When I first painted my Autumn Mage, I intended to do a series of seasonal mages, but somehow never got around to it.... When our local painting club did a series of "Visions in Color" style minis this great Reaper mini by Werner Klocke was our second one. I thought she'd make a perfect Winter Mage, even with the sword (hey, if Gandalf can have Glamdring...)

About the same time I started her, I was lucky enough to be asked to teach at Reaper Artist's Convention 2005. I was introduced to their wonderful new "Masters Series Paints" there. I highly recommend these paints! They're much thinner than Vallejo Model colors, blend and layer like a dream, and come in a large variety of colors (using a "triad" system of matched colors - highlight, base, shade).

As a result this mini was completely done with MSP's. Since I wanted to use a subtle color palette, partly inspired by my wife's own winter painting, MSP Ashen Blue (a greyish-blue I fell in love with) added just the right touch of icy chill to her clothing, while some of the Reaper greys likewise "chilled" her fleshtones. As my wife did in her painting, I used pink tones judiciously (sword, staff) to makes the surrounding blues seem even colder in comparison.

I'm very pleased with how she came out - the combination of color scheme and new paints really helped me push my techniques. (In the words of Amy Brehm, it's a "Level up" model ;^)

While the mini has been seen on the net in a different form (sporting it's original cast base in the Wyrd Miniatures' Femme Fatales contest, where I won 3rd in fantasy), this is her final base treatment, created for Kublacon 2006. I added the rock (converted from Kaladrax's base at RAC), some microscale snow and a Reaper familiar painted as an ermine.

She took 3rd place after Marike Reimer and Derek Schubert. The phenomenal wooden display base was created for me by Wayne Rogers of Wayne's Bases, a true artisan with hardwood (his bases graced multiple entries at the con, including Marike's).