Citadel Colour: An Interview with Mike McVey

Mike McVey's painting inspired my own meagre efforts more than anyone else. It was his work that I poured over and failed to emulate through the later part of the 1980s and beyond. We forget now, in this age of communications technology, just how limited our source material was back then. You had White Dwarf and the supplements that came with the games you bought. That was pretty much it!

And there was the waiting...

The waiting for the month to turn, so I could make the mile long trip to the newsagents and pick up the next issue of White Dwarf. I had a ritual. I wouldn't open the magazine until I got home and when I did, my first port of call was 'Eavy Metal and Mike McVey's painted models.

So you can imagine, dear readers, that Mr McVey was a the top of my list of individuals to interview and he was one of the very first personalities that I approached. Way back then, Mike ensured me that he would, one day, get back to me and I am very pleased to say that he finally has.

Mike's work dominated the final 'Fantasy Miniatures' hardback book in 1990, as this page illustrates.

RoC80s: How did its all start? Eighteen is a very young age to begin anything professionally, so how did you end up working for GW as part of the 'Eavy Metal team?

MMc: I was very young, and still living at home at the time. It was an advert in White Dwarf that started it all - I can't remember what issue (I really should go back and check…) but it was later in 1986. I painted some miniatures especially for it, and sent them off to the Studio. To my complete amazement I got a letter back asking me to come to Nottingham for an interview - that was all the prompting I needed to leave home and move close to Nottingham. My sister was at college in Loughborough at the time, so I moved in with her before the interview. The interview itself was pretty terrifying - I spent all my youth pouring over the pages of WD, and all of a sudden I was surrounded by the people who made it. Sitting there in John Blanche's office, with his paintings on the walls and his miniatures on the shelves. The thing I remember the most clearly was his Chaos Minotaur conversion - the one with Mona Lisa on the banner. I had stared at that for hours in the pages of WD, and here I was in the presence of the real thing… I also remember the sculpting studio - Nick Bibby, Jes Goodwin, Bob Naismith, and Ali and Trish Morrison - all sitting round laughing and joking, I thought it was the coolest thing I had ever seen. I was pretty wet behind the ears back then!

The interview didn't go great - I was very young and inexperienced, and was more than a little tongue tied talking to John - so I was pretty pleased when the whole thing was over.

I received a letter about a week later, informing me I hadn’t got the job - but that Bryan would like to talk to me about the possibility of doing some freelance work. I duly rang him up and he told me he'd keep me on file in the event of any work being available. So there I was living in Loughborough, and not working for GW…

The next thing I did was apply for a mould making job over at the factory in Eastwood - I figured if I got in there, it might be easier to transfer across to the studio (as my good friend Richard Wright eventually did, though I had no idea at the time). So I got several busses and trains to travel from Loughborough to Eastwood and had an interview with Steve Bruce and John Ellard (I think…) - who told me they couldn't employ me living so far away…

I had been in Loughborough for about two months (so that would be April 1987), when out of the blue I got a call from John Blanche asking if I would be interested in two weeks work in the studio. They had a big project coming up (which turned out to be Rogue Trader), and needed some help with it. I jumped at the chance, and that two weeks turned into 13 years…

Mike McVey has always stood out from the crowd.

RoC80s: You ended up running the painting team. During your time with the company, how did the way miniature painting was organised change?

MMc: Everything about the way the company worked has changed out of all recognition since those early days. John ran the art department when I joined, and that included the figure painting studio. Back then there was Colin Dixon (who was the first full time painter), Sid (who got the job I didn't), and myself. Really it was just Sid and I doing the painting though - Colin was mainly doing artwork, and only painted miniatures when there was a crunch on. Then there was Dave Andrews and Tony Ackland drawing and painting. I remember my first day in the Studio so clearly - walking into that room with Sid, Colin, Dave and Tony - all bearded with long hair, surrounded with cigarette smoke - and there I was a very fresh faced 18 year old. I was scared out out of my wits! I don't think I spoke a single work for about 2 weeks...

I was employed on the understanding that I would be able to paint five miniatures a day - but some days I painted far more. I remember painting the units for the first plastic regiments box set - where you got 20 each of several different Warhammer races. Most of those were painted in a single day for a unit of 20. Learning to paint at that speed, taught me a huge amount about economy of painting, and it really helped when I slowed down and spent more time on individual miniatures.

The miniature painting and art room was a pretty chaotic place - but we did get a lot done. Everyone went to the pub most lunch times (at least it seemed like that looking back), so the afternoons were definitely more 'relaxed'. I can't remember exactly how things were organised - but John would dole out the work and give us briefs for colour schemes. These were pretty open and we had a lot of freedom as to how to paint things - which was great.

The deadline was always - 'soon as you can'.

There was never any teaching of how to do things, but John would critique work and have us make changes when needed. I was keen as mustard though - this was my dream job and I wasn't going to screw it up.

As time went on over the years, the whole company got more organised, and that was certainly true for miniature painting. I was pretty much running it (under Phil Lewis) just before we moved to the new studio on Castle Boulevard - I think there were 5-6 of us at that point. Myself, Tim Prow, Dale Hurst, Ivan Bartlet and Andy Craig - I think that was everyone. Only Tim and I made it to the new studio though - the others were 'let go'. The whole studio move was a brutal experience, and lots of people didn’t make it - as far as I remember, they only found out a day or so before we moved.

