30 Days 30 Miniatures Painting Challenge September 2020

 Last months 30 Days 30 Miniatures Painting Challenge was successfully completed as below:

A very different month with a return to painting some terrain features for a range of periods from Ancients to WW2. 

• 4 x 20mm Resin Buildings from Hovels (Farm house and out buildings)
• 1 x 28mm ruined Pillar fro Templar Miniatures
• 1 x 28mm resin altar from Grand Manner
• 1 x 15mm Haystack from Hovels
• 1 x 15mm ACW Farm building
• 1 x 20mm Flak 36 - lost the picture some how
• 9 x 15mm Confederate Infantry from Old Glory
• 12 x 28mm Iberian Spanish infantry from Gripping Beast 

Started another 30 Days 30 Miniatures Painting Challenge the other night, 2nd October. As with last month there will be no theme to this, just to paint and complete 30 miniatures regardless of their starting condition. 

The outline of the challenge is detailed below, however the main point being to have fun with your hobby.

• To paint 30 figures of all shapes and sizes in 30 days
• The figures can be partly painted at the start as the main point is to complete figures that have been forgotten
• Basing is not necessary to count as completed
• Any scale is good
• Too have fun
• The end date is set by your start date - 31st October will be the end date of this challenge
• To post updates as often as possible
• Lastly to show a round up post with a group picture of everything.

Hope that you will find this interesting.

Cheers for now

Back to the Brushes 277

 Continue the theme from the last post here are several more finished terrain pieces. 

First up is a haystack English Civil War style from Hovells in 15mm. 

Next, a shrine or altar piece from Grand Manner purchased when you could get bare resin from them. 

The next two pictures are of a 15mm farm house for American Civil War based games. This is also from Hovells in 15mm. 

The final piece is again from Hovells, this time from their 20mm Battlefield range and is a doocot from the farmhouse set, which will follow shortly. Whilst sold for use in WW2 based games, this piece and the others in the set could easily be used for earlier conflicts as well. 

This takes this month's 30 days 30 miniatures painting challenge to 

Day 19: 4 resin terrain pieces, for a running to total of 6 finished figures. 

Hope that you found this interesting. 

Cheers for now. 

Back to the Brushes 251

Last session preparing for this year's Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge with everything laid out waiting to be primed or already primed. Not planning on painting everything here in the challenge, just hoping to make a good start on it.

Not shown here are the Samurai or the 6mm Greeks and 15mm Arabs as they are already prepped and gathering dust elsewhere.

The first figure to be painted has still to be decided however, looks like it will be something for the Challenge Island in 28mm.

More of this and other things later.

Cheers for now.

Back to the Brushes 250

As the year draws to an end a new beginning starts: The Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge X, X Marks the Spot.

Prep for this has been underway for some time and has deliberately not been specific to either scale or period offering a variety of choices throughout the challenge.

The question to be answered is what options are there? Well lets see:

• 6mm Ancient Greeks and Macedonians from Rapier Miniatures
• 15mm Arabs from Essex, Minifigs and Old Glory
• 15mm Spartans from Xyston
• 15mm War of the Roses from Gladiator Miniatures
• 20mm WW2 US vehicles from Frontline and AT guns, support weapons and crew from Platoon 20
• 20mm WW2 DAK from SHQ
• 28mm Gondor infantry and cavalry from Games Workshop
• 28mm Late Romans from Foundry and Gripping Beast
• 28mm Prussians from Calpe, Perry Miniatures and Warlord Games
• 28mm English Civil War from Warlord Games
• 28mm American Civil War from Perry Miniatures
• 28mm Moors from Gripping Beast
• 28mm El Cid Spanish from Gripping Beast
• 28mm Samurai from Perry Miniatures
• 28mm Claymore Casting Gallowglass for the Men of Lossarnach in Lord of the Rings
• 28mm Carthaginians from Gripping Beast

As always this only an indicative list of where painted figures will come from and for some of these there are only four or five figures rather than full units or more. 

Looking for progress over a variety of projects in this year's challenge and think the list above gives that and more.

The start date is December 21st 2019 and looking forward to getting some painting done in this year's challenge; the ninth time of being involved.

Cheers for now

Back to the Brushes 220

After a week away from the brushes post Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge a return to the painting table shows the carnage left behind.

With three major rebasing projects ongoing at present:

• Late Romans and allies
• Moors for ADLG and SAGA
• English Civil War in 15mm 

There hasn't been any space or time for painting.

The top of the composite picture shows the whole painting table in its chaotic glory with a range of 15 and 28mm figures in varying states of painting.

