UMS "Agram" : Modular Gaming Board < Articles < Hobby

Modular Gaming Board

Marko Paunović, 11th September 2020

In the past issues I've been dealing with various forms of terrain for my Malifaux games. I've started with several bigger, feature terrain, like Western Church with a graveyard, Undertakers or Water tower with a fog machine. I've then continued with a train set accompanied by several modules worth of railroad tracks. Finally I ended with three modules of a dried river and a set of smaller gaming pieces (like forests, rough terrain, fences etc). In this issue, I'll be tackling how to build your own modular board, easily and fairly cheaply.

Obviously like with every big project, When making such a board you need to make the blueprints and carefully think everything through. What size will the board be, how many modules, how to connenct the modules, features stretching through a couple of modules - how to make the transitions... Fortunately for me, the basic idea of the board was already in my mind because a lot would be decided and defined by the terrain I've already built. Colours to be used I need not think about as they must be the same as in all the other terrain. Having such a great number of terrain pieces, means that I won't need a lot of features built into my modules. This makes the actual build easier, however deciding what details and features to use and more importantly where to place them, complicated matters. Over the course of the last couple of years I've made quite a number of large terrain pieces that I would like to use in my games. Having details, like large boulders, in wrong places on the board would prevent me from firmly placing larger pieces of terrain on my tabletop. That is something I need to avoid so I will need to take extra care not to get carried away. Let the board look a bit „boring, flat and featureless“.

Planning

Here is the list of needs and wants I've compiled after a couple of nights of planning:

1. easy storage (modules - no big wooden board that's hard to put away) N
1.1. size of the entire board: 90 x 90cm (or as close as possible) N
1.2. board needs to consist of four modules 45 x 45 cm (or as close as possible) N

2. use magnets for fixing the modules N
2.1. connection of the modules - use magnets (diametre 10mm) W/N
2.2. connection of the modules – use plastic pins (diametre 8mm) W/N
2.3. place the magnets/pins in the middle of each board W

3. details W
3.1. dirt paths – only on two or three modules W
3.2. one module without features W
3.3. dirt road – only on one module, as short as possible N
3.4. all of the modules must have at least ¼ of each module without any features N

4. details mustn't continue from one module to the next N

5. features and details as flat as possible (so I can place my terrain on the table easily) N

6. materials to be used – as light as possible N

7. frame – sturdy that won't bend or break easily N

When I compiled the list, already some things were begining to come to light. The need for light materials to be used made the choice easy – only HD Styrofoam could meet the demand on such a large surface or really thin MDF (maximum 5mm thickness). In the end, I went for three modules of HD Styrofoam (as it is less expensive) and one module of MDF (just for the purposes of this article so I can explain how to make it with this material as well). However, the need for sturdy frame and the connection through magnets meant that each module had to have a wooden frame. This in turn meant that the board would be at least 2,5 – 4 cm high. So the volume the board would have when not assembled would be 45 x 45 x 16cm (maximum height). This means that the whole board wouldn't take up too much space which is exactly what I was going for. After a little deliberation, I've decided to go with the magnets as my choice of connection, instead of pins. I'll do the list of pros and cons a little later on in the article. However, I decided to make a mock-up of the pin connection, as well, for the purposes of this article. Next up, was to make a sketch of the entire layout. I made sure I dotted down everything and proceeded to make a list of materials and tools needed.

- glues - PVA 1kg, 1x10g Superglue
- paints and spreys
- 6 Pebeo Deco Paints (Black, White, Grey, Brown, Ochre and Ash), one black matt acrylic sprey and one clear matt acrylic sprey
- large brushes No 90, No 40
- airbrush
- brush size 16
- high density sytyrofoam
- 2 boards (1200 x 600 x 20 mm)
- MDF 1 board (50 x 50cm) – just for the purposes of this article!
- 8mm diametre plastic tube – just for the purposes of this article!
- wooden slats
- 8 pieces (30 x 5 x 1000 mm)
- balsa wood 5mm thick (10 x 1000 mm)
- magnets - 32 pieces (diametre 10 mm, thickness 1mm)
- DAS air drying clay (0,5kg)
- plaster (half a cup)
- mould for casting cobbles
- sand and gravel (4 sizes)
- static grass and scatter (three to four sorts)
- scalpel blade
- jig saw
- disc sander
- modeller's saw
- mill bit (10 mm diametre)
- sanding paper
- masking tape

When you make such a list, you can also add where you can buy those items and it'll make your shopping easier and faster. When all summed up, I reckon, my board wouldn't cost more than 30-35USD which is really great as this is even cheaper than normal playing mats and that came as a surprise really.

