Victor Hardy Offers Insight As to 30 Years of Painting

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Victor Hardy Years of Painting Victor Hardy Years of Painting

Miniature painter Victor Hardy discusses close to 30 years in the hobby including numerous award wins and his most famous piece, known to fans as Golgotha.

Victor Hardy Award-winning miniature painter Victor Hardy has achieved legendary status among followers and fans of the hobby during the last decade or more. From multiple Golden Demon award wins to return to the hobby after a brief hiatus, Hardy, from Austin, Texas, offers a detailed insight into his passion for miniature painting.

“It started in ‘the old days,’ as they say,” Hardy reveals, “around 1991 when I attended a convention called Texas Con and saw people playing Warhammer 40,000 for the first time.”

Victor’s friends decided to purchase the game and the group began playing on their university dorm room floor. “The rest, as the saying goes,” Hardy explains, “is history.”

Today more heavily focused on painting both display and gaming models, he now only plays around six games each year. “Not much,” he suggests, “but I do enjoy a good game; it’s just hard to find the free time.”

Hardy chooses not to differentiate between display pieces and gaming models. “I play my display pieces,” “However,” he continues, “I really only paint figures intended to be of display or competition quality.”

Victor Hardy had only been involved in the hobby for six years when he won his first ‘Golden Demon,’ “The first time I went to a Golden Demon event I won the gold in the Warhammer 40,000 single miniature category,” he explains.

As he recalls, it was his first miniature of distinct quality and took around two weeks to complete. “It was this unexpected win,” says Austin-based Hardy, “which drew me into being a serious competitor.”

Asked about his favorite piece to date, Victor Hardy says there’s no question about what that model might be. “Golgotha,” he reveals, enthusiastically, “no doubt about it.”

This piece remains Texas native Hardy’s defining work and took over two years to paint, with the talented artist spending more than 500 hours on the project. He has since gone on to win a total of eight highly prized Golden Demon awards, plus two further much-coveted Slayer Sword awards.

After a short hiatus from the hobby, Victor’s latest piece is titled Magog. “I’ve completed the body and only need to finish the banner work,” the miniature painting legend explains.

“Now,” he adds, wrapping up, “I just need to find the time in order to complete it!”

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