as a pretty good painter, thanks in part to the tips I've picked up from Ninjon and other content creators over the years. However, I have no interest in competitions or showing off my work-that's not why I paint. Sharing my art is a privilege reserved only for the people closest to my heart. I believe I'm not alone in thinking that way.
I like the idea of a series of videos on a single project. Sometimes waiting for this big video to come out and then having to sit through a really long video where it goes through a huge project it's a bit exhausting and I will even skip them for the shorter videos. I hope to see more videos like this.
The first step is always the hardest, but I can assure you there is nothing to be afraid of. Start with a simple mini, like a Necron warrior or clanrat, and don't aim for Ninjon grade quality with your first try. Your first painted miini might not look like anything special, biut it WILL be special, because you have then officially become a Slayer of the Gray. And I think that deserves a Slayer Sword of its own. Good luck!
I'm really pleased that a piece i painted last year that wasn't specifically intended to be a competition entry but was just the most enjoyable project i did in the year managed to bag a commended entry in standard diorama amin the online version of Cult of Paint's MPO. I just tried to paint it as well as i could for myself, it is still a gaming piece (even though it placed in diorama) because it was constructed as a piece of terrain that could also be presented for display in my home cabinets. So for ot even to reach the kowest tier of award it could was a big confidence boost for me. My plan for painting in 2025 is to concentrate on enjoying what i am doing. Some of the most enjoyable paintjobs are not the "best" or most technically well executed but those that convey your intent and storytelling the best in the end result.
I actually own that monument hobbies travel case and love it. I don't really travel, but I like having it at a spot in my house that's outside my normal painting station. Highly recommend.
I have a drawer with a bunch of finalist pins and have accepted that's my peak. I just go to see how good everyone else is now (and damn, there's a whole lot of talent out there, so good luck to all that enter now)
Thank you for highlighting the (often by me) overlooked fact that any excellence in painting and competitive gaming is curtailed with the addition of children/family in your life. All the best a mostly childless and I have to remember that when I feel insufficient... However, as a father I'm elite!
Wait Jon! What’s that handy transport bag with the paints and lamp you’re using during the ad? It is freaking awesome and I need it!!!! Please share a link!
I like to paint something new almost every week or two so I started to focus on getting really good then realized it wasn’t fun so I spent about 2 to 5 hours per model and I’m happy enough with it to find something g new to paint
I paint imperial Knights in a day, probably 12 hours max, I was beaten in a painting competition, by split vote, and apparently it was very close, the winner had spent 10 months painting his model, close to 1000 hours, it still felt like a win to me 😂
writing this before watching the video but I just wanted to thank you again for the amazing paint line of ProAcryl I have the full set and I ordered a starter for a good friend of mine for Christmas but due to postal errors It got stuck so its an after Christmas gift now lol. i know they are gonna love these paints.
They are good brushes; they are effectively a narrower tipped filbert. Foxbite does arrow brushes too. Going to dabble with some reservoir brushes to experiment with for thinned down paints to see how fine they are as a comparison.
I don't know if I'm just not understanding the gripe or not. People don't think entering Golden Demon because the people entering are doing too much? Yes, outcomes can be subjective but isn't it about entering the best you can do?
I had been struggling with the fact that I've never won any of the contests I've entered. Now obviously the fact that I'm not a master level painter is a contributing factor. but, now I'm realizing I am also not committing the level of time to my models that others are. I want to paint new models regularly and I have kids and a full time job. But, I am painting a single mini for the squidmar open that I'm going to put everything I have into.
I love seeing all the GD entires, regardless of shifting standards it’s a treat and a halo event. Got anxiety watching how wobbly you have your miniature (far from a brace point) while painting even if it’s just base coating btw - surely some tighter elbows and a rolled towel or something could held steady it? Must be coating accuracy as well as time
Another awesome video 😎. How do you keep the paint wet on the brush when painting so many fine hair strokes over and over? Do you add anything to the paint like retarder?
It is all who judges. It is also if they deem your model and scheme can be marketed to theur style of painting. A person I knew who won was told a following year his model was the best but couldn't be marketed. Was a rough rider model done in a desert scheme.
