From: TomL A seasonal entry (5pts)

Just a quick entry to start the Challenge.   Lest we forget the true meaning of the season and the best way to live your life, we have Artizan Design's Jacob Marley to remind us of the consequences...

 

Jacob was painted using various acrylics & washes.   One 28mm figure:  5 points 

I am planning on painting mostly "Epic" ACW & BattleTech units with the three themes providing some variation.  My wife joined me recently in retirement, so we are finally getting around to the long-planned trip to Australia & New Zealand. Not being alone all day and a vacation will no doubt impact my painting time but I plan to paint like a madman and finish the backlog. Reality of course will be different but it's good to have a plan!

My potential:

 

Off to prime the last planned entry before we begin the holiday.   

Merry Christmas & happy holidays!

Tom 

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Welcome back to the Challenge, Tom!

Your Jacob Marley is excellent and a very fitting cautionary tale about working during the Holidays. I see you have A LOT of Battletech waiting for your attention. I hope you've joined David's Big Stompy Robot Challenge as I think you could be a serious contender. Is that some Warlord Epic stuff in the handy box? Very interesting! I look foward to seeing what you have in store over the next few months of the Challenge.

5 points for Mr. Marley! Well done!

- Curt

 

 

From PeteB – Snowball Fight – 54 mm – 22 Points

This is my second participation on the Challenge and it already looks I’m creating myself a tradition. Last year I started with a Christmas village figure, and this year I do the same. Now it are two figures from the company Magic Village, and what you see is a snowball fight between Lady Sarah, Curt and Huckleberry. A postcard with the seasonal greetings is added in the back.

Lady Sarah, Curt and Huckleberry!

The idea came when I bought the male figure and it reminded me on a picture that Curt added himself in my first post in the previous challenge.

 He mentioned that Lady Sarah took the picture, but here you can see what was really going on.

After that the battle started! No action pictures were taken! Here some more pictures from the figures that are around 60 mm high (base not included).

I hope the dog looks a bit as Huckleberry.

And here is how they looked before I did some brushwork on them. 

And the man with shovel came to visit them! 😉

Points: 2 x 54 mm foot figure = 20 Points

The Cost of Entry

As Curt asked, I mention it here and like last year I’m still giving a monthly donation to “Doctors Without Borders” and once a year I do a donation to an organisation called “Consortium 12-12”, and it unites 5 humanitarian organizations that coordinate their fundraising in Belgium during serious crises or natural disasters.

Merry Christmas to all of you and your families! 

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Welcome back to the Challenge, Pete!

This is really a wonderful entry - I'm delighted that Sarah, Huckleberry and I were your muse for your opening entry this year AND that it's an extension of year's as well. You're now well on your way to a bespoke Christmas card snow village. Sarah looks fabulous (as usual) and I appreciate the red parka, winter pants and the (increasingly) grey beard. Terrific work! 

Also, thank you for the donation to Doctors Without Borders and Consortium 12-12. Both very worthy charities.

Now, I look forward to some Hoth SnowTroopers and an AT-AT for next year. ;) 

22 Points (with a couple added in for Huckleberry). Well done Pete and a very Merry Christmas to you as well!

- Curt

From LeeH: A Heavy Metal Christmas (12 Points)

This is my 12th Painting Challenge, and by now I’ve developed a small tradition: I always kick things off with a Christmas-themed figure. Until just a few days before the challenge began, I had no idea what that figure was going to be. Then the lead mountain offered up this little fellow, quickly followed by the Chain Golem, and suddenly a plan appeared.

The axe-wielding dwarf is a Wargames Foundry miniature I picked up several years ago. I’m fairly certain this is the last Christmas figure I own from that set, which means I’ll have to start hunting for something new for next year. The golem, on the other hand, began life as a pre-painted plastic figure from Wizards of the Coast. It was obviously part of a game, but since I bought it as part of a bring-and-buy job lot many years ago, I’ve no idea which one. What I do know is that it took almost as long to hack the golem off its original base as it did to paint it. Free of the base, the Golum is 50mm tall and needed to be stripped back and completely repainted before adding to this larger base to back up the Dwarf.

The Chain Golem isn’t there as muscle or menace; it’s there on probation. According to the dwarf, last Christmas, the golem was left unsupervised near the decorations. Within minutes, it had “helpfully reinforced” the tree, the fireplace, and three chairs using thirty feet of industrial chain and a padlock. Santa needed two reindeer, a hacksaw, and a strongly worded rune to get out of the grotto. This year, the golem has been ordered to accompany the guitar-playing dwarf Santa as part of a festive rehabilitation programme. The dwarf plays heavy metal carols while the golem clinks gently in time and deters autograph hunters.

