by TalisMatt originally published 05 January 2025
One of my favorite parts of helping with the Talismanaeum website is curating the collection and galleries of painted miniatures. I’m the guy who reaches out to artists via the World Wide Web and gets the privilege of hand-picking the folks we’re lucky enough to commission.
Currently, we’re utilizing four different artists to paint the Talismanaeum collection. While they are all excellent in their own way, the artist we keep busiest is Adam Smith, of Noice Miniatures in the UK.
According to his most recent Instagram post, Adam painted over 1,200 miniatures in 2024, which reflects his speed and turnaround time. What amazes me is that as fast as he paints, his quality is that of artists who spend much more time to achieve the same results. The images accompanying this interview should reflect that!
Adam agreed to talk to us via email, to share a little bit about what he does for a living and how he’s learned to do what he does!
TalisMatt: How long have you been painting, and what got you interested in the hobby?
Adam Smith: I’m a bit old, nearly 50, so I have been hobbying for a fair while. I started in 1987 with Warhammer 3rd Ed and was immediately hooked. Of course, I played Talisman 1st edition at school too!
Painting has always been a big part of my hobby, but it really took off when I started working for GW in the Brighton shop in 1994. I painted most of the cabinet minis, and would come in early to paint my own stuff. Painting was always my choice of activity (being kept from painting is quite annoying). Over the years I have played most GW games that ever were, plus any other mini-related games that cross my path.
I started commission painting in 2007 (when I left GW), and went full-time in 2020. Although I do help at the fantastic @dicesaloon in Brighton, organizing games at their weekly Kid’s Club and running painting classes. I’m very lucky to be kept busy!
TalisMatt: What are your favorite miniatures to paint, and are there any minis you aren’t too fond of receiving as a commission?
Adam Smith: Variety is wondrous. Getting commissions with lots of different minis is always a treat. Thanks, Matt!!
I have had rather a lot of Space Marine commissions over the years. Now I usually turn down large Marine armies. I think my favourite range has to be Age of Sigmar, the models are consistently superb, and fab to paint! My new Warhammer Old World Chaos army has lots of AOS minis in it, as well as some choice printed stuff that caught my eye on Etsy.
TalisMatt: All of your work for the Talismanaeum is with oil paints, and not the traditional acrylics so widely used in the tabletop gaming hobby. What is it you love about the oils so much?
Adam Smith: I was initially intrigued by the idea of painting minis entirely using oils. I very much admire the work of James Wappel, an American painter from Chicago. His Youtube vids on oil painting are inspirational. Look up @wappellious on Instagram.
When you paint for up to 10 hours most days, a change in medium and approach helps keep things fresh. I paint most of my own armies in oils and I love it when clients are happy to have their stuff painted using them. So much so that I offer a discount for oil-painted minis!
Technically, using oils is very different. The longer drying time allows great blending opportunities. The paint remains workable for a few hours and dries fully in 2-3 days if not applied too thickly.
It’s certainly true for me that oil paints don’t afford the same level of crispness or detail that I can get with acrylics, but that is offset by the lovely blending and effortless shading.
TalisMatt: Oils tend to be avoided as some artists claim they dry and crack much easier and don’t last as long as acrylics. What do you think about that?
Adam Smith: Paintings done in oils can crack over time as the layers of thick paint dry at different rates. If you applied it to a mini that thickly you would have a blob. I have never had any cracking. I’ve found that, once dry, oil paints are much more durable than acrylics, and have a lovely ‘feel’ to them that sets them apart.
Cheaper oil paints separate out when thinned. Always get the quality ones!
TalisMatt: With your rapid speed and turnaround, some might accuse you of taking shortcuts. What would you say about that? Can you share anything about your process with each miniature, without giving away your “trade secrets?”
Adam Smith: No secrets. I run painting classes at my local FLGS where I regularly blab about the whole process. There’s a tradeoff to be made when painting for money. I would dearly love to spend a day on each model, but $100+ a figure is too steep for most folks. I always try to do the best possible work in the shortest possible time. Keeps costs to the clients affordable, and means I can afford to keep the lights on.
TalisMatt: Of the dozens of minis you’ve painted for the Talismanaeum, do you have a favorite?
Adam Smith: I was overjoyed to get a big heap of old metal 1980’s and 90’s fantasy models to paint from you, which were a real blessing to get to do (again, since I’ve painted many of them before). Really great nostalgia trip!
TalisMatt: Metal, plastic or resin? Which is easiest – and most difficult – to work with?
Adam Smith: There’s no appreciable difference, although some plastics are a bit rubbery and lack detail. Makes picking out the features of the model tricky. My heart says metal is best though.
TalisMatt: Are you taking more commissions? I hate to share your contact information, as it’ll push us back farther in the queue. But I’d love to give others the chance to send you their figures, too.
Adam Smith: I’m always open for small commissions, and turnaround is pretty fast at a very competitive rate, even factoring in postage halfway across the world! Find me at Adam Smith Noice Minis on Facebook, or @noiceminis on Instagram. Message me with any questions at all, I like the attention!
Adam showing off a Christmas gift this year – a game with more minis!
And that’s a wrap! Adam has a pile of additional miniatures in his queue that you’ll see this year here at the Talismanaeum. Thank you, Noice Miniatures, for all you do for this curated collection! We’re blessed to have your help.
/TalisMatt