Good video. The amount of videos and people complaining and crying that they didn’t win Golden Demon got annoying. Especially when you’re subbed just to see the amazing paint jobs that you do and learn something
Most 'hobbyists' have no chance of winning these painting competitions. If you are painting minis for a living, it's not a hobby, it's a profession. There should be separate categories for professionals and hobbyists (amateurs), just like in most competitions. Seeing the same youtubers and influencers whining about not winning competitions, or the fairness of such, leaves a sour taste. Especially when they are making money from the content surrounding it.
"There's an uncool trend of guys spending 500+ hours on one model.... now join me as I wet blend the skin on one section of this model for 50 hours and realize that I am not going to do much of anything other than paint this one model for the next two months!" 🤣
You missed his point... they spend 500+ hours over one year, he does it in 30 days. Basically he called them out for being complacent 🤡🤡🤡
small addition: this is meant as a joke not as an attack on the commentor nor on people who paint 500+ hours on a mini or anyone else really.
@@Morrodin-WH40Kthat’s not a very good point, if so. Time and resource limits could just be in person and controlled
@@MoPost I hope you realise the 3 clowns at the end of my post meant it was a joke right?
Its worse than that! now join me as I wet blend the skin on one section of this model for 50 hours THAT NOBODY WILL EVER SEE BECAUSE ITS HIDDEN UNDER ARMOUR
Well, I guess its all part of the process...
@@stingray4567 that's precisely where Golden Demon judges will look for paint!
I love that you called out being a parent! I love watching these golden demon videos bc I'll never have the time to do something like this but it's so much fun to see it done! I'm content with my hobby time, but seeing something done to this level is still so inspiring!
lol. I’ve been painting miniatures for over 40 years and I’ve never spent more than an hour to paint one 30mm scale miniature at a time. Two hours to paint a huge model. Nor do I know of anyone who spends more than this time wise on a single model.
It's no Golden Demon, but one of my goals for 2025 is to submit a mini for the painting competition at PAX Unplugged later this year
💯Hell yeah!!! Goodluck my friend!👍
Good luck! Hope you do well
This video is really motivating me for my golden demon submission. It's my first and there's 0 chance of me winning, so now I'm motivated by just improving and showing myself my progress rather than demoralized by that fact
I'd like to see a timed painting competition. Each contestant gets X hours...its either live or filmed(all painting hours have to be recorded and submitted).
Would be interesting to see how good everyone is within similar limits.
There are a variety of speed painting competitions. If you are at Adepticon, look for the Relicblade Speed Painting contest.
Yea, I like that Golden Demon theoretically judges your effort, but I agree that a timed competition would be a cool, separate way to judge painting ability, if given the same conditions.
I'd like to see the same competition, but without using a spray gun.
No point really, Erik Swinson wins, gg.
Gencon has a bunch of live 1 hour speed paint competitions anyone can enter, or has in the past anyway.
Miniature painting competitions aren't for reegular hobbyists anymore. They're for TH-camrs, Instagrammers, pro painters, and the like as part of their advertising.
90 seconds in, ninjon claims we aren't crazy. Ninjon, the man who painted a mini in his own blood and his audience of thousands, who watched the video. Totally sane.
which one ?
At least he hadn’t started dipping his brush into a certain Nurgle player’s “special paint brews”
Painting and writing in blood is one of the oldest mediums in existence and is valid funnily. Hard to paint with though without using additional agents in the liquid, at days end it’s not as good as paint. 😂
Voodoo stuff
genuinely love when your golden demon videos start rolling out, love to see the project coming along step by step. Good luck! We're cheering for you!
I'm so glad this is a painting video and not a drama video lol
"Got kids" that part hurt me 😂😂 especially with 2 small children finding time and motivation to paint is hard!
Same here😂
True
Warhammer/painting basically didn’t happen until my son was raised and off to college.
Wait til they get older and can paint with you. Your hobby will take off again!
I assumed every golden demon entry was hundreds or thousands of hours. I never even considered i could ever enter something
Thanks!
Yeah golden demon is cool but there are others. However seeing professional painters complain about not winning (which is happening a lot on TH-cam) is not great for people watching.
It's frankly cringe. They all act like they are suppose to win cause they are a TH-cam miniature painter. Riddiculous.
