Miniature painting offers life-sized fun

Your burly level-six barbarian trudges through the murk and the mire, the bones of his felled adversaries rattling as they hang from his belt, when suddenly a spray of swamp water erupts ahead. From the muddy filth, black wings unfurl, exposing the serpentine form of … an eraser glued to a popsicle stick? Really?

Tabletop games like Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder found a resurgence of interest in communities around the world during the pandemic. New faces with brand new stories entered the hobby for the first time, while others spent the illusory infinitude of time growing their collection of tabletop miniatures. If you’re new to the hobby, or even if you’re an old veteran with boxes of unpainted figurines, the library has the perfect program for you.

Join me on Tuesday, April 12, at 3 p.m. at the library for an instructional hangout focused on painting miniatures for your next big game night. Don’t have your own mini yet? I’ll have a few of my own available, though I encourage you to bring your own if you can. Placing your unique mini at the table with your own custom paint job gives a warm fuzzy feeling you have to experience for yourself. Additionally, if you have your own painting supplies, I encourage you to bring them, though we will have some on hand as well.

This program is geared toward tweens, teens, and adults interested in painting or D&D. While we won’t turn away anyone if they’re interested in hanging out and learning, this program isn’t well-suited for the youngest of kids. The pieces can be very small, sharp, and present choking hazards.

Do you have any questions about the hobby of mini painting, where to procure models or how you can have one 3D printed at the library before the program? Feel free to send me an email, which you can find at the end of this article.

Brenden Bobby can be reached at the East Bonner County Library, 1407 Cedar Street, Sandpoint, by phone at 208-263-6930, or email at brenden@ebonnerlibrary.org.