Looking ahead, I’ve got a couple of new projects lined up. Whether they both get finished will depend entirely on external forces conspiring against me. Work, other commitments, and a few collaborative projects linked to my YouTube channel will all be competing for my time in the early months of the year. Add in a couple of wargames shows, and, ideally, some actual gaming, and the calendar fills up fast. It’s a wonderful hobby. I could give up work tomorrow and still wonder where the time went.

1x28mm Foot = 5 Points

1x40mm Foot = 7 Points

Total = 12 pts

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Welcome back to the Challenge, Lee! I always enjoy your first, Christmas-themed post to kick of the season. I quite like the chain golem and your Pete Townshend Santa is terrific as well. Now you have a quest for a new supply of Christmas themed figures - I look forward to seeing what you come up with. :) Merry Christmas, Lee!

- Curt

From PeteB - Christmas figure with Shovel (10 Points)

My first figure for my first participation is a fact. In this period of the year I always paint some figures from those well known Christmas villages with all those lights for my daughter in law. When I see those figures I always get the feeling to repaint them. So that is what I do now and then. And so I picked this figure to start with because of the shovel and because he’s cleaning the figures from my paintdesk!

The figure is from an for me unknown company called AM/63 and the figure is 54 mm high. Painted with some colourful acrylic paints he looks much better now.

Putting those other figures aside!

I show you also the unpainted figure.

And now on to the rest of the stash with lots of 20, 28 and 54 mm figures. Thank you for letting me try this challenge after all those years of lurking to all the beautiful entries.

Points: 1 x 54 mm foot figure = 10 points.

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First off Pete, welcome to the Painting Challenge! 

I really love this figure and the sentiment behind it (not the shovelling but the gifting). :) Lovely brushwork. I especially like his yellow scarf and red-and-white toque. 

And 10 points to start your ascent up the points roster Pete. I very much look forward to seeing what you have in store for us this Challenge. Bring it on!

- Curt

In theme to the post: Huckleberry and I out for a stroll in the white stuff this afternoon (camerawork by the lovely Lady Sarah).

From LeeH: Santa Claws [5 Points]

I’ve made a bit of a personal tradition to kick off my entry to the Challenge with a Christmas-themed miniature of one kind or another. Some of my previous entries have been fairly traditional, and others less so… Enter Santa Claws and his mechanical arm. This guy is definitely nightmare fuel for anyone on the naughty list so I'd better watch out!

This 28mm miniature metal was sculpted by Kevin Adams and was added to Foundry’s Christmas collection in 2020. Looking at the Foundry website, there is still plenty to keep me going for many Painting Challenges to come. 

I have to say, despite being a regular Challenger, even I found myself referring back to Tamsin's Guide for picture size specifications etc. 👍👍

So with this chap out of the way and a pile of homemade mince pies and other goodies to keep me going, I’m moving on to my main project for this year's Painting Challenge. Anyone following my blog or YouTube channel knows by now that I am taking a huge step outside my comfort zone to paint my first 28mm Napoleonics. Ray and I are collaborating on figures for the Retreat from Moscow using Sharp Practice. If you are shocked, you’re not alone. Less than six months ago I recalled saying on my channel that I’d never do Napoleonics and that I only go larger than 15mm for fantasy figures, yet here I am. It’s all Ray’s fault. Bless him. 

While waiting for various stages of Santa Claws to dry I've started on my first Russian unit. The wife has been very tolerant of her wargamer husband today and took pity on me after a tough few weeks at work (sooo much to do, so little time in the runup to the Christmas break). She literally ORDERED me up to my room this morning "You look miserable, go paint some models" she said as I tried to get on with a few chores. Never one to ignore my wife's orders I did as I was told. Maybe if I practice my knackered/frazzled/stressed look I'll be sent to my room a lot more over the holidays. 🤣

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I always very much enjoy your traditional Challenge-Start-Not-Santa posts, Lee! I agree, 'Santa Claws' is definitely a heap of nightmare fuel. That being said, I can think of more than a few personalities on the world stage that I'd love to see him visit this holiday season.  :)

I'm also very much looking forward to seeing what you and Ray come up with for your Retreat from Moscow project. It's such a brutal but evocative campaign - lots of inspiration for the brushes!

5 points it is BigLee! Happy holidays to you and yours!

- Curt

From LeeH: Seasonal Jolly Dwarf (25pts)

I might get a bit of a tradition now that my first entry to the painting challenge will be a Christmas figure. Thankfully lots of manufacturers have Christmas-themed minis not least Foundry where this jolly dwarf originated.