@@LosJakubos lol calm down
@@LosJakubos they act in an understandable manner, they poured 100s of hours into their works and dont even get noticed, while models clearly painted with less expertise are getting podium places. Refer for example to the literally unposed leviathan dreadnought that John Margiotta painted, no shade to the painter, but that entry is fully undeserving of a gold medal, and i can guarantee you there were 100s of other entires painted on a higher level that didnt even get halfway through the elimination process.
@jeremikrowicki970 Clearly painted with less expertise? Which one. Judged by who? A sore looser in a competition? I'm sorry but didint Ninjon himself, exactly a YEAR ago said in a video, that there will always be someone that will loose and someone that will win in this competition and there is no point in being a sore looser? And then he does what? Exactly that.
Also, everyone knows how this competition works, it has always been like that since 90s, now people just have more platforms to bitch on about it. Sorry but for every youtuber to expect to win this competition is childish to put it lightly.
@jeremikrowicki970 Yeah, it's almost like art is subjective or something! All of those models with 100s of hours into them all end up looking the same to me, honestly. Yes, it's cool and objectively good work, but it all looks the same and because it all looks the same, no one's work stands out anymore like it did 10+ years ago when there wasn't such a glut of talentless people who learned their skills from the same handful of tutorials.
Man, I just gotta say as a new painter I really dig the message you send about perseverance and painting. I often find myself doubting my abilities and second guessing every little brush stroke or how long it's taking me to do one little thing. It's great to hear that even some of the best painters experience the same anxiety and to just trust the process. Reframing my headspace in this way has also helped me a lot in my personal life as well. Never would've thought I'd gain so much from painting little rat men! But hey thanks for all you do man and looking forward to following your journey this year!
@Ninjon, your videos and paint jobs just keep getting better and better. Thanks for inspiring us to keep practicing and pushing ourselves, while still enjoying to hobby!
For me, a competition means more than just competing. It is a fun day to spend with other hobbyists who are passionate about the hobby and share their views and tricks. Putting models on a table is to share your talent and to give people more models to view. It is always fun to see the same models painted by different people, just to see their own imagination. Yes, it is satisfying to win a trophy but being there and sharing your work, makes you a winner anyway!!!
This year will be my first GD and I'm so excited to see some of the work of other people. I can't wait to see you beautiful giant monster!!!! :)
To take a different view point for Golden Demon competition
In essence GW gets miniatures painted for free and uses those for marketing and advertising.
From a marketing and advertising perspective, how GW does Gloden Demon is simply brilliant.
Zero risk to GW, little capital outlay (with it being in the form of trophies), competitors provide their own miniatures, paint and time and they pay an e try fee in the form of registration for the convention to compete.
Since the judges for the competition decide what they want to market and advertise for the company, the painting competition is already biased and certain paint styles or models will have been eliminated from the competition before the official judging even begins.
hey Jon, I really like that you included GOOD photos of the results! It's SOO MUCH BETTER than a 360 glory shot, it really helps to get a good impression of the paint job. Please continue doing this.
Also, challenge accepted, I'll start on my Ushoran. I've got a tournamen in March and have yet to start 😬
It's the reality of all competitive endeavours in the modern world. There are likely 10x as many entries as past years, all painting at an extremely high level and there can still only be one winner. GD has really gone from an amateur competition to a professional one. The question for GW is whether GD has become so competitive that the nature of the competition has changed and they need to change the format to a system where you can achieve a level within your chosen category rather than a straight 1st, 2nd & 3rd.
The problem with that is like you have with online gaming.. people will put in for lower categories, just to have a better chance
@@joshuagorrell9235 From my understanding the way it works in other competitions is that you enter for a category (e.g 40k single model) and then the judges divide the entries they feel have reached the required level into gold, silver or bronze levels with one best in show award. This means you could have say 5 gold entries, 12 silver and 23 bronze so the end result is more of a recognition of your current ability rather than a straight up prize. All models are judged together. It's just a way to make it less of a "feels bad" moment for more people and that they at least came away with some feedback on the level they achieved. There are certainly arguments for and against this type of judging.
@@joshuagorrell9235 this isn't the issue you think it is. i mean plenty of competitions in all kinds of mediums have multiple entries you can win. sometimes the best model isn't the best in every category, just the most categories. so, if they take that approach, it'll be like any other award show (grammies, Oscars, MVA, Game of the Year, Etc.) that's a much more organic approach rather than just having a podium. if they had 5 or 6 different categories and one was the best or have the best average placing out of all of them, then they would be the best model over-all, but the one in second overall might have had a better theme or better basing.
