Team Secret Weapon: Who is Les?

posted by Les

I’m Les. I’m so happy that Mr. Justin contacted me about Team Secret Weapon and invited me to join the team. Our friendship started not too long ago but long enough to see both of our businesses grow, and our names showing up on the search engines. This is just another step in our hobby careers and it’s going to be AWESOME!


So let me give you some back story…

I got into the hobby when I was 17, around 1997. I was sucked in by the challenge to paint models on such a small scale. I did that on and off until I joined the Navy in 2000. During my 8 years in, I had forgotten about the hobby entirely. It was only when I got out that I ‘found’ the hobby again. I was moving some boxes into my new apartment and found some of my old models and the feeling of wanting to paint came back. So around March 2008 I hit the internet hard trying to learn all the new techniques that have come out since I had been out of the loop. I found an abundance of written tutorials and wondered why nobody was making videos in this time we live in. Now, I don’t know about you but I’m a visual learner. So to help the people that learn visually like myself, I decided to make videos. Once I got a concept down I threw up a video showing the process. And that’s how most of you know me; my videos.

See you next month!

Team Secret Weapon: Sirus

posted by Sirus

Sirus here! I'd like to start by saying I'm very humbled by being asked to join Team Secret Weapon. The team at Secret Weapon HQ were very cool about showing me around, demonstrating how they cast their products, new stuff on the horizon (BE EXCITED), and just making a fella feel welcome. In addition, to be on the same team with Mathieu and Les is like being in the company of giants - check out their websites if you haven't already. I think I'm a pretty good painter, but those guys blow me away.

A little about me - I've been playing 40K since way back in Rogue Trader, although I really didn't enter the tournament scene until 2003 when I moved to California. I've been a huge Blood Angels fan ever since the Angels of Death army book, but with the new Chaos codex coming sooner or later I'll be starting an all new Chaos army. I've already started planning - I'll be using the Blasted Wetlands bases, the earthy browns and greens will go nicely with pink and black power armor!


So to Justin, Dave, Brandon Mathieu, Les and the rest of the Secret Weapon universe - thank you, I'm really looking forward to this!

Team Secret Weapon: What am I doing here?

posted by Mathieu

What am I doing here? It is a question I have been asking myself regularly before agreeing to be part of this team. The simple answer is first why not, and second I have to. In fact, anything that promote modeling and painting is to be encouraged. So here I am.

For those not knowing me, I am a professional miniature painter from Canada. I have been painting miniature since the mid 90s, when I was 15. I discovered this hobby when I started to paint my armies. Now, honestly I have moved far away from armies to showcase pieces.

The transition was gradual but obvious. I always had more pleasure painting than gaming. So now my gaming is mostly composed of boardgames and role playing games, miniatures are mostly for the pleasure of painting. I do have a Cygnar army and a British Napoleonic army (still all in their boxes...) but my hope of ever seeing them fully painted have vanished.

So what will I be doing here? You will be able to get information on what I have been working on a monthly basis. So a sort of digest version of what you can find on my personal site. Future Masterclasses will also be advertised here. You can find more information on Masterclasses here.

I will have articles featuring Secret Weapons products as well. These will allow you to see how I use these great products more efficiently in order to achieve stunning results without too much effort.

So for now this is it. I have put my brushes aside until Christmas. I am afraid that working in retail during the holidays is not a good idea for painting time but I will be back in force in January.

For the moment, if you have time in this crazy period of the year, keep painting.

How To: Brass Etch Letters

By request - here's a look at how to work with our tiny brass etch letters.

I've used the Brass Etch Letters: Roman Numerals for this video -- but the same techniques apply to any of our small brass etch letter sets and both rounded and flat surfaces.

6x6 Rapid Assault Vehicle PRE-ORDER!

Here it is... FINALLY!

The 6x6 Rapid Assault Vehicle is now available to pre-order!

The complete 6x6 RAV kit is available for $39.99 and includes all 7 turret weapons and both hull weapon options.

The 6x6 turret is available as a standalone product for $14.99 with your choice of any one weapon option.

The hull is also available separately now for $24.99 and includes both of the front, hull mounted weapons. It does NOT include anything to fill the turret hole in the center of the hull.

The finished kit measures 5" long (127mm) 3.25" wide (80mm) and 2.5" (60mm) to the top of the turret.

The anticipated ship date is listed as 2-January, 2012 but the kits will start shipping the moment they become available.

Tell your friends. Tell people you don't like. Hang banners and tell complete strangers -- because if this kit does well it will be only the first of many new multi-part kits from Secret Weapon Miniatures!

Introducing Team Secret Weapon

Post by misterjustin

After weeks of hints and rumors it is with great pleasure that I introduce the members of Team Secret Weapon.

Each member of Team Secret Weapon was a Secret Weapon customer before being asked to join and each will be representing the brand in their own way and in their own segment of the community. In keeping with the "hobby first" philosophy the members have full control over which models they paint and which products they use on their projects.

Every month the team members will bring you their latest project, a tutorial or a rambling non sequitur in some way related to the world of plastic army men.

Mathieu Fontaine - Team Painter
Mathieu has won nearly 30 awards now for his painting - including Golden Demons in the US, UK and France - and keeps a blog at http://www.akaranseth.com/ that includes his work, travels and thoughts on the hobby.

I first met Mathieu at one of his Masterclass sessions in Alamo, California. It was a crazy weekend filled with painting techniques I'd been trying to master for years. I'm still trying but I'm a lot closer to my goals thanks to Mathieu's help. He has since come to Sacramento to do a Secret Weapon sponsored Masterclass and has provided me with incredible feedback on our products.

Mathieu made the switch to Secret Weapon Weathering Pigments and you'll find them on several of his recent works - including a recent gold at MMSI - and does some incredible work with the crushed glass. He'll be bringing his "French style" to the team.

Lester Bursley - Team Painter
Les is the creative mind behind Awesome Paint Job and the creator of "Les' Washes" - the recipe that became the Secret Weapon Washes. He is a prolific painter and picked up his first Golden Demon, a gold in Warhammer Regiment, earlier this year.

Les creates AWESOME! tutorials covering everything from speed painting to airbrush techniques and will be bringing videos and articles to Team Secret Weapon so you can see how he uses his favorite Secret Weapon products.

Sirus Chappell - Team 40k Player
Sirus is a Sacramento local and FLGS employee. He keeps a blog, mostly so his mother can see his plastic army men, at disaffectedlibertine.blogspot.com where you'll find his Blood Angels, because he has a thing for noble self sacrifice, and his Emperors Children and has a thing for sex, drugs, and rock'n'roll.

Sirus played his first 40k tournament in 2003 and has been going strong since. He's a big fan of Secret Weapon products and was one of the first to really push me to make the products available wholesale.

Things to come....
This month the team will be making their introductions and giving you an idea of what they'll be bringing to the table in January. Stay tuned!