When we got into the new place, we started re-building the team and I ran it properly for a couple of years. Or as properly as I knew how - considering I had no training in management what so ever. It was different place by then - much more organised and formal. We worked in an open plan office, so we weren't hidden away like we were in the original studio - that place was like a rabbit warren and you got get away with all sorts of 'high-jinks'!

These miniatures, and their famous paintjobs, must has launched the painting exploits of millions of gamers!

RoC80s: You were (and indeed still are) rightly famous for your gorgeous blended painting style. How did you develop this? Did you arrive at GW with the skill or did it develop through inspiration or through training?

MMc: When I got to GW, I was pretty competent painter - but I looked at the work of people like JB and Colin, and thought I would never get anywhere close to their level. It's amazing how fast you improve in that environment though - painting eight hours a day, surrounded with like-minded creative people. You absorb information by osmosis. I never remember much in the way of training - you would look at the way someone else did something, and work out how they did it. Everyone was very open with information, but there wasn't the culture of learning and forensic direction there is with miniature painting these days. It was very young hobby in a lot of ways. People had been painting miniatures for years for wargaming, but it was pretty basic stuff - they never focused on quality in the way we did. That was for larger scale painting.

As for blending - it was something that John showed me with enamels, using a second brush to thin the edge of a colour to create the look of a smooth blend. I just transferred that to painting with acrylics. If I remember it right, the fist place I did that was on the original Imperial Guard Sentinel, which I painted blue. I remember Bryan complaining that it wasn't highlighted, as it was bit on the subtle side!

Once I'd mastered that technique, everything else fell onto place though - it was the cornerstone of my painting. It wasn't until I got to spend a bit longer on the miniatures that I felt comfortable with it though - the first time that happened was probably painting the Eldar - that’s when I thought my paining really ‘clicked’, on the aspect warrior miniatures especially, but also on some of the Harlequins.  I was in the fortunate position of being my own boss with painting - so I could spend the time I needed to on miniatures - that allows me to really perfect that technique, and in the end I could produce multi-layered, smooth blends very quickly. 

The original Citadel Colour range.

RoC80s: According to our research, you were credited in helping designing the very well loved original Citadel Colour Range (Citadel Colour, Creature Paint Set, Monster Paint Set etc...), is this the case? If so, what was the process of development?

MMc: Not quite. The original Citadel Colour paints were released before my time at GW - round about 1985 I think. At that time I was painting with Humbrol Enamels, so switching to acrylics was a revelation. No more smell or long drying times. I worked a lot on the first expansion to the range - the inks, washes and metallics - and re-worked a lot of the colours to be a more comprehensive spectrum. That would be early nineties I think - maybe late eighties. From that point on, I was responsible for the entire paint range design. I spent quite a lot of time in the paint labs of several different companies - developing new formulations and colours. I designed about five ranges while I was there - but only two of them saw the light of day. One was a re-design of the entire original range, and the next was when production switched to a new supplier.

RoC80s: Andy Craig's amusing tales of life in the studio have been very popular, do you have any amusing stories or memorable moments to share?

MMc: God - where do I start! I pretty much grew up working at GW, so a lot of my formative memories are linked to that place. When I think of amusing stories, I mainly think of Sid though - he was a pretty hilarious guy.

I remember there was a youth training office above the painting room and he used to terrorise the trainees. They had to walk past our window pretty regularly - we were on the first (second for any Americans reading) floor and they had to walk out under us to the bins at the back of the building. He used to bombard them with anything he could get his hands on - and had various projectile guns to shoot them with. He also used to chase them round the corridors when he met them - and it culminated with the manager taking him to task outside our door, and ending up in a fist fight with him!

Then there was the occasion he built the 'first 40K tank' - which consisted of a large cardboard box, that had holes for his head, arms and legs - he just happened to be taking that for it’s first test drive round the floor of the figure painting room, when Tom Kirby walked in with some important guests...

Sid was never a great painter, but he was endlessly entertaining to work with!

Then there was the time John Blanche disappeared into the spray room to varnish a new drawing, and used black undercoat by mistake.

There are so many more stories involving different members of the GW studio, but many of them are not really repeatable…

The painting room was a bit separated from the rest of the studio, so in some ways we were a bit of a law unto ourselves, especially for the first year or so and it was Colin, Dave, Sid, Tony and me. It was a great place to work.

RoC80s: Who were your inspirations when it came to miniature painting? Who are they now?

MMc: Without any doubt, the largest influence on me was John Blanche. Back in the early days he was just on a different planet to everyone else (and some think he still is), the work he was creating was streets ahead of what anyone else was doing. Colin Dixon was a close second though, as his was the work that directly proceeded me in White Dwarf and in products. I still distinctly remember looking at his work when I started and thinking I’d never be that good. What you have to remember back then though, is that the only good painting you saw was on the pages of White Dwarf, or in the Journals, there was no internet. I grew up in the Lake District, so there were no game shops with display cabinets either. Getting White Dwarf Magazine and the Journals was huge for a budding painter like me - and I used to devour every scrap of information I could. A few of the designers were good painters too - Aly Morrison and Nick Bibby in particular. But, for sure - John was The Man, without him I don’t think miniature painting would have taken off in the way it did.

These days I don’t keep up with the painting scene like I used too - it’s just too big. The standard is incredible, and the amount of information out there for painters is just never ending - which is such a good thing. As a learning environment for painters, it’s a fantastic time to be in the hobby.

RoC80s: Fraser Grey has become somewhat of a legend among enthusiasts. What was your opinion of his work and what are your memories of him?

