Brinton Boehm – Huge Miniatures – Ask the Artist
Last Updated on September 17, 2020 by FauxHammer
Hey there guys and gals, today I want to take a bit of time to get to know Brinton Boehm, the owner of Huge Miniatures. Huge Minis is primarily a wargaming scenics and terrain production company. They also have a steadily growing lineup of texture paints and other hobby tools and accessories.
Please Note: This site uses affiliate links. Our Affiliate Partners are shown below
(Affiliate links will result in compensation to the site on qualifying purchases)
Click this link & buy your hobby stuff from Element Games for the UK & Europe to support FauxHammer.com – Use Code “FAUX2768” at the checkout for double reward points.
Our Affiliates / Hobby Stores
- UK: Element Games, The Outpost, Wayland Games, Mighty Lancer, Goblin Gaming, Forbidden Planet, Model Scenery Supplies, eBay, Amazon
- US/Canada: MTechCave, GameKastle, eBay (US), eBay (CA), Amazon
- Germany: Taschengelddieb
- Europe: eBay (DE), eBay (FR), eBay (ES), eBay (IT), Amazon
- Australia: eBay, Amazon
- Global: RedGrass Games, Warcolours
- 3D Printers: Phrozen 3D, Elegoo, Anycubic
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I came across this company when I was beginning the daunting task of transferring my paints into dropper bottles. Their prices were amazing, and they had a terrific deal on bottles and agitators. As I perused their site, I noticed a theme, more of a mentality, really.
In reaching out to Brinton, my suspicions were proven correct. The products created at HUGE Minis are created because he feels the current market options are lacking in one way or another. Much like Ross when he created FauxHammer…. Brinton wasn’t content to sit back and wait for the perfect product to come along…. He got to work!
Huge Miniatures
Before I hop into the main segment, I’d like to present my first-hand experience with one of their products. Allow me to preface: I bought this before I even considered doing reviews, so this is not a paid endorsement or anything.
Since I am both an AVID Space Wolves fan-boy and nearing the end of a massive Space Wolves commission, I thought I’d take a look at their snow texture paste. It looked very similar in consistency to Games-Workshop’s Valhallan Blizzard, so I scooped a bit of Valhallan Blizzard on a base, and a bit of Huge Minis snow on a base and left them to dry.
I honestly have to say, I prefer HUGE Miniatures paste. Although the paste isn’t nearly as white, I believe the overall texture and finish of the paste is much more believable. As you can see from the photo, The Valhallan Blizzard dries with a bit of a porous finish, whereas the HUGE Minis snow looks much more full and fluffy. In my opinion, it also settles much easier, requiring you to use less caution when it comes to applying it. With the Blizzard paste, a lot of care has to go into making sure to smooth out the application lines.
The price is also a vast difference. A 24ml bottle of Valhallan Blizzard costs $7.80 (~6 GBP). The 2oz (59ml) resealable jar of Snow Texture Paste costs $9.00 (~7 GBP). From personal experience, I can tell you how unbelievably annoying it has been to try to scrape all of the paste from GW’s pots of woe. Had I decided on HUGE minis paint, I would have spent half as much money, and saved more than double the amount of time! From now on, I’m only ever going to use the paint from HUGE minis!!
The more I ordered from this little company, the more I realized I wanted to get to know their story. I reached out to Brinton and asked if he’d be willing to answer some questions. Thankfully, he said yes!
Brinton Boehm – Huge Miniatures – Ask the Artist
How long have you been involved in the hobby in general?
I’ve been a part of the tabletop gaming hobby since the launch of Pathfinder by Paizo. I remember expressing to one of my friends that I was interested in trying out D&D, and he looked back at me with somewhat of a confused look. As if he wasn’t sure whether or not I was making fun, or genuinely wanted to try it out.
This was when it was still somewhat taboo and only indulged by “outcasts”. He actually shared with me that he has been playing with his family since he was a child, and invited me to join the group. That was about ten years ago, and I’m still playing to this day. To say the least, I’m incredibly grateful.
