Awesome Arts and Crafts

Dread Pirate Arbuthnot

I'm a high school student who plays Warhammer. I've found I really enjoy painting all the fiddling little figures and making them look their best, but it's pretty repetitive and you don't get much reward or use out of them once they're painted -- I mean, you can play the game with all black figurines if you really wanted to.

My brother's girlfriend told me about this jewelry design course she did at her college, where they actually planned things out and then made the pieces themselves. I'd be interested in that, but I suspect it's extremely expensive and hard to learn and Id like kind of some stepping stones before I break out a blowtorch and expensive metals.

Any advice on things I can paint/assemble/things like that?

EggyToast

it's pretty cheap, actually. Most people who do this as a cheap hobby on the side will get some sterling silver, which is easy to form without being soft (so it will hold a shape) and a tasteful selection of beads or inexpensive gems, even glass. As a quick example, this and this would not cost that much to make. Incidentally, many people working on hobby crafts that are sellable items typically pop them up on Etsy.

Are there any bead stores or similar in your area? I'd imagine Toronto would have a ton. You don't have to make dainty earrings, either -- you can get metal wire and a pair of pliers and make quite a bit with it, AND have a quick resource for some getting started books as well as people in your area you could talk to. My wife generally dislikes "bead store" people but stops in at one every once in a while for some basic supplies for some of her hobbies. They generally have more craft-oriented tools and materials compared to a "hobby shop" which tends to get pretty specific in what it's geared towards.

Unless you're not looking at just general craft work, but actually making your own miniatures/figures. In which case I believe there's a thread or two in the Artist's Corner, but since we're searchless I can't pop it up quickly. If you bumped it with some honest questions, you'd probably be helped quickly.

Scosglen

Have you considered papercraft? There's a bunch of websites on the net with layouts that are basically unwrapped low poly 3D models which you print and then assemble together like origami. If you're savvy you can take any low poly model and make the layout yourself even.

Here are a few examples

http://paperrobots1999.com/model04.html

http://billybob884.deviantart.com/art/Master-Chief-Assembled-64893585

You could probably even make Warhammer units.

amateurhour

why not pick up some modelling clay (if your high school or local art center has a public kiln) and make your own figures?