MMc: Fraser was such a lovely guy, and great painter too. What amazed me most was how clean he could get the colours with enamels - I painted with them before acrylics and always hated them, but I never had the patience he did. He put a lot of time into those miniatures, and it showed. I always looked forward to his visits to the studio, and seeing what he’d been working on.

A classic '80s Jes Goodwin Ogre hiding in one of Mike's '90s dioramas.

RoC80s: You produced many dioramas during the 90s, many of which are still on display. Why did you produce so many of these? Was it direction from management or something you just wanted to do?

MMc: It was my job for over a year - maybe 18 months, and I still count it as the most fun I have had in my entire career. I got pretty burned-out running the painting team, and really wanted to get back to creating, rather than managing. I had total free range to do what I wanted, I just looked at what projects were upcoming (like army books for Lizardmen, Dark Angels, Wood Elves, etc) and do a diorama based on that subject. It was fantastic!

I could make them whatever size I wanted, so really I could let my imagination run riot. The most challenging thing was to produce dioramas that would work well in front of the camera - it’s no good making something that doesn’t reproduce well on the pages of a magazine or book. As a matter of fact - that was pretty much how I lived my painting life, developing a painting style that reproduced well.

The dioramas were a lot of work though - the Warhammer Quest one was several months work, and I remember being completely sick of the sight of it by the end. I made a decision at the start that I was going to use forced perspective to give the illusion of depth - and I regretted it every day after that, it was so much extra work!

One of Mike McVey's early Rogue Trader dioramas.

RoC80s: Later, you moved into sculpting models. Was this something that you always wanted to do? How did you train?

MMc: I was quite happy as a miniature painter, but I reached the top of what they were prepared to pay me (which was very little!) - so they suggested I move into sculpting instead. It was a really hard decision for me - I spent my whole working life painting, and was very proud of what I’d achieved, so it was tough to give that all up and start from scratch.

There was a trainee sculptor program at GW, but it was a little haphazard - and really I was pushed into making production miniatures before I was ready. I learned a lot from Gary Morely, but it wasn’t until I started sharing an office with Jes and Brian Nelson that I found my feet a bit and started producing models I was proud of. The only ones I actually like are the Eldar miniatures I sculpted just before I left.

RoC80s: After leaving GW, you did a wide range of painting work for other companies (including a relocation to the US), was this a positive experience?

MMc: That’s not quite what happened. I left GW to move to Seattle in the US and work for Wizards of the Coast. They were setting up a miniatures division and wanted people with experience to staff it. I was employed as the lead studio sculptor, but was quickly made the Art Director. The first project we worked on was Chainmail, but it was fairly disastrous - WotC didn’t really understand the miniatures market and we were never properly supported by the upper management of the company. That ended fairly badly with one of the round of redundancies that were sweeping the company at the time - and they decided that pre-painted plastics were more their thing (which was probably the case). I art directed the D&D and Star Wars miniatures lines, but it really wasn’t what I wanted to do.

I’d become very disillusioned with working at WotC, and got involved with Privateer Press very early in their development. The three guys who set it up commissioned me to make a promo miniature of a Steamjack (a steam powered robot) from their D20 adventures. They really loved it and agreed to make me a partner in the company, and we started making Warmachine. That’s far too long a story to write here - but it taught me a valuable lesson of only working with people I liked in future!

RoC80s: Eventually you set up Studio McVey. Was this always an ambition of yours? How did you go about creating the company and designing the products?

MMc: Ali (my wife) and I, set up Studio McVey when we moved back to the UK in 2007. It was really a response to working on defined miniature ranges for the past few years - you just get a little tired of making miniatures for the same world/setting. I wanted to create a range where we could make the miniatures we really wanted to paint - and not have any restrictions on style, setting or genre. It was really fun, and I think that range we created was really solid.

The down-side was that the resin collectors pieces only really appealed to painters - and when it comes down to it, most of the people who are buying miniatures were gamers. That lead me to starting the Sedition Wars sci-fi line - and that was really enjoyable, creating a whole setting from scratch. It was a pretty steep learning curve though - working on a game and miniatures line as a one-man company (Ali was concentrating on her illustration work by that time) is a HUGE amount or work, especially when it becomes very successful in a short amount on time…

Horus vs the Emperor

RoC80s: Probably the hardest question for any artist. Which painted model do you think best defines your time at GW and why?

MMc: For single miniatures, I guess that would be The Green Knight, though Tyrion and Teclis brought in a whole new type of miniature - so they would run it a close second. The Green Knight was an important piece for me - it was the first production miniature Michael Perry sculpted after he lost his right hand, so it had great significance to all of us in the studio. I can still clearly remember painting it now, and it must be more that 20 years ago. Mark Gibbons produced the original illustration for it, but that was black and white - so I had to capture the feel of that in colour.

Without any doubt though - the work I get asked about more than anything else are the dioramas - and The Emperor and Horus in particular. I guess they are also the thing that I enjoyed working on the most, and put most of myself into. It’s really great they are still on display at the GW museum too - I’m very proud of that.

Tyrion and Teclis

RoC80s: What's next for Mike McVey?

MMc: Studio McVey is now effectively a miniatures design studio - we are partnered with Guillotine Games making miniatures for board game projects. We launched Blood Rage and The Others on Kickstarter last year, and we’re currently working on an Oriental themed game and HATE - based on Adrian Smith’s graphic novel. I’ve been working with Adrian again for the last couple of years - he’s the sole artist on Blood Rage and did 90% of there art for The Others. It’s really great to be in the same creative team as him again - he’s certainly one of the best artists I have ever worked with. The depth of his imagination is staggering.