Point is, it wouldn't be hard nor would it benefit you to skimp on other areas just to get a single category.
@Verity98765 and that would be great, but it's still subjective, and could be manipulated.
An easier thing they could do is break it into the ranks, and if you've placed top 3, you can't enter that rank again, you have to move on
@@joshuagorrell9235 I don't see how that system could be manipulated? All art is going to judged subjectively unless they narrow it down into specific styles with highly defined parameters.
This was pleasing to watch man. Beautiful work
Now that you can make a career in social media as a miniature painter, of course the stakes have changed for competitions. A Golden Demon win is now a valuable advertising tool that results in higher engagement. Guys like Ninjon and Miniac want those trophies to advance their careers as TH-camrs.
That is exactly why I want to compete in these tournaments as well.
@@optomix3988 good luck with that
I probably am in the minority, I don't care who won what, I care if their videos are approachable and I can learn from them. Just because you are really good at something doesn't mean you're good at showing others how to do it
I have no problem with someone spending as much time they want to paint their own model. 1 day or 1000 days its their own time. How anyone wants to enjoy their own hobby is fine... and none of my business 😅 there are also diminishing returns from painting time
You know you're old when the Games Day events you went to on a coach booked by your GW shop is spoken of as "days of yore".
insane how far painting has come.. from Chaos black and green goblin to this... Same goes for your dedication to this channel... Happy New Year!
Cool video. Thanks
Great job Jon, I can really tell how much your skills have improved over the years watching your channel.
It's nice that you said that the most difficult to figure out is a first part of a mini, because of no reference to the other parts. Second part is something that you can relate do the first and correct as much the second part as the first part. It is like that with every part, but when I finish, it all looks so much better than the first part alone. Gives me understanding of what I'm doing. I don't have enough experience to make first part accurate at first go, but I like it this way much more, than when I was trying to do everything at once (but the paint usage is worse - so much waste).
So sick of hearing big yt names whine about not winning Golden Demon. Zumikto made his video crying about how he didn't win and went so far to say that someone at GW must not like him personally for him to have not won.
I saw his 800+ hour paintjob and tbh it wasn't as good as any of the top 3 winners in the category. Just because you spend a long time on a piece doesn't mean you deserve to win, neither does being a big name. If someone spends 1000 hours doing a terrific paintjob and i spend 1001 hours doing a bad paintjob does that mean i should win? No, it doesn't, and so many big yt names complain about GD becuase they didn't win.
None of these names ever advocate someone else should have won its always about them.
In squidmars video they've said plenty of times that someone should win over someone. But that's more of an exception from big picture
This. It’s like, don’t cry because you lost. Someone is more talented than you and/or put more time and dedication into it than you and/or the judges just subjectively liked theirs better. That’s how these competitions go. It’s not uncool to spend 800 hours on one model, it’s impressive. If you’d rather compete at a different level, enter a different competition
This is a key point. I can edit a photograph of somebody in 5 minutes better than some can in several hours because I’ve got massive amounts of practice at it. Yes Zumikto is a good painter, as are the Squidmar boys but they are TH-camrs first and somebody who is pure painter will be much better.
@@knivesjugglingkid117squidmar failed with his entry big time and had to cover it up. He has almost zero chance to win with his current skill.
@@kostasb855 yet he wasn't throwing that much of a tantrum
I needed to hear that. I have a full time job and two kids. I love to paint and I want to think some day, with a lot of work, I could enter a golden demon project. But I just needed to cut to the chase here and live vicariously through TH-cam professionals and be happy with my once highlighted salamanders.
Yeah, the side/"B" build looks better than the main build, especially detached from the landing legs.
I'd like to see what people come up with using all of those leftover side-build pieces.
Man. Watching those color gradients getting layered is soooooo satisfying. Good Luck Ninjon, hope you take home some hardware on this one.
Just spent an afternoon with friends at Upstairs Circus. Had some fun painting and thought you and the wife (and kid if wanted) would enjoy a night out!
Nice to see this model again! I love what you did with the base and cant wait to see this fully realized.
