July 1, 2016: Year 6; Edition 13
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Help Support Amazing Charities in Our Online Raffle - Win One or More of the Most Amazing Roll-Out of Armies, Forces, and Spectacular Individual Models!
The NOVA Open Charitable Foundation (NOCF) is proud to announce the opening of the fourth summer season today. The NOVA Community can support charities such as Doctors Without Borders and the Breast Cancer Research Foundation by purchasing tickets for a range of raffles for armies and miniatures painted by world-class artists. The NOVA Open created the NOCF to promote "The Compassionate Force" of the worldwide community of tabletop wargamers and their willingness to support these causes. Since its inception, the NOCF worked with this community to raise over $60,000 for Doctors Without Borders, Fisher House Foundation, Breast Cancer Research Foundation, and other deserving charitable organizations.
There is a $10 minimum at checkout, take your chances on any one or all of the nearly 20 online raffle items!
2016 Army Raffles: Participants can purchase unlimited tickets at $1 per ticket for the following:
2016 Special Raffles:
Only 750 tickets are available at $2 per ticket for the following miniatures:
2016 Model Raffles: Only 750 tickets are available at $2 per ticket. NOCF will raffle 11 models that winners can have delivered to their homes. Buyers can take a look at sneak peeks below and see the rest of the models here.
HELP THE MISSION:Spread the work, share the newsletter, blog post, web post, Facebook away. Together, we can make this the best fundraising year ever!
Tickets for these raffles sell quickly, so make sure to pick up your ticket today! If you have any additional questions, please email novacharities@gmail.com.
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CONVENTION DATE: Sep 1-4, 2016
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2016 Limited Edition NOVA Open Show Mini
The NOVA Open and KR Multicase are proud to announce the pre-sale of this year's NOVA Open Show Mini. The science-fiction inspired mini stands on top of two weapon crates bearing the NOVA Open and KR Multicase logos.
The limited edition miniature is available for pre-order on the NOVA Open convention store website for pick up at the convention or buy them at the convention. Currently, NOVA Open will offer only 100 miniatures at $20 each, so pre-order yours online today!
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Guild Ball Added to the NOVA Open Roster of Tournaments
The NOVA Open is proud to announce that this year's convention will feature its first Guild Ball tournament. The tournament, titled NOVA Ball, will take place on Sunday, September 4th, from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm. NOVA Ball will feature 16 players playing over five rounds. Each match will be 12 victory points with chess clocks set for 45 minutes per player.
The NOVA Open is selling tickets for the tournament for $10, so head to the NOVA website to pick your tickets today. If the slots sell out, the NOVA Open will consider expanding this event depending on demand from the NOVA community. If you have any questions about the tournament, please review the primer or email novaopen@gmail.com.
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Overnight 40K Glowpocalypse Announcement
The NOVA Open is excited to announce that it will host the 40K Glowpocalypse from 9:00PM, Friday September 2nd to 2:00AM, Saturday September 3rd.
Players will have an opportunity to play 3,000 point objective-based games on a unique glowing board. The tournament will be using the 40K apocalypse rules, allowing players to use Forge World lists and units such as super heavy units. This event will have limited number of seats, so grab your tickets today to reserve your spot.
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Space is Limited for NOVA Open Tournaments and Seminars
As summer begins, the NOVA Open would like to encourage attendees who have not signed up for seminars or tournaments to pick up their tickets before they sell out.
Space is limited for:
- Age of Sigmar Grand Tournament
- Malifaux events
- Warhammer 30K events
- Warhammer 40K Trios Team Tournament
- X-Wing events
If you have not registered for these seminars, tournaments, and events, visit the NOVA Open store to take a look at them and register today.
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NOVA Open Welcomes Volunteers to the Seventh Terrain Build of 2016
The NOVA Open will be hosting the sixth terrain building session on July 16th in McLean, VA. As with all of our terrain building sessions, this event will be open to new and experienced terrain builders. In this session, volunteer will:
- Finish building and painting 60 small cottages for the Malifaux and Warmachine tournaments.