I’m not painting or sculpting any more - my eyes just aren’t capable of that level of fine detail any more, but I still get a huge kick out of the creation process - and turning fantastic art into amazing miniatures. I still love it as much now as I did when I started at GW in 1987.

As always, I would like to thank Mike McVey for his contribution to Realm of Chaos 80s and taking us back to the Golden Age of Games Workshop. Years in the making, this interview really does go to show that good things come to those who wait!

Orlygg

The Harlequin: An interview with Darren Matthews

Iconic cover art from the original Rogue Trader released harlequins. But what do they have to do with Darren Matthews? Read on. 

Oldhammer is a product of two things. Nostalgia and Social Media. Without both of these, we wouldn't have the community that so many of us enjoy today. And it's an international community too, with regular events held in the UK, US and beyond. The ease of communication that modern technology allows has fuelled our considerable growth over the last three years and facilitated the organisation of events, trades and research impossible a decade ago.

We must owe the existence of this latest Old School interview to Social Media as its subject, Darren Matthews, became part of the online Oldhammer Community through the Facebook Group. In case you do not recognise the name, he was one of the original members of the 'Eavy Metal team way back in the later part of the 1980s. But Darren's connection to Citadel and Games Workshop doesn't just begin in the later part of the decade - he was involved from practically the beginning, as we shall see.

Thankfully for us all, Darren was more than willing to exercise his memory and draw deep into the Warp to bring us some recollections of his time with the company - doing the job all of us really wanted to do: paint miniatures for money. So, on behalf of Oldhammerers everywhere, I will thank Darren for giving up his time to talk to us about his time at Games Workshop.

RoC80s: So what first got you into fantasy gaming and miniatures?

DM: I first got into Fantasy via watching movies and my Dad was a massive fan of Jason and the Argonauts so I suppose it went from there. I bought my first Citadel minis in around 1980 at a little shop on Steep in Lincoln. They were the Fantasy Tribe Skeletons. Kobolds were my next purchase and things sort of went from there. A Toy Shop in Lincoln started to sell blister packs and it was an open road from then on. Around 1985, I met Chaz Elliot in Lincoln and he got totally hooked on fantasy miniatures and I was in awe of his painting and practiced to emulate. A shop also opened in Lincoln that just dealt in fantasy miniatures and games so I started painting for the display case in the shop for lead. Also, I read the Colour Of Magic in its first ever release by a certain Mr Pratchett and was totally hooked after. I never got into gaming or could get my head round it but was collector and painter from the start.

Fantasy Tribe Skeletons: Darren Matthew's first Citadel miniatures.

RoC80s: So you were rather experienced with fantasy miniatures and their painting by the time you began working for Games Workshop. How did you get the job of painting professionally?

DM: In early 1987, when I was in my early 20s, I moved back to Nottingham and enjoyed collecting and painting miniatures. The work I had been doing in archaeology had come to an end through a cut in funding and I decided to send a sample of my painting in to the studio but with no real hope that it would lead to anything. A week later, John Blanche turned up at my front door and offered me the chance of working in the studio!

I was stunned to say the least at the time and until then thought my painting was nowhere near good enough for White Dwarf.  Sean Masterton, who was the then editor of White Dwarf, turned up with John. It was after work I found out later and they were going for a curry!

My first day was one of nerves beyond belief and a real baptism of fire meeting the established painting team. At that time, The 'Eavy Metal studio was comprised of Mike McVey, Colin Dixon, Dave Andrews and Sid and John Blanche was our boss. Tony Ackland and H also shared the studio and I really felt out of my depth. After a few weeks I understood most of the banter and what was required of a full time painter in the studio. 

Some of the other 'Eavy Metal boys from Darren's time. Lee 'I have a magnificent set of '80s curtains' Dudley was helping out during his summer holidays. Lucky bugger!

RoC80s: You mentioned the elusive Sid the Painter. We don't know much about him beyond a few photographs and an article or two. What can you tell us about him?

DM: Sid was called Tim Croxton. I think that is how you spell his surname and he came from Eastwood. He was a very intelligent guy, but a bit of a rebel. He was very good natured deep down when you got to know him.He was big into his motorbikes and cars. I don't know what happened to him after he left and I left not long after as the studio vibe had started to change.

RoC80s: What were the early days like training to be a Studio Painter?

DM: For the first few weeks I finished off old projects that had been on the back burner; such as the Wood Elves, Orcs and Snotlings from the fantasy ranges. Gradually, I was given new releases to paint before they would appear in White Dwarf, normally the following month. I also started on a few things in my spare time and meeting the Perry Twins who worked in a different part of the studio started me off on collecting historical miniatures. Bryan Ansell was the owner of the company and we always got on well when I met him. John Blanche encouraged me to experiment with paint and inks and try new painting techniques that I hadn't thought of using before. 

I have always considered John the total master of painting and Mike McVey a very close second. We all had different painting styles at the time and don't think there was a house technique to painting at the time. Gradually we saw the artwork that Tony Ackland was working on for Realms of Chaos and gradually the miniatures arrived in the studio to paint. Some of the sculpts I adored but others I wasn't so certain about and but still enjoyed painting a lot of it.

Darren's iconic colour scheme for this Ork noble. Come on, how many of you have copied this one? Below we have examples of his Chaos Dreadnought and an early Imperial Guard Sentinel. 

And here is the same model in digital form. Photograph by Steve Casey. From The Bryan Ansell Collection, Wargames Foundry, Stoke Hall Stables. 