Actual build

After you purchased everything you need, it's time to start the build. First thing I did when I started was making the wooden frame out of the 8 linden slats 30 x 5 x 1000 mm planks. I cut them 2mm longer than neccessary. Fortunately, the slats being 1000 mm long I could afford it so each slat could be used to make two sides of the frame. They all had leftovers and when finally done, I'd have modules that were exactly 45 x 45 cm. When cutting (with a saw) cut one from one side of the plank and the other from the other side. It will ensure you that you have at least one vertically cut side (factory made). After you make this, you'll have to sand of the extra 2mm of length. In order to have a perfect fit, I used my Proxxon disc sander that has a movable trey which I set up at 45 degrees angle. After both sides of each plank were sanded I checked if I had perfect fits all around.

After the wooden frame parts were cut, I proceeded with magnet installment. First of all, I marked one side of all the magnets with green colour and the other with red (note: it doesn't matter which colour you use, obviously, as long as they are sufficiantly different). When I had all my 32 magnets marked on both sides, it was time to mark the wooden frame slats exactly where I would place them. I decided to place them exactly 10 cm from left/right side and exactly 1,5 cm from the top side. Using a marker I jotted down the exact centre so I could aim the vertical drill more easily. I placed the 10 mm diametre mill bit into it and drilled 2 mm deep into the wooden slats. I glued the magnets using a mixture of PVA glue (inside the hole) and superglue (on the magnets).

In the design phase I mentioned another way to connect the modules. The preparations for the pin connection are mostly the same. Decide where to place the pins (how far from each side of the module and on which height). Using a drill of appropriate size (8mm in this case), I made the holes straight through the wooden slat. I then proceeded to cut the plastic rod into pins of desired length and placed one pin per side. Like with magnets, I carefully marked each side of the module with separate colour (red and green). One colour would have the pin (be the male jack) and the other would have the hole (be the female jack). I would suggest that your pins protrude at least 2,5cm. If you've done everything right, the pins should align precisely with the holes and you should get a perfect fit. Using the pins will provide a more permanent and rigid connection than the magnet version. However, storing the modules would require more space. Of course, you could always opt not to fix the pins to the modules and store them in a separate bag.

As mentioned above, on three of the modules, I would be using high density styrofoam to make the body of the board so I now had to cut it into four pieces that would go into the four frames of the modules. Since the frames' outside dimensions were exactly 45 x 45 cm and the wooden frame thickness was 5 mm (on each side!), that meant that my styrofoam boards needed to be exactly 44 x 44 cm so using some straight wooden planks (balsa wood) I first drew the outline and then using my scalpel blade I cut the four pieces.

The fourth module would be done out of thin MDF (about 4mm). Using the same method as before, I drew the outline of the module and using my jigsaw I cut it to desired size (44 x 44 cm). Earlier in the article, I mentioned I would list some pros and cons of each method. Obviously, the styrofoam is easier to cut, lighter and due to it's soft properties and relatively high depth provides the builder the opportunity to add some features inside the module. However, the styrofoam usually comes with different (usually diamond shaped) features on it's surfaces. This is because it is used as insulation on houses so the roughness of the surface makes it adhere better to the wall surfaces. I had to remove the texture and I did it using a makeshift tool made from sanding paper, masking tape and a paint bottle. The MDF is obviously a little heavier, more difficult to cut but on the other hand provides better rigidity of the entire module. Also, being thinner than styrofoam, it provides more room on the inside of the module, so your modules can have more texutre and protruding details and you'll still be able to stack the modules on top of each other when placed in storage.

In order to glue the wooden frames at right angle more easily, I made some brackets (of course you can buy them, but it's cheaper this way). From the 5mm thick balsa wood I cut 8 pieces about 5 x 5 cm large. Afterwards using a knife, I cut them diagonally and presto, I had 16 brackets (for each corner of the 4 modules). I glued them using superglue.

