We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Wes Bales a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Wes, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s start with what makes profitability in your industry a challenge – what would you say is the biggest challenge?

The truth is that commission painting for tabletop miniatures is not profitable. Not for most people, anyway. Maybe you’re lucky enough to work for one of the major studios that have cropped up in recent years. Maybe you’re a high-powered individual with the spoons to maintain a social media network across multiple apps, committed to regular and frequent content creation, and you’ve gained a dedicated following over years of hard work. If so, I salute you. Shine on, you crazy diamond. But it’s really hard. I have seen, too often I would say, posts from creators that are clearly stressed to the gills, apologizing to their followers for taking a break from posting to address their own mental health. The miniature hobby is just that. A hobby. It’s only now that commission work for miniatures, be it conversions or kitbashes or dioramas or painted armies, can flirt with the idea of being called an industry. These are incredible artists, who pour their heart and soul and precious time into stunning pieces. Levels of artistry I feel I could only dream of attaining, and they’re struggling. It’s really, really hard. I should be counting my lucky stars for having been granted this interview! Honestly, I’m no good at building a brand or monetizing my talent, I’m just a guy obsessed with tiny plastic figures, hoping to tell a good story and maybe make some money to validate my obsession. The truth is that in the end, this is about love and not profit.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

It took me approximately 30 years to figure out that, assuming I’m correct in my self-assessment, what I’m really good at is thinking. Making up stories in my head is both my greatest talent and favorite pastime. How did I get into miniature painting? I fell into it. My dad introduced me to Warhammer in my formative days and I was utterly enthralled, then had to put such things away for a long time because they are tragically expensive. Later I met the love of my life, and would muse to her once in a while, about how if I had the money and the time and the space, I would love to get into Warhammer again. She showed me Dungeons & Dragons, which just checked every box for me. A game where the primary mechanic is making up stories? And there’s miniatures!?

Our party had a pretty good run, considering. Nearly two years of semi-weekly sessions, off and on. I was a Goliath Fighter, she a Tabaxi Bard (who retired happily) and later a Halfling Druid (who became a terrifying vampire queen). Indeed, some of the best times of my life occurred on that tabletop. I recall a time when our DM rewarded my character with magical throwing axes that would return to his hands after being thrown. Between those and the enormous greatsword I imagined slung across his back, I felt he had a legendary loadout. I longed to see him represented on the table in miniature form. We found a few local shops that sold minis and I’d spend inordinate amounts of time staring at the displays, searching for one that resembled the image in my head. To my dismay, no match could be found.

But what’s this? This Firbolg Druid mini has the perfect face, and this Djinn mini has a giant sword, and… wow, that Dragonborn Fighter has a handaxe that looks magical as heck! I gathered this motley crew along with some cheap hobby tools and a strong sense of purpose. If I couldn’t find my character, I’d have to build him myself.

So began my first conversion. My first “kitbash.” A fascinating challenge. Hacking away at my own sort of Frankenstein’s Monster with an X-acto knife. Chop off an arm at the shoulder to reattach it at a slightly different angle. Cut off the hand, previously in a beckoning position, twist it back a little, now he holds the sword, resting it on his shoulder. His other fist clutches a quarterstaff, obviously that’s gotta go. Snip it, replace with handaxe, and bada boom. He was finally real.

Through the entire process, from planning to building to painting, I was irreversibly obsessed. I went out and bought more minis just to paint them, Imagining I might one day earn some supplementary income. Maybe even escape the doldrums of restaurant and retail work. Long have I struggled with motivation, and it is thanks to my partner Katie, my best friend, my muse, that I summon the power to keep creating. Her staunch support and relentless encouragement help light my way, even when I’m at my dimmest. She listened when I waxed nostalgic over my old Warhammer days, and gifted me a very large and complex set for Valentines Day. We are talking about a model with 78 components, a towering, terrifying thing that can barely be called a miniature. It took days just to put it together. It was glorious. That was two years ago and I’m still painting it! It’s something of a white whale. As I practice and improve, I come back to it periodically to apply new techniques.

Practice is the only way to get better, so I tried to paint as much as I could. And I got better! Katie helped me start an Instagram account to share my work (and I’m currently trying to get the hang of TikTok). Eventually, I had some pieces that I thought were good enough to display, and I shot my shot with one of the local game stores, who were kind enough to let me show off my work there. I ordered some business cards to accompany them, which I distributed wherever I could.

My first commission came from another local creator. A couple who make wooden terrain for board games. Wonderful people and big ol’ nerds just like myself. I was privileged to paint some of their pieces for display in the store – and get paid for it! It helped me begin to understand the value of my time, and how to charge for my service. I’m grateful to them for their compassion and for taking a chance on me. That little display has led to most of my other commissions since then.

Most of what I do is build and paint miniatures. Warhammer, D&D, Gloomhaven, whatever you like. I could also build terrain pieces or dioramas depending on the client’s wishes. Storytelling is my first love, and so my main focus will always be the story of the piece. I work hard with the client to understand their vision for a miniature, and do my best to bring that to life. These tiny artworks are meant to inspire feelings of adventure and immerse players in another universe for a little while. It’s imperative for me to tell a satisfying tale.

I treat each project as special, and tailor the price to match the level of work expected. I like the customer to be as well-informed as possible, and I strive to be affordable. Its a rather expensive hobby so I like to find ways to produce eye-catching results for less money. I want everyone to be able to play!

Can you open up about a time when you had a really close call with the business?

That’s easy, this interview! Full disclosure, I’ve had ample time to complete this questionnaire, and I’m turning it in at the absolute last minute. In fact, I’m praying it wont be too late. It’s an amazing opportunity, but self-promotion is hard for me. When I’ve got a commission, I’m pouring everything I’ve got into it. I’m on top of the world. Then there are long stretches where nothing is coming in and my mind goes all over the place. Existential dread. Impostor syndrome. Am I shooting myself in the foot with all this oversharing? Man, I think I’m supposed to be inspiring young entrepreneurs with this thing but that’s not who I am. If I’m going to inspire anybody, let it be dummies like me who think too much. It’s not enough to have a great idea, you do have to make it happen. Do the thing, shoot the shot, practice practice practice!

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

Thinking.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: www.instagram.com/quixoddhobby
• Other: [email protected]