Famous miniature painting hobbyist Victor Hardy discusses almost three decades of practicing the art form.
With fans of his artwork located all around the world, award-winning miniature painting hobbyist Victor Hardy is also a highly qualified attorney specializing in online and multimedia patent infringement litigation, liquidation proceedings, due diligence, and intellectual property law. Taking a break from his legal work, the Texas-based lawyer looks back on almost 30 years of perfecting the art of miniature painting.
“It all started around 1991 when I attended an event called Texas Con and saw people playing the now-popular wargame Warhammer 40,000 for the first time,” says Hardy, from Austin, Texas, who is now returning to the miniature painting hobby after a brief hiatus.
A young Victor Hardy and his university friends decided to purchase a copy of the game, which relies, in part, on the skilled art of miniature painting, and the group quickly began playing on their dorm room floor. “The rest, as they say, is history,” adds the attorney and award-winning hobby artist.
Now more heavily invested in painting gaming models for Warhammer 40,000 than participating in gameplay, Hardy only plays around six games each year. “I do still enjoy a good game, however,” he explains, “it’s just tricky to find the free time.”
Hardy’s work, he says, is a combination of miniature painting both for display and for gameplay. “I choose not to differentiate between display pieces and gaming models,” he reveals, “and I often play my display pieces when I get the opportunity.”
“With that said,” he continues, “I only ever paint figures to a standard whereby which they’re of display or competition quality, regardless of whether or not they may, at some point, also be played.”
Victor Hardy has achieved numerous high profile accolades for his miniature painting, including several so-called Golden Demon Awards, a prestigious nod among the Warhammer 40,000 and wider miniature painting communities alike.
His first such win, he reveals, was in what’s known as the ‘single miniature’ category. “My first Golden Demon Award I actually won at my first ever event,” Hardy explains, “in the often hotly contested single miniature category.”
The piece in question, he recalls, took around two weeks to complete. “After my first win, I was truly bitten by the miniature painting bug,” says Victor, “and soon committed to improving my artwork further and becoming a serious competitor at future Golden Demon Awards and other similar events.”
Hardy recently recommenced work on a part-finished piece after returning to miniature painting following a brief hiatus. “I’ve completed much of the work and only need to add the finishing touches,” he adds, wrapping up, “it’s just a matter of finding the time.”
To learn more about Victor Hardy, visit https://victorhardyattorney.com/.
