FAQ

Information as of: 8th of February 2026

About the show

Surroundings

Are enough parking spaces available?

There are several parking areas for visitors in the surrounding area (for example, there is a cemetery parking lot across the street). Our dealers have a designated parking area for their cars.

Is it allowed to bring dogs (or other animals) to the show?

Unfortunately, we are not allowed to have dogs or other animals in the hall. If you plan to come with several people and an animal, one of you will have to stay outside with the animal.

History of origin

Where did the show get its name from?

The Hessian region is mainly known for its apple wine and the traditional drinking vessel that goes with it. The region near Frankfurt that we chose for the show also has strong ties to its traditions and the ancient culture of wine pressing. What could be more obvious (apart from the possibility of calling it the “[insert city name here] Show”) than to link it to a centuries-old tradition?

We would therefore like to combine the history of the region and the traditional craft of stoneware painting with the painting and artistry that we ourselves create on much smaller canvases; a convivial fusion of tradition and modernity, an exchange between cultures and generations – an expansion of creativity and knowledge.

What is a Bembel anyway?

A Bembel is a pot-bellied stone jug used to serve apple wine. It is mainly found in Hessen and is manufactured in the Westerwald region. It gets its typical gray color from a salt glaze, which is then traditionally painted with blue apple tree branches or floral patterns.

About the Contest

General questions

Why is there no distinction between “Historical” and “Fantasy”?

We want to break down this barrier between two genres that have so much more to offer each other. We firmly believe that communication between the two genres must be encouraged and that we can learn from each other. The organizers of the Bembel Miniature Cup are committed to bringing together a balanced team of judges from all genres to show all participants that historical and fantasy genres can coexist and be judged together.

We understand that the approach to painting historical pieces sometimes differs from pieces that are painted in a more illustrative style – this starts with the choice of colors (for example, the saturation of the colors or historical accuracy), continues with the realism of scenes, and extends to the context in which certain figures relate to their surroundings.

To this end, the “Technique” category was divided into two categories, “Realism” and “Illustration”, in order to better reflect the respective characteristics of the painting styles.

Are historical figures and fantasy figures judged differently?

No. The categories determine how a figure is evaluated. Please refer to our contest rules for more information. If you submit a figure in the “Technique” category, for example, then regardless of whether you consider it to be “historical” or “fantasy”, the focus will be on how well it has been painted from a technical standpoint.

The distinction in the “Technique” category between two painting styles (namely “Realism” and “Illustration”) is intended to help you gain a better understanding of your own representation of colors. Please refer to the contest rules in the category description for more information.

The Bembel Miniature Cup organizers ensures that the jury includes a balanced mix of painters from both genres (historical and fantasy). In this way, we try to ensure that there is no bias or partiality toward either genre.

In which category do I submit sculpts / modelled figures (traditional / digital)?

Since the competition does not have its own “Greens” section, we have decided to respond here with “It depends on what you want to be judged”.

As soon as you submit an unpainted figure, the judges will automatically (and logically) not judge the painting.

The three main categories revolve around “Technique,” “Expression,” and “Gaming.” So if you want to answer a specific question (or make a statement about your character) that falls into one of these categories, you can narrow down where you should post your character. Examples of such questions for the different categories could be:

• Technique
  • “How good is my modeling technique?”
  • “I would like to have my modeling style evaluated!”
  • Depending on whether I have worked in a more realistic or illustrative style, I will place my contribution in one of the two subcategories:
    • Technique: Realism
    • Technique: Illustration
• Expression
  • “How well does my model convey a story?”
  • “I want to have the message of the model evaluated!”
• Gaming
  • “I’ve modeled a (small) army for tabletop gaming!”

What if one person sculpts a figure and another paints it? Do they both get a medal? And where should the figure then be submitted?

In recent years, we have seen more and more joint productions being submitted, with both the painter and the modeler receiving a medal. We generally support joint productions, but in order to receive two medals, two figures must be submitted:

• an unpainted figure to evaluate the modeling
• another (painted figure) in order to then be able to evaluate the Technique or Expression of the piece

Why we decided to do this: In order to evaluate the model independently, it must also be evaluated without paint. Furthermore, since each painted figure submitted was initially modeled by another person, it would only be fair to award two medals to all other modelers if both were to be evaluated.