The bottom two pictures show the ECW (left) and the Moors for SAGA. One part needing basing the other finished.

Hoping to get back to painting some dark age types this week.

Cheers for now.

With a Rebel Yell 8

At long last this camp base of Basic Impetus Baroque has finally been flocked and pictured.

The figures are believed to be Minifigs and were part of a large collection that has been rebased, toned with Devlan Mud wash or equivalent and matt varnished. All that remains now is to sort out the surplus wagons and effects for sale and, oh, yeah paint the hundred plus foot and cavalry to complete the armies. Maybe next year? Cheers for now.

With a Rebel Yell 3

Again, rebased and refinished figures this time from the English Civil War to be used as a camp in Baroque. 15mm figures believed to be from Freikorps.

In time there will be another camp for this period from the same batch of figures.

Cheers for now.

Back to the Brushes 108

Some work in progress pictures of a variety of different projects and odds and sods shown below.

A mismatch of figures here; there are Gripping Beast Vikings, Moors, Ragnar Lothbrok and more Moors on the left of the picture as viewed. On the right you have some 6mm Rapier Macedonians, some vintage Citadel picked up at Carronade earlier this month for 30 pence a figure - this includes a Lone Wolf guardsman. To the top left of the 6mm chappies is a Foundry Rat Catcher - a very late Curtgeld Figure that is slowly taking shape. Behind this lot are 15mm Ground Zero Plasma cannons and then yet more Gripping Beast Vikings.

Central posed are the some of the painted ACW Confederates that came along with the English Civil War and French Napoleonic's obtained some years ago second hand. These are finally getting based for use with either Fire & Fury or Battle Cry. To their rear are some SHQ 20mm Germans that truly need dusting before anything can be done with them.

 Above are more Rapier 6mm, this time Macedonian Companions and Greek Medium Cavalry. A few more stands of ACW infantry - painted this time here and finally in the top left corner a 20mm 88 and 17lb AT.

As previously mentioned a variety of different things on the go with the ACW being priority at present.

Cheers for now  

Back to the Brushes 94

Pictured below are some 15mm figures from two very different periods that are both being based at present.

First up are the from Minifigs English Civil War range and are part of a second hand collection that has slowly been rebased and washed in Devlan Mud over the last two or three years.

These figures will be used as camps in Impetus Baroque, which hopefully be returning to the gaming table soon and perhaps the full rules released.

There are still a few figures to paint for this period including some more musket and pike and cavalry.

The second offering this evening are from Ground Zero Games and will be gracing a table in the near future under the rules of Critical Mass.

The stands shown here are waiting on the ready mixed plaster drying and are from Missile and SAW support elements. The quick approach to painting these figures is clearly visible here, however once fully based and flocked it won't be that noticable on the table top.

Next up are some work in progress pictures of the Moors for Impetus

Cheers for now

Back to the Brushes 35

Not much has been happening here over the last ten days. Life and work took over for a bit and the inclination to paint just has not been there.

This morning saw some artillery being rebased for Impetus Baroque giving both sides of the English Civil War some clout if needed. Some pictures to follow shortly of these and several other bases for Baroque. Hopefully this will be the motivator to get back to painting and complete the first stand of the Late Roman horse archers for the Equites Primo Sagittarii.

Thats all for now.

And Now for Something Completely Different 6

Really speaking there will be a need to introduce two new themes for the blog to cover the English Civil War and Napoleonics as there will be a fair amount of basing going with these two projects over the next few months. So here are the titles for future reference:

• Pikes and Muskets - for the English Civil War
• March to the Sounds of Cannons - for the Napoleonics

That said here are the most recently based figures for Pikes and Muskets, unsure of manufacturer but think that these may be from Minifigs:

These figures are a part of a second hand collection that is currently being rebased for Baroque.

The Huns will follow shortly as promised.

Cheers for now.

Back to the Brushes 26

A few WIP pictures of various items that are on the painting table at present. Firstly, there are more foederati for the Late Romans. This base will represent a veteran or command stand in the allied troops  complete with priest, standard and raving dog. 

The figures are from Gripping Beast and the front three shields are all hand painted. Hopefully will manage to get a few more completed on this stand over the weekend.

Next up is another Impetus based project, this time the Late Romans in 10mm. These figures have been gathering dust since a failed Warmaster Ancients purchase and very nearly went on sale recently. They were saved from the auctions by a few nearby gamers playing Impetus in 15mm, so they are being slowly painted and based for Impetus on bases for 15mm games. The figures are from Pendraken and are surprisingly good to paint.

