Day 1826 - 5 years of paint-on-brush! (Nick)

5 years since Carl & I started trying to put 'paint on brush'... WOW!!

However, and once again sadly for me, it seems I haven't posted anything in the last 12 months so even worse than yet another carbon copy post.

2025 started with good intentions to dive deeply into both Warhammer: The Old World and Horus Heresy, both from Games Workshop but circumstances (GW completely rewriting HH for a start!) got in the way and although I prepped and based quite a few figures it wasn't to be.

 - even the two Chaos Marauders I fished last year are just about to need new, bigger bases... thanks GW!

Carl has had another good year though, currently sitting on 43 finishes I believe and managing to complete a couple of hobby goals along the way.

My hobby interests have just been reawakened by the recent push from Boards and Swords Hobbies in Derby to start a Warmachine mkIV slow grow league in January.

I can't find my old Protectorate of Menoth warjacks from Privateer Press and Warmachine mkII many years ago, so I'm dipping my toe into the world of 3D printed resin miniatures courtesy of my Old World friend Liam who owns an Elegoo Saturn printer and the Tribes program on MyMiniFactory by Steam Forged Games who now own the Warmachine franchise.

Only time will tell if this kickstarts my hobbying again, so let's see...

EDIT: Carl reminded me that I forgot to mention that although I haven't painted anything from the Lead Mountain, I have had a bumper year shifting no longer wanted minis on eBay - in fact way more than I could ever hope to paint over several years, so not all bad I guess?

Day 1461 - a 4th year of paint-on-brush (Nick)

So yesterday was an incredible 4 years since Carl & I started trying to put 'paint on brush', and sadly this post feels like a carbon copy of the one I made 12 months ago!

For me it was just 3 finishes again, while Carl has had another bumper year with 57(?).

All started with good intentions to make amends, and then big changes in February meant I ended up travelling the UK & Europe a lot and living out of a suitcase as it were.

Despite a brave attempt to carry on and at least do 'something' every day, it soon became clear that it was just one more thing I didn't need to worry about and I have been out of the gaming & hobby circle completely for 9 months and I am only just getting back into it now the winter draws in.

It will take me a while to get back onboard with the hobby side of things, especially as the mantra has been completely out the window for a long time now... it may get there, it may not, but I've started playing a few games again and having a deep dive into my stash so you never know?

Day 1095 - a 3rd year of paint-on-brush (Nick)

Yesterday was 3 years since Carl & I started trying to put 'paint on brush' or as it is now, at least do 'something' every day.

Sadly this year I've had a lot of misses for one reason or another, I genuinely forgot on several occasions or was just too tired (let's blame old age) and a brief bout of COVID has led to a prolonged period of not doing much and the wheels have pretty much fallen off my wagon.

Carl has been doing much better than me recently and is on quite a roll, however my efforts at end of the previous year (again) mean that the last 12 months of doing 'something' every day have seen 54 finishes from me although the calendar year is currently only 3!

I do intend to continue the mantra, but it looks like I need yet another bumper year end - as always I guess doing 'something', no matter how little, is still better than doing nothing... I just need to put those wheels back on my wagon.

As I write this cruising down La Seine hopefully this short break is what I need, I have even brought some paints and brushes with me should the mood strike!

Day 730 - a 2nd year of paint-on-brush (Nick)

So yesterday marked 2 years of Carl & I trying to put 'paint on brush' every day, or in my case 'something' every day for the last year.

Real life has had quite an impact on both of us for differing reasons, however I have managed every day again apart from one or two when I genuinely forgot to the point that I'm not even sure if I actually did something or not!
Again Carl has been on and off the horse numerous times and neither of us have too much to show for it in 2022, however the efforts at end of last year mean that the last 12 months of doing 'something' every day have seen 50 finishes from me but should have been many more.

I intend to continue the mantra into a 3rd year without any immediate changes, just the hope I can push some of those projects over the finishing line for another bumper year end - I guess doing 'something', no matter how little, is still better than doing nothing at all though?

Day 365 - a year of paint-on-brush (Nick)

Saturday marked a full year of Carl & I trying to put 'paint on a brush' every day, with mixed results.

I myself, have somehow managed to put paint on a brush (and actually on to some part of a model) every day for all 365 days with only two misses which couldn't be avoided - not always much to show for it, but even hotel stays and our holiday were accompanied by a brush, a single pot of paint, and something simple like a few shield rims to paint.

Carl on the other hand, has 'fallen off the horse' on numerous occasions but managed to complete about twice as many models as me - so who is the winner I'm not sure... maybe we both are, or perhaps just our hobby in general.

I have now discussed with Carl that going forward I have decided to relax my self-imposed rule that it must be some sort of painting, and just do 'something' at my workstation every day - be it varnishing, base texture, static grass etc. or even just prepping and assembling more miniatures.
I have quite a chunk of models that are 'nearly' there from the last 12 months, but as those last stages aren't strictly painting they haven't crossed the finish line yet - the hope is this will give them that much needed push... tbh even the painting has been very minimal on many days just to put a tick in the box, and the hope is this will end up more productive and ironically probably lead to an increased volume of painting too.

 - let's see what the last month of 2021 brings and hopefully up the tally of finishes?

