04/05/2026

Happy Easter Sunday, and welcome back to Tabletop Thoughts!

It’s been another full and fast-moving week on my end, juggling responsibilities across multiple jobs and trying to keep everything on track. Even so, I’ve managed to carve out some much-needed time at the hobby table. There’s something incredibly satisfying about sitting down, brush in hand, and slowly bringing a miniature to life—especially after a long, hectic day.

Despite the busy schedule, I’m happy to report that I’ve made solid progress, getting several more miniatures painted up and finally cleared off the craft table. Seeing that growing collection of finished pieces is always a great reminder that even small pockets of time can add up to real progress in the hobby.

First up is a Young Black Dragon from EC3D Design, and this one was a lot of fun to bring to life. I began with a layered black and green undercoat across the scales and wings to establish that classic swamp-dwelling, venomous look. For the underbelly, I used a white drybrush to build up some contrast, then followed it with Pallid Bone Speedpaint to give it a natural, aged tone that stands out nicely against the darker body.

To help the wings pop, I applied a pewter gray drybrush over the raised details, which really brought out the texture and structure of the membranes. The smaller details were a great chance to add some character—pink for the tongue to give it a bit of life, pallid bone again for the horns to keep them cohesive with the underbelly, and a sharp red for the eyes to give the dragon that menacing, watchful presence.

The base ties everything together with a murky, swamp-like feel. The rocks were painted in neutral grays, given a black wash to deepen the shadows, and then lightly drybrushed with white to pick out the edges and add depth. For the water, I leaned into a mix of sickly green tones to suggest something foul and stagnant, then finished it off with a layer of gloss Mod Podge to create that wet, reflective surface. It’s a simple technique, but it really sells the effect and helps the whole piece feel more alive.

Next up is a pair of dwarves from Fat Dragon Games. These were a great opportunity to lean into some quick and effective slapchop techniques to get them finished and off the table without sacrificing too much detail. Starting with a solid undercoat and building up with drybrushing and speedpaints, I was able to pick out the textures in their armor, beards, and gear while keeping the process efficient and enjoyable.

The goal here wasn’t perfection, but progress—and sometimes that’s exactly what the hobby calls for. Both dwarves came together nicely, with enough contrast and color to make them pop on the tabletop while still staying true to that rugged, battle-worn dwarf aesthetic.

I carried this same approach forward with all of the following miniatures as well, keeping things consistent and streamlined so I could make the most of my limited hobby time.

Following that, I worked on a group of three female human adventurers from Fat Dragon Games, part of their recent Kickstarter release. These minis have a lot of great character baked into the sculpts, which made them especially enjoyable to paint even while sticking to a faster workflow.

Using the same slapchop approach as before, I focused on building quick contrast to bring out the details in their clothing, armor, and gear. Each figure still has its own personality, thanks to some varied color choices, but the overall process stayed consistent to keep things moving along efficiently.

It’s always nice when a set like this comes together quickly—distinct enough to stand out as individuals, but cohesive enough to feel like a party ready to hit the table.

Next up is a male human fighter from Fat Dragon Games, also from that same Kickstarter set. This sculpt has a classic adventurer feel to it, with solid armor and a ready-for-anything stance that really fits the tabletop vibe.

I kept things consistent by using the same slapchop technique as the previous miniatures, focusing on quick contrast to bring out the details in the armor, clothing, and gear. A few simple color choices helped define the different materials and gave the figure enough visual interest without slowing down the process.

He fits in nicely alongside the rest of the group, both in style and execution, and adds a strong front-line presence to the growing collection.

Rounding things out, I painted up a bit of a mixed group: a cat person from the Bones 5 Kickstarter, a male human ranger from EC3D Design, and a male human bandit from The Printing Goes Ever On. It’s always fun jumping between different creators and styles like this, as it keeps the painting process feeling fresh.

I stuck with the same efficient slapchop workflow here as well, using quick contrast and selective color choices to bring out each miniature’s personality without getting bogged down in details. The cat person was a great chance to play with fur tones and subtle variation, while the bandit leaned more into rough, earthy colors to match that classic rogue look.

The standout for me, though, was the human ranger. There’s just something about the sculpt that reminds me of Christopher McDonald—maybe it’s the facial structure or the expression—but once I saw it, I couldn’t unsee it. That made painting him even more entertaining, giving the miniature a bit of unintended character along the way.

Altogether, this batch was a great way to wrap up the session—varied, characterful, and ready for the table.

Keep on gaming!

2026 Goals Progress

• Minis Painted: 162/150 – COMPLETED
• Large Models / Terrain: 7 / 6 – COMPLETE
• YouTube Videos: 5/ 24
• Game Reviews: 4 / 4 – COMPLETED
• Games Played (TTRPG + Board Games): 0 / 4
• Thursday Drop-Ins Created: 3 / 12
• New TTRPG Systems Tried: 0 / 3
• Shadowdark Mini-Campaign Sessions: 0 / 3
• Shadowdark Release on DriveThruRPG: 1/ 1 – COMPLETE