My take on this aspect of the table top gaming experience. Not an expert just one person trying to do what he can & trying to demonstrate that anyone can do it.

Saturday, 27 January 2024

AHPC XIV post #2, 20 x 15mm Hammers Slammers vehicles plus 15 crew [190 points]

 


For my second post I went with some sci-fi blower tanks made my Brigade Models. The main tanks are big, very big, bigger than any 20mm tanks. I went with the colour scheme pictured on Brigade Models web site, natural metal on top and painted metal skirts around the bottom.

 So my second post cane be found HERE

Friday, 26 January 2024

AHPC XIV first entry for 2023-2024, a 15mm APC ambulance - [28 points] includes bonus

 


 So, a small entry size and point value wise, a 15mm grav ambulance from Brigade Models.

HERE is the link to the post over on the AHPC site.

Thursday, 23 November 2023

Analogue Painting Challenge XIV I'm in!

 


So, contrary to what I said to my spouse, I have decided to enter this years Analogue painting challenge. It was a last minute decision to enter but, thankfully, made the same day that entries were being accepted. So I got in with a commitment of 2000 points. The challenge was filled very very quickly,  maybe 36 hours and done that was quick!

So why did I not want to participate and why am I? Well this will be my third go at it and quite frankly last years event just drained me. You see, I have a bit of a bad competitive streak in me, something that I try to keep suppressed, because, well, I am a bit of a bastard when I get in that mode. For the painting challenge it meant that I basically tortured myself in an attempt to max out my painting production and in so doing maxing out gained points. I leveraged the score sheet to drive me forward, not entirely to 'beat' other painters (after all this is not a competition) but striving to reach the top meant that I was painting a lot of stuff, reducing that mountain of primed stuff. This might make me sound like a dick, I hope not. My best analogy is that when I play squash I cannot just rally, we have to keep track of the score. Without that scoring I will not give it my all, I will not race across court to make crazy shots etc. But, once the game is over I do not remember the score and when we have finished playing for the day I have not knowledge of how many games I played or what the score was in any given game. It was only important at the time, in the game, as a motivator to make me try harder. Same thing goes for the challenge.

First year that I participated (challenge XII) my goal was 1500 points I achieved 6072 points. For challenge XIII my target was 3000 and I was able to reach 4778. I am actually hoping that this year I will stay closer to my target, it would be less stressful. My first two challenges meant many late nights/early mornings and long grueling painting sessions. They were killers. 

However this year I have found some more people to game with, which should have an impact on my painting availability. Then again gaming also inspires me to paint more stuff. It may be an interesting three months.

This years theme is a library which should offer lots of squirrel opportunities although I have a couple of 'big' projects that I would like to focus on, namely Never mind the Billhooks (28mm) and a Halfling army for Fantastic Battles. Both will need lots of prepping so I better go off and start building those Perry and Max Mini figures.


Monday, 21 August 2023

WIP on some Chinese buildings for Pulp Alley China Station campaign

 



These are Warbases models from their 55 Days range. They are very easy to build and have some nice character. I did pimp them out with a bit of Liquitex flexible modeling paste to give the impression of a stucco like appearance. For the building on the right (with red door) I taped off all the areas where the cross beams would be placed. I then applied the paste with a brush and then as it was drying I took another brush to dab the paste to create a more nuanced look. It worked out very well as it left a clear area to glue the crossbeams onto. The paste dried a pale white almost clear in places and as a result the 'plaster' took on an off white hue. To aid in the appearance I used some off white paint, dabbed on, followed by some slightly whiter shade very lightly applied as a highlight. 


 

For the other two buildings I dispensed with the taping and instead was just careful in applying the paste, this worked and saved time. For the building on the left I added some embossed brick paper to break up the monotony of painted MDF.



 All the roofs were painted black and dry brushed a dark grey and light grey. Then I used Vallejo environmental paint to add streaks of green, light green, brown and yellow.




 

I still have one more building to complete and three more on order.

Wednesday, 9 August 2023

Return to Dystopian Wars?

I decided to lay out some of my painted Dystopian Wars stuff in an attempt to jump start me into painting more of my collection.



I had painted some stuff for the Analogue painting challenge but that was but a drop in the ocean. There is another local gamer that has some naval forces so I am going to try and get some naval stuff done, some FSA ships to begin with.