RichardC: More Cowbell

Well, here it is, the end of the challenge, and what a great experience. Some wonderful eye-candy to drool over, some prodigious feats of painting (I think next year, Kent should aim for a 1:1 representation of La Grande Armee - and he'd probably do it), some amazing interpretation of the bonus themes, and some happy hours taking part in (what Michael A refers to as) this most wholesome of hobbies. Thanks for all the supportive comments on my efforts.

I am pleased that I passed my target of 500 points - little did I know that I would end up in hospital during the course of the Challenge. If I am lucky enough to take part again next year, I should start prepping the figures now. Having taken one of my "small People" to Warhammer World last weekend, there may be something outside my comfort zone in the future - although this will be fantasy rather than sci-fi.

So here is my somewhat modest haul - 52 figures, 2 bits of terrain and 3 Heighland Coos!!!

Now, I know I was supposed to appear in the photo myself, but I thought it would crack the camera. So here is one of me with more of my face obscured. It was taken on a gladiatorial event at Fishbourne Roman Palace near Chichester with the Long-Suffering Briony and the Small People.

So to finish with, here is my Curtgeld. The original idea was for a figure of Talos from Jason and the Argonauts, but then Curt went and used a still from the movie in the opening post.

I've therefor plumped for the Grim Reaper from (appropriately enough) Reaper Miniatures. There is an ulterior motive, as it gives me the opportunity to post a Challenge Tune - something I've waited the whole Challenge to do.

Well, what else could it be to accompany this figure? I first saw this band live 37 years ago, and this track still gets me going.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-XHvZKsLcY

So, What Was Done - 5th Painting Challenge Group Shots

Hello Everyone!

I thought it would be fun if we had a gallery of all our work. If you have the time, please set-up your accumulated work for the Challenge, take a few photos and send them to me. I know some have already done this in previous posts, but if you can resend them to me I'll place them in this gallery so we can all be together.

Okay, I'll kick-off with my 3-months of work. 

Curt's Collection:

Alright, c'mon people, send me your Challenge group shots! We all want to see what you've achieved! 


AlanD's Collection:

BrendonW's Collection:

Attached is the grand total from the Paint challenge.
However I realised it is actually one 28mm figure short...the Curtgeld butcher.
I have him on my paint desk still as I plan to add a bit of gold/brass on his sword hilt.

It was very strange the last few evenings not picking up a brush.
My hand feels like it needs something to do.


DaveD's Collection:

All the pulp,

90% of the Imperial army,

...and a third of the Mahdist forces,

Serious stock up been had! Steamers and Camel Corps under way!


DavidB's Collection 

I accomplished a great deal for my inaugural outing. I now have nearly 75% of my Cadian 7th completed including stuff that may be repainted to match which would actually be 50% done. ;)

I also have my very first 15mm including my favorite Alien Legion ready for the battlefield. 

I know have a good feel for the challenge and am ready for another go. I still have heaps of guard, Napoleonic, ACW, Zombies, Supers, and LotR stockpiled and prepped (I was SUPPOSED to complete this outing).

I'm sure quite a bit will be there still as I have begun Eastern Natives circa black powder/Queen Anne and my comic pulp WW2 for Bolt Action and weird WW2.

Evan & GrantH's Collection

The final collection from the challenge!

Totals:

18 early World War One 28mm Highlanders

30 Canadian 28mm Paratroopers

45 15mm Commandos

9 Vintage Imperial Guards from Grenadier

4 late World War One command team characters

2 Capt. E. Blackadder

Thanks for the support and warm welcome to the challenge!

PaulS' Collection:

Another year, another Painting Challenge complete. A big thank you to Curt and all of the other participants for making it another great year, full of inspiration and encouragement!

This year I clocked in at 1521 points. This photo is missing 8 figures that I painted up for friend's Christmas presents... so imagine it a bit larger.

