Jason Craze – Monument Hobbies – Ask The Artist

Last Updated on September 8, 2020 by FauxHammer

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Hi all, FauxHammer here. I know you are maybe getting used to Trevor running the Ask the Artist series, having carried it over from his personal blog. But sharing is caring and I want a chance to get to know some of my favourite artists too. In my first Ask the Artist I’m talking with Jason Craze from Monument Hobbies.

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You may be asking who Monument Hobbies are – hopefully, you already know as you have read my Pro Acryl Review (if you haven’t you should). But Monument Hobbies are the company behind Pro Acryl paints along with numerous other hobby tools.

Jason Craze – Monument Hobbies – Ask The Artist

I first learned of Jason after people told me to review the Pro Acryl paints. I reached out to the company and Jason himself came straight back to me. In doing some research I came across Monument Hobbies Instagram page filled with Jason’s gorgeous art.

Jason has a very natural looking style to miniatures and they are all painted with Pro Acryl paints.

Beyond this, Jason has a great Twitch channel which has countless long-form paint guides, so if you really want to see every inch of detail that goes into painting models at high detail from beginning to end, I suggest you check him out. There’s a lot you can learn from this guy.

Also. Buy his paints!

Let’s have a chat with Jason and get to know the man behind this great work.

Who are you / What is your place in the hobby?

I’m a Twitch Streaming, Model Painting, YouTubing, Designing, Teaching, Company Owner.

Jason Craze - Monument Hobbies - Ask The Artist - How to Paint Ultramarine

As one of the heads of Monument Hobbies, I do it all.

What are your social media channels?

How long have you been promoting your brand?

The last 5 years have seen the hobby turn into a business for me, so that’s really the time I’d say I’ve been promoting the brand.

How long have you been in the hobby in general?

I got into the hobby at around the age of 10 or so. We’ll call it 1980. At first, it was all military scale modelling and then came D&D.

Jason Craze - Monument Hobbies - Ask The Artist - Menoth Cinerator

That’s what got me into the miniature wargaming style figures and painting. Been at it off an on since then, with some large breaks during my later teens / early 20s.

Last couple of decades have been the most involved since the beginning for sure.

What initially drew you into the hobby?

Loved painting and building models and dioramas from an early age.

When a neighbourhood friend got our little group into D&D in the ’80s, that’s what got me into miniatures. Then we all took off into Battletech, Star Fleet Battles, etc.

What was the moment you realized this was something you wanted to pursue as more than a hobby?

I was a full-time streamer in the gaming world and just got sick of the games I was playing. I had decided I would give it another 6 months to find something I loved doing live again, or quit and do something else.

Decided to bring my hobby to the screen, and haven’t looked back.

What do you enjoy most about the hobby?

Everything! Throughout the decades of doing this, I’ve found nearly everything to be enjoyable at some point.

I guess I have to focus in on painting, as that’s what I’m best known for and what has been the most constant from the outset.

How did you refine your skills?

Just doing really.

I paint all. The. Time.

There’s so much out there in terms of content, and with being on social media 24 hours a day for the business, you can’t help but soak it all in. I don’t actively go out and dig for info much, but I’m constantly taking in the world around me and asking “how does that work” to help apply things to my art.

Our livestream really pushes me further every day, as I’m helping others find their way through the hobby and have to adapt to viewer needs almost instantly.

Forces me to think outside the box every time I put paint on a model.

What types of models most interest you?

Dynamic ones. I really am drawn most to models that have a story told in their movement, posture, expression, etc.

If a sculptor has a great understanding of anatomy and dynamic storytelling, they’ll grab me for sure.

Jason Craze - Monument Hobbies - Ask The Artist - Dreamer crew

Size and genre don’t really come into play much. I’ll paint anything.

What is your favourite tabletop game?

For larger-scale battle games, I prefer Warmachine / Hordes from Privateer Press. It’s been my go-to for a while now, and have loved the game since the first release.

I’ve recently started into 40k again after years and years away from GW games, and am having fun with it so far. Excited to see where the new edition goes.

I really love the idea of tons of the smaller scale games like Necromunda, Frostgrave, Malifaux, etc., but finding a local group that plays consistently is tough, and I never find time to be the community builder of late.

What advice would you give someone struggling to find motivation to finish a project?

Definitely to take a break and clear the mechanism. We all get into spaces where it’s hard to focus on what’s in front of us.

