2023 a year in review (Nick)

Well for me 2023 can be summed up very easily, just 3 finishes... yes THREE finishes!!

To say I'm disappointed is an understatement, and I've already outlined what went wrong in my earlier 'a 3rd year of paint-on-brush' post... even after that post while I was away, it took me another 9 days to realise I still wasn't doing anything so had misses for the first 8 days of year 4.

Meanwhile Carl did amazingly well last year, so congrats to him for hitting the magic 52 finishes *rapturous applause*

I did take inspiration from Carl's 'easy win' haystacks and prepare a load of my own resin terrain in an attempt to see the year out with a bang, but in the end decided sleep, sanity, and some cool films on TV were preferable so admitted defeat.

So where does that leave me in 2024, well I've managed something every day since missing those first eight days, all that terrain is in progress and hopefully finished in January, I managed to finish building a heap of plastic Vikings ready to prime and paint in February, it could be a good year?

Projects for 2024 (Carl)

 I’ve been prone to skidding about with a lot of diversions in my hobby over recent years. But after a period of ill health I maintained a reasonably consistent painting habit in the last few months of last year. With this in mind I’m going to try to focus my efforts a bit more this year and attempt to complete a number of projects I have in progress.

Number one on the list is my Age of Sigmar Slaves to Darkness 1000 point army. This has been in progress for years and never got to the finish line. Nick and I have aborted two attempts of attending a team event at Warhammer World due to lack of a painted army so I’m determined to get a force complete so it’s ready to go.

Number two on the list is my Lord of the Rings Minas Tirith army. I started this in January 2023 but swiftly got diverted into a dalliance with Horus Heresy. I want to get this force completed so I can get some games in with a painted force. It’s not just useful for Games Workshop’s Battles in Middle Earth but also Osprey’s Rampant series of games.

The third project I want to get finished is my 10mm version of the Lucrum board game. My aim is to recommence attending wargame trade shows and this would help promote Lucrum.

The fourth project is my Horus Heresy Space Marines, these were a diversion last spring and halted diving in as I wanted to ensure I painted what I have before buying further into the collection.

I’ve also got my Tyranid warhammer 40k force to continue building towards 1000 points.

Finally I have a box of works in progress of many different kinds of models that I’ll be dipping in and out of as the whim takes me.

You could be forgiven thinking that’s quite enough to be going on with but I’ve also got the purchase I made in 2023 including loads of Fenris Games resin scenic items. I will also inevitably add to the mountain this year but I am going to try to be more considered in my approach rather than jumping about like a kid in a toy shop. I’m not sure how I’ll get on with this.

So there’s plenty to be going on with, if I manage a decent amount of this I should hit 52 models this year quite easily. But we’ll see how likely that is as the year progresses.

Pendraken (Battescale) 10mm buildings (Carl)

 My first completions of 2024!

These two buildings are part of my ongoing 10mm version of the Lucrum board game. The buildings, along with the haystacks and livestock provide enough scenics to represent farmland terrain objectives in the game.

I’m enjoying working in this size and can see myself using it a lot more in the future.

Final finishes of the year! (Carl)

I finally managed to get the last of the 10mm Pendraken Haystacks and the five outstanding Termagants for my 10 model unit finished this month.

It was a bit of a last gasp affair with the Termagants but I was determined to finish the unit by year end.

These completions take my total completed models in 2023 to 52! A new record for me and I’m quite pleased with managing to hit it.

A bout of covid just before Christmas and then the mayhem and busy period of Christmas itself took out any chance of hitting 116 finishes so I’m still down against new purchases this year. But on the whole I’m pleased with the completions I’ve managed, I had several screaming diversions that didn’t actually make any new finishes materialise but did slow progress on actual works in progress.

Next year I’ll be attempting to focus on finishing projects rather than leaping around and getting nowhere fast.

Tyranid Termagants, Spore Mines & Ripper Swarm (Carl)

 It’s been a while since my last post mainly due to a random collection of work related fatigue, family life and ‘jobs’ that needed doing, but finally… I’ve finished a few more minis.

First up are the first half of a 10 model Termagant unit for warhammer 40K. These are the old two piece plastics from long ago. I’ve continued the paint scheme started with the Genestealers and it’s proving an interesting project working out how to balance the colour spread across the various chitin elements on the models. My models are spread across different decades of GW sculpting and the styling has been refined over the years meaning that what works on some models wouldn’t necessarily work on others. I’m working on the basis that a consistent colour palette will tie everything together rather than any particular placement on the models.

The next model is the third base for the Ripper Swarm unit (although they can operate as 1, 2 or 3 bases). This one is the new modern 2023 design. A current model in my collection! Shock moment.

Finally there’s two more units of three Spore Mines, a combination of old metal and plastic versions.

These models have been waiting weeks and weeks for me to finish their bases. Now they’re finally completed it takes my 2023 completions up to the heady heights of 40 models! A new record for me in recent years.

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!

Pendraken 10mm livestock (Carl)

 

The latest addition to my completed miniatures this year are actually something I’ve bought this year. They’re these 10mm livestock (cows and sheep) by Pendraken Miniatures. Considering how tiny they are they’re lovely little sculpts. I’ve enjoyed painting them - I even dotted the eyes in on them! 

There’s also a single haystack there which was the first of several also from Pendraken. The 10mm miniatures I e bought this year are part of my project to produce a 10mm version of the Lucrum board game I released in summer 2022.