This is not only the largest number of figures I've ever painted in that timeframe, but it also saw parts of some projects not only started, but completed too. This year I managed to:

- Start and complete a full War of the Roses Lion Rampant force (lets not mention that I was supposed to paint two forces!)
- Start and complete 2 Familia for Jugula 
- Finish my ww2 Russian infantry
- Finish all of my Zombies for Zombicide!
- Finish the skeletons I built two years ago

I didn't manage to get around to some of the other projects I had lined up, sadly, but it is still mightily impressive. I was supposed to be painting up a load of vikings, including some really nice ones sent by my secret santa!

Now to start clearing house a bit so I can make room for next year's Challenge.

MarkO's Collection

A few pics of my Austrian Army all together that I had time to take. All but four of the infantry regiments were painted during the challenge! 

MartinC's Collection 

This is the final group shot of my figures painted during the challenge

The bulk are ACW, 2 brigades that will soon fight each other. I also painted 30 odd medieval infantry and 8 Carolingian cavalry, couple of dozen Dwarf Legionaries, 40 republican roman legionaries (with hand painted shields which I’m quite chuffed with), 12 flying carpets (think I found some core rules to build upon for these), entries for all the bonus rounds, a weird war grizzly walker and a Rolls Royce armoured car. 

I tried to start some more today and got nowhere. I definitely need a proper break from painting, although I have already purchased some figs for next year.

MilesR's Collection

This is what one gets for three months of intensive painting and 3,204 points.

 

MartinN's Collection

So here's my final group shot for you. Over the past three month I managed to reduce the mountain of shame by incredible 91 miniatures.

Compared to our top scorers it may look like almost nothing but to me it was quite an achievement.  Surprisingly I also managed to stay relatively focused with mostly WWII and First Indochina.

MichaelA's Collection

Having read your post regarding amassing a gallery of Challengers' efforts, I was initially reluctant as I felt that this year I had not done justice to my place, bemoaning 'real life' at every turn; I must have started to sound like a broken record, for which you have my heartfelt apologies.  Still, being a naturally inquisitive soul, I decided to collect up my toys and have a look for myself and I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised.  

True, it is not an entire Austrian army or enough to form a British square in the deserts of the Sudan, but there was colour, variety and fun and I allowed myself a moment of self congratulatory pride.  It is for this that I need to thank you and all my fellow challengers Curt.  Being part of the challenge has given my hobby a sense of direction an purpose at a time when I desperately needed a distraction.  Along the way I have tackled new challenges, constructed larger scale models and tried to get to grips with the basics of airbrushing.  I have been fortunate enough to meet with a little success in the bonus theme rounds and wondered with admiration at the diverse nature and often sheer quantity of what everyone else was doing.  Simply put, I have enjoyed every minute, so thank you again and here's to next year! 

RichardC's Collection

Here's a shot of my entries for the Challenge. You may spot the name plate for the Lancer Officer - it arrived two days after the Victorian Round deadline! 

The one thing I will do for next year is to prep everything beforehand - I had some issues undercoating, which cost me time and in a couple of cases, figures as well. 

All in all, a great winter diversion.

SanderS

Well I finally managed to get some pictures of the miniatures I've painted during the Challenge . Some are missing in these pictures since they are not at my home, but still most of them are there.

For me the Challenge was a great way of getting on with some of my long going projects. I finished my Barsoom project. Nearly finished all my Bavarian Napoleonics and have made a big leap with my Victorian project. So all in all I am very happy with the results.

Yet again I'd like to thank Curt for creating this great event!

Cheers Sander

SeanS' Collection

Although I didn't quite reach my target again this year, I got closer and painted more figures. So onward and upwards I guess. My points went from 574 to 806 and figures painted from 64 to 82.

Since completing the Challenge I've been trying to reorganize my pile into some kind of prioritized painting queue, it's been marginally successful.

 

Once I packed away my Challenge output, into one Really Useful Box, it didn't look quite as impressive. The group shot is a little more satisfying.

One thing I've always wondered, what are the chances of a Curtgeld group shot? 

(Ed. A group shot of the Curtgeld? A very good probability, once most of them have made their way to my display case. :) )

SteH's Collection 

Well quite a lot it turns out, as the most interesting realisation for me was that I actually enjoy painting! 