The sentinel too, though a little blurry. Photograph by Steve Casey. From The Bryan Ansell Collection, Wargames Foundry, Stoke Hall Stables. 

RoC80s: Were you able to work on more personal projects in the Studio? We see a large number of dioramas and things coming out around that time - what did you work on?

DM: I was also working on my own related projects in my spare time (for my own collection) and had the idea one day to convert a plastic Rhino AFV into one that had been overtaken by Nurgle. I liked the idea of melding a tank with living things and ended up sculpting green stuff maggots bursting from the hull. It threw a few people at the time when they first saw it but I just went with it. 

I loved painting tanks and completed some of the first few Rhino AFV's and the Predator. Khorne and Nurgle were my two favourite Chaos elements and enjoyed painting miniatures for both. At one stage for inspiration, Kev Adams sent Phil Lewis to come and take photos of us all pulling faces and they were used for his inspiration for some of his Chaos sculpts. Each day was different and I enjoyed the variety of the painting and kit making. The first plastic 40k Imperial Guard were released to mixed reception in the painting studio and part plastic miniatures were becoming a regular thing and they were always a challenge to work on. Titans were also slowly lifting off and epic scale was also being developed while I was there. A real challenge was painting all of Jes Goodwin's first Eldar Harlequin miniature's for the boxed set in one bank holiday weekend. It took every ounce of my painting ability and threw it together, but looking back still think they were a bit rushed. 

The back of the RTB6 release. Darren's patterns and ideas here still influence painters to this day, so it is a real pleasure to give credit to him here. 

RoC80s: Did you just say you painted the original Harlequin models over a Bank Holiday weekend?

DM: Yes, they were the Harlequins from the very first boxed set release and they were given to me on the Friday afternoon and I delivered them back painted on the Tuesday morning - much to everyone's shock! My girlfriend at the time was away and I just sat and painted for 12 hours solid each day until they were done. I had a very small brief from Jes Goodwin and I was left, more or less, to my own colour schemes and patterns. I got a bit of a telling off for painting nipples showing through on one of the female eldar's torsos, and I was told to paint them out - but i don't think I ever did. I understand that that box set was one of the biggest sellers they had ever had and in some way I am proud that my painting helped sell them. Jes Goodwin's sculpts were stunning and very advanced for the period in regards of the poses he used. Looking back at it now, it was a lot of work - but i enjoyed it!

RoC80s: You mentioned the 'Studio Vibe' - what was it like to work in?

DM: The working environment was great, but it was something I wasn't really used to as I had worked outdoors in archaeology with very mixed teams. At the time I first started, I wasn't that confident in my painting ability and it showed to start with. I have always been very self critical of my painting and don't like to rush things. The banter took some getting used to and I suppose Sid gave me a bit of a testing time teasing for the first few weeks but it came to a head and I stood my ground and we became great friends after. Seeing Sid leave when he did was one of the worst days, if not the worst, I had in studio as we had become a very good friends by then. 

Some days we could each have a single miniature to work on, but on others we had a batch to get done for deadline and that could be a lot of pressure to get finished on time for a publication date. After a few months, I settled in and enjoyed the small level of chaos and the minor anarchy which was the painting studio at the time. We were a superb team and worked well together and were mostly the same age group, so we all had a similar sense of humour and outlook.

The Golden Demon days we did in the 80s, I always found a bit scary and overwhelming to be honest. I was fairly nervous of people but used to put a front on, I also dreaded painting in the shop or in public in those days. I think I could handle it now if I could see to paint well these days. Bryan was an excellent boss though and so was John Blanche and both put up with my nerves. I met Fraser Gray and he was great bloke, I loved his work and was totally blown away by what he could achieve. He visited the studio a couple of times while I was there.

Darren's Nurgle Rhino makes an appearance in this diorama from the back of White Dwarf 113. 

RoC80s: So how did that vibe change with time?

DM: Things had started to go a bit corporate towards the end of my term to some extent and a studio painting style was emerging which not all of us fully enjoyed or felt totally comfortable with. Before that I think people had been trusted to deliver the goods constantly and they mostly did. If you were not happy with something you ran it by the team and got a honest response and the lads were always superb for that and it was highly valued. I suppose by time I was ready to go I wasn't enjoying it as much as I did.

RoC80s: Were there any other stand out ranges that you worked on that really excited you as a painter?

DM: I enjoyed working on the miniatures for Space Hulk. The first terminator miniatures blew us all away when we first saw the sculpts. Sapce Wolves were my favourite marine Chapter and I as one of the first people to paint the black wolf head on a yellow background. By mid 1989, my life had changed and I was commuting between Lincoln and Nottingham and this was putting a lot of strain and pressure on my work. In a rash moment in 1989, I decided to leave and I suppose at the time I wasn't thinking too clearly but had worked for the company for 18 months and needed a change. Looking back, I have no regrets about working in such a fantastic environment and working with so many good and talented people. I will always remember it fondly and enjoyed my time painting miniatures for one the best miniature companies in the world, at that time.

I also enjoyed working on a slow-burning solo Space Wolf project but I never got around to totally finishing it, what with all the other work I had on the go on top, but it was intended to be a full chapter. Some photos were taken by Phil Lewis and I think one got on to a back cover of White Dwarf. I also enjoyed painting the Marauder Dwarves for Trish and Aly Morrison. This was 'in house painting' but don't think we ever got credit for it as painters. Mike McVey's Empire troops he did for them were mind blowing at the time. Mike was the best painter on the studio floor.