I'm so glad I don't care to paint to a display quality standard. I'm just happy to have my models look good on the table. That's what this hobby is about to me.
I feel this is one of the best tutorials without being a tutorial wetblending demonstrations. It might be the high pigment paint you use but I'd have to chance going over the area multiple times to get anything resembling this .
Challenge not accepted! But I like watching you spend hours and hours on a single really well painted mini while I bust out an army while only putting in 50% effort. :)
Hi there! I have no idea if you gonna read this but I wanna say thank you! Thank you for every video you've created and thank you for everything that might come I the future! I've kinda lost interest I this hobby over the last months. But a few weeks back I found your channel and just watched so many of your videos and regained interest. So ... thanks! ❤
I'm 2 minutes into the video but that face is painted to perfection and the way you've done the base is amazing, I feel a golden demon on the horizon for you
It's going to be a great model! Can't wait to see it all painted!
Awesome vid! I love seeing the progress on this project. I cannot wait to see how you do that amazing custom base.
I think alot about Sam Lenz comparing 2D canvass painting to miniture painting. You would never question a professional canvass painter spending hundreds of hours on a painting. For some reason the models being used for a game make us think they are a lesser art form. To each their own
It is different. Hundreds of hours of canvas is also sketching, drawing, imagination, perspective, composition (to a bigger degree) etc, on top of the size + the detailing.
It's not about the art form, it's being realisitc. As much as I love miniatures, the amount of work going into canvas is simply much greater
I get your point, but I would counter with the simple fact of surface area. A canvas can be multiple square feet, whereas most infantry sized minis are a scant few square inches, if that. To spend the same amount of time painting both of those would be madness
@@Crypticranger426 A canvas is flat, and being large makes it easier. Touche Reposte ;)
@@TheEvilErmine yikes. For more ambitious miniature projects, there is a huge amount of sketching, drawing, planning, and composition.
It's a disservice to art to think that it just happens. Poe (the author) wrote down the process needed to make The Raven work - it was a huge amount of toiling and very little "fanciful inspiration". These things don't happen by accident - I know a lot of miniature artists that sketch the model and "prop up" things in order to make sure they work.
The Slayer Sword winner by Alexandre Dos Santos is a prime example: creating the asymmetric reflection of a vampire didn't happen by accident.
@@tychoMX oof. We can enjoy the hobby without trying to make up an interiority complex.
You know, scaling the complexity is not really an argument, since both can be increased, and I'm not questioning the technical ability of painters ;)
johnny boy i love your golden demon video series'. That last cities of sigmar one was unreal and this big rat is looking incredible! Can't wait for the next vid
Was so excited about this video! Can’t wait to see it when it’s all finished! 🎉❤ Keep your amazing work and efforts up! Your a big inspiration to me 😊
Didn't Vince Venturella give the competition up as well? There are many amazing painters who don't bother from what I've seen. It's a competition like any other, but it's also subjective. So even if I had the talent for it, I wouldn't stress over it.
I think for Golden Demon they should do unique categories that are released 2-3 months before application which limits the amount of time. It also means that competition is more direct with competitors having similar models etc. It does limit freedom but the tradeoff is that judges and audience can really see the comparisons between competitors and reduces biases in certain models being more likely to win as the categories would group similar models or themes together. The plus side is that an open category can still be viable.
Categories would be set themes, for example individual model entry for one year could have the theme of undead etc. It means painters with more experience with a theme get to show off those skills rather than getting similar models winning year after year. It would hopefully open up to more kitbashing to see more unique models.
Have a Happy and Blessed New Year Jon and family
It seems like golden demon needs more judges and more specific metrics for placement, and to give reasons for disqualification.
Feedback and open communication are great ways to win community support.
golden demon finalists should be given a model and paint it live on stage with a four hour time limit.
I really look forward to seing more of this project!
I like this idea. I painted Varag Ghoul chewer to the best of my ability and just started another BB orc and set no time limit. Think I've learned a lot in the last year but really get to put it into practice. Reckon we should all be trying this.
Figure 10/10, Choice of colors 10/10. You re nailing this man, keep at it! Also, these GD vids you post are by far the best on YT, imo.
