iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

TJ @tinkersbench.bsky.social · 23/06/2025

Glow-y His name is Degia, and he’s a Lector-Priest from Kemet Mer. There’s plenty of lore behind his world, drop a comment if you’re curious. Maybe an AMA about the world of Tellus? #fantasyart #dndart #stories #miniaturepainting #paintingminis #mythologicalart #worldbuilding #osl #degia #myart

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TJ @tinkersbench.bsky.social · 20/06/2025

No words. Just 🤩 Just a little bit of primer touch up, then it’s time to paint. #diorama #foamart #miniaturepainting #paintingminis #wip

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Reposted by TJ

TJ @tinkersbench.bsky.social · 27/05/2025

Re-primed this fella on whim. He’s been on my abandoned pile for two years. Now he’s my next project. #mythologicalart #annunbis #miniaturepainting #paintingminiatures #myart #wip #paintingminis #minipainting

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TJ @tinkersbench.bsky.social · 18/06/2025

Progress on the tomb of Ari Patina. Most of the stone (foam) work is build up, now to wear and weather it down. #wipwednesday #diorama #fantasyart #mythologicalart #miniaturepainting #minipainting #75mm #paintingminiatures #paintingminis #myart #diorama

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TJ @tinkersbench.bsky.social · 16/06/2025

Shameless plug: There’s always lore behind tomb scene. Link to it, first comment, would love some reads and maybe even feedback 🥹 #dndart #fantasyart #lore #worldbuilding #miniaturepainting

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TJ @tinkersbench.bsky.social · 14/06/2025

Bid farewell to the stand-in figures. Tomorrow the main characters take the stage. The timing is right to study light placement not driven by leds, but rather by paint, a bit of cleverness, and feedback from fellow painters. Thoughts? #MiniaturePainting #DioramaWIP #HobbyProcess #MyArt #WIP

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TJ @tinkersbench.bsky.social · 12/06/2025

Hell yeah. Lintel above the door needs texturing, but it’s a start and I’m so happy so far. And, get this, the hieroglyphics *mean* something. But that’ll stay secret for a while. #Miniatures #MiniaturePainting #MiniatureDiorama #CreativeProcess #FoamCraft #ModelMaking

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TJ @tinkersbench.bsky.social · 10/06/2025

Here’s my new project. Figures are stand-ins, and I did way more work on the stone after that (brighter picture). Coming along, for my first diorama. But still way way way more to go. #MiniaturePainting #Diorama #Timelapse #LightingStudy #CreativeProcess

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TJ @tinkersbench.bsky.social · 27/05/2025

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TJ @tinkersbench.bsky.social · 24/05/2025

Here’s a video log of last nights progress. The cleaver is coming along, and for a bunch of flat planes it’s been fun to paint. Still a ways to go, but cheers to a long weekend and plenty of creative time. #minipainting #paintingminiatures #wip #timelapseart #NMM #miniaturepainting #studionotes

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TJ @tinkersbench.bsky.social · 21/05/2025

Made some progress on Utico’s bronze weapons. Look how shiny 🤩 Seriously though, getting such good feedback from some experienced painters. Learning is a collective activity. #wip #miniaturepainting #minipainting #mythologicalart #paintingminis #myart #nmm

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TJ @tinkersbench.bsky.social · 21/05/2025

Going mobile for hobby night at the local game shop 🤓 I’d say Utico is out to see the world, but he’ll be in a box for the travel part. Sorry bud :/ #hobbynight #minipainting #miniaturepainting #paintingminis #mythologicalart #toolkit

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TJ @tinkersbench.bsky.social · 20/05/2025

Before (our left) and after (our right) sittings 11-13. Means must shy of 2/3 of my self-imposed 21 sittings for Utico. Pushing through the mid-project slog. How do you stay motivated when you’re just chipping away at little details and shifts? #PaintingMinis #MiniaturePainting #WIP #MiniPainting

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TJ @tinkersbench.bsky.social · 14/05/2025

New paint day 🤩 I’m particular excited about the Kiwi Brown. Wait, am I posting about how amped I am for new brown paint? Actually it is pretty exciting to me. Kiwi Brown has this subtle green going on that’ll be helpful with the low mid-tones and shadows on bronze NMM. 🥝🥉 #AcrylicPaint #NMM

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TJ @tinkersbench.bsky.social · 12/05/2025

Setting up a palette, one of my favorite parts of painting. A small, comforting ritual. Check out what I’m working, and a sneak peek of what’s next, here: tinyurl.com/Journal-Tink... #ASMRArt #SlowArt #PainterAtWork #VisualASMR #ProcessArt #MiniaturePainting #MiniatureArt #Timelapse

