About me

My name is Rubén Torregrosa, known as “HeresyBrush,” and I currently reside in Finland, where I am pursuing my research career in molecular biology, specializing in mitochondria and stem cells metabolism (ORCID). Alongside my scientific endeavors, History holds a special place in my heart. This passion has manifested in a delightful hobby of mine—painting historical miniatures.

The memory of my first encounter with a paintbrush eludes me, but I do recall a vivid moment from my childhood when my father sought to paint 20mm plastic soldiers. My siblings and I insisted on having our own set of miniature soldiers and paints before allowing him to proceed. Back then, my understanding of history and painting was rudimentary, leading to colorful yet historically inaccurate creations: pink Romans, crimson WWII German tanks, and more. Despite the historical inaccuracies, those moments were immensely enjoyable.

During my youth, a friend introduced me to the fantasy world of Warhammer. In the years that followed, I gathered an array of armies for this wargame. However, my enthusiasm for fantasy and sci-fi miniatures gradually waned, while my interest in history steadily grew. Unlike fantasy miniatures, historical models draw inspiration from actual events, narrating genuine stories. By this point, I was already enamored with history, voraciously consuming book after book. Then, a wonderful fusion occurred: military history converged with painting. Embarking on new projects and conducting research to ascertain the appropriate colors for a miniature’s uniform or how a unit would appear if deployed in a particular region became a source of exhilaration. This amalgamation deepened my connection to military history, transforming my hobby into a personal time machine.

My journey took a decisive turn when I encountered Flames of War, a 15mm wargame set in WWII. The profusion of vehicles demanded by the game propelled me to paint increasingly more vehicles. In this process, I stumbled upon a captivating realm: weathering effects. Until that point, I had exclusively employed acrylic paints for my miniatures. However, delving into new paint mediums like oils, enamels, and pigments, and experimenting with diverse techniques, opened up a world of possibilities that I ardently embraced.

The inception of this blog occurred in September 2008. Initially conceived as a “painting journal,” it served to chronicle my ongoing projects and the techniques and paints employed. Gradually, my focus shifted towards crafting comprehensive painting guides and tutorials. Sharing my insights from the painting table became a mission. A decade ago, the internet lacked comprehensive information on wargaming miniature painting techniques. Perhaps painting was overshadowed by playing for many historical wargamers, or perhaps some were reticent to divulge their techniques. Fortunately, this landscape has evolved, and my blog stands as a modest contribution to enriching the historical wargaming community.

I hope that my work resonates with you as deeply as the joy I experience while painting my models.

Warm regards,
Rubén

In addition to HeresyBrush, a group of friends and I curate another sibling blog: ModelBrush, accessible at www.modelbrush.com. Make sure not to overlook it!