One of my personal favourites of Darren's time at GW. This magnificent ork gargant. 

I am almost certain that this model was in Bryan's cabinet display of his genestealer cult last year at BOYL.

Chaos warriors are iconic in Warhammer. And the painting schemes were never really any more chaotic than this. Another favourite of mine. 

An 'Eavy Metal Die-hard: An interview with Tim Prow

A close up detail of a Space Hulk diorama Tim began in the late '80s. It is still not finished!

If you were anything like me, the day that White Dwarf was published in the 1980s was like D-Day. The preparations had been completed, the task force (well, my bike) was prepped and ready and the ammunition loaded (okay, my pocket money was safely in my wallet) and ready to go. I am sure that you had your own route to travel. My journey was to the rather unsavoury newsagents not far from my house. The one that doubled as a video shop, sold penny sweets and cassette tape computer games. My friend Ben said that the infamous doorway (blocked with those plastic dangling strips shops used to boast back then) housed a 'porn alcove' but I was never brave enough to slip through and goggle at the racks of Razzle and Mayfair. 

Not that I had any need, as I had White Dwarf. 

The magazine felt different back then. It was more adult and grown up, with hyper-violent artwork and gurning photographs of the motorcycling (and spectacularly leatherclad) staff. The shelving in the newsagents also suggested who it was 'for' - in the eyes of the suspicious old lady who ran that place anyway. For White Dwarf inhabited the singular 'middle shelf' alongside such grown up publications as Judge Dredd, the Punisher and Gardener's Weekly.

It felt great buying a copy. Despite the owner's misgivings, no doubt inspired by the diatribe of the Daily Mail, that the magazine wasn't suitable for a young 'un like me - money would change hands and that delightful ride home would ensure. With my copy dangling from my handle bars in its plastic bag, I'd make the journey home all the while wondering what mind-blowing images, miniatures and ideas I would find within. 

THAT idea would buzz around your head. What must it be like to work there? What must it be like to be a Games Workshopper?

Well, the subject of this latest interview knows the answer to that question, and a fair more besides, as he was once just like us. A common fan of old school Citadel. Only, he made that awesome transition - and got to ACTUALLY work there. To contribute to that wonderful period in British fantasy gaming. 

Tim Prow. 

I love the art. It looks modern but has obvious links back to the Golden Age - those icons for each of the factions are brilliant!

And now, Mr Prow is at it again. Only going and getting a group of highly talented miniature professional together to work on a rather interesting project. Diehard Miniatures - an Oldhammer inspired range launching via Kickstarter.

And the Kickstarter is now LIVE!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/diehardminiatures/diehard-miniatures-oldhammer-fantasy-miniatures

In celelbration of this, I tracked Tim down to the fetid gym where he resides and forced him to document the story of his time at GW, his subsequent international career in miniature design and, of course, his plans for Diehard Miniatures.

RoC80s: So how did all begin for you Tim? Fantasy gaming? Games Workshop? If I remember correctly, you were employed as an apprentice painter. How did it all come about?

TP: I think in much the same way as many others back in the day. I must have been around 13 years old, a friend had gotten a couple of figures from the local GW store in town (the old golden dragon, and some fighters, I seem to remember). That is where it all started. I still have the first figure I ever painted, a dwarf fighter with a round shield and raised sword. Good old Humbrol paints! Think I was more into the collecting at first, but I did play Warhammer Fantasy Battle and WFRP. Oh, not forgetting the Fighting Fantasy books! When I was about 15, I went to GW and painted during my Christmas school holidays for a week or so - a great honour and eye opener for sure and I still have the letter from John Blanche asking me to come in! I worked in the same room as Colin Dixon, Dave Andrews, Sid and Tony Ackland (think there was more guys there, but I cannot remember their names). I used to hang out with Phil Lewis upstairs in the photography room. He really nice bloke. I painted an early Eldar command group and some chaos thugs, they were not that good a paint job but it was the early years. Back then, you were allowed to smoke at work and the room was full of cigarette smoke, I can remember coming home smelling like a chimney! After that I kept in touch with GW. I left school at 16, had a couple of jobs, and at the age of 17 managed to get a full time job with GW as a figure painter. I was taken on for the kingly sum of £4000 a year! The figure painting room was the same, but in those two years the people had changed - now GW had Mike McVey, Ivan Bartlet, Dale Hurst and Andy Craig. Phil Lewis and Dave Andrews were in the adjoining room, and Kev Adams off in the alcove room.

A shot of some of the old school Citadel models that reside in Tim's collection.

RoC80s: What were the first few projects that you remember working on?

TP: Well it was a long time back, and I blame eating green stuff on my dodgy memory now. From what I can remember I was too late to work on the first book for Realms of Chaos, but I managed to contribute to the second book. A lot of the Nurgle stuff was from my private collection. We’d play test in our lunch breaks with small warbands, I remember coming across Adrian Smith's forces on one such break (let’s just say Nurgle was not watching over his chosen that day) I can also recall the first lot of Ork books for Rogue Trader/Warhammer 40,000. I loved that stuff, and ended up painting a lot of Orks for those early books.

RoC80s: How was the studio set up and run? Could you just pick models and get on or were you directed?

TP: It depended. Some paint jobs were looser than others but anything new that had to have a strict paint scheme would go through with either Jez (if it was Eldar/marines related) or Alan Merritt. Occasionally, we also had our say on the development of colour schemes so it could be symbiotic too. Once the colour scheme had been set, we were free to do the figure in our own way and use our own imagination. Later on in the 90s, the colour schemes got stricter but then you always had your own time to paint a figure how you liked if you wished. I still have a large collection of my own stuff from the time, many of which have 'unofficial' colour schemes.