I started up our social media profiles on Instagram and Facebook during Autumn of 2017 and began posting my own personal work. This was an attempt to gain a small following, in preparation for the launch of our first Kickstarter campaign.
I wasn’t going to start the business unless the campaign was successful and I could confirm that there was interest in some of what we would be making. To my disbelief, the project was a success, and I decided to continue pursuing this business as a full time priority.
What initially drew you to the miniature model hobby realm?
Pathfinder is what drew me to tabletop gaming, but the miniatures that we would use as avatars is what attracted me to the hobby.
The GM at that time when I first started was really into painting miniatures and had display cabinets filled with beautiful figures who each had their own stories. I would peruse the room and admire the models, and he noticed that.
Just before the following session, he showed me a figure that epitomized my character and animal companion. It was at that point when I developed a greater fascination regarding “what all of this is.”
Playing games with pencil and paper, your imagination, and miniature figures that you could make look to be how you envision your character was what I didn’t realize in that moment, a life changer.
What tabletop game would you say is your favorite? What particular faction within that game is your favorite and why?
Since being introduced to Pathfinder, I’ve played hundreds of different games, painted even more miniatures, but it’s still my fantasy world of choice.
I’ve been playing Pathfinder 2e exclusively this year and I think it’s an even better system. Outside of PF, I genuinely love Warhammer’s fantasy lore. I
I’ve played the Total War and Blood Bowl games, read a number of the books, purchased and read the rules, painted the figures and machines, conceptualized and planned an army, but I’ve never actually played.
What is the most relaxing and enjoyable aspect of the hobby for you personally?
As much as I love crafting, painting miniatures, and reading lore, it’s all about conceptualizing how your character or army views the world and playing to their strengths. I love soaking in the world and learning more about why my character or forces act as they do.
As far as the “hobby” aspect is concerned, I find a deep sense of fulfillment from creating diorama pieces that combine real world natural beauty while tying that into some of the more fantastical elements that I look towards in my games.
Where do you get the inspiration for your particular army theme or style?
I suppose I have to look back to my art school days. I’ve always had an affinity towards a renaissance style of painting called chiaroscuro. That is essentially an extreme contrast between dark and light tones. Because of this, I almost always use zenithal highlighting.
I enjoy airbrushing more than painting with a brush, so it’s a quick and simple method of achieving a nice effect with little effort. I suppose that’s playing to your strengths.
What tips or advice would you give someone just starting out in the hobby?
Don’t be afraid to ask questions or express curiosity. Even if it’s just to a search engine, you’ll likely find something that will point you in the right direction. On a more specific note, just put paint to brush.
That’s to say, try it out and don’t concern yourself with trying to do it as well as somebody else. If what you create makes you feel good, then you’re doing it right.
What was the moment you realized making and selling gear was something you wanted to pursue as more than a hobby?
When I was a teenager I had some interest in starting a company, but only if I could do something that was unique or better than something that already exists. I had ideas for some things in the past, but I never really pursued those ideas far enough for it to turn into anything tangible.
When I decided to start Huge Miniatures I was laid off from my full time job, and had a good deal of time in which I used to reflect upon.
I was part of a number of modeling groups on social media, and noticed that folks were asking for a certain thing that I was making for myself at home. I knew that what I was making wasn’t currently available, and that what I was making was a truly great product.
With that in mind, I decided to give Kickstarter a shot. I had backed a number of fruitful projects, and decided that it was a way to determine whether or not what I was making would be well received. That was our Scenic Flock and Basing Materials project. Without that platform as a launching off point, Huge Miniatures would never exist.
What was the most difficult obstacle you had to overcome on your path to becoming a product provider?
The most difficult obstacle I had to overcome was not making any money! I used and lived off of my savings to get this business off the ground.
Honestly for the first couple of years I only ever made enough to just barely get by. It certainly wasn’t an immediate success. However I could see that there was enough positive feedback from the community and customers that I could see it pay off if I stuck with it and continued doing my best.