I now had all the pieces I needed to assemble the four modules. I used superglue to instantly bond the wooden frames to eachother and to the brackets. When I acchieved the initial strength of the bond, I added PVA glue to all the joints. When the bonds were dry, I placed my styrofoam boards into each frame. After a bit of tayloring with a scalpel blade I had them all fit snuggly inside the frames. I glued the styrofoam boards to the frames using PVA glue (superglue melts styrofoam) and left it to dry overnight. Before pouring the glue, I added masking tape to all the joints on the top surface to prevent the glue from leaking.

Adding texture

I assembled all the modules to check how they fit. On the module with the MDF base, the base had sunk into the wooden frame and didn't align perfectly. To fix it, I mixed up some plaster with water making sure the mixture was almost fluid-like. When I was satisfied with the consistency, I poured in the plaster and using a long straight slat I leveled the plaster with the wooden frame. Once it was dry, I checked the alignment again and since everything worked out great it was now time to add some scenic features that I decided I'd install. Using my sketch, I carefully copied the design to the board clearly marking the dirt roads, dirt paths and all the clear featureless areas. When I had the design drawn on the board, using some sanding paper taped to a bottle (for a colour I'd be using later) I sanded into the board so the roads would be flat with the ground. I managed to make the profile of the road by just sanding the MDF. If I hadn't succeeded I would opt to use DAS air drying clay. I would shaped some features to the roads and when I satisfied with how they looked, I would smear some PVA glue over the entire surface of the.

For a long time I debated whether to add some cobbled stone road or area to my board for the purposes of this article. However, in the end I decided against it as it would clash too much with the rest of the scenery. Luckily, on one of my previous projects I did just that so I have a couple of pics to show how it's done. First, using the method described earlier I made a denture in the styrofoam to fit my cobbled stones which I made from a silicone mould I found in a Home depo store (note: it was actually a pot coaster that I used in Wyrd Chronicles no 22). I mixed some plaster with water and I poured it into my mould. Half an hour later I had my cobbles. I placed the cobbles into the appropriate hole and when done, I sprinkled generously some gravel and sand.

With all the features modelled on the board, I proceeded with adding texture. First I added the big pieces of slate. Then I added the dirt road and/or paths. After I smeared a slightly watered down PVA (just enough so it would spread easily) on all the surfaces, I sprinkled some larger bits of gravel. I added more texture progressively going from larger granulate to smaller. The final granulate size was smallest chinchilla sand. I repeated the process on all the other surfaces, ending in a granulate a tad bigger than chinchilla sand so I could diferentiate between the normal ground and the dirt road.

Painting

Leaving to dry overnight, I continued the process in the morning with an application of a black undercoat. I used a black matt acrylic sprey. After it was dry, I airbrushed the colouration (using a GW sprey gun because it gives a quite large cover area in a single burst and it's dirt cheap to get). Normal ground was painted with brown while the road was done in several layers ending in a mixture of brown and ochre. The stone bits and areas were airbrushed grey. Final highlights were done with ash and antique white using size 40, 60 and 90 brushes. When the paints were dry, I spreyed everything with a clear matt acrylic sprey.

Vegetation

After the painting, as always, I added the vegetation. It was basicly a mixture of one type of scatter and three kinds of static grass – a brownish 3mm long one, a yellowish-brown 5mm long one and some yellowish 7mm tufts. The scatter was made from various stuff like twigs, coloured wooden dust and debree and some artificial thread. I applied them all with PVA glue and left it to dry. When it was all dry, I spreyed everything with clear matt acrylic sprey.

When all was done, I arranged (some of) my scenery on the board and was pretty satisfied with the results.

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We visited: Warhammer World - pt.1

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For any Warhammer hobbyist, a visit to Warhammer World in Nottingham is a pilgrimage of sorts. It is the epicenter of the entire Games Workshop culture - a combination of global corporate headquarters, visitor center, exhibition space, gaming hall, specialty store and themed bar, all gathered in one location. It should also be taken into account that the large gaming hall hosts Grand Tournaments for all games published by Games Workshop, and since our Ivan found himself in WHW on 18.4.2026. there was a WH40k tournament on the schedule, so the experience of the exhibition, Bugman Bar, WHW store, workshops, and gaming hall was also enhanced by the grand tournament that took place that day. This series follows his adventures…

