From RossM: 28mm Desperados (20 points)

From Ross:

The pictures below are my final entry for this years Analogue Painting Challenge. The four figures are all 28mm in scale and are again from Artizan Design. A common source of figures for this year's challenge and in keeping with your theme as well. Each of the four figures will see action as a part of a lawman gang in Dead Man's Hand and have been a pleasure to paint. So much so, that I painted a second of the entry fee figure to match! This time however, he was more clean shaven.

I had hoped to achieve much more in this years challenge, however life and work have taken over so far in 2014. Hopefully all will be resolved in the next week and the dust will start to settle. Never the less I am pleased with the finished figures and my planned Last Stand will appear on Brushes and Bases soon.

Thank you again for organizing the Challenge and I am eagerly looking forward to 2015's challenge.

Awesome work Ross! I like your use of a muted palette and all of the figures tie in nicely with one another. A great looking gang.

These four lawmen will give Ross 20 points, enough for him to exceed his Challenge target. Well done and it was great to have you in the Challenge again Ross!

From RossM: Old School Orcs, Pulp Villains & Mycenaeans (83 points)

Things have been a little quiet from Ross these past few weeks but he comes back to us with a great selection of entries for us to enjoy.

From Ross:

First up are the last of the current batch of retro Orcs from Citadel and Ral Partha. These seven Orcs like the previous entry are 28mm in scale. 

They have been painted in a style which is dissimilar to many Orc armies that I see currently; that is I have avoided as much as possible bright colours and gone for a more uniform approach using colours from Foundry's range of WW2 colours. This has given the Orcs a much darker appearance than some you may see elsewhere but I think it really works. So much so that I am looking at creating an Oldhammer army in this style.

Next up are three figures from Artizan Design's Pulp Hero range which are again 28mm in scale. These figures have been painted with a certain film in mind. 

The central figure should spark a few memories of Major Arnold Toht from Raiders of the Lost Ark. Well that was the inspiration.

The Braunen Brüder (Brown Brothers) are his hired helpers and will be a part of his group in several games coming up in North Africa as well as some of the DAK. As with all of the figures from Artizan these have been a pleasure to paint.

Finally my most recent Mycenaeans. These six figures are from Redoubt Miniatures 28mm range depicting the Trojan War. Not much else to say about these except the shields are taking a long time to paint and there will be more from this range over the final weeks of the challenge.

It's great to have you back with us Ross! A great variety of figures and all of them wonderful to behold. The orcs really take me back to those heady days of 1st Edition D&D and Warhammer. (It makes me a bit misty actually.) I quite like the dark tone you've gone with for these. 

The pulp villains are always crowd pleasers. I particularly like the 'Brothers Brown' - I see them having great futures as nefarious henchmen. 

Finally it's very nice to see your continuing progress with your Mycenaean project. Always lovely to see. I continue to be impressed with your clean style and your lovelyh work with the hide shields on these fellows. 

This fine group of figures will give Ross 83 points, with a bit added for those excellent Mycenaeans. Great work!

From RossM: 28mm Citadel Orcs (70 points)

Ross begins to build some steam with these excellent Citadel Orcs from the heady days of 1980s era Citadel Miniatures.

From RossM:

Here is my second entry for the Challenge, a bit behind schedule, but here none the less. 

The figures are all from the Golden Age of Citadel Miniatures, back in the early eighties. Well eighty four to be precise or there about. The Orcs are all 28mm in scale and vary greatly in style as they should do. These were some of the first opponents I faced back when as a fourteen year old beginner in D & D and other such fun. Ironically D & D turns forty this year if my memory is correct.

Over the last year or so I have tracked down these fell fourteen and painted them especially for the challenge. I do remember in one game I played that the Orcs of the Black Shields were the toughest and meanest of all Orcs, their shields stained black with the blood of their fallen foes. 

That memory and many others have been the inspiration behind these dour warriors and will be that of their other seven brethren to come. Hope you all enjoy these.

Ahh, now that was a nice trip down memory lane. Thank you Ross! I forgot how much more I liked these orcs over the modern muscle-bound ones so popular today. These seem much more varied, sinewy and Tolkienesque to me. Very cool.

These fourteen Old Skool Citadel miniatures will give Ross 70 points.

From RossM: 28mm Challenge Desperado (20 points)

Ross enters the fray by submitting his Challenge Desperado.

From Ross:

This year so far has been a bit hectic. However, things are settling down now and hopefully there will be more pictures coming through shortly. 

So without any further ramblings there is the entry figure. A Hired Gun from Artizan Design. I am not overly familiar with Sam Peckinpah films so after a short time on google and you tube I have opted for a generic hired gun in a generic Western colour scheme.

The figure in 28m scale was great to paint with clean sculpting and a good casting too. There will be more of this range following shortly.

Wonderful work Ross! I'm a big fan of the Artizan Design range - their sculpts often have a great presence and sense of mass without being too bulky or ungainly. I quite like the unshaven craggy face on this dude, kinda reminds me of Josh Brolin. Very cool.

This fellow will give Ross 20 points. Well done Ross and thank you!

From RossM: 28mm Dark Age, Ancient Greeks, Myceneaens & 15mm WWII German Vehicles (145 points)

From Ross:

Here are the first of my final entries to this years competition. 

Before the pictures I would like to thank you again for organising and hosting this event. Whilst I may not reach the godly totals of some painters I do really enjoy the challenge and the opportunity to view so many other painters work. Now to the pictures.

First up is the last of the Dark Age casualty figures from Perry Miniatures. This figure will be used with both Impetus and SAGA in 28mm and as always with a Perry sculpt is great to paint.

The next set of pictures are of a stand of Mercenary Peltasts for Impetus. The figures are from Foundry's 28mm World of Greeks range and are some of my personal favourites from this range. The figures will see use in my existing Spartan army for Impetus and hopefully in the Macedonians when they get started.

Next there are several more vehicles from Battlefront. Well 12 to be precise. 4 Stugs and 8 Opel Blitz soft tops. These 15mm vehicles paint well and don't take too long to complete.

Lastly is a stand of Myceneaen Spearmen for Impetus again. The figures are 25mm's from Redoubt Miniatures and capture the period excellently in my opinion. The tower shields and long bladed spears really make the unit but I have a feeling that they may well come off a few times in the future. Sadly, due to having a nightmare attaching the spears and shields on these fellows the base is not fully textured and coloured yet. I have  started this but due to it being just before 3 AM in the UK and that I am working tomorrow at 9 am they won't be completed this morning.

Hopefully, if my calculations are correct this will take me to my challenge total.

Looking forward to next years challenge!

Ross, your calculations are spot on. This fine collection of figures will give you 145 points which will pip you right onto your Challenge target. Congratulations! Great work and thank you for participating.