I'm a little bit late posting this than planned because it's been a VERY busy week. The week running up to Christmas is always busy in my line of work and this year especially so. In addition, my wife and I are also getting the house ready for Christmas guests, which as usual, we have left to the last minute! However, I have now finished work and I don't go back until the new year. So this little feller has kicked off my winter painting season and I can relax a little (hopefully with a glass of wine or three). 

I hope everyone has a really nice Christmas and of course, get lots of painting done. I'm looking forward to seeing what everyone produces this year. I'm always blown away by the quality of entries and the productivity of the Challengers. 

I'm entering this as my submission for the Challenge Library “Fantasy” section so as well as the normal 5 points for a 28mm model I'm going to claim an extra 20 bonus points which will make a miniscule dent in my modest target for this year. 

1x28mm foot (5pts + 20Pts)

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Welcome back Lee! It wouldn't be a proper Challenge without a Christmas-themed entry from you - awesome! :) This dwarf looks very jolly, having put aside his axe and mail for a bell and festive tunic. Wonderful! Thank you for the season's well wishes and I return them twofold!

- Curt

From Barks: Yuletide Cultists (15 points)

Hello all, season's greetings! Here are three terrifying cultists. They're 3D prints from Imitation of Life. I'm trying out Army Painter Speedpaints 2.0 for this Challenge, and they're doing a lot of the heavy lifting. I haven't got to grips with a consistent le slapchop technique for better shading and highlights; these are just on white. I'm trying Jon Hodgson's background art book.

Her candy cane axe snapped. Midsommar vibes.

Absolution Green is a really nice paint.

3x 28mm (15 points)

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What a wonderful trio of Christmas lunatics, Barks. I particularly like the fellow with the garland and candles on his head - that takes good balance, baby. May have to pick up some Absolution Green...

Welcome back and prepare to count skulls!

- Curt

From AndrewB: Christmas surprise! (55pts)

It’s been far too long!   I missed a week, but I still got some hobbying done!   In the true Christmas spirit(late, I know), I’ve made some folks to fight in a very odd conflict.   First, we have Chris Kringle and his brother Dingle!

They’re joined by three elves, armed with various blunt instruments and a crossbow!

Next are a group of Christmas Gobbos, ready to bludgeon their foes before eating their weapons! 

These boys were 3D printed, and are even partly modular, which is pretty cool!   Their aesthetic is close enough that I painted them in a similar manner, maybe they might fight under Dingle Kringle at some point in the future!  Also, painting candy canes is terrible.  Happy I’m done with that.  

Lastly, a group photo of the residents of my Christmas battlefield that I’ve finished up so far   I’m liking how it’s shaping up   

Lastly, I have some pictures of another large model I painted as a gift to someone, a 3D printed Lady Justice!   These pictures are the final WIP shots, but I forgot to take final pictures after I mounted her on the plaque, and now she’s on his shelf!   No points, but still cool to see!  

I’ll have that final challenge from the Director’s chair done in the next couple days, so be ready!

From TeemuL: Good to have you back Andrew (I had to make some investigations, since in true Christmas spirit this post had no name or labels, but Finnish Elfs are very good helpers of our Santa)! Christmas, it will be again, quite soon. Almost as soon as the next AHPC. Very nice gobbos and nice Lady Justice. Are you sure you don't want any points of her?

Santa Thor's Day

I noticed some misinformation in the comments section last week and decided to correct the false news. The source is as usual the trustworthy finland.fi. And there are some painted minis, too.

:theoriginalsanta:

THE ORIGINAL SANTA

The feeling of the never-ending wait for Santa Claus.

The real Santa comes from Finland. He has always lived at Korvatunturi, a mountain in Finnish Lapland, in the far north of the country. (He does not live at the North Pole!)

---End of Finn talking about Finland---

The Moviest this week including, but not limiting to, the following spectacles:

• Sharpe movie by GeoffreyT, focusing on the enemies
• Sports movie by MikeW, including arching, riding and of course orks
• Successor Sequel by JezT, just as we thought the franchise was finished :)
• Asterix movie by AndrewB, or at least a movie including romans and pirates
• Roman movie by PeterD, this take place a few centuries after Andrew's Asterix movie
• Lord of the Rings movie by ScottC, hobbits saving the world
• Road movie by Curt, in the spirit of the Fast and the Furious and the Mad Max(imilian)
• Star Trek movie by GeoffreyT, going to the final frontiers and seeking out new life and civilizations