1. Historical Context

1.1. The Founding of Games Workshop

Games Workshop was founded in 1975 in London, at 15 Bolingbroke Road. The founders were John Peake, Ian Livingstone and Steve Jackson (not to be confused with the American game designer of the same name). Initially, the company was not at all related to miniatures - they produced wooden boards for traditional games such as backgammon, manchala, mill and go. The same year, the Owl and Weasel newsletter was launched, which would later, in June 1977, evolve into the now legendary White Dwarf magazine. During the second half of the 1970s, Games Workshop became the main European distributor of the American role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons, and by the end of the decade it had also started publishing its own titles. A key turning point came in 1978/1979, when Games Workshop financed the establishment of Citadel Miniatures in Newark-on-Trent (Nottinghamshire). Citadel produced metal figurines used in GW's games, and the "Citadel" brand remains synonymous with Games Workshop miniatures to this day.

1.2. The Move to Nottingham and "Lead Belt"

The move of Games Workshop from London to Nottingham was not a one-off, but a gradual process linked to the person of Bryan Ansell. Ansell became director of Games Workshop in 1985, bought the company from Jackson and Livingstone in the late 1980s, and refocused it from role-playing games to tabletop strategy products. It was he who physically moved the company from London to Nottinghamshire to bring it closer to Citadel Miniatures. The final consolidation took place in October 1997, when all of Games Workshop's UK operations were moved to their current headquarters in Lenton, a suburb of Nottingham. This location still houses the corporate headquarters, design studio, White Dwarf magazine editorial office, European distribution centre and online sales centre. The concentration of miniatures manufacturers in the wider Nottinghamshire area has led to the area now being referred to in hobby circles as the "Lead Belt". Most of the companies that make up that belt today - Warlord Games, Mantic Games, Perry Miniatures, Wargames Foundry and others - were founded by former Games Workshop employees, which speaks of an ecosystem that has developed around one company for decades.

1.3. Warhammer as a product

Warhammer Fantasy Battle was first published in 1983 by Bryan Ansell, Rick Priestley and Richard Halliwell. The game literally saved Citadel from stagnation and launched the expansion of ranges of fantasy miniatures.

Warhammer 40,000 (40k) was launched in 1987 under the original title Rogue Trader, with Rick Priestley as the main author. Over six generations of rules, the game has become the leading sci-fi wargaming franchise in the world and is now the core product of Games Workshop. The 10th edition of the rules is currently in circulation.

You can find more photos on our social networks.

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Za svakog hobista koji se bavi Warhammerom, posjet Warhammer Worldu u Nottinghamu predstavlja svojevrsno hodočašće. Riječ je o središnjem mjestu cjelokupne Games Workshop kulture - kombinaciji globalnog korporativnog sjedišta, posjetiteljskog centra, izložbenog prostora, igračke dvorane, specijalizirane trgovine i tematskog bara, sve okupljeno na jednoj lokaciji. Također treba uzeti u obzir da se u velikoj igraćoj dvorani održavaju Grand Turniri za sve igre koje izdaje Games Workshop, a budući da se naš Ivan našao u WHW 18.4.2026. na rasporedu je bio WH40k turnir, pa je samom doživljaju izložbe, Bugman Bara, WHW dućana, radionica, i igraće hale doprinio i veliki turnir koji se odvijao taj dan. Ovaj serijal prati njegove dogodovštine…

1. Povijesni kontekst

1.1. Osnutak Games Workshopa

Games Workshop osnovan je 1975. godine u Londonu, na adresi 15 Bolingbroke Road. Osnivači su bili John Peake, Ian Livingstone i Steve Jackson (ne treba ga miješati s istoimenim američkim game dizajnerom). U početku tvrtka uopće nije bila vezana uz minijature - proizvodili su drvene ploče za tradicionalne igre poput backgammona, manchale, mlina i goa. Iste godine pokrenut je i newsletter Owl and Weasel, koji će kasnije, u lipnju 1977., evoluirati u danas legendarni časopis White Dwarf. Tijekom druge polovice 1970-ih Games Workshop postaje glavni europski distributer američke role-playing igre Dungeons & Dragons, da bi krajem desetljeća počeo izdavati i vlastite naslove. Ključna prekretnica dogodila se 1978./1979. godine, kada Games Workshop financira osnivanje Citadel Miniatures u mjestu Newark-on-Trent (Nottinghamshire). Citadel je proizvodio metalne figurice koje su se koristile u GW-ovim igrama, a brand "Citadel" do danas je ostao sinonim za Games Workshop minijature.