2020 - the year that time forgot! (Nick)

 ...or maybe the year we forgot what time it was, what day or even month it was!

To be honest there's not that much to add since the very late yearly review I wrote in October - I managed a grand total of 9 figures finished in 2020, not much to shout about about almost double 2019's total!

The first one wasn't until October and then 8 in December courtesy of the paint on brush every day... which is still on track 6 weeks later, so I'm hoping for better things in 2021 and more finished work to show soon.

Carl still hasn't made it back here but has promised some of his finished work soon, and he is also still on track with paint on brush every day - no matter how little, it is working for both of us, and we have both painted 'something' for the last 45 days on the bounce... probably an all time record!

So what will 2021 bring, well hopefully a return to something approaching normality in the real world, as for us Battling a Lead Mountain well just more 'paint on brush' rehab and see what comes from it - I reckon on average, at least one figure a week from me and that would be amazing progress ...and with another 16 minis primed over the weekend I have several different projects to throw paint at.

Stay safe everyone, and let's hope for a better year to come.

2019 that was, and into 2020... what's left of it! (Nick)

After quite a promising start to 2019 various changes with work made it very difficult to really get stuck into anything with any conviction, especially setting up my own business which then meant all my 'spare' time was gone - so including the pin markers I only completed 5 minis last year... eek!!

2020 - well unless you've been in outer space you already know what a weird year we've had, and while others were furloughed and got stuck into their Lead Mountains for me work just got busier and busier - coupled with the non-existent gaming opportunities as an incentive meant a lot of stop/start and half finished projects but mostly working evenings, weekends and/or sleep.

I know Carl has painted stuff although I'm not sure what and how much, but most is being saved for his next publication which is due very soon I believe - hopefully he will find time to pop by sometime and give us all an update as I reckon he must have at least 50+ minis not shown yet.

Not much of the year left now, however my brushes have been dusted off at last and things might start to happen... no promises though! LOL!!

2018 - a year in review (Nick)

Well 2018 didn't quite go as planned and the miniature-a-day ended up as a total of 50 finished rather than 365 for me.  A sudden change in my work pattern meant the second half of the year was more overtime and/or sleep rather than hobby time, but now things have settled down again I'm determined to have a more focused start to the New Year.

However I did say I wouldn't worry about the final total too much and it's still progress, even if I only got to keep 16 of those minis for myself... and some of those projects that didn't get finished last year could become easy wins this time round as I tentatively look again at that goal of finishing a mini per day.

I know Carl's probably done better than me, but how much we'll have to wait and see as I know some haven't made it here yet even though they are finished - the opponents to my Age of Sigmar Stormcast in our Skirmish campaign for a start.

Anyway onwards and upwards, let's see what 2019 brings?

Kobolds from the underworld

I've had a bit of a dry spell in February with regards to actually finishing things off. I've got several things nearing completion including terrain pieces, so I still might get a few extra bits finished before the month is out.

I did manage to get some Kobolds completed from a white primed starting point. The models are from Reaper Miniatures. They're great little models and I've enjoyed painting them so much I'm going to add to them and buy a few more to increase the size of the group. I'll be playing Open Combat with them but as the force grows, which will add further options in Open Combat, I can see myself creating a little denizens of the underworld force for Dragon Rampant too.

Table for two...

This post is really a bit of a follow on to the previous mobile plants as I'd got the models shown here on the go at the same time.

First up is a painted MDF table from Second Thunder (my own range in support of Sword Masters in Open Combat).

The initial bare MDF was given a coat of PVA all over to seal it before a thin coat of Screaming Skull (also all over) to act as a base for the washes on top. I gave it a bit of a battered look and feel with washes dribbed and drabbed on along with watered down Screaming Skull from GWs paint range to flick in scratches and scuffs.

Next up are a couple of Reaper Bones Miniatures of scorpions. They haven't photographed very well but to be fair there's not much to them. Just a couple of gribblies to be wary of on any fantasy gaming tabletop.

Mobile plants!

Managed to get three models by Ramshackle done this week. These are part of their plant range that came out several years ago.

I'll be using them as objectives in various games including Open Combat and Malifaux.

May also use them as a magically imbued elemental creatures for magic users too. :)

Two Lions off the lead mountain...

Managed to get two more models off the lead mountain at the weekend.

These two wargames foundry models had been sitting primed waiting for me to paint them for ages. They were very quick to do in successive layers of washes over the course of minutes grabbed here and there over the weekend.

They'll be seeing use in various games involving gladiators including Open Combat.

First batch of completed miniatures for 2018

I've managed to finally finish off a few models that have been hanging around in the work in progress queue for ages.

The first batch is an Irish wolfhound unit for Saga (and other games set in the Dark Ages). There's a champion dude too. The wolfhounds are Warlord Games while the lone champion is from Footsore. These models only needed their bases finishing off and three of them were already done so a easy job to finish.

The second batch is five old 40k Orks from the first edition of the game. These guys are part of of much bigger unit in progress. They were already painted but I added a few washes to help them blend in with models i'll be adding to the collection as I use washes on all models now. The bases needed sorting as they'd been sat for literally years as the nearly finished stage.

So that's 11 models off my lead mountain finally sorted. :)