To be completely real with you it was really tough, but the support of my partner was (and still is) paramount. As of this year I’ve actually been so busy that I can’t keep up by myself. She’s taken on a bigger role in making sure things run smoothly, and I’m immensely grateful for that.
What was the most rewarding experience you’ve had as a company?
I think it’s still somewhat surreal to me that people are so willing to share with their peers our products, and to give us mentions in their posts willingly. I try to respond to everybody who tags us on social media and my responses are entirely genuine.
This community is legitimately such a friendly and supportive place. That is undoubtedly the most rewarding part of running this business, and it drives me to continue producing our products every day.
If you could do anything to expand your company footprint, what would it be?
We’re a small company in the truest sense of the word. For the first couple of years I would manage every aspect of the business. “Wearing many hats” isn’t an appropriate enough phrase to describe the plethora of different things that I do throughout the course of a week. Everything that we make is created out of our home.
On top of competing with other companies offering great products in this very niche industry, we’re constantly trying to be competitive while still getting by. Because our expenses are high, we don’t have much of an advertising budget.
We rely on the good will of others and word of mouth to get our name out there. If people continue to share their work using our products, I think that we’ll continue to grow in a healthy and trustworthy way. I want nothing more than for others to share their appreciation of what we make, because they think we have earned their trust by offering an excellent product.
What about your products do you feel sets you apart from your competition?
My philosophy is that I would never put my name on a product that I don’t 100% think is better than what’s currently available. I’ve used a lot of our competitors’ stuff, and there’s a lot of excellent modeling supplies currently available. If I didn’t think that what we offered was better, it would be pointless to continue on.
If you could land a Content Creator or event to sponsor, who would it be and why?
I only want to work with genuine individuals who legitimately appreciate our products. I’ve never paid for a review or positive coverage, and have no intention of doing so in the future.
If you happen to be a content creator or influencer who likes what we do, we could certainly figure out a mutually beneficial arrangement, but paid reviews have never been a consideration.
Is there a product in your lineup you’re currently promoting, and if so, what is it and why do we need it?
Our newest line of products is our 4-in-1 Scatter. It was an idea that I came up with when a lot of businesses were shut down, and a lot of individuals’ future source of income (including our own) was in question.
It’s a combination of our other existing products, combined into a single more affordable package. Honestly it came from a time of necessity and a desire to offer a low cost miniature basing option. Our 4-in-1 Scatter has a blend of our custom static grass, loose foliage, and basing materials which intends to simulate certain biomes. The ultimate goal is to offer an excellent value for premium products. I don’t just want to sell bags of rocks and dirt.
Brinton Boehm – Huge Miniatures – Closing Comments
Thank you so much for speaking with me Brinton, and I have to say I am one that can personally vouch for your products. I love the dropper bottles and your snow texture paint. In speaking with you, I can confidently say the care and attention you give to your products will see you rise to the top of the scenery and terrain game in no time!
Readers, I have some great news! Brinton has agreed to provide FauxHammer readers with a 30-day Discount code! Use promo-code “FAUX10” to get 10% your entire purchase! (excludes sale items).
Click HERE and go get you some gear!
Please Note: This site uses affiliate links. Our Affiliate Partners are shown below
(Affiliate links will result in compensation to the site on qualifying purchases)
Click this link & buy your hobby stuff from Element Games for the UK & Europe to support FauxHammer.com – Use Code “FAUX2768” at the checkout for double reward points.
Our Affiliates / Hobby Stores
- UK: Element Games, The Outpost, Wayland Games, Mighty Lancer, Goblin Gaming, Forbidden Planet, Model Scenery Supplies, eBay, Amazon
- US/Canada: MTechCave, GameKastle, eBay (US), eBay (CA), Amazon
- Germany: Taschengelddieb
- Europe: eBay (DE), eBay (FR), eBay (ES), eBay (IT), Amazon
- Australia: eBay, Amazon
- Global: RedGrass Games, Warcolours
- 3D Printers: Phrozen 3D, Elegoo, Anycubic
FauxHammer – Latest Video on YouTube
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