Registration of models

Where can I pay my Emperor fee?

At Emperor, there is a button at the top of the home page after logging in to pay the registration fees via PayPal. If you prefer to make your payment by bank transfer or if something is not working, please contact us via hansrainer.peitz@gmail.com.

How can I add my entries to “Out of Competition” in Emperor?

“Out of Competition” is abbreviated as “OOC” in Emperor and is only available at the “Masters” level. But don’t worry: Out of Competition means exactly that: “Not participating in the competition”. Therefore, the level is irrelevant here (and you can simply select “Masters”), and you can enter your characters here.

I have submitted everything, but realise on site that I still need to change something, is that possible?

Yes, that works. We have helpers on site during the registration period who can assist you with any changes.

What happens if I realise on site that I added my entry into the wrong category?

We have helpers on site during the registration period who can assist you with any changes.

Further explanation of the categories

You can look up the terms used below in our glossary.

How do I decide on a category / level?

Here is a possible suggestion for deciding how to classify your characters into different categories and levels.

For all of your entries that you want to take to the Bembel Miniature Cup, first ask yourself:

• How well do I rate my own painting skills, and would I prefer to be rated “normal” or “higher” by the judges?
• Have I ever won a gold medal in a standard category at the Bembel Miniature Cup?
• Depending on how you answered the previous two questions, you can decide as follows:
  • Prefer “normal”: Then your level is “Standard”.
  • Prefer “higher” or have already won a gold medal in a standard category: Then your level for this category is more likely to be “Masters”.

After having an understanding for your level, then for each of your entries that you want to take to the Bembel Miniature Cup, ask yourself the following question:

• Would I rather have my technique or my ideas evaluated? Or would I prefer my entire army? Or perhaps none of the above?
  • Prefer “Technique”: Depending on whether I have worked in a more realistic or illustrative style, I will place my contribution in one of the two subcategories:
    • Category “Technique: Realism”
    • Category “Technique: Illustration”
  • Prefer “Ideas”: Category “Expression”
  • Prefer “Army”: Category “Gaming”
  • Prefer “no evaluation at all”: Category “Out of Competition”

IMPORTANT: Your artistic decisions, not the model you choose, determine which category is best suited for a submission. However, if in doubt, you can use the following as a guide: gaming and fantasy models are more commonly found in “Technique: Illustration,” while historical and contemporary models are more commonly found in “Technique: Realism”.

Youngbloods

• Idea
  • To provide a protected space for young artists (until the end of their 16th year of life).
• Why you should enter
  • You are of the right age, have not yet achieved a place in a competition (in an adult category) and would like to show your work and receive feedback.
• What do you need to succeed
  • Clean assembly (no mould lines, gaps filled, smoothing of unintentional structures, …)
  • Controlled paint application
  • Readability

Technique (both subcategories)

• Idea
  • Show your best craftsmanship.
• Why you should enter
  • You paint your entries to the highest of your technical capability.
  • You want to excel at the miniature painting craft.
• What do you need to succeed
  • Clean assembly (no mould lines, gaps filled, smoothing of unintentional structures, …)
  • Clear presentation of planned viewing angles, creating focus by means of painting technique
  • Elaboration and detailing work at all distances (distance >1m, at play distance, close up)
  • Consistency of decisions regarding style, lighting, etc. (no arbitrary mixing of different style elements)

Technique: Realism

• Idea
  • Show how realistic you can render an entry (within the constraints of scale).
• Why you should enter
  • You strive to represent reality (past or present or anywhen) within your works.
  • You eschew strong abstractions and aim for a “this is / could be real” effect.
• What do you need to succeed
  • A realistic elaboration of the lighting situation (light and shadow, possibly different light sources, etc.)
  • Clearly defined differences between materials (e.g. metals, fabrics, skin, wood, etc.) for example through textures, different reflection behaviour, weathering, ageing and soiling
  • Colour selection and design to match the chosen context and the theme of the model
• Examples
  • A soldier in the trenches is suitably weathered and dirty.
  • A person sits at a river, watching fish.
  • Different materials are clearly recognizable through the appropriate choice of textures and reflective behavior.