- Painting 39 ponds for the Warmachine tournament.
- Finish building eight Rohan cottages for the Hobbit tournament.
- Painting the islands for the Age of Sigmar sea battle tournament.
- Painting scatter terrain for the Infinity tournaments.
If the volunteers finish casting hay bales and stacks for the Malifaux tournaments, they will also have a chance to paint them. They will also have chance to paint up slot machines for the Malifaux Las Vegas-themed table if they cast these pieces.
The last terrain build day saw progress on several projects for the convention. Currently, volunteers have prepared over nearly 60 to 70 houses for the Hobbit and Malifaux tournaments. The NOVA teams also completed and painted 180 fence sections for Infinity, Malifaux, and Warmachine. Finally, the Age of Sigmar ship project is entering the final phases of completion. Volunteers also enjoyed brats, burgers, and beer with a dessert of cupcakes. You can read more about this progress at the Road to NOVA blog managed by our Minister of Terrain, Bob Likins.
NOVA Open would like to continue to thank our volunteers for their time and hard work. If you have any questions about the terrain building sessions, please email novaopen@gmail.com.
 
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Letting the Miniature Speak to You: NOVA Open Speaks with Raffa Picca and Roman Lappat of Massive Voodoo
Recently, the NOVA Open had a chance to talk with Raffa "Picster" Picca and Roman "jarhead" Lappat, the co-founders of Massive Voodoo, "a blog by a group of friends about the passion of miniature painting and sculpting." As friends and co-founders, Raffa and Roman expanded the blog from a showcase of their work and teaching tutorials to a comprehensive multi-lingual resource for painting and creating miniatures that allows individuals to learn about topics ranging from the theory of painting to approaches for sculpting miniatures. The artists have also turned the website into a storefront for the Massive Voodoo team's miniatures and have published an art book titled Figure Artshowcasing their impressive work.
Raffa and Roman joined the NOVA Open Community as NOVA Open 2015 seminar instructors and model donors to the NOCF after Mike Brandt, CEO of NOVA Open and Justin McCoy, Owner of Secret Weapon Miniatures recruited them. "NOVA Open was a great event and we are really lucky and happy to be back this year," said Raffa. This year, the artists will be teaching the following courses:
Participants interested in these classes should register as soon as possible, classes such as Roman's Blending School have already sold out and have a waitlist.
Massive Voodoo will also be generously donating two miniatures each for the NOCF charity raffle: Raffa will donate "The Great White Werebull" and "First Ranger Mira" while Roman will donate "Crashed X-Wing" and "Kill. Humans." The NOVA Open is excited to have Raffa and Roman contribute their immense talents to the convention and NOCF.
Read below to learn more about the founding of Massive Voodoo, their insights into the process for painting miniatures, and the artists' seminars for NOVA Open 2016.
Roman and Raffa's Founding of Massive Voodoo, "A Living Room of Friends Sharing the Same Passion"
Massive Voodoo grew from Roman's idea to create a blog that showcased his work and tutorials for painting miniatures, an idea that Raffa helped shaped. As Raffa noted, "we were having a chat, and I said to him, "why don't you use a blog, I think it would fit much better to what you want to do." After launching the blog in September 2009, Raffa and Roman decided to invite their friends to collaborate on the website. "It was a bit boring to do it alone," Raffa said, so "we started to invite friends and basically it was a living room of friends sharing the same passion."
As Massive Voodoo has grown, the artists have found that their audiences' growth as miniature painters and sculptors has been the most fulfilling component of operating the blog. As Raffa explained, "if you see the progress of regular visitors - and the way they lose the fear of doing things wrong and try out new things - that's the best part." In light of these successes, the origin of its name remains a mystery. "No one exactly knows why it was called Massive Voodoo," Raffa said. "We needed a name and then we found a name," Roman added, laughing.
