Miniature Painting: Chatting with Sergio Calvo about this precise and delicate art

Sergio Calvo is a professional miniature painter with over eighteen years of experience. He started with a brush in his hand and the desire to bring each figure to life. At first, it was a hobby, a way to connect with art and fantasy. With each brushstroke, the painter discovered that this was much more than a pastime. He found in miniatures the perfect balance between technique and creativity and developed his own style that seeks to convey feelings and tell stories.

For some years now, Sergio Calvo and Escoda have worked together to develop custom-made brushes specialized for this fascinating world of miniature painting. Today, we chat with Sergio so he can tell us about his experience in this sector and what matters most to him when choosing his brushes.

Before we start, we recommend that you visit Sergio Calvo’s website and look at the art and services he offers.

How did you discover your passion for this art and what led you to dedicate yourself to it professionally?

If I remember correctly, my first contact with miniatures came thanks to a gift from my cousin: my first figure. From there, I started playing with my friends every time we got together at their house, and that’s when I got inspired to paint them. The leap to becoming a professional took years to arrive; I started at the age of 18 at a miniatures company where I received very basic training. Over time, I went through different companies that completed my apprenticeship, until finally I decided to go it alone.

What really led me to pursue this professionally was my passion for painting. I loved conveying ideas and concepts thru miniature sculpture, and what started as a hobby ended up becoming my profession.

What do you enjoy most about your job as a professional miniature painter?

What I enjoy most, without a doubt, is the act of painting itself. I love planning each miniature, researching documentation, getting inspired, and racking my brain to find the best way to bring an idea to life. Sometimes they’re new or a bit crazy concepts, and you don’t always get the results you expect, but that’s precisely where the magic lies: experimentation. For me, that’s the most fun part.

What advice would you give to someone who’s just starting out and wants to get into miniature modeling and painting?

Don’t get overwhelmed by the final result; instead, enjoy the process. I always tell my students that they don’t make mistakes: they add new information. If an area gets stained with an airbrush or something doesn’t turn out as you wanted, you can always integrate it by adding freehand work, simulating dirt, textures, or mud… In short: every “mistake” can be turned into a creative opportunity.

You’ve been a leading figure in the field for many years. What continues to inspire and motivate you to keep that passion alive?

Inspiration, for me, is everywhere. I draw heavily on great painters from history, such as Sorolla or Velázquez, to understand light and color, but I also find inspiration in cinema, video games, and, of course, artists of the caliber of Wei Wang and Paul Bonner, or even in something as simple as looking at the sky. Sometimes I watch a sunset transition from red to blue and think about how to translate that into a miniature. I believe inspiration exists wherever you choose to find it, whether in an art book or in your everyday surroundings.

Let’s talk about the materials you use every day. What brushes are essential in your kit?

More than a case, it’s practically a drawer full of brushes. I like to vary both materials and sizes. As a general rule, I tend to work with natural-hair brushes, usually size 1 or 2, although I’m increasingly incorporating synthetic ones to gradually replace the natural ones.

I like synthetic brushes for heavy-duty work, textures, or more aggressive processes, while I reserve natural brushes for fine details and more delicate work. For something as precise as an eye, I turn to a natural brush like the Reserva Kolinsky Tajmir. But if I’m creating textures or working with pigments, I prefer a synthetic brush like the Primera or the Versátil series.

Take a look at the sets that Sergio Calvo and Escoda have developed together, as well as other materials:

As a professional painter, what are the fundamental characteristics a good brush must have to achieve excellent results?

First and foremost is the quality of the tip: it should be fine, stable, and free of stray hairs. Secondly, it’s important that it has good paint and water holding capacity, because if it dries out constantly, you’re forced to clean and reload it continuously, and that slows down your workflow.

The quality of the bristles greatly affects durability. There’s a joke among my students that “every miniature, a new brush,” but that’s not true: a good brush, if you treat it well, can last you a long time. And when it’s no longer good for detail work, don’t throw it away either! You can use it for bases, textures, pedestals… It can always have a second life.

Do you prefer natural or synthetic brushes? What do each type offer?

For details, I prefer natural ones. For battle work, base coats, bases, and airbrushing, I stick with synthetics. Although it’s true that synthetics are improving tremendously, and some brands are already achieving a level of detail very close to natural. I hope we can soon do without natural hair without losing that extra bit of quality.

Finally, we’d like to know if you have any exciting projects you’re currently working on. Could you tell us a little about them?

I’m always immersed in some special project, and we’ve been planning some of them for years. Right now, we’re wrapping up the management of a Kickstarter campaign, the third since I started as an independent painter. It’s called Asura Savage Rituals, and we hope it receives the same love as the previous two instalments.

Additionally, my team and I have spent over six years creating content for my online academy, where I teach my painting style from an approachable and dynamic perspective, always striving to give my best in every project.

My intention is to continue showcasing my vision of the miniature world through projects I undertake alongside professionals I admire. I hope they connect with the audience with the same passion we put into them.

Our view after the interview: now is your time

After this talk with Sergio Calvo, we can clearly see how the art of painting miniatures requires passion, patience, precision and many hours of practice, accompanied by good materials that allow you to express what you feel with each brushstroke. Whether you are starting out in this fascinating world or have mastered the technique, we invite you to visit our catalog of miniature brushes so that you can continue experimenting, learning and enjoying the whole process of taking your miniatures to the next level.