1.2. Preseljenje u Nottingham i "Lead Belt"

Preseljenje Games Workshopa iz Londona u Nottingham nije bilo jednokratno, već postupan proces vezan uz osobu Bryana Ansella. Ansell je 1985. godine postao direktor Games Workshopa, otkupio je tvrtku od Jacksona i Livingstonea krajem 1980-ih, te je preusmjerio s role-playing igara prema proizvodima za stolne strateške igre. Upravo on je tvrtku fizički preselio iz Londona u Nottinghamshire kako bi je približio Citadel Miniatures. Konačna konsolidacija dogodila se u listopadu 1997. godine, kada su sve britanske operacije Games Workshopa premještene u današnje sjedište u Lentonu, predgrađu Nottinghama. Na toj se lokaciji i danas nalaze korporativno sjedište, dizajn studio, redakcija časopisa White Dwarf, distribucijski centar za Europu te online prodajni centar. Koncentracija proizvođača minijatura u širem području Nottinghamshirea dovela je do toga da se čitav kraj danas u hobi krugovima naziva "Lead Belt" (Olovni pojas). Većina tvrtki koje danas čine taj pojas - Warlord Games, Mantic Games, Perry Miniatures, Wargames Foundry i druge - osnovana je od strane bivših zaposlenika Games Workshopa, što govori o ekosustavu koji se desetljećima razvijao oko jedne tvrtke.

1.3. Warhammer kao proizvod

Warhammer Fantasy Battle prvi je put objavljen 1983. godine, a autori su Bryan Ansell, Rick Priestley i Richard Halliwell. Igra je doslovno spasila Citadel od stagnacije i pokrenula širenje fantasy linija figurica.

Warhammer 40,000 (40k) lansiran je 1987. godine pod izvornim nazivom Rogue Trader, a glavni autor bio je Rick Priestley. Tijekom šest generacija pravila, igra je postala vodeća sci-fi wargaming franchise na svijetu i danas predstavlja središnji proizvod Games Workshopa. Trenutno je u opticaju 10. izdanje pravila.

Više fotografija možete naći na našim socijalnim mrežama.

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Marko Paunović, 27th April 2026

Back to Basics Workshops in Library Medvescak

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	In April 2026 we held our Back To Basics miniature painting workshops for the youngest in Medveščak Library.

	

	The workshops were completely FREE for all participants!

	

	

	The Back to Basics method is a method of making models and miniatures that focuses on a fun process intended for younger ages, but everyone is welcome! In three separate sessions on Thursdays, participants (aged 7+) painted miniatures of their choice (knight, princess, king, wizard and barbarian). 

	

	

	

	

	

	1st session: Painting miniatures of choice, Thursday, 09.04. - from 18:00 to 19:00

	2nd session: Painting a miniature of your choice, Thursday, 16.04. - from 18:00 to 19:00

	3rd session: Painting a miniature of your choice, Thursday, 23.04. - from 18:00 to 19:00

	

	

	

	

	

	
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	U travnju 2026. održali smo naše Back To Basics radionice za najmlađe u Knjižnici Medveščak.

	

	Radionice su bile BESPLATNE za sve polaznike!

	

	

	Back to Basics metoda je metoda izrade maketa i minijatura kojoj je fokus na zabavnom procesu namjenjenom mlađim uzrastima, ali svi su dobrodošli! U tri zasebna termina četvrtkom, polaznici (od 7+) su bojali minijature po izboru (vitez, princeza, kralj, čarobnjak i barbarin).

	

	

	

	

	

	1. termin: Bojenje minijature po izboru, četvrtak, 09.04. - od 18:00 do 19:00

	2. termin: Bojenje minijature po izboru, četvrtak, 16.04. - od 18:00 do 19:00

	3. termin: Bojenje minijature po izboru, četvrtak, 23.04. - od 18:00 do 19:00

	

	

	

	

	

	
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Krunoslav Belinić, 24th April 2026

Freehand for Sons of Horus Spartana

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This week, our Miha is working on the "Freehand" technique on Spartan for Sons of Horus for the game Horus Heresy.

