Q and A with Javier Gonzalez Pt 2

We continue with our Q and A with Javier Gonzalez.



What three things would you have stranded on an Island?

My wife, my daughter and a satellite phone to call for rescue :)

Is there a Color which you seem to favor and like to add it to all your models where you can? 

I use almost none white, Instead i use ivory from Vallejo model color. It's almost white with a bit of yellow, looks like a brighter warm white

Can you pass on one trick or technique or tip that you think newer painters would find helpful or a technique that you wish someone had shown you when you were a new painter?

Yeah, do not let anyone to say you something is not possible. I know a lot of painters that uses airbrush who before seeing me thought that was not possible, now a lot of my pupils or pupils of my pupils use airbrush so far. I was very lucky nobody told me!

What does your work space look like? 

usually looks like the pic at the end of the day, But I alwais try to keep my table clean at the beggining.

Wet pallet or ceramic/plastic? 

wet pallete alwais

What paints do you use?

Basically Vallejo Model Color, but i use almost everything according the needed; Andrea color if I need a matt finish, Army painter if i need more color saturation, Citadel old range, Jo Sonja, Rackham...

What do you use to thin your paints and to what ratio?

Just water with the brush, The ratio depends on what I'm doing, you need to have lot of different resources to do different things. In the airbrush i mix my own thinner: 80% distilled water + 5% Tamiya or Mr.Color thinner + 5% vallejo airbrush cleaner + 10% glass cleaner

What technique do you tend to favor when painting to Blend?

patience is the best one, there are no cheats instead practice.

What do subject or type of miniature do you prefer IE sci-fi or historical?

Cool ones, a mini is a mini, doesn't care if historical, sci-fy or fantasy one, i just want it to be good

Miniature painting can be very expensive and that could put off new people to the hobby have you learnt anything to cut costs? 

keep your paints in good condition, at the first looking of dry (for example, paint is more dense) add a bit of water and remove strongly.

How long do you spend on a miniature from start to finish?

That alwais depend on the mini, but I'm very fast painter... maybe around 15-20 hours on a normal 30mm to reach maximum level?

What do you prefer metal, resin, or plastic models?

Plastic withouth doubt, but if the casting is good the 3 options are good. The only exception is finecast, is just a shit.

How do you know when you are finished with a miniature and when to stop before you have ruined the work?

usually the budget xD This is a job for me, so I can't expend much more hours that the customer wants to pay, and I do not work for free (well, sometimes I do, if I'm having lot of fun with the mini). But usually more work alwais improve the mini, it's hard to ruin the work if you know what are you doing.

And finally is there anything you like pass on to the noobs who are reading this hoping one day to paint as well as yourself?

keep trying and do not look for shortcuts. One thing that worked very well for me was to focus just on one thing each mini at the beggining until I have that thing completely dominated. Do not try to do several new things on a mini, that usually goes to fail. And remember, that's very easy at the end, everyone can do it.

Work by Javier Gonzalez










We would like to thank Javier Gonzalez for taking the time to answer our questions and we all hope you enjoyed learning from and about this amazing painter!

If you would like to see more work of his or would like to hire him have a look at his website

http://arsiesweb.com