Switch Theme:

Dakka (Unofficial) Painting Challenge Retrospective Year 4 (2018-19)  [RSS] Share on facebook Share on Twitter Submit to Reddit
»
Author Message
Advert


Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you:
  • No adverts like this in the forums anymore.
  • Times and dates in your local timezone.
  • Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance.
  • Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely.
  • Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net.
If you are already a member then feel free to login now.




Made in us
The Marine Standing Behind Marneus Calgar





Upstate, New York

It’s March, so that brings another year of the competition to a finish. How did everyone think they did? Post your progress and thoughts for the year!

Spoilerd due to size:
Spoiler:




While ending on a low note, I’m quite happy overall.
Lower volume than previously. Only hit the full 5 model cap 3 times, 6 entries at three, and 3 singletons. That said, two of those 3x months (Oct, Nov) were triple characters, so not just squad filler. And 2/3rds of the singletons were centerpiece models, the last being a technical challenge.
Highest ranked in the polls was the Nighthaunt, with the Killteam being my second best work. I’ll agree with that Overall I think a higher quality of work from the year before. Still a few phoned in entries, a chunk of solid table-top production work, and a nice spread of actual quality.
Diversity was way up. Huge range of subjects. Even those from the same army were different enough that the scheme was not identical.
From a new technique POV, not a lot, but a few things. Guiliman’s flaming sword was the first time I’ve actually tried to follow an online tutorial, even if I did mod it a little at the end. The Nighthaunt were a refinement of my undead spectral technique I started on Manfred the year before. Getting that set before I start cranking out more spooks (which I should get back to).

   
Made in ca
Fixture of Dakka





Surrey, BC - Canada

Nevelon,

Well only entering four times I finished fewer models. Technically I only painted 15 models, however since 3 were Imperial Guard mortar teams I count it as 18. Basically I have used the challenge to paint items I have had waiting on the shelf for a long (read - years) time.

I am not a professional painter and certainly cannot spend the time required to make my figures stand out on diorama bases. My models are for gaming first and foremost, and they are always mounted on standard sized bases with simple colours to match the army they are joining.

I am pretty thrilled that I get a few votes each month as many of the competitors are professional painters (at least it says that on their photographs).

My two cents,

CB

   
Made in gb
[DCM]
Mekboy Hammerin' Somethin'





Bedford

Thanks for putting this post up New. I do enjoy seeing everyones round up.

Congrats to you on another successful full year My favourite from your entries are Octobers Nighthaunt Heros. I'm glad you did Guiliman as well, its a big model to do and also happy to see that you tried a new technique with it on the sword.

I'm glad you have joined in with the challenge CB, I seem to remember you did some very nice SOB that stood out because of the difference the background made to the overall photos

I'll get my combined photos up over the weekend

   
Made in fi
Foolproof Falcon Pilot





Finland, Espoo

Looking forward to see everyone's retrospective. There has been so many cool and inspiring entries.

Mine will be pretty short, as I only took part in the last three categories.
I have been watching some of the contests every now and then during the last couple of years but finally decided to bite the bullet and take part myself. I'm happy that I did.
Even though I only managed to do three entries, every model I did taught me something new. Painting against a deadline also motivated me to actually finish a couple of my bigger conversion projects, which is a plus.

December 2018 - Open round
Spoiler:

This was my first ever entry to the painting contest. A friend donated his old mangled Dreadnought to me which I decided to Orkify a bit. It was a really fun conversion project. As far as painting goes I tried a few new techniques, namely the metal chipping. It took quite a long time to find a way to do it properly, but once I figured out the technique I liked it was pretty quick to do. Only thing I'm not too keen about is the color I chose for the faceplate: too little contrast and it blends a bit with the rest of the model. People seemed to like this though, as it was placed 3rd. I was really surprised!




January 2019 - Bonds of Fellowship
Spoiler:

These guys had been dusting on my shelves for a few months. I had been painting orks for a while and these guys offered a different kind of challenge. It was refreshing to paint something else for a while. Tried my hand at wet blending on a bigger scale and I think it worked out surprisingly well. It was really slow though, so I need to keep on the practice and find different techniques. Seeing these end up 2nd really encouraged me to keep on learning and making myself a better painter.




February 2019 - Into the breach
Spoiler:

This was one of my other infinity projects. The old Ork Wartrakk had been sitting in a storage box for fourteen years and never seen the tabletop. The combination of the theme this month and the fact that I wanted a Big Mek on a Warbike was the perfect opportunity to finally finish this project.






For the next year I'm looking to improve my photography skills, as the images are not very good at times. Also looking forward to painting a diverse range of models, challenge myself and of course: have fun!
Thank you for Paradigm for making the competition happen and to Midget Gems keeping up the table. You guys rock!
Also a big thank you for all the other participants. Keep up the good work on the coming year!

This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 2019/03/09 12:00:55


   
Made in gb
[DCM]
Mekboy Hammerin' Somethin'





Bedford

Your Entries to the last few months have been awesome Ezki, I look forward to seeing what you enter each time, I'm very happy you are entering the challenges regularly

Heres my Combined Pics, makes me realise I've done quite a few interesting projects this year

Spoiler:




Highlights for me where
Looted Nemesis Dreadknight, really like how that turned out.
Ork Jetbike was a nice project that came together well.
Ork Christmas scene - was fun to do and think up little extras to put in.
And finally the DelORKean because its something I've wanted to do for quite a while and have been planning it the last few months

   
Made in gb
[DCM]
Mekboy Hammerin' Somethin'





Bedford

The final League table for the year is up here

https://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/732117.page#9481149

Now I just need to work on some Stats for the year

Well done to everyone that entered its been a fun year

   
Made in si