Valhalla Painting: a professional painter serving the hobby

👥 My first meeting with Tristan, a.k.a. Valhalla Painting

I met Tristan in June 2025, during a painting workshop he hosted at the Laquenexy Wargame Club in Moselle. Souvenir photo below.

He clearly unlocked something in my hobby practice. Before, I had been sticking to the same recipes and techniques for several years. And above all, I was trying to imitate the 'Eavy Metal style from Games Workshop, the one you see on miniature boxes.

Tristan inspired me a lot because his work is quite unique. He works with light, shadows, and metallic effects like NMM in a style all his own, blending realistic and cartoon inspirations. His colors are often vivid, contrasted, and intricate. Regularly, he still amazes me with his creations, which are true textbook cases and a wealth of information for anyone looking to improve.

🧩 A concrete example of his technique and the added value he brings to the book

Let's look at an example right away with the painting of his Terminator Captain:

These inverted triangular schemes are important and, above all, very common in miniature painting. Indeed, this allows for effects between several contrasting colors on the color wheel.

Look, it's obvious here. These are opposite colors on the color wheel that were used to paint this Captain: yellow, red, and blue. This forms a Triad. Do you think it's a coincidence? No, and that is why Tristan's work is a textbook case.

We will return to several examples in the book "The Miniature Painting Guide". We can already announce that Chapter 5: Theories on legibility and color contrasts will focus on defining the contrast effects that can be implemented when painting a miniature.

🎨 A painter who tests, always seeking to improve

Tristan likes to see his projects and ambitions through to the end. Testing a new paint, a new range, or a new technique is his thing. He challenges himself and always tries to improve to reach his goals, such as participating in prestigious competitions. He has actually received several medals in categories ranging from Advanced to Master. Finally, his ultimate goal is to achieve ultra-realistic NMM. He has been practicing it for several years now.

🛠️ Equipment and habits

• Brush: Winsor & Newton Series 7 - Size 1
• Favorite range: AK Gen 3
• Dry or wet palette: Both; wet for painting and dry for drybrushing.
• Airbrush: Yes, for smoothing transitions. But a sponge is miraculous for a satisfactory finish and a great time saver compared to an airbrush.

🏆 An iconic piece: his painting of Rocco

Rocco, a great classic of the hobby for any painter who wants to develop their miniature painting skills. When he painted it, Tristan was in the middle of his progress, and it taught him a lot: gradients on skin, subtle highlights, horns, spiderwebs, etc...

For information, the sculpt of this miniature is by Allan Carrasco, winner of numerous Golden Demons.

🔗 To go further and discover his world

A significant community of followers follows him on his main online sharing platforms. He regularly shares content with high added value for both beginners and advanced painters.

Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/valhalla_painting/

Twitch : https://www.twitch.tv/valhallapainting

YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEJAaV46ZXPRmTPTtk3cKDw