Technique: Illustration

• Idea
  • Demonstrate that you can make consistent and coherent stylistic choices and use simplifications to enhance the visual impact of your work.
• Why you should enter
  • You strive to make your pieces as visually impactful as possible.
  • You enjoy illustrational tools to enhance your work and make it stand out.
• What do you need to succeed
  • The chosen style and approach are clearly and unambiguously recognizable throughout the entry and consistently implemented
  • Colour selection and methodology of paint application support the chosen style
• Example styles
  • Flat Design, Comic, Cartoon, Anime, Watercolor, Ink, Vintage, Pop Art, Children’s Book, Pointillism, Pixel Art, Hyperrealism, …

FAQ: Technique (both subcategories)

I painted a game piece, bust / figure in a comic-like style or something similar – should I put it in “Technique: Illustration” or “Technique: Realism”?

The more stylized and abstract models are, the more difficult it becomes to achieve a realistic representation through painting. This also applies, for example, to comic-like representations of historical motifs. If you submit such a model and are not sure whether you wanted to paint it realistically, you are probably better off in the “Technique: Illustration” category.

I painted a historical model – should I put it in “Technique: Illustration” or “Technique: Realism”?

Most painters paint historical models with the aim of depicting them historically accurately, i.e., realistically according to our current understanding. So if you’re not sure what you had in mind, you’re probably better off with “Technique: Illustration”.

I painted a fantasy model with the aim of making it look as lifelike and realistic as possible: Can it be submitted under “Technique: Realism”?

Yes, definitely – there are many realistic figures and busts from the fantasy genre that can be painted very realistically. Our judges evaluate the painting, not the figure underneath.

I painted a historical model in a particularly dramatic style, using methods that are very much influenced by illustration. Can I submit this under “Technique: Illustration”?

Yes, it’s probably better suited there and potentially more successful than in the “Technique: Realism” category.

Expression

• Idea
  • Show how you can connect emotionally and/or intellectually with your audience through your work.
• Why you should enter
  • You want to create pieces of art instead of craft.
  • You try to communicate with your audience and evoke an emotion, convey feelings or to tell a story.
• What do you need to succeed
  • A clear, expressive entry that goes beyond the model’s expression. Simply painting an expressive model is not enough for a successful entry in Expression. This must be achieved through painting and context (i.e., your contribution to the expression).
  • Acceptance of the risk that what appeals to you may not necessarily appeal to the judges – art is subjective.
  • A sufficient level of technical skill (see Technique (both)) to realize your vision in a way that the judges can read / understand it.

FAQ: Expression

Do fantasy entries have to be in “Expression” and historical entries in “Technique”?

No. The first question you should ask yourself is: “What do I want to be evaluated on?”

If the answer is “I want to compare my painting style with other participants,” then the answer (regardless of whether you see your character in a historical or fantasy context) is: “Your entry will be in the “Technique” category.”

In the “Technique” category, you must now decide whether your figure is painted in a realistic or illustrative / artistic style.

If your answer is more along the lines of “I want to have a scene and the story associated with it evaluated” or “I want to communicate an idea, mood, emotion, or atmosphere,” then your character, diorama, or story belongs in the “Expression” category.

Decision aid: The more of the following questions you can answer “yes” to, the more likely the post is to fit in Expression.

• Do you want to express something specific with your entry or tell a particular story?
• Have you significantly changed or expanded the effect and meaning of the model through your painting and / or added context?
• Is your version of the painted model original? (Compare it with other versions.)
• Does your entry stimulate discussion, reflection, and more intensive engagement with the topic?

Gaming

• Idea
  • Present gaming ready models or groups of models.
• Why you should enter
  • You painted your models for gaming, the focus is not primarily on excellent single models.
• What do you need to succeed
  • Controlled paint application
  • Legibility at a playing distance (between 1 meter and 50 centimeters away, generally from an angle above)
  • Clean assembly (no mould lines, gaps filled, smoothing of unintentional structures, …)
  • Elaboration and detailing are appropriate for the purpose of “game miniature”
  • Good understanding of how models “work” at game distance

FAQ: Gaming

What exactly can be entered into the “Gaming” category?