I tend to listen to 40k novels on Audible. Helps me stay in the world of the hobby even when not painting. Tends to get me jazzed to head back to the studio as I hear about bolters firing and demons slaying. Playing the games, building other models, listening to podcasts – whatever gets you jazzed about the world we hobby in.

I would say to beware leaving the hobby and changing focus entirely, as that’s the hard one to come back from.

What resources would you recommend for inspiration?

Youtube, Twitch, Instagram, and Facebook!

We are in a golden age of content for the hobby, and there’s something for everyone out there. Find a personality you are drawn to and let your creativity go wild!

What is your greatest achievement in the hobby?

Monument. Taking our passion and drive to create the best tools we can and get our entire community involved has really been what stands out over everything else.

What has been your most memorable obstacle?

One would be getting out of the mindset that our hobby is somehow a bad thing to be involved in. Being afraid to tell people you’re a nerd is a tough spot to be in and sucks the life out of the passion quickly.

Realizing that it was ok to be a nerd along with everything else I do was the biggest obstacle so far. If someone is going to look at you differently, because you paint little men… I mean do you need them around anyway? :D

What is something you feel you need to improve on?

Everything! Your capabilities only top-out if you let them, so keep pushing every day on everything you do. There’s always more to learn and achieve.

Right now, I’m focused on managing time better so that my hobby time doesn’t feel rushed or forced. Need to make sure you are in the right mindset when sitting to put paint on models.

What tools do you use & why?

I use pretty much everything. I’ve always been interested in how certain tools/techniques can add to your output, so I’ve tried tons of stuff. Some sticks, some doesn’t, but trying everything will help get you confident.

I tend to airbrush base layers, then brush in all my defined values and textures to finish a model off. That makes it seem overly simple, but that’s the starting point. I never leave a technique out if it’s the right thing to use, and all of them have a place.

What paints do you use & why?

This one’s easy – PRO ACRYL!

Monument Hobbies Pro Acryl Reveiew for Miniatures & Models - Base Set

We make the best paints around, and they are all we use. We set out to make the paint range that would be the last we’d ever need and we’ve achieved exactly that.

Great texture, flow, finish, vibrancy, and flexibility allow them to do anything you want them to. Can’t ask for more.

Do you have a secret weapon, Tool or Technique?

I learned early on that looking at a tool for only a specific use limits your capabilities. That came from the world of construction/metalworking, but applies to our hobby just as well.

Never let the tool in front of you be limited to just what it was intended for. Q-tips, sponges, paper, old brushes, etc. Everything on your desk can turn your next model into a cooler version of itself.

Jason Craze - Monument Hobbies - Ask The Artist - Goritsi Shieldbreaker

I don’t really have any single technique or product that stands out, but a lot of people might say that underpainting as a technique is something I put to great use over others.

What do you feel is the next step/goal for your brand?

Monument is committed to continuing to make more awesome products and get them out in new channels so that more people can enjoy them.

To that end, getting into retail stores is the big push right now.

What is the first thing you consider before starting a project?

Is it cool looking and can I make it cooler.

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Have to be excited about the army first and foremost, then the rest comes.

How do you keep your project(s) organized?

I don’t commission, so I really just look at what makes sense for content on the channel(s) and what I’m most interested in from a creative standpoint.

Have you ever walked away from a project?

When I did commission work, for sure.

If a person was overbearing or I could tell they would change the focus too many times, I’d say no. I really only painted what interested me, rather than just taking whatever was next in line.

What is the biggest mistake you’ve made? How did you recover?

Never had one that I can remember making a huge issue.

Funny thing is that the biggest thing to happen on stream turned into our reason for making our paint line. Had just about every hobby white paint suck so bad trying to do a white cloak, that we made our own. :D

What advice would you give someone interested in starting the hobby?

Come watch our stream!

My primary focus in the hobby for the last five years or so is to help others find their stride in the hobby. We work from the newest to the pros, and love every minute of it.

Jason Craze - Monument Hobbies - Ask The Artist - Ultramarine

Biggest take-away is that everyone is going to find their confidence and capability in a different way, so digging into all the content out there to find something that speaks to you as an individual is the best advice I can give.

That and use Pro Acryl paints. :D

Jason Craze – Monument Hobbies – Closing Comments

Thanks Jason, It has been an absolute please talking with you and getting to know more about your drive and approach. You certainly bring a lot to this hobby and I hope we help more people to find you.

I know for me, you have certainly been inspiring and you have provided me with the paints I have always wanted!