I’ve spent the last 9 days trying to do my best work yet. Thanks
I haven't painted anything for competition for several years. The last time I painted something was just before the pandemic where I picked up a silver. I've not entered a Golden Demon for nearly 10 years. So I've been thinking about entering a few this year, starting with a comp at a local show and then build up from there.
All we have to do is look at the Squidmar guys for this. They had one painted that took a lot of time and all other entries were quick and they still got multiple commended entries. If you go in to win, yes you gotta spend a shit ton of time, but if you go in for fun and maybe commended, you definitely dont
Hope to see and meet many of you all at the Baird convention center in a few months
Good points on the standing desk. Makes you wonder how many painters are struggling on dining tables. Great Job
Comining along nicely sir. A very splendid new year to you and yours
This video is why I paint for box art and not competition.
i have a flexi spot desk - it is awesome, at 6 foot 3 i have never had a desk that fitted someone of my hight. now i can adjust it perfectly standing or sitting. i work alternating standing and sitting 40 minutes at a time.
I have an eye on the Squidmar Open. I am nowhere near good enough to place in the top but it looks like a more chill competition which will be good to measure my skills and have fun
I just bought your primer and a couple paints and it works great but I’m really happy with the primer 👍
"they stand behind their product" Well I sure hope so! It is a standing desk, after all!
I want one of those EvoBags so bad, they look _awesome_. Probably wouldn't stop my bird from throwing my paint bottles or trying to drag my projects around but still. Also, watching the wet blending and defining highspeed is so chill. Love it.
The fur texture you created by just painting a ton of little lines is fucking GORGEOUS!! Cannot wait to see it finished Jon!!
Please. No more click bait titles. I just want to paint more.
My plan is to finish my Chaos Marines starter set, 2 wardogs, and 5 terminators left, and get Abadon and make him a proper center piece. Looking forward to it whenever that happens lol.
I get it, but like if someone enjoys pouring half their waking hours into one mini, why shouldn't they enter it? I say that as someone who's probably never spent more than two hours on anything.
@Ninjon - thank you for this. I'm nowhere near Golden Demon standard... yet. 😂. Ill be attending my 2nd Adepticon this March. I'm getting better each model i finish and learning new things. Right now I'm perfecting the wet blends and glazing... Necron blades. I entered my 1st painting competition this past August at Gen Con. I hope to enter Golden Demon some day. Thanks for sharing and keeping it real honest. Oh... and yeah... my youngest is in 8th grade. Its easier when you dont have young ones. 😊
I'd like to imagine myself as a pretty good painter, thanks in part to the tips I've picked up from Ninjon and other content creators over the years. However, I have no interest in competitions or showing off my work-that's not why I paint. Sharing my art is a privilege reserved only for the people closest to my heart. I believe I'm not alone in thinking that way.
There are plenty of up and coming competitions to enter!
Been waiting for this for ever dude... Looking great.... cant wait for more........ maybe more regular updates on the project? 😉
I like the idea of a series of videos on a single project. Sometimes waiting for this big video to come out and then having to sit through a really long video where it goes through a huge project it's a bit exhausting and I will even skip them for the shorter videos. I hope to see more videos like this.
Painting my first warhammer army this month. I was gifted the skaven half of the Island of Blood minis and I am stoked to get started !
I've watched soo many of your videos but never have the courage to actual paint. I need to change that this year.
The first step is always the hardest, but I can assure you there is nothing to be afraid of. Start with a simple mini, like a Necron warrior or clanrat, and don't aim for Ninjon grade quality with your first try. Your first painted miini might not look like anything special, biut it WILL be special, because you have then officially become a Slayer of the Gray. And I think that deserves a Slayer Sword of its own. Good luck!
@henninglystad8483 Thank you for the encouragement and recommendations. I'll definitely push through this silly hurdle.
Wouldn’t the shadows and highlights change once the armour in installed? Seems like it should have been in place to start?
I'm really pleased that a piece i painted last year that wasn't specifically intended to be a competition entry but was just the most enjoyable project i did in the year managed to bag a commended entry in standard diorama amin the online version of Cult of Paint's MPO. I just tried to paint it as well as i could for myself, it is still a gaming piece (even though it placed in diorama) because it was constructed as a piece of terrain that could also be presented for display in my home cabinets. So for ot even to reach the kowest tier of award it could was a big confidence boost for me.
