'Eavy Metal Painting

Has anyone else noticed that the 'eavy metal team aren't always that great? I was just browsing the online catalogue and found this:

I mean look at the layering on the horse's drape things (I have no idea what clothes for horses are called! ) it's awful! I've noticed it a few times before though naturally now that I come to post about it I can't find anymore examples lol!

Wow, the way this guy looks, even I could have painted him! Not very good work.

Still think its better than mine, but sometimes I think they 'Pro Painted' stuff is garbage! But who am I? Except a lowly Dwarf.

Well it's a VERY nice BASIC paint job. The Heavy Metal team DOES have some TRULY gifted painters/modelers, AND, when they are turning out character/one-off pieces they REALLY shine. However, much of what they do is MASS PRODUCED armies that MUST be completed within a VERY limited time span; ergo, most of their pieces have a limlited palette & are only marginally better than an average paint job.The REALLY negative effect of the Massed Produced/Speed Painting thing, is that it is promoted as THE WAY to paint armies. It puts forward a lower standard than what otherwise might be the case, if the numbers were less & time constraints were not so prohibitively short.

I think one of the reasons the Specialist Game support has beeen dropped is that since most of these games use less minis, GW sells less minis. HUGE armies of adequately painted minis IS what GW is about.

I would LOVE it if the Game Designers who play the Battle Reports were forced to use armies that they themselves had painted.

Actually, I think that model is either from one of the staff at WH World's armies; or is just a very old paintjob which has not been updated. The model is an old one so GW may not have had a suitable pic for the store and found one from one of the non Eavy Metal staff or the vaults. Certainly wouldn't be the first time.

The Eavy Metal painters produce one miniature per day on average. If pressed for time, they sometimes just paint the model on parts that will show in photographs (i.e. the front).

Even if they are behind schedule, their work is still a lot neater than that and colour choice would certainly be better.

But it's a hero! It should be an artpiece!

Some models in the Empire in Flames supplement (I think Beasthunter or so) were painted by Mark Latham who I don't think is even in the Eavy Metal team. He did a great job writing the Legends of the Old West rules (and is now Editor of White Dwarf). But I don't think he is considered part of the EM team. What I mean is that the painted sample Citadel miniatures are not necessarily painted by them.

There was also a period of time (late 90's IIRC) where the Heavy Metal team was painting below their abilities. It was felt that all the pictures of well painted miniatures in White Dwarf was discouraging to new players.

That attitude went away quick once other companies miniatures started looking better than theirs once painted.

Its funny I was thinking the same thing, and started to looking through old White Dwarf magazines and realized that they painting hadn't gotten worse, mine just got better.

But yeah, every now and then there are some figures that look like GW store staff painted them vs HeavyMetal guys.

I always thought it to be very encouraging to see some of the minis the GW ordinary staff painted looked like mine or even worse It shows you that EavyMetal really is often extraordinary and that you're not the only one who can't paint that good.

I think the "Thy Soul to keep" campaign did show some average painted minis, for example.

maybe it's an old pic before they were all talented? I've seen some pictures used on the site that are older...?

Come to think of it, this pic might have been the one that got me into the hobby...