KHCPL's Digital Den offers variety of art, technology services and classes

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A monstrous creature, clad in a crimson cape and wielding a scythe made of bone, held perfectly still as the brush approached. It struck the monster’s chest, leaving behind a mark of bruising purple in its wake.

On the table near the beast, similar warriors stood silently, waiting their turn for the brush; all of them patiently anticipating the day they would be called to battle.

Professional painter John Brothers turned the miniature in his hands, using a clamp-like platform to hold the monster still before applying the next color. And next to him was a handful of fellow painting enthusiasts, all bringing their small figures to life with blacks, reds, and metallic hues.

It was all part of a miniature painting session at the Kokomo Howard County Public Library’s Digital Den at the main downtown campus. Digital Den director Ben Rutz stood nearby, ready to support the participants with any aid they might require.

The painting is just one part of an expanding outreach to the community, encouraging engagement in art and technology, and Rutz is excited to watch it grow.

“We have miniatures just in case you don't have one to kind of get you started,” said Rutz. “We’re trying to build up a little group here for people who are getting into miniature painting. People kind of drop in and out. We had seven painters last time and six the time before that, but we can handle more.”

One participant actually 3D-printed his miniature at the Digital Den, using the library’s printers to create from a design he provided. The miniature – a fantasy/sci-fi soldier – will one day join an army of similarly colored figures for a table-top game called “Warhammer.”

Overwhelmingly, the miniatures being painted are used for table-top games, such as “Dungeons and Dragons,” but the techniques taught by master painter Brothers can be applied to any miniature painting, especially for those wanting a realistic look for their figurines.

Painters can learn techniques such as undercoating, basecoating, dry-brushing highlights, or washing shadows. All of the methods work together to give the miniature a realistic appearance. It takes patience, a somewhat steady hand, and a way to see the small details on the figure, especially if painter doesn’t possess sharp natural vision.

And the Digital Den is prepared to assist

“We have the brushes. We have the paints. We have all the things you need,” said Rutz. “Just bring in your miniature. And the most important thing is it’s all free. You just need a library card. We don’t want payment to be a barrier.”

The miniature painting group assembles on the first and third Wednesdays of each month in the Digital Den, though the group will likely break for the holidays in December.

Painting fantasy figures is just one of an amazing number of activities to enjoy at the Digital Den. The facility is equipped with devices and software that might be prohibitively expensive to own, such as 3D printers, Cricut machines, and audio/video equipment. And all of it is available to use by library patrons for little or no cost.

For instance, one wall of the Digital Den is painted bright green, serving as a backdrop for video work with computer generated backgrounds.

“People can come in, and we can swap the background for something fun,” said Rutz. “We also have a portable green screen that we take to events. People use (the greenscreens) for professional headshots or promotions. They can even record a video in front of it if they want.”

For those who may not be familiar with the technological devices and programs, the Digital Den also teaches the basics on all the devices in its possession. In fact, Rutz recently completed a summer-long series of classes, teaching people things like Microsoft Office, Photoshop, smartphone basics, and the Cricut.

“We were all booked up on registrations on all of those classes,” said Rutz. “People really enjoyed them.  And the nice thing is, even if we don't have a class scheduled for whatever program that you're wanting to learn about, you can come in and we'll do one-on-one support.

“If there's something specific you want to learn, you can just come in during our open hours, and we'll teach you all that you need to know in a much more personal setting.”

The technology classes will resume in October, Rutz explained as part of a “Tech Tricks, No Treats” series. The computer and smartphone basics classes definitely will be part of the programming as they were so popular in the summer that the classes overbooked. And Rutz intends to foray into the realm of AI with one of the classes.

“That is something a lot of our patrons have had questions about,” said Rutz. “So, you know what? Here's everything we know about it.”

To learn more about the Digital Den, to register for upcoming tech classes, or to explore available services it provides, visit www.khcpl.org and click on the Digital Den button at the top of the page. For all of the informative and entertaining programming offered by the Kokomo Howard County Public Library, click on the Events button.