My plan for painting in 2025 is to concentrate on enjoying what i am doing. Some of the most enjoyable paintjobs are not the "best" or most technically well executed but those that convey your intent and storytelling the best in the end result.
That painted fur looks so good. Definitely worth the time.
Looking forward for the finished mini although it will still take some time
I actually own that monument hobbies travel case and love it. I don't really travel, but I like having it at a spot in my house that's outside my normal painting station. Highly recommend.
i see vincent's whispers about the great horned rat have creeped into your mind. big scary ratto will be a sight to behold.
I have a drawer with a bunch of finalist pins and have accepted that's my peak.
I just go to see how good everyone else is now (and damn, there's a whole lot of talent out there, so good luck to all that enter now)
Thank you for highlighting the (often by me) overlooked fact that any excellence in painting and competitive gaming is curtailed with the addition of children/family in your life. All the best a mostly childless and I have to remember that when I feel insufficient... However, as a father I'm elite!
Wait Jon! What’s that handy transport bag with the paints and lamp you’re using during the ad?
It is freaking awesome and I need it!!!! Please share a link!
I mean the black bag over the Flexispot desk with all the hobby goodness
It's the Monuments Hobbies GoBag Neo.
kind of did that challenge for my a mini for my Dad this Christmas. did glowing runes and gems decently well for the first time.
I like to paint something new almost every week or two so I started to focus on getting really good then realized it wasn’t fun so I spent about 2 to 5 hours per model and I’m happy enough with it to find something g new to paint
Looks amazing So far!!
I paint imperial Knights in a day, probably 12 hours max, I was beaten in a painting competition, by split vote, and apparently it was very close, the winner had spent 10 months painting his model, close to 1000 hours, it still felt like a win to me 😂
writing this before watching the video but I just wanted to thank you again for the amazing paint line of ProAcryl I have the full set and I ordered a starter for a good friend of mine for Christmas but due to postal errors It got stuck so its an after Christmas gift now lol. i know they are gonna love these paints.
I saw you are using the kimera arrow brushes, how do they perform?
They are good brushes; they are effectively a narrower tipped filbert. Foxbite does arrow brushes too. Going to dabble with some reservoir brushes to experiment with for thinned down paints to see how fine they are as a comparison.
I don't know if I'm just not understanding the gripe or not. People don't think entering Golden Demon because the people entering are doing too much? Yes, outcomes can be subjective but isn't it about entering the best you can do?
That fur texture looks amazing.. I should really be more patient when painting. The effort will be worth it.
Listens to a video about spending a week painting some skin on a single model, whilst I contrast paint 5 Striking Scorpions in 20 minutes.
I had been struggling with the fact that I've never won any of the contests I've entered. Now obviously the fact that I'm not a master level painter is a contributing factor. but, now I'm realizing I am also not committing the level of time to my models that others are. I want to paint new models regularly and I have kids and a full time job. But, I am painting a single mini for the squidmar open that I'm going to put everything I have into.
I love seeing all the GD entires, regardless of shifting standards it’s a treat and a halo event. Got anxiety watching how wobbly you have your miniature (far from a brace point) while painting even if it’s just base coating btw - surely some tighter elbows and a rolled towel or something could held steady it? Must be coating accuracy as well as time
Another awesome video 😎. How do you keep the paint wet on the brush when painting so many fine hair strokes over and over? Do you add anything to the paint like retarder?
It is all who judges. It is also if they deem your model and scheme can be marketed to theur style of painting. A person I knew who won was told a following year his model was the best but couldn't be marketed. Was a rough rider model done in a desert scheme.
Great work man thanks for being inspiring
Good video. The amount of videos and people complaining and crying that they didn’t win Golden Demon got annoying. Especially when you’re subbed just to see the amazing paint jobs that you do and learn something
this doesnt change the fact that this has been a coveted prize for me for almost 2 decades now
Most 'hobbyists' have no chance of winning these painting competitions. If you are painting minis for a living, it's not a hobby, it's a profession.
There should be separate categories for professionals and hobbyists (amateurs), just like in most competitions.
Seeing the same youtubers and influencers whining about not winning competitions, or the fairness of such, leaves a sour taste. Especially when they are making money from the content surrounding it.
Ninjon just spent more time painting the area under this guys armor than I spend on my entire collection...