AHPC X Day 40 - Wednesday Workbench 29 January

With five locations successfully visited on Challenge Island, my next stop is Snowlord's Peak. The task for that is individually set by Curt to annoy the crap out of stretch the Challengers.

My task (link) is to produce a vignette to explain how the Challenge got as crazy as it currently is where it is today.

As you can see from the photo above, I have started work on this. It should take me a couple of days to get the painting done, another day to assemble the pieces on the base and add sand etc, then another day to do the water effects. I've already got the "journal extract" firmly lodged in my brain - it's a good'un!

AHPC X Day 39 - Tenth Submission

My tenth submission, a few figures for Warlord's Strontium Dog game, was posted last night: link

These were the Kreelers and Law Enforcement sets. Warlord's art shows the Kreelers in green uniforms, but I decided to go with a more sinister look.

I haven't done any other painting since the weekend as I've been struck down with an awful cold. However, today I have made a good start on re-priming my barbarian warband - I'd originally primed them red-brown with a pale brown zenithal highlight; sadly the contrast between the two colours was rather weak, so I've chosen to go back to the standard black/white; the black is done, later this afternoon I'll be doing the white zenithal highlights.

At the moment my big debate is whether to submit them all as one large entry or as several smaller batches. I am leaning towards the former option as it's likely to be my only proper "points bomb" of this Challenge.

AHPC X Day 36 - Ninth Submission

As mentioned yesterday, my ninth submission was just waiting to be posted. Today's minion, Byron, posted it this afternoon: link

This was my fifth different island location and put me in position to make an ascent of Snowlord's Peak.

I am now waiting to find out what dastardly task Curt is going to set me to complete the ascent...

AHPC X Day 35 - Eighth Submission

In between my minioning duties today I managed to make some time to varnish some figures, add tufts, take photos and draft my eighth and ninth submissions. The first of those got posted this evening: link

The other one should be posted tomorrow - I couldn't have them both go up today as they are island locations.

Tomorrow I'll be starting work on my next project - the remaining Strontium Dog figures.

AHPC X Day 33 - Wednesday Workbench 22 January

You can't see the lizardmen now, because they are finished (apart from a coat of matt varnish, which I'll do later this week). I've just started work on my eighth submission (the lizardmen being the ninth; yes, I've painted submissions out of order) and hope to finish them in time to submit on Friday night.

I've finished the flesh tones on two of them; the other three have had their basecoat done.

AHPC X Day 30 - Seventh Submission and Sunday Workbench 19 January

My Seventh submission has just been posted: link

I had fun producing those, but it was quite a long process, mainly due to drying times at various stages.

Now, however, I can switch back to painting things which don't cause a lot of down-time. I've already started work on my ninth submission, which I'll be finishing before I begin my eighth one. Yes, I know that doesn't make sense, but it's how I roll.

Anyway, here are the obligatory workbench pics:

I should get the painting finished tomorrow, then it's just a case of basing them.

AHPC X Day 26 - Wednesday Workben...Sixth Submission

Sorry, no, you're not getting a "Wednesday Workbench" post this week for two very good reasons.

First off, my sixth submission has been posted a bit earlier than I'd expected:

You can find the post here: link


Secondly, I'm working on my next Challenge Island entry and I'm keeping it under wraps until it's finished and up on the Challenge blog. You shouldn't have to wait for too long to see it though, if all goes to plan.

AHPC X Day 24 - Fifth Submission

My fight submission to the Challenge was posted this morning: link

This completes my British Airborne forces for now. I might at some point add some Polish paras, (part of) a Reconnaissance Troop (jeeps with single Vickers K guns) and maybe some Tetrarch and/or Locust tanks for 6th airborne Division.

I'm taking a day's break from painting - I've been out shopping (some hobby, some non-hobby). Tomorrow I'll be working on some Pulp era "dames" - they should be a fairly quick job for my 6th submission.

AHPC X Day 21 - Friday Update 10 January

I've had a reasonably busy day of minioning over on the Challenge blog, which means that I haven't made quite as much painting progress today as I had hoped for. Even so, I should have my British Airborne supports finished and submitted this weekend.

There isn't that much really left to do - a few highlights on the areas basecoated before the wash step, then the wood, metal parts, base and touch-ups (mostly on flesh). I'll also need to add some blood stains on (and around) the casualty figures.

AHPC X Day 19 - Wednesday Workbench 08 January

I've been making good progress on the British Airborne. The 17-pounder needs some wash over the metal details and the first few steps of painting the figures have been done. I should get a bit more done tonight.

If all goes well, I should have  this lot finished for submission at the weekend. Once they are done, my next set of figures will be some Pulp "dames" as my fee for my first trip in Sarah's Balloon on the Challenge Island map.

AHPC X Day 18 - Fourth Submission

My forth submission for this year's Challenge was this quartet of early 80s Citadel armoured orcs. Here's a link to the post: link

I'm currently in 17th position on the table, but expect to slip down quite a bit over the next few days as my next submission will take me a few days to finish painting.

I've also done a little bit of work on a later entry today, but no pics r details until it's been submitted.

AHPC X Day 15 - Third Submission

My third submission has been posted: link

I am (for now) in 18th place, and thanks to the bonus points from my first submission I am on track for my 1300 point target.

I'm hoping to have my fourth submission finished tomorrow:

They are mostly done; I've just got some shading/highlighting (mainly the metals), detailing and flocking to do. When these are out of the way, I think I'll switch to the extras for my WW2 British Airborne - probably about a week's work to paint up, but a good amount of points.

AHPC X Day 12 - 8th Blogiversary Post

Bloomin' 'eck! It really is eight years since I began this blog. Incredibly, I haven't got bored of it and people still seem to enjoy my posts so something must be going right.

After AHPC X ended, I had a fallow couple of months in terms of painting, but since then I have more than made up for it. There has been quite a bit of terrain assembled and painted; my SYW Russians saw the final nine musketeer regiments painted (just in time for our club's Kunersdorf game) along with some dismounted dragoons and more artillery; my WW2 Australians have been reinforced, as have my Choson Koreans and my Dragon rampant wolf pack; oh, and I began what was intended to be a platoon (plus supports) of WW2 British Airborne which seems to have become a company (plus supports).

September was my busiest month of blogging, mostly thanks to my Arnhem 75th anniversary series which focused on the 1st Airborne Reconnaissance Squadron. I mostly managed to write 2 or 3 posts a week, except for April and May (my fallow months). I hope to keep to that level of posts this year.



On The Workbench

The generals are finished apart from flocking...

...and I have been working on some converged grenadiers. Basecoats are done, and I have started the touch-ups, highlights and details.



2020 Plans

Once this year's Challenge is over my main hobby plans for this year are:

1) Terrain - I need to get on with building my terrain collection. Mind you, that will have to wait until I have a little more space (I will be moving out of London this year). I'll be wanting terrain for New Guinea, Arnhem, Mega City One, Mexicagrave...
2) No new armies, but I can add to existing forces (and paint/add to armies that have been bought but not painted)
3) Have a bit of a clear out - there are some painted figures that I very much doubt will ever see the table and a huge pile which I doubt will ever be painted. Some may be donated to the club, others sold off at shows.
4) Finish off some of my incomplete projects - the Sarmatians, Buccaneers and Aztecs spring to mind)
5) Get more games in - I haven't done much gaming in 2019. I might even try some solo gaming.
6) Shows - Salute is a definite; other shows may depend on my move out of London.
7) Painting - I do want to improve my painting skills this year by working on character figures and trying new techniques.


Anyhoos, that's enough rabbiting on from me. Happy 2020 folks and thanks for all your comments on my blog posts!