Everything you have painted for your tabletop game. Your army of High Elves, your armada of Space Marines, Zergling, little Hobbits. Maybe even your individual figures, if they don’t have a large, elaborate base. Please take another look at the contest rules.

In which category do I submit my vignette with 15 figures?

That depends on what you want to have rated. A vignette is not in itself a unit that you play with in tabletop games, so the “Gaming” category is out of the question. Then you just need to ask yourself what you would prefer to have evaluated about your vignette. Based on your answer, you can then submit it to a category.

Do I need an additional plinth for my gaming miniature, or is the gaming base enough?

All entries must be mounted on game bases (an additional group base / plinth is permitted).

This simply means that gaming figures must also be firmly attached to their gaming base when they are submitted. The figures therefore do not require an additional base.

Out of Competition

• Idea
  • A category for anyone who wants to show their work but does not want to participate in the competition.
• Why you should enter
  • You haven’t finished, but would still like to present your progress?
  • Competitions aren’t your thing, but you’d still like to show something?
  • Are you a member of the jury and would like to bring your exhibits with you?
  • You don’t dare to have your entries judged?
• What do you need to succeed
  • To submit your models to “Out of Competition”, you don’t have to be a “Master” or have done anything special (even though the “Out of Competition” category can only be found in the “Masters” section of Emperor).
  • You bring something of yourself to the Bembel Miniature Cup – that’s what makes you successful, and we’re proud of that.

FAQ: Out of Competition

What can be submitted to the “Out of Competition” category?

In Emperor, there is an “Out of Competition” category under the “Masters” level (it is called “OOC” there), but don’t worry: since nothing here is evaluated by the judges, the level is irrelevant.

Therefore, to submit characters to “Out of Competition,” you don’t have to be a “Master” or have done anything special.

Bring along anything you would like to show, but do not want to be judged by the jury.

Glossary

Terms you should be familiar with, either because they were used in the above texts or because you may encounter them in conversations during the event. 🙂

Category

The category allows the submitters to group entries along collections of criteria against which the entries within the category are evaluated by the jury. The titles of the categories serve to try to make it easy to assign entries.

Composition

The arrangement of elements (e.g. objects, colors, textures, lighting) on the entire entry – both absolute and in relation to each other.

Context

Any parts you’ve added to the entry to give the model a visual context (base, scenic base, background, diorama elements, etc.). It is possible to submit entries that consist only of “context” without a central model.

Controlled paint application

Avoidance of errors (e.g. overpainting, too thick layers, …) and stylistic inconsistencies in the application of paint. The quality of the paint application is appropriate to the theme of the entry.

Entry

A single submission – it can consist of one or more independent pieces and models (such as a squad, regiment, etc., submitted in Gaming) or one or more models on a plinth etc. (e.g. single figure or diorama). It will receive its own start number and will be evaluated as one.

Expression

The expression of implied information (e.g., emotions, narrative, atmosphere, …) inherent in an entry.

Focus

An area or part of the entry that attracts attention. Attention can be influenced by the creator of the entry (choice of colours, contrast,…) and by human psychology (special emphasis on faces, certain colours …).

Game Distance

Between 50 cm and 1 m distance, tending to be from the top or diagonally down.

Illustrative

The entry distorts, simplifies or omits one or more properties of the reality to be represented in order to modify the clarity or nature of what the entry displays.

Level

The level describes the expected quality rating of an entry along an axis from low to high, with Youngblood being the lowest and Masters being the highest.

Model

The actual central object(s) that make up the contribution.

Readability

Readability describes, on the one hand, the recognizability of all elements of the entry (body parts, equipment, material, etc.) and of the overall composition. On the other hand, the direction of the viewer’s attention to the central elements of the entry and the reduction of attention to less essential elements. This can be achieved through contrast, color choice, detailing and many other means.

Realistic

The entry reproduces the characteristics of the reality to be portrayed in many respects and without distortions (with the essential exception of size!).

Style

A unifying way of presentation by which entries can be grouped (assigned to a style).