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TJ @tinkersbench.bsky.social · 11/05/2025

Ten days with Utico the Minotaur, halfway to my usual 21-day painting mark-new post on Substack with thoughts and timelapses. open.substack.com/pub/tinkersb... #MiniaturePainting #SlowCraft #StudioNotes #QuietMaking #NarrativeArt #UticoTheMinotaur #ASMRArt #PaintingMiniatures #MyArt

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TJ @tinkersbench.bsky.social · 11/05/2025

Working on Utico’s leather elements. Finishing my layering here with contrasting hashes of black and white. Next I’ll apply glazes enough to snap it back to something coherent, but not go so heavy handed that I obliterate hashes/texture. Wish me luck :) #TinyArt #WorkInProgress #MiniaturePainting

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TJ @tinkersbench.bsky.social · 09/05/2025

This is where I paint. Here, after sunset, hobby lights stand in for sunlight, brushes are worn down, and - sometimes - a figure inspires me to write a story. I post casual updates here, long-form updates are at tinkersbench.substack.com #QuietMaking #MiniaturePainting #VanGogh #CreativeSpace

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TJ @tinkersbench.bsky.social · 09/05/2025

Stepped away from social media while settling into a new job. But I didn’t stop painting. Here’s my current WIP. Still a long way to go, but having a lot of fun with Utico. Also a picture of my redesigned #CozyWorkshop set up #MiniaturePainting #VanGogh #TinyArt #Figurepainting #WorkInProgress

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TJ @tinkersbench.bsky.social · 30/03/2025

What a difference a week makes! Been busy enough to have a hard time keeping up on social media, but not so busy that I stopped painting. #prioroties #wip #paintingminis ##miniatureartist #miniart #3dprinted #miniatures #miniaturepainter #airbrush #minipainting #miniatures #busts #myart #art

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TJ @tinkersbench.bsky.social · 22/03/2025

Prime time! Eight figs I’ve always wanted to paint. This set will be fun practice before working on a couple competition pieces. There’s fur, wings, skin (with room for tattoos), metals - all the fun stuff and all the tough stuff. #timelapse #miniaturepainting #minipainting #myart #airbrush #art

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TJ @tinkersbench.bsky.social · 15/03/2025

Testing out some paints (a new job treat) with a new technique. Skin tones blended from primary colors instead of pre-blended hues. Not bad for a first go. And the paints themselves… They say ‘right tool for the right job’ and in this case this feels like a spot on tool. #acrylic #myart #colors

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TJ @tinkersbench.bsky.social · 07/03/2025

Priming progress! Layer lines on her cheek? They’ll be covered by her hair, so fine. The sloppy mess on her shoulder? That’s gotta be resanded and primed again. It’s a visible part of the model. #process #art #perfectionism #myart #miniatures #minipainting #miniaturepainting #fantasyart #fairy

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TJ @tinkersbench.bsky.social · 06/03/2025

Test fitting all the above/waist pieces. Tricky with the hair intertwined in her fingers. Gonna have to have a painting plan to approach it working individual pieces before final assembly. #wip #timelapse #miniaturepainting #minipainting #fantasyart #fairy #fairies #scalemodel #dndart

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TJ @tinkersbench.bsky.social · 06/03/2025

Wrote a post about a big hobby goal, my first competition, and a couple new projects I’ll be working on between now and then. Check it out and toss me a subscribe if you’re into longer form writing about the hobby journalofatoymaker.substack.com/p/setting-of... #minipainting #miniaturepainting

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Reposted by TJ

ROSIE I Mother of Minis 🇺🇦 @motherofminis.bsky.social · 28/02/2025

Okay, so... my hubs is obsessed with kenders. I showed him your wip, and he was *SO EXCITED* to see it. 😆

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TJ @tinkersbench.bsky.social · 28/02/2025

How do you 75mm and smaller mini painters handle painting eyes? I admit, I’m exhausted and went into this painting session a little cranky. But after about an hour of focusing on those eyes and messing them up to the point of scraping off gunked up paint, I was ready to throw the fig at the wall.

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TJ @tinkersbench.bsky.social · 27/02/2025

Here’s Tasslehoff after one sitting. Lots to do still. But this was my first time with an airbrush on skin on a 75mm fig. I’m happy so far. Next: warm red shade/cold yellow highlights, then back to the airbrush to fudge the layer lines. Back soon. #wip #miniaturepainting #minipainting #fantasyart

75mm printed figure. Kender with a forked staff with a slingshot at the end, long flowing topknot. Face is painted in with tans and greens, the hair sketched in with medium brown, everything else is just primed.