I'll explain my process a bit and give some tips if you're interested in trying this technique yourself.

The first step is to find some references, something that we will use as inspiration and a guide for the colors later. It is important to emphasize that we are not trying to copy the drawing 1:1, but rather use it as a starting point and then add our own details.

I used a drawing by Richard Bagnall as inspiration, of course you can use your own sketches.

The second step is to define the space and create guides. I recommend using white paint as we will cover these guidelines later. It is important to define the surface we are working with and the important parts of the drawing through the guidelines.

Then we move from the background colors to the foreground colors, in this case reds, then blacks, then golds. Don't worry too much about making it perfect at first, just mark where each color goes and start building a blend from darker to lighter.

After that, the process of adding details where needed and marking the edges of zones to create light begins. Here I started working on the face, which I later changed the most with more detailed eyes and I tried to make the nose stand out more.

The last step is very long and requires a lot of effort. It's about fixing and adding more details where needed, when painting something detailed in such a small area mistakes will happen, just let it dry a bit and fix it. In the picture you can see how the red has transferred to my face, I fixed that later. I also added more details by using lighter shades of paint in certain areas.

This was the final result, I still tried to add some things, but every time I changed something intentionally, something would change by accident. It's important to know when to accept that a freehand is finished. Your first one won't be perfect, but through practice you will get better and better.

One tip I will give you is to always have an object in your photo that can serve to show the viewer the size of your drawing. Most people I have shown the final image to thought it was a much larger drawing. I like to use coins.

Now, to show you how easy it is to start freehand and what can be achieved through practice, I'll give you two pictures, one of the brushes and paints I used for this project, and the other of some of my other freehands. I'm sure you'll notice the progress over time.

Thank you for reading, I hope I have encouraged you to try the freehand technique on your models.

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Naš Miha se ovoga tjedna bavi „Freehand“ tehnikom na Spartanu za Sons of Horus za igru Horus Heresy.

Malo ću objasniti moji proces i dati neke savjete ako ste zainteresirani sami probati ovu tehniku.

Prvi korak je pronaći neki reference, nešto što ćemo koristiti kao inspiraciju i voditelj za boje kasnije. Važno je naglasiti da ne pokušavamo prekopirati crtež 1:1, nego ga koristimo kao početak pa dalje nadodajemo svoje detalje.

Koristio sam crtež od Richard Bagnall-a kao inspiraciju, naravno možete i svoje sketcheve koristiti.

Drugi korak je odrediti prostor i napraviti vodilice. Savjetujem korištenje bijele boje kako ćemo ove vodilice prekriti kasnije. Važno da odredimo površinu s kojom radimo i važne dijelove crteža kroz vodilice.

Nakon toga krećemo od boja u pozadini prema bojama naprijed, u ovom slučaju to su crvene, pa crne, pa zlato. U početku se nemojte previše brinuti da ispadne savršeno, nego samo da označite gdje koje boje idu i da počnete graditi blend od tamnije prema svjetlijoj.

Nakon toga počinje proces dodavanja detalja gdje su potrebni i označavanje rubova zona kako bi stvorili svjetlost. Ovdje sam započeo raditi na licu, koje sam najviše kasnije mijenjao s detaljnijim očima i pokušavao sam više istaknuti nos.

Zadnji korak je jako dugačak i zahtjeva dosta truda. To je popravljanje i dodavanje još detalje gdje je potrebno, kada bojate nešto detaljno na ovako malom prostoru dogodit će se greške, jednostavno pustite da se malo osuši i popravite. U slici možete vidjeti kako mi je crvena prešla na lice, to sam kasnije popravio. Također sam dodao još detalja koristeći svjetlije nijanse boja na određenim dijelovima.

Ovo je bio finalni rezultat, još sam pokušao nadodati neke stvari, ali svaki put kad bi nešto mijenjao namjerno, nešto bi se promijenilo slučajno. Važno je znati kada treba prihvatiti da je freehand gotov. Prvi vam neće biti savršen, ali kroz vježbu ćete postati sve bolji i bolji.

Jedan savjet koji ću vam dati je da uvijek imate neki objekt u fotografiji koji može služiti da se gledatelju prikaže veličina vašeg crteža. Većina kojoj sam pokazao finalu sliku su mislili da je to dosta veći crtež. Ja volim koristiti kovanice.