The artists' work through their website has allowed them to note evolutions in painting styles across the world over time. "When I think back when I started, the differences in the styles were much more visible, like the French style, the Spanish style," Raffa noted, "but these days, the styles are more mixed." According to Roman, the melding of these styles emerged from the miniature communities' willingness to share tips and ideas online. As he observed, "nobody is saying, 'hey, I'm keeping my secrets.' Everyone is sharing their ideas and I think that leads to a better mix of different styles."
Letting the Miniature Speak to You: The Artists' Inspiration for Painting Miniatures and Advice for Other Hobbyists
While Roman and Raffa have refined their painting techniques over time, the two artists explain that letting their intuition guide the painting process plays a major role in their work. As Raffa explains, "I don't try to think too much about color schemes, I just try to paint the way the miniatures are talking to me. If you look at the mini, often times you already see the story you want to tell other people." Roman agrees, noting that "it's a vision you receive from the model and then you just paint it."
The artists' emphasis on letting intuition play a role in painting miniatures extends to their advice for other hobbyists. As Roman reflects,
I would say it is important if you start painting, try to know where you are on your path. You're walking a path as a miniature painter like you're walking a path as a guitar player. You start to play the strings, then you learn another song. You're growing and going forward in your journey. That's the same for miniature painters. And very often people compare themselves to other people who are much further on their own personal journey and they get frustrated. So know where you're walking on the path.
Roman agrees, noting that painters should also "play around" with different painting styles and see what works for them rather than rigidly following one approach. "Maybe wet blending is not your thing, maybe you like glazes, or the other way around," he said, "but if you never try it out, you will never find out."
Blending Courses and Crashed X-Wings: Roman and Raffa's Road to NOVA Open 2016
This year, Raffa and Roman will serve as instructors for ten courses and donate two models each to the NOCF raffles. The artists drew inspiration from video games and found objects for their NOCF models. Roman's "Crashed X-Wing" came from a moment of inspiration that turned a former student's gift into the miniature. After a student gave him a miniature of the Star Wars ship, Roman kept it in a drawer for two years since he could not find the right idea for the miniature. After seeing some garbage on the street however, he said "I thought that it looks like a planet and a place to have the X-Wing crash there. So I was inspired by garbage." The inspiration for Raffa's "First Ranger Mira" model came from a mage in the Witcher 3 video game: "I tried to use her as an inspiration and recreate it with red hair and a green color scheme," he said.
The artists are also looking forward to helping their students improve their skills as artists and sculptors at their NOVA Open 2016 seminars. In addition to "Laid Back Speed Painting," Raffa is excited about "The Birth of a Miniature" seminar since it will "show the process of a complete figure basically from start to finish, from the first drawing of an idea to the finished product." The artist said the course reflects his growing interest in miniature sculpting. "It's the thing that I'm doing the most - sculpting, creating my own concepts, and casting," he said, noting that he works resin and silicone for casting and different clays and putties for sculpting.
Roman also is excited about "Roman's Blending School" since he believes it will address the frustration that many painters feel "from their blending technique or their blending results." In order to address this issue, his seminar will use a unique approach where students work on color transitions on canvas before applying these concepts to miniatures. "This will be a fun class that teaches many blending techniques," he said, "but it also takes away being scared of blending mistakes. So I'm looking forward to it because it gives participants a lot of freedom when they're at home working again."
The NOVA Open and NOCF would like to thank Raffa and Roman for generously giving their time and effort to support our work and causes.
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NOVA Open Store Presale Ending Soon
Pre-Orders end August 1st! This is your last chance to pre-purchase merchandise from the NOVA Open store. There will be opportunities to buy these items at the convention, but quantities will be limited.
- Beer Mugs presale ($20) you'll receive $1.00 off draft beers in the NOCF Lounge when you bring the 2016 beer mug with you.
- Convention T-Shirt presale ($15) this is the best way to guarantee you have the size that works for you
- Show Miniature presale ($20) - sneak peek below
- Coming soon - X-Wing play mats will be available for presale only; pick up at NOVA Open
Be sure to pre-purchase your swag TODAY!