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TJ @tinkersbench.bsky.social · 25/02/2025

Results of the poll! This fella wins by one vote! Votes were split between Instagram (yuck, I know) here, and in person. This will be great practice for doin’ hair and fur - essential parts of upcoming projects! #dndart #myart #wip #miniaturepainting #minipainting #painting #fantasyart #halflings

Halfling with a topknot, a fur vest, and a slingshot mounted on the end of a staff.

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TJ @tinkersbench.bsky.social · 24/02/2025

Time for a tight two week palette cleanser. I can’t decide which one so I want your help! Please leave an emoji: 😃 #1 🧚‍♀️ #2 🔮 #3 - or comment. I’ll give it 24 hours! #miniaturepainting #miniatures #painting #fantasyart #polls #art #painting #scalemodels #minipainting #fairy #crystalball #halfling

Halfling in tattered leathers and fur with a huge sling shot on the end of a staff.

A fairy standing in the stamen of a flower

A woman in a layered dress with a crystal ball.

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TJ @tinkersbench.bsky.social · 22/02/2025

Throwback to a fun project from last year. Goal was to finish a 75mm figure in two weeks, which I did. Overall happy with it, considering how rushed I felt. But it was a good exercise for me, as a slow painter, to paint and paint fast. #painting #miniaturepainting #miniatures #dndart #art #myart

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Reposted by TJ

Sean Burke @itwassean.bsky.social · 21/02/2025

I love how this guy came out! This is the Alpha Glow Hopper from Dragon Trappers Lodge and it was such a refreshing little mini to paint. It's fun to paint armies, but sometimes you just got to slap pigment on a silly little guy lol #minipainting #3dprinting #painting🎨 #dndminiatures

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TJ @tinkersbench.bsky.social · 21/02/2025

Lots of progress on the mask! Pulled that highlight up to the right place, it feels. Still a lot of work to do on the spikey pauldron - and like everything else too. But progress is progress. #miniatures #miniaturepainting #myart #art #wip #dndart #characterart #gladiators #painting #fir

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TJ @tinkersbench.bsky.social · 20/02/2025

With a new job and a new desk, it’s time for new knick knacks. Gonna take on this little TOS Enterprise next week. Star Trek’s gotta represent in my little office. #startrek #scalemodels #miniaturepainting #art #myart #wip

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TJ @tinkersbench.bsky.social · 15/02/2025

Roundup of the highlight of 14 days work on this 1/6 scale elf fig Love the point I’ve gotten her to, but ready for a break. #miniature #miniaturepainting #minipainting #myart #art #painting #characterart #dndart #acrylic #bskyart #wip #processpics open.substack.com/pub/journalo...

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TJ @tinkersbench.bsky.social · 14/02/2025

What a difference working in the eyes makes! I might expand the iris a little, but I also might not. Either way, she needed some life added to her and this did it in a big way. #eyes #blueeyes #minipainting #miniaturepainting #characterart #dndart #painting #art #wip #myart #bskyart #acrylic

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TJ @tinkersbench.bsky.social · 13/02/2025

Another after and before. Well on its way towards moonlight. Cutting down the yellow of the hair with a pastel green/white mix helped. Had another couple productive airbrush sittings which felt good. #myart #minipainting #miniaturepainting #elf #art #dndart #artshare #painting #moonlight #elves #

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TJ @tinkersbench.bsky.social · 12/02/2025

Afters and befores of an airbrush sesh. She’s getting there! Was hoping a pale skin tone glaze would warm the areas just outside the highest highlights and add some lilac hues to the midtones. Did just that 🥳 #miniaturepainting #dndart #characterart #myart #art #artshare #bskyart #painting #elf

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TJ @tinkersbench.bsky.social · 10/02/2025

After and before, plus a moonlit Galadriel reference picture. Full timelapse below :) Next I’ll apply a brightest highlight with a brush, then back to an airbrush for a light glaze of pale rosy skin tone for blending and to make her look less alien. #elf #myart #wip #fantasyart #painting #art

After painting session image of elf figuring with a skin tone in blue scale as a first step towards representing moonlight.

Before painting session image of elf figurine with a skin tone in blue scale as a first step towards representing moonlight. Layer lines between colors are clear. This is basically in an ugly stage of progress.

Galadriel in the moonlight, from the scene in fellowship of the ring where she and Frodo gaze into an enchanted basin of water to see the future.

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TJ @tinkersbench.bsky.social · 09/02/2025

Restarting her skin. Leaning heavily on the desaturated blue spectrum to better represent moonlight. Bitter pill to swallow, starting over, but confident that I made the right choice. Going rough on my initial sketch and trusting the process. #timelapse #fantasyart #myart #art #wip #cleanslate

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