The last two pictures are of ongoing rebasing projects for Napoleonics for Age of Eagles and Shako and the English Civil War for Impetus Baroque. Slow progress is being made on both, with the English Civil War being nearest to completion.

Thats all for now.

Cheers

Back to the Brushes 7

Just a few work in progress pictures below:

AB Figures entrenched British WW2 Infantry

This week has seen a few small started projects move one step closer to completion, with the above being painted in between ink washes drying on some bases that are completed.

Hector's Horse

The above horses are the only 2 items for Hector's Chariot that will be included in the Analogue Hobbies Painting challenge as everything else was painted prior to the start date.

The pictures below bring to end another project that was started some time ago and is now ready for the gaming table. Basic Baroque English Civil War - the first games was going well but time called an early halt before a formal victor could be named; looks like this could be a popular game in the future.

Hopefully there will be more to follow later this week.

Lastly, a warm welcome to the following new followers:

• Cyrus
• Curly Crusader
• Lee Hadley

Hope that you find something of use on the blog over the coming months.

Cheers for now.

Back to the brushes

Now that the college books are closed, all being well, its time to get back to seeing red and get the Spartans and Vikings finished off. It's good to have have time for hobbies again after a pretty intense last month of studying.

Rather than rush straight in head first, a more sedate approach has been used, mixing washing ECW figures in Devlan Mud before a short session of painting red tunics for the Spartan cavalry. Thankfully there are only three figures in this base so not too much red to start with. Hopefully get more done in the morning before work in the afternoon, needs must and all that.


There will be a few pictures of an Impetus game at Carronade to follow, once they are uploaded from the camera.


Cheers for now.

The Widow's Wall

Studies are taking up nearly all spare time at present, however you have to have lunch. The following pictures show the very slow progress being made on the Berserker base for the Vikings.

Rather than go for a large collection of bare topped frothing loons, the base comprises of figures with movement in varying degrees. The central figure from Gripping Beast’s Breaking the Widows Wall vignette is charging through the opposition shieldwall and everybody else is following his lead. Not necessarily that easy to see in black under coated figures but hopefully the germ of the idea is there.

The second set of pictures show the slow progress being made on the Royalist English Civil War army for Basic Baroque. That is the shot and pike bases completed bar painting the pikes on 2 bases. Don’t ask why they weren’t painted before being glued in place as no answer will be given, they just weren’t. A decision that will be regretted no doubt.

Lurking in the top right corner is a test figure currently being painted from Front Rank Miniatures; what the outcome of it will be remains to be seen... 

The Spartan cavalry are lurking there as well, with the ground work on the base slowly moving on.

The same unit from above, just because.

Well that is lunch over and the books beckon. Hopefully, there will be more for the next post but no promises.

ECW First Picture

Just a quick update on the ECW Late Royalist Infantry bases:

Hopefully more to follow shortly with pikes attached to the second base - if they ever turn up.

Also a few pics of some 20mm German Armour for Disposable Heroes that have been hiding out in the workroom for the last few months.

Cheers for now.

Loose ends

Well today has been a bit of this and a bit of that, but things have been done and few loose ends tied up.

The casualty markers from early in the summer have finally been flocked and varnished - by hand - along with a few more disordered markers.

Some more work has been done on the third base of the Late Royalist Army for Impetus Baroque, which means the infantry are all but complete, just needing the odd pike here and there. This however depends entirely on the Royal Mail ever delivering something of worth again; as still waiting on the wire for their pikes to arrive.

And last, but not least, the 5th Phalanx of Spartans has been dusted and the tunics and linen armour repainted where necessary. Hopefully be able to finish this base of as soon as possible and start painting the army in ernest again over the next few months. The planned finished date of the Monday before Christmas is long gone but at least the hoodoo over the varnishing mishap is gone.

Will get some pictures posted over the next few days.

Cheers for now

Starting from scratch

Well, where to begin. Still no further progress on the Spartans although the figures have been dusted this afternoon, which gives you an idea  of little work has been going on. The desk in general is a tip and after a short tidying session is now a reasonable working environment - this always helps to motivate.

Avoiding the Spartans, some work has been done on the 15mm ECW figures, so there are now nearly two bases of 15mm Royalists completed for Basic Impetus Baroque. Given the amount of time spent on washing and highlighting figures from another collection they look good on the base. The massed 15mm figures really do give a good visual effect on a 60 x 120mm base, giving a good sense of the formation of the period. Looking forward to trying this period out in the future.

Looking at the Spartans, there is little or no chance of completing this army this year, although another base should be possible.

Time now to brave the elements and walk the dog in the snow and frost.

Cheers for now