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NOVA Open is Seeking Photographers and Photo Database Managers for the Convention
The NOVA Open is currently seeking ten photographers and two photo database managers to photograph and manage the photo database during the convention. The positions will be responsible for different aspects of generating photographs during the convention:
- Photo database managers will operate computers in a central photography room where photographers can upload their images. The photo database managers should have computers with significant amounts of storage and have experience working with Photoshop and other photography software.
- Photographers will take photos throughout the convention with smartphones or cameras. They will have the option of working in one of three shifts each day of the convention: 9:00 am to 2:00 pm; 2:00 pm to 7:00 pm; and 7:00 pm to 12:00 am. Photographers will work in three-person teams during each shift under a supervisor using walkie-talkies to respond to service calls. In addition to candid shots, photographers will photograph award ceremonies and special events.
If you would like to work for us, please send a Word or PDF document with a summary of your experience, description of your equipment, dates and time you are available during the convention, and contact information to novaopen@gmail.com. We will accept applications on a rolling basis until positions have been filled. Please email us if you have any additional questions.
Are you attending the NOVA with friends, family, significant others, your children? We are always in need of people to help us run this great convention! Please contact us with their names/emails to novaopen@gmail.com and we'll reach out to them.
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Announcing CMON Schedule Changes
Cool Mini or Not has made two minor adjustments to its NOVA Open event schedule:
- The Friday March to Immortality: is now a 750 point event
- There will be no March to Immortality event on Sunday; instead, register for a Dark Age Battle Royale similar to the Wrath of Kings event
A full description and primer change is forthcoming. Watch here for updates.
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2016 NOVA Open Marketing Poster
MARKETING POSTERS AND POSTCARDS STILL AVAILABLE.
We often hear people say they're learning about the NOVA Open for the first time. We're okay with that - but we'd like to do our best to make sure we reach as many players as possible every year. To that end . . .
Would you help us spread the word that the NOVA Open continues to grow bigger and better each year?
The next time you visit your local gaming store, or pass by a university lounge, or stop in a Starbucks or hobby store, please check with the managers and ask permission to hang our poster. Simply write to us today (novaopen@gmail.com) and we'll drop a few in the mail to you right away.
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NOVA Open 2016 Seminars
55 Reasons NOVA Open 2016 Will Take Your Hobby to the Next Level
Have you been thinking about adding new tricks to your hobby tool bag? If so, take a look at NOVA Open's 55 seminars that cover topics ranging from painting skin to building advanced terrain for your table. With classes taught by industry professionals such as Jessica "Brushmistress" Rich and Roman Lappat, these classes are guaranteed to help beginners and veterans take their hobby to the next level.
This is our biggest seminar year yet, and they are selling out faster than ever before. It's also your best year to attend and meet other like-minded folks who spend the majority of their weekend in seminars, enjoying the charity bar/lounge, participating in the Grex speed-airbrushing competition, walking the vendor hall, taking advantage of the free board game library (which is massive!), and more.
So why not take a look at our schedule and add a few seminars to your NOVA Open schedule? Please note that the seminar for Roman's Blending School has sold out and now has a wait list.
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Book Your Room Today With No Risk, 95% Booked
Extended Room block is 95% SOLD OUT. The first NOVA Open room block sold out! The hyatt graciously increased the number of rooms. Book your Room today.
The room rates for the NOVA Open 2016 are only $93 per night, a rate we worked hard to secure with the Hyatt, and proud to offer our attendees. Remember reservations can be cancelled up to 48 hours before the NOVA Open begins.
Book Early - No Risk!
Think of the NOVA Open as your "end of summer" convention. With its close proximity to Washington, D.C. (free museums, memorials, and monuments), plus one of the lowest hotel room rates available in the area, think about turning your trip into a family vacation!
$93.00 room rates are currently available from August 29 - September 6, 2016 If you'd like to extend those dates, please contact us: novaopen@gmail.com
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NOVA Open Schedules
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Thursday Schedule Friday Schedule
Saturday Schedule Sunday Schedule
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