Sada, da prikažem koliko je lagano krenuti s freehandom i što se može postići kroz vježbu, ću vam dati dvije slike, jedna su kistovi i boje koje sam koristio za ovaj projekt, a druga su neki drugi moji freehandovi. Siguran sam da ćete primjetiti napredak s vremenom.

Hvala vam na čitanju, nadam se da sam vas potaknuo da probate freehand tehniku na svojim modelima.

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Marko Paunović, 20th April 2026

Miniature Painting Workshop in Bjelovar

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	At the end of March and beginning of April, we held our first miniature painting workshop in Bjelovar. We held them in cooperation with the "Petar Preradović" National Library from Bjelovar, to which we would like to once again thank for the opportunity to demonstrate our hobby to young people in this city.

	

	The first, introductory workshop was led by our Dalibor Čavić, the original creator of this series of workshops. He showed the attendees some of his work and explained the theory behind basic miniature painting in an interesting one-hour lecture.

	

	

	

	

	Due to Dalibor's illness, our Dean Vuković stepped in to lead the second workshop. The second session was reserved for the practical application of the acquired knowledge.

	

	

	

	Eight participants had the opportunity to paint miniatures provided by the Association, but some decided to paint their own miniatures, which Dean naturally made possible.

	

	

	

	

	

	

	

	

	

	See you soon again in Bjelovar!
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	Krajem ožujka i početkom travnja održali smo prve radionice bojanja minijatura u Bjelovaru. Održali smo ih u suradnji sa Narodnom knjižnicom "Petar Preradović" iz Bjelovara kojoj se ovim putem još jednom zahvaljujemo na prilici da demonstriramo naš hobi mladima u ovom nama bliskom gradu.

	

	Prvu, uvodnu radionicu je vodio naš Dalibor Čavić, idejni začetnik ovog serijala radionica. Prisutnima je pokazao neke od svojih radova i objasnio teoriju iza osnovnog bojanja minijatura u zanimljivom jednosatnom predavanju.

	

	

	

	

	Za vođenje druge radionice, uskočio je naš Dean Vuković zbog bolesti Dalibora. Drugi termin bio je rezerviran za praktičnu primjenu stečenih znanja.

	

	

	

	Osam polaznika imalo je priliku bojati minijature koje je Udruga osigurala, ali neki su odlučili bojati i vlastite minijature što im je voditelj naravno omogućio.

	

	

	

	

	

	

	

	

	

	Vidimo se uskoro opet u Bjelovaru!
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Dalibor Čavić, 14th April 2026

Hobby Stores in Japan

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Last year our Ili went to Japan and was kind enough to write a short story about the hobby stores she visited while there.

I was 3 weeks in Japan and being a geeky (and admittedly an Otaku), of course I spent most of my time there at the famous Akihabara.

Akihabara Electric Town or simply Akihabara is a district in central Tokyo that is famous for its many electronics shops and has also gained recognition as the center of Japan's otaku culture. You can find everything ranging from practical electronics models or parts to gaming and anime merchandise and of course model kits and miniatures.

What my partner and I didn’t expect is that all stores here are at least 5 floors and the most I know have even 10 floors! Above is probably the most famous building in Akihabara, the Akihabara Radio Kaikan. The building is 46.5 m high, is ten levels from the ground floor and has two basement levels. The current building primarily hosts stores selling otaku goods.

While above photos are inside Akihabara Radio Kaikan, but these are how most buildings/stores in Akhabara look like.

Since we are about building and painting miniature models, the place you MUST visit is VOLKS AKIHABARA HOBBY PARADISE 2 (Hobby Paradise 2) - it is a dream destination for every hobbyist. This massive seven-floor store is filled with everything from character goods and figures to model kits, tools, paints, and more.

On the topic of Volks, it began as a small hobby shop in 1972. In the late 1990s they produced the first Dollfie dolls, and in 1999 the first Super Dollfie doll was created by Akihiro Enku. In November 2005, Volks USA opened their first American Tenshi no Sumika store in Los Angeles, California.

We are going to talk a bit about Dollfie. Dollfie dolls were customization tools such as pre-rooted hair and stick-on eye decals. Later, complete dolls were released. There are various body types, male and female, with several forms and skin tones for both as well as a line of child-sized dolls. The company also produces tools and materials to customize and maintain dolls.

