Paint Your Minis for Dirt Cheap! (at least what I consider dirt cheap)

Hobby-gaming is time consuming stuff.  You have to put models together, construct their bases, clean mold lines, fill gaps and defects, prime, paint, wash, paint... Great hobby is an investment, and one well worth the time and money.  Life-long friendships are forged over the table top, wits are tested, and it's good clean fun.

But for some of us, we don't have the time to paint (and in some cases completely assemble) all of our miniatures.  Year after year, our prime coated or naked minis wage monochromatic war, still looking for that extra something that will make a game or campaign truly epic.  The Monster Lab can help.

Count Draigo & Grey Knight Terminators: $360

For ten years I've been an avid hobbyist.  Starting first with a force of Iron Warrior chaos marines in high school, before moving on to the enigmatic eldar and the even more strange chaos demons.  I've played 40k, Fantasy, Mordheim, and Freeblades, collecting armies, warbands, and freebands for each.  In ten years I have done A LOT of painting.

One year ago I decided that I wanted to earn my bread by painting some figs.  It's gone great, and since then I've been hired on as the studio painter for the fledgling game company DGS Games.  I get to paint minis everyday.  It's awesome. 

Changeling & Pink Horros of Tzeentch: $260

In fact, I want to paint more models and share the hobby I love with as many people as I can.  I want to paint your minis.  

Do you need your 40k army painted?  Fantasy?  Warmachine?  Hordes?  One model?  A squad?  I can paint just about anything you've got.  Like these demons above. 

Custom sculpted bases starting at $3

 I'll even go the extra mile and do custom bases for you so models can really stand out on the table top.

Eldar Swooping Hawks: $240

In my opinion, my prices are dirt cheap.  I know some painters will paint for peanuts, sometimes literal peanuts.  But besides that, my prices are as low as you can go.  Here's the breakdown:  Say you want a squad of Swooping Hawks or Striking Scorpions painted.  I'll charge you a flat $10/hour rate, factor in a few bucks for supplies like paint, green stuff, etc. and that's it.  Dirt cheap.

But what about those Hawks or Scorpions?  The swooping hawks above would take me about 3-4 hours per model (sometimes it's less), depending on size, how many colors, and conversions.  So your bill would come out to $180-$240.  Not an amount of money to sneeze at, but lookey there, you've got your models painted in record time and now all you have to do is have a fun time playing them on the table top!

Eldar Striking Scorpions: $200

Commission prices vary depending on what level of quality you want.  My standard paint is like the one I described above, three to four hours per model.  I call it "Showcase Quality," and with it you get a finely painted model with unlimited colors, fantastic basing, and the assurance that when you put it on the table top it will draw looks and complements alike.

If Showcase Quality is too rich for your blood, or you just need something basic, you can also go cheaper in the $15-20 range.  These guys won't turn heads, but they're painted with a basecoat of three main colors,  a wash, another basecoat, a highlight, and enough details picked out to call it "Table Top Quality."

I can also go nuts on your model or models, and labor on the detail, time, and layers of shading and highlights.  For $100 and up I can paint you something competition worthy (I've placed top 5 at both Golden Demons I've entered into, 2011 Diorama and 2012 40k Monster).

Questing Knight of Vidnuar: $40

But most people are looking for something that's reasonably priced and has their friends saying "wow, that looks great!"  And Showcase Quality is for them.

What if a whole army is out of your reach?  How about a painted skirmish force Warmachine/Hordes, Freeblades, Mordheim, or Blood Bowl?  Maybe you need one model as a centerpiece for your force or for you role-playing character?  Not a problem.

Morgryd the level 8 Dwarf Fighter with one-day rushed delivery: $52

Need it rushed to you?  For a few more bucks (up to 20% of your order value) I will bump your order to the front of the line and hustle to get it done by the deadline that YOU choose, it can even be as early as the next day.  That's some great service.

Falkaaran Witchcat: $30

Still, many of us like painting our own models (and luckily have the time to do so), but we want to add that something extra to the minis we paint.  If that something extra is a conversion or sculpted piece just outside your skill set, I can gladly make you anything your heart desires!  For instance the "dock" basing done for this female rogue is the perfect in-scene basing to make her model truly special.  For $10-20 (maybe less, sometimes I can do things faster than I even knew I could) I can convert a model to your exact specifications like the one below.  The more involved the conversion the higher the price, but the sky's the limit!

Dock basing: $10

Female Rogue with crafted basing: $40

A conversion can be as simple as a weapon swap or a few additions...

"Polythemus" the Undead Cyclops conversion: $30

Or as intricate as complete reposing and remodeling of a miniature.

Soul Grinder of Tzeentch conversion: $60

Extreme Ghetorix conversion: $180

Resculpted ax hand and ax for the Extreme Ghetorix

I can even take an idea you have and bring it to life from scratch!

Charon Boatman of River Styx "counts as" Black Coach: $250

"Skethar King" Skethar Alpha: $400 (given as a gift)

So, if you have a hobby project that isn't getting finished, or you need just a little help here or there, I can help!  Send me an email at midwestmonsterlab@gmail.com and I'll shoot you back a bid for your project.  And remember, it's your hobby, so I'm committed to getting it just right!

Karonnan Necromancer: $40

Questing Knight: $35