ReaperCon 2024 Retrospective

I recently attended ReaperCon 2024 in Denton, Texas. Organized by Reaper Miniatures, this annual convention brings together a diverse community of hobbyists to celebrate our craft and love for miniatures. I had a blast and am excited to share some of my experience and the incredible art I got to see.

There was plenty to fill the 4-day event; the shopping extravaganza, tabletop gaming, a variety of classes, and the chance to connect with fellow enthusiasts and professionals. The highlight of the weekend is the painting contest exhibition, an amazing display of talent and creativity. 

The Classes

Over the years, I have taken many ReaperCon painting classes (two just on painting eyes…they are harder than they look!). This year, I deviated from painting, and chose to learn about sculpting faces and miniature photography.

Photography is something I’ve long been experimenting with, mostly through trial and error (emphasis on error!). Mark Gunter’s photography class offered invaluable insights from a pro on a lot of technicalities of the art. This is a skill I anticipate honing over time. Plus, with my new website, I’ll have lots of opportunities to practice. So stay tuned!

Check out his playlist of videos that inspired the miniature photography class.

The face sculpting class was a great hands-on experience, and Derek Schubert is an excellent teacher. I’ve done a lot of sculpting, but just to hide assembly details of a miniature. So, I was eager to try my hand at sculpting something from scratch. I ended the class with a surprisingly decent-looking tiny face….and confidence that I can sculpt my own minis some day.

The Contest

One of my top reasons for attending the convention was to enter the ReaperCon Open Paint Contest. Unlike a typical competition, artists aren’t competing against each other but are judged against a standard. So everyone has an opportunity to win. As Reaper says, this “is not a zero sum game.” 

That being said, there are some standout winners, as evidenced by the phenomenal Best in Show recipients. This year I managed to score a bronze medal for my Wyrdworld Brutolph entry, (shown in the top banner image, on the right). 

The big surprise for me was my Kawna Minis Hobgoblin Mouse (above) winning a special vendor prize for best use of metallic paints, awarded by Turbo Dork. My reward was an impressive selection of their beautiful metallic and color-shifting paints. I’m having a lot of fun with these already and will have much more to say in future posts. Thanks, Turbo Dork!

And now, on to the main attraction – the contest exhibition! Though I couldn’t take in everything (so many minis!), I snapped some shots of miniatures and dioramas that caught my eye. I’m sure my photos don’t do them justice, but I’m always blown away by the artistry and imagination showcased at these events. Here’s just a small sampling.