Entry 2, Vth Painting Challenge - 8 Uruk-Hai swordsmen

"There were four goblin-soldiers of greater stature, swart, slant-eyed, with thick legs and large hands.  They were armed with short broad-bladed swords, not with the curved scimitars usual with Orcs; and they had bows of yew, in length and shape like the bows of Men.  Upon their shields they bore a strange device: a small white hand in the centre of a black field; on the front of their iron helms was set an S-rune, wrought of some white metal."

Eight swart, slant eyed gobin-soldiers.

Entry 1, Vth Annual Analogue Painting Challenge

This unit is six 28mm Romano-British levy from Gripping Beast.  I bought the starter army for Dux Brit from Too Fat Lardies and it includes 18 of these guys.  I had planned to paint the first six as my last entry in last year's challenge but ran out of time.  I finished them up after it was over, and haven't painted a thing since then other than some of my son's 15mm Sci/Fi.

Six levy from Gripping Beast.

It finally begins. The painting challenge is underway

The Vth annual challenge has begun and I'm off.  Having barely touched a brush in the last six months I am starting off with a small batch, just to get the juices flowing.  I've planned out my painting to reach my goal of 650 points.  Each entry is sitting in a group on the book shelf with an index card showing me when they have to be done.

WiP Romano Brits

This is the last time you will see these lads until they are displayed on the painting challenge blog.

In the mean time I've got quite the selection of models coming up.  Uruk-Hai, 15mm Sci/Fi, Celts, U.S. WWII GIs, Rohan, WW II German infantry, and a planned entry for each of the bonus rounds.  This year the majority of the painting will be the Celts since I want to get that army onto a good foundation.

It felt great to start putting paint to lead.  That first brush stroke was liberating.  I'm glad this has finally started.

Vth annual Analogue Painting Challenge

Based on my hobby activity over the last few months it would be insane of me to participate this year.  I've only gamed twice.  I haven't painted since the spring.  I haven't assembled a single model since last winter.  Of course I threw my hat in the ring.

Since there's no logical reason for me to think this is a good idea, I wend ahead and upped the bet and raised my goal by 50 points, to 650.  I barely cleared the 600 mark last year so this makes perfect sense.

The Challenge starts on December 5th.  Details can be found on Curt's blog, Analogue Hobbies.  The rules are the same as last year with a few added twists.  Curt is all sorts of clever, which makes my head hurt, but should make this the best challenge yet.

I'm madly assembling and prepping models this weekend.  I have tons of assembled and primed models already, so of course none of them will do.  We are headed into winter here so I need to get things primed while the weather is warm enough.  Once the cold sets in priming involves holding my breath in the basement.

Just the thought of the challenge has breathed new life into my hobby account.  Now I just need to keep it rolling for the next five months.  Should be easy enough.

Owyn's first model

Owyn has been playing D&D with his brother.  His first character was a thief.  He got frustrated by the fact that he was squishy and didn't fight very well.  For his second character he decided that he wanted a fighter.

Lips pursed in concentration.

The Analogue Painting Challenge Retrospective

The annual Analogue Painting Challenge is over.  It passed in a flash, and yet the beginning feels like it was years ago.  As is traditional, and true to my character, it's time for a quick retrospective of what I accomplished.

This year's banner.

Painting Challenge XVII - Entry fee model

The Fourth Annual Analogue Painting Challenge is wrapping up and I finally got my entry fee painted.  The theme this year was Sam Peckinpah movies and the entry fee was a model from one of those movies.

A French lancer in Maximillian's service.  About to die gloriously in a muddy river in Mexico.

Painting Challenge XVI - Bonus Round - Last Stand

  Here’s my entry for the Last Stand.  It’s Boudicca being done in by a Roman auxiliary all in 28mm.  Boudicca’s ultimate fate is not recorded, but I prefer to believe that she died fighting on the field of the Battle of Watling Street.

Top view showing all three models.

Painting Challenge XIV

This is another missed opportunity on my part.  These were intended for the casualty bonus round but then I had to go out of town at the last minute and didn’t have time to finish them.  I was also delayed because these are my first Celts and I vapor locked on doing patterns.  I just couldn’t picture what I wanted.  A few hours spent going through some of the great blogs I follow finally gelled it for me and I was off to the races.  I actually enjoyed painting these, so perhaps I should knock some more out while that feeling is strong.

Three dying Celts.  

Painting Challenge XIII - Favorite Character Bonus Round

I pondered for a few weeks trying to figure out what to paint for this round.  In the end I plumped for Aragorn.  As a teenager, reading the Lord of the Rings, Aragorn was a true heroic character.  His selflessness, courage, compassion and skill were all features that I found worthy of emulation, and in fact, influenced my development into the man I am today.  To this day, Aragorn is still one of my favorites.  Uncomplicated by any of the current fad for anti-heroes, he’s just a well developed character with widely admirable traits.  It seems fitting that Aragorn will take me above my challenge goal. 

Painting Challenge XII

Here’s my last WWII entry for the challenge.  This round consists of five more 28mm WWII GIs from Warlord.

All 25 GIs, ready to roll.

Colors of War - US GIs

I was asked what the colors were for my WWII GIs.  Rather than bury them in a comment I figured I would put them up in a post.

Lots of different paints here, even if it is hard to tell.

Painting Challenge XI

Another entry done for the Analog Painting Challenge.  They are ticking off like clockwork.  As long as your clock is broken and only works when you remember to wind it.

Another squad of brave GIs ready to take on the Hun.

Painting Table Saturday - 8 Feb 2014

Jumping on the bandwagon a little late; but I do love a good bandwagon.  Here's the state of my painting table this Saturday.  It's a tale of woe and shame, but a good catharsis is called for under the circumstances.

So much shame in one square foot area.

Painting Challenge X

I finally got another entry done for the challenge.  I knew that my output would slow down once the holiday break was over and I had to return to work.  I was hoping to maintain a better pace than I have though.

One squad of GIs.  Ready for Bolt Action or Chain of Command.

Painting Challenge IX - Nazgul

The second bonus round of the annual Analogue Painting Challenge was for villains.  I painted up the Betrayer, from GW.  The two models have been sitting on my desk, primed, for over a year, so it seemed like it was time to get them done.

The Betrayer, foot and mounted.

Painting Challenge VIII - Roger's Rangers

I've hit a double on this one.  I finished eight more models for the Analogue Painting Challenge and they are also my contribution to Bloggers for Charity.  These eight models were French and Indian War Rangers, which I painted as Roger's Rangers.

Eight Roger's Rangers.

Painting Challenge VII - Roman auxiliary cavalry - Finished

I've finished up the last of my Romans for the challenge.  These six models complete the medium cavalry as well as the army as a whole, barring the command stands which were started pre-challenge.

All six of the final models.

Painting Challenge VI - EIR medium auxiliary cavalry

Another batch of models sent off to Curt, and displayed for the requisite time.  These are the first of my medium cavalry for the EIR.  This Auxiliary, the Alae I Thracum, will support the Legio II Augusta along with the Numidian light horse I finished earlier this year.

Alae I Thracum.  Half of them at any rate.

Painting Challenge V - The last of the auxiliary infantry

Yet another entry into the painting challenge.  I grouped two batches together to the burden on Curt.  These are the Cohors V Gallorum, one of the many Auxiliary Cohorts in Britannia.  These guys are pretty much the same as the last two cohorts except that they have green shields instead of yellow or white.  Very creative.

V Gallorum, ready for battle.