Basically they are almost like customising and painting miniature but on a bigger scale. This is a hobby I have had since 2005 (but only become very active in 2017).

Volks store in Osaka - Volks Osaka Showroom.

One place you need to visit if you're into retro gaming is SUPER POTATO! They have 6 stores total, one is in Akihabara, Tokyo and the one in Nipponbashi, Osaka is a lot bigger and has more things to offer. All the photos I shared above are from the Osaka branch. Super Potato had been referred by many as "a museum as much as a shop" based on how visitors serendipitously interact with the games on display.

And a cliche as they say, you always leave Japan with more luggage (or bags). We came to Japan with just one piece of luggage and 2 backpacks on us.

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Prošle godine naša Ili je bila u Japanu i bila je toliko ljubazna da je napisala kratku priču o hobby trgovinama koje je posjetila dok je bila tamo.

Bila sam 3 tjedna u Japanu i, budući da sam geeky (i priznajem otaku), naravno da sam većinu vremena provela tamo u poznatoj Akihabari.

Akihabara Electric Town ili jednostavno Akihabara je četvrt u središnjem Tokiju poznata po brojnim trgovinama elektronikom, a stekla je i priznanje kao središte japanske otaku kulture. Možete pronaći sve, od praktičnih modela ili dijelova elektronike do igraće i anime robe, pa sve do kompleta modela i minijatura.

Ono što moj partner i ja nismo očekivali jest da sve trgovine ovdje imaju barem 5 katova, a većina koje poznajem ima čak 10 katova! Iznad je vjerojatno najpoznatija zgrada u Akihabari, Akihabara Radio Kaikan. Zgrada je visoka 46,5 m, nalazi se na deset katova od prizemlja i ima dva podrumska kata. U sadašnjoj zgradi se uglavnom nalaze trgovine koje prodaju otaku robu.

Iako su gornje fotografije unutar Akihabara Radio Kaikana, ovako izgleda većina zgrada/trgovina u Akhabari.

Budući da se bavimo izradom i bojanjem minijaturnih modela, mjesto koje MORATE posjetiti je VOLKS AKIHABARA HOBBY PARADISE 2 (Hobby Paradise 2) - to je destinacija iz snova za svakog hobista. Ova ogromna trgovina na sedam katova puna je svega, od robe s likovima i figurama do maketa, alata, boja i još mnogo toga.

Što se tiče Volksa, započeo je kao mala hobi trgovina 1972. Krajem 1990-ih proizveli su prve Dollfie lutke, a 1999. Akihiro Enku stvorio je prvu Super Dollfie lutku. U studenom 2005. Volks USA otvorio je svoju prvu američku trgovinu Tenshi no Sumika u Los Angelesu u Kaliforniji.

Pisat ću malo o Dollfieju. Dollfie lutke bile su alati za prilagodbu poput unaprijed ukorijenjene kose i naljepnica za oči koje se samoljepe. Kasnije su izdane i gotove lutke. Postoje različiti tipovi tijela, muški i ženski, s nekoliko oblika i tonova kože za oboje, kao i linija lutaka dječje veličine. Tvrtka također proizvodi alate i materijale za prilagodbu i održavanje lutaka.

U osnovi su gotovo kao prilagodba i bojanje minijatura, ali u većoj skali. Ovo je hobi koji prakticiram od 2005. (ali sam postala vrlo aktivna tek 2017.).

Volks trgovina u Osaki - Volks Osaka Showroom.

Jedno mjesto koje morate posjetiti ako volite retro igre je SUPER POTATO! Imaju ukupno 6 trgovina, jedna je u Akihabari u Tokiju, a ona u Nipponbashiju u Osaki je puno veća i ima više toga za ponuditi. Sve fotografije koje sam podijelila gore su iz podružnice u Osaki. Super Potato su mnogi nazivali "muzejem koliko i trgovinom" na temelju načina na koji posjetitelji slučajno komuniciraju s izloženim igrama.

I klišej kako kažu, uvijek napuštaš Japan s više prtljage (ili torbi). Mi smo u Japan došli samo s jednim komadom prtljage i dva ruksaka.

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Marko Paunović, 8th April 2026

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