That sounds a bit weird seeing as I've been doing it for about 17 years however I actually signed up to the challenge thinking that I'd use it as a sort of artificial project manager, constantly bugging me to deliver on my milestones and meet my deadlines, and at first thats exactly how it felt. However as the months passed I became more and more motivated to paint things that i enjoyed. Most of my painting over the years has been motivated with one singular goal - to get my armies on the table and roll dice. And yet my motivation has changed, maybe its my getting old (I hit the big 40 a couple of months before the challenge started) but i find that if I'm not enjoying painting then I don't want to do it, no matter how much I enjoy gaming with the figures.

So my plan going in to the challenge was to paint my Lord of the Rings figures, they were all based up and undercoated, and yet when I look back at what I've actually completed I find a whole of host of scales and genres - 15mm and 1/3000 WW2, Victorian Sci-fi, 15mm Sung Chinese, 28mm Dwarven Pirates and of course GW Lord of the Rings. My output was a total 82 models of which only 50% (41) were what I had planned to do.

Actually to be honest I never planned to paint the cave troll, it was more of a sanity check for myself as to whether I had the time and technique to paint 54mm (I was going to get involved in the Perry/Jackson ANZAC project but decide my sanity, employment or marriage wouldn't survive the pressure).

I think the most enjoyable models to paint were Smeagol (Gollum) who seemed to paint himself, the Victorian Sci-Fi (and especially the footie scarf!) and the Dwarven Pirates (Oooarrr).

Huge thanks to ScottB for talking me in to taking part, Mr C for hosting the crazy thing and most importantly my fellow challengers. It was great to see the range of genre's and scales on display, the varied interpretations of the bonus rounds and the quite terrifying volume that some of the challangers were able to put out!


StefanK's Collection


Finally here’s a group picture of my submissions as well. Actually it’s not much more than my seven bonus round entries and the Curtgeld. Together with all the bonus points this humble bunch of figures yielded 757 points and fulfilled my goal of 750 points narrowly.

It was great fun to concentrate on the bonus rounds and find entries for each of the rounds. Especially Thor for the ‘Mythic’ round and Richard III. for the ‘Antihero’ theme were wonderful figures to work with and I enjoyed the time to prepare them very much. Since life with two children of less than 1 and just over 4 is pretty challenging from time to time and because I’m a really lousily slow painter I didn't paint more than eleven simple figures besides these special things. Nothing comparable with the masses other participants submitted, but I’m rather satisfied with my outcome.

Anyway this painting Challenge provides three outstanding hobby months. Although I didn't manage to leave comments on all entries there was a lot of top-notch stuff. Well done chaps!

TeemuL's Collection

At the start of the challenge I had some kind of plan what to paint. Mansions of Madness monsters were one thing, and I did manage to paint them all. Second plan was to try participate in the bonus rounds, 6 out of 7 is not bad. 

I was supposed to paint some old WHFB Orcs and Dwarfs, but since I bought more and more Orcs, I didn't manage to paint them all and I didn't even start with the Dwarfs. I played couple of games of LotR during the challenge and because LotR range provided quite a lot of models to bonus rounds, I got carried away and painted much more than I planned for. WH40K Dark Eldar were a total bonus as well as the animals from the Warbases. Blood Bowl Ogre was in the pipeline, so I'm glad I got his painted - I'm not glad that despite the apothecary he died in his second game... So I painted quite a lot of stuff and from different areas as well.

From RichardC - Three Napoleons and are you Dim? (200 Points)

From Curt: Richard sent these in as four separate email entries but my poor head can't take much more for entries so Richard please forgive me for combining them into one.

Sleighbells in the Snow

Well, I’m coming to the end of my first Challenge, and am finally getting round to finishing off those little projects that have been eating away at what little time real life gives me to play with.

So here is what was originally going to be my Cold round entry – Im very glad I changed my mind as it turns out. This is the Perry range of 1812 figures, and includes Napoleon’s sleigh.I did paint one hardy chap in a sort of Santa outfit (I couldn't resist). All in all, it was fairly straightforward, but curses….. I ran out of pumice for the basing, and therefore, the bases are annoyingly visible. I also managed to lose the reins just as I was putting everything together. The trees were from a very nice chap on Fleabay, and the base, as usual, was from Warbases.