A closer shot of that gorgeous Eldar titan.

RoC80s: What was the working atmosphere like among the 'Eavy Metal painters?

TP: I think for the most part it was a happy crew. While we worked at Enfield Chambers we had our own section away from the rest of the company, so we could work how we liked, listen to what we like, and have a laugh without the bosses hearing what we said. A lot of the time you’d have people like John Blanche coming over to work in our room as it was a better atmosphere. As the youngest, I’d get what was given to me but as time went on I’d was more able to choose what I painted. I remember thinking how honoured I was to paint the Eldar Reapers after Mike had done the first figure from each of the (then new) range Jez had done. To be thought good enough to follow the technique of Mike was pretty cool. I went on to do a set of Scorpions and I think some Banshees as well.

RoC80s: How did the team influence and support each other? Was there any other particular painter or painters who inspired you the most?

TP: We all had our separate way of doing things. I think as I was young and ready to soak up ideas and techniques I was best placed to learn and develop. Others were set in their ways or were happy to do what they were told. Ivan was very earthy and natural in his painting, Dale had a similar approach but added more colour in there. Dale was also colour blind (not something he mentioned while applying for the job) and I can remember all his paint lids had the colours written on them. Andy liked his bright colours, but it was Mike that influenced me the most, his use of colour and his natural blending was never equalled.

RoC80s: You attended Games Day as part of the 'Eavy Metal display team, as well as a punter. Any juicy memories of those events?

TP: I remember attending the factory open days before I believe there was a Games day or Golden Demon I just remember them being very happy days. We really worked hard putting up the stands and sorting all the display cases. The countdown to opening the doors, and the sudden rush of people entering. It was a mad day for sure. And nothing amazed me more than the enthusiasm of the crowd, to talk and show them techniques, and to see them appreciate it was the ultimate reward. We’d always have a laugh signing autographs, making our signatures more and more outrageous (and taking the piss out of the fancy signatures of the higher ups). People would rip down sign boards and get them signed!

RoC80s: Life as an 'Eavy Metal painter in the '80s seems very Rock 'n' Roll at times! Any wild stories to share?

TP: I think because I was so young at the time and the fact I joined at the end of the 80’s most of the ‘Roll’ had left, still plenty of ‘Rock’ though. I remember getting back stage passes to see Megadeth from Gary Sharp Young, I also met them at a press only function in London, I was over the moon By the time we moved to Castle Boulevard the company was becoming a lot more strict. Dale, Ivan, and Phil were gone, leaving only myself and Mike. All the painted figures had been given to Bryan as part of the deal when he sold the company, so we had a hell of a job repopulating the shelves with painted stuff.

Dark Angel diorama close up. 

RoC80s: You've mention painters like Ivan Bartlett and Dale Hurst several times now. These are people of great interest to us, anything further you can share about them?

TP: They were great characters and we used to game at their apartment - mostly using Rolemaster rules in the Warhammer world They were really fun nights. I once made the mistake of challenging them to a drinking competition…. not the smartest moves as they were, let's say, well built for drinking! I ended up on the last bus home and all I can remember is waking up at the bus station in Alfreton (a town I’d never been to) and my dad was not pleased to have to come pick me up! Did I ever mention I was young and naive?

RoC80s: How did GW change and develop during you time there?

TP: I was lucky in a way, I got to see the changes but didn’t end up seeing the final fall. I started in 1989 and we were still in Enfield Chambers, A very cool rabbit warren of a building. I worked with people I looked up to and thought myself very lucky. Once Byran Ansell had sold the company things began to change. Soon after Dale, Ivan and Phil were ‘let go’, and it all started feeling a lot more restrictive and corporate. The move to Castle Boulevard was another sign. We now worked in an open plan office with Rick Priestley and Alan Merrit sat within controlling distance Don’t get me wrong, it was still a fun time to be there and we were producing so many cool games at the time. I was able to play test many of those great titles during my lunch break too. We took on several new painters, and a new 'Eavy Metal crew formed.

Tim Prow on tour. Love the shorts but what on earth was the toilet roll for?

RoC80s: What can you recall about the 'Eavy Metal tours you used to do?

TP: I think I got to see more of the UK than I had so far in my teens. It was a bit daunting for me at first, but then I really got into it. I regularly did the Nottingham shop, but remember doing Luton, Hammersmith, Plymouth, Manchester, and Glasgow (and I am sure there were more). I remember the Glasgow one vividly as it started off with the train breaking down and being stuck in God knows where before finally arriving late to the station. The ext day, I got to the shop okay, but one of the first guys to ask me a question, well I had no idea what he was saying! I recognise most accents, but this one was beyond even me. I asked him to repeat himself several times with no luck, and in the end I just gave him an answer I thought he’d want.

More from Tim's collection.

RoC80s: Apart from Mike McVey, you seem to be the only original 'Eavy Metal painter still in business. How did you make the transition from painting to sculpting?

TP: I think like most people who dabble, it all started with wanting to convert figures. With our ability to get figures by the weight price we had no end of opportunity to mess around to our heart's content. From converting and filling gaps, it was a short jump to sculpting heads, items or figures. Kev White and I started to sculpt in our lunch breaks and we were helped by the sculptors. With the advice we gleamed sitting by their desks watching how they did stuff, we were able to progress quite quickly. Rick Priestley was very gracious, and let us have castings of these first attempts. We learnt what would cast and got to see what worked and what didn’t on the sculpt once in metal. But I couldn't really go anywhere despite developing these skills. It was made clear that GW didn't have the resources to take either Kev or myself on as sculptors, and I’d hit the very low pay ceiling for a painter, so it seemed if I wanted to take this further as a career I’d have to move on! During a week off, I sculpted my first test piece for Heartbreaker Miniatures. By the time I was back at work I knew I was ready to leave. Rick asked what I’d do once I'd left and I said 'sculpt', I remember him saying somethig like ‘it’s a cottage industry out there, you won’t make as much as you did for us’. Well the first year of self-employed sculpting I made twice as much as I had as a GW painter I think these words were the best spur I ever could have had in starting up and making a go of it! So I'd like to thank Rick Priestley for giving me my determination to prove I could make a success of it. So I moved on to Heartbreaker Miniatures. Phil Lewis had been there for just over a year I think. Bob Watts gave me a trial piece to work on, and by the end of the week he offered me a job working freelance for Heartbreaker. The old team was back, Phil Lewis, Chaz Elliott, me and soon after, Kev Adams joined us. Heartbreaker produced figures for many different companies during the 90s, but the main one was Target Games sculpting Mutant Chronicles. Paul Bonner had left GW and was producing brilliant artwork (as ever) too. 

By 2000 I was going through a divorce, I was offered a full time job at Ral Partha by my very good friend, Kevin Bledsoe. He had previously worked with Bob, and when Bob moved to Ral Partha, Kev came with him. It was the obvious choice for someone suddenly free of all attachments, so I took up the offer and America was a great ride, I loved every minute of being there! I started in Cincinnati with Partha, but after just 6 months they were bought out by Wizkids. I was working with Dave Summers, Jeff Grace, Steve Saunders, and Jeff Wilhelm. Really nice crew of guys with great talent. There was a lot of skills and techniques being passed back and forth, it was an amazing melting pot. 

Later in 2001 during GenCon, Jordan Weisman asked Jeff Grace and myself to come join them in Seattle, and the adventure continued A new team was formed, one of which was Brian Dugas. I was there till the end of 2003, before returning to the UK. The company had been taken over, and as much as the new parent company says they are a family company and look after their employees… well they didn't! It was, however, a blessing in disguise as I got to spend the last month or so with my father before he died in Nottingham.

Since then, I restarted my freelance career and have been a freelance ever since. I could reel off possibly 40 or 50 companies I’ve worked for (I really need to go back through my books and find out!). Most recently I’ve worked on stuff for Mantic, Mierce, Fenris Games, Reaper Miniatures, Avatars of War. I’ve also worked on many Kickstarters, I’ve worked on Marvel and DC collectable magazines, and even a short stint at Pinewood Studios!

The chaotic faction from Diehard Miniatures - including the Son of Slomn in the centre. 

RoC80s: So we are right up to the present day and with your new project. And an Oldhammer inspired one to boot! Why Diehard Miniatures?

TP: Why not?

I think it is an idea that has been bandied around for a while now. We sculptors sometimes chat about getting a company together and working as a collective. Ideas bounce around, nothing gets done, and we go off on our own ways. It wasn’t until around this time last year that something came together and stuck. The idea that we could cut the middleman out as it were, and be that much closer to the customer was very appealing. Together we have control over what we do and where we go, giving us a flexibility and strength not many companies have. The initial idea was to sculpt just a handful of figures and float a KickStarter and just see where it went. From there, the project has grown into 9 factions, 6 pieces each, ending with dragons and giants! We do love a challenge

Eru-Kin miniatures from the Diehard kickstarter. Painted by Mr Prow if I recall correctly. 

The team that’s come together fits surprisingly well, and despite being in three different time zones, it works. Apart from myself, we have Chaz Elliott on the Isle of Lewis - renowned from the GW glory days, Drew Williams is based in San Francisco and is a very natural talent and with great knowledge. Finally, our linchpin is Richard Luong in Texas. His art has surprised us all with its ability to merge the 'Oldhammer' style we were after with a new updated look. With our Oldhammer inspired guidance in the art briefs, Rich has given us delightful concepts to work from. We've all picked races that we are passionate about too.

Undead faction Diehard miniatures. I love that skeleton model. 

My first choice was the Eru-Kin. As some of my earliest collection were Space Frogs and I loved those figures. No-one has really ever taken took those figures much farther. My goal is to take the Eru-Kin where their ancestors should have gone; I’ve lots of ideas for these guys! Undead and Chaos I also love to sculpt for the project, as if I’m ever given a choice or asked to sculpt them I smile. Hopefully if we do well, I’d like to see the next project as a Sci-Fi one - can you imagine Eru-Kin in full power armour?

Here is a useful comparison shot between a period '80s Citadel miniature orc and a Diehard equivalent. 

I have written about Diehard Miniatures before here at Realm of Chaos 80s and if you are interested in reading my thoughts on the subject just click this handy link here for all that I shave shared. If you have enjoyed this interview and appreciate the Diehard models that you have seen then please do support Tim's project. 

Just click the link below to pledge a few quid and make this range a possibility. 

Diehard Miniatures Kickstarter

Before I go, I would just like to thank Tim from his time on this as it can take a while to extract these memories from warp shattered minds such as his.  Always end on a song they say, well I am going to ignore that advice and end with a video inside. Enjoy!

Orlygg