I managed to find a photo from a Russian Museum of the sleigh, which is actually reputed to have been Davout's rather than the Emperor's.

  

Roadside Assistance

Even an Emperor gets caught short on occasions. I bought the privvy from Ainsty Castings some time ago, but couldn't really find a use for it. It has now been ceremonially christened by Napoleon himself. The figures are from Warlord Games. I didn't use the Chasseur a Cheval escort figure, as he somewhat came a cropper during the preparation stage.

I can just hear the Mameluke coachman yelling "I'd leave a few minutes if I were you!"

Yes, it's yet another one of Napoleon. I do have other figures, but it just happens I like Napoleon.


Having a cat nap

Now Napoleon was famed for being able to fall asleep (or cat nap) even during the height of a battle. The Foundry figure of him napping with his foot resting on a drum has always been one of my favourites from this range. Here then is my version of it. We never had a definitive answer from Curt as to whether the hay cart counted as a vehicle or scenery, but I liked it so much, I've put it in this scene anyway. Although I do like the figure of Gourgaud from Perry metals, I prefer the original Officier d'Ordonnance from the Foundry set in his full dress. Sadly, I painted him many years ago, so the more recent, larger figure can be seen here (and a delight it was to paint).

Not only is the Emperor cat napping, but he's also the subject of a cat's attention - and no, I don't know if Napoleon was a cat lover. This moggy comes from Mirtilon, and I painted it to represent my ex girlfriend Meryl's somewhat feral cat, Claude (I really think that should have been spelt Clawed).

Curtgeld - Dim from A Clockwork Orange

Along with just about everything else this Challenge, I changed my mind about the Curtgeld. My original plan was to paint a certain Napoleonic cavalry officer, but then a visit to the master of the arcane at Awdry Towers changed everything. For once I was on the receiving end of a small plastic bag of lead.

Michael informed me that it comes from Crooked Dice set under the nom de guerre “Eavies”. They are, of course, based on Alex and his Droogs from Kubrick’s film of Anthony Burgess’s novel A Clockwork Orange”, released in 1972.

This anti-hero is Dim, played in the film by the late, great Warren Clarke. Fat, gormless, and favouring a bike chain as a weapon, much put upon by Alex, Dim finally has enough. To stop him escaping from the clutches of the police, Dim smashes a milk bottle across Alex’s face. Dim may well have acted out of a desire to stop Alex’s ultra-violence, but his real motive is much less heroic.

For those who can access this, check out the Droogs at 1:24, then check out Dim’s transformation. Dim’s motive is revenge. He becomes a policeman who extracts his own punishment on his former leader https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MqpaxL2G2Zw

It was a great figure to paint, and hopefully will stand next to Michael’s figure of Alex in Curt’s “trophy cabinet”. Those with good eyesight, or high res monitors, may just be able to spot a musical homage to one of my favourite bands, and their 5th album – also dating from 1972.

Now I must say something about the Challenge. I echo all of those who have praised Curt for the wonderful way in which he has run this mammoth undertaking. Not only has he managed to wrangle us into submitting our entries in an organised and efficient way, but he's also managed to paint some bloody superb figures at the same time - the Artful Dodger is high on my short-list for best figure of the Challenge. As I mentioned right at the start of the fun, I haven't picked up a brush in over seven years. I'd like to thank Curt and Mike Awdry for motivating me to start up again, and I would especially like to thank my fellow Challengers for their kind comments, their votes in the Bonus Rounds and, most of all for proving to me that the world of painters and wargamers is still one of best hobbies one can have!

Pip Pip!

From Curt:

Amazing work Richard! Those three Naploeon vignettes are absolutely brilliant. I think my favourite is the roadside stop - a beautiful carriage and a very funny scene.

Thanks so much for Dim! He will be a wonderful counterpoint to Michael's Alex. (I'm particularly impressed with the basework here!)

Thanks again Richard it was an absolute pleasure to have you with us and I'm delighted if the Challenge helped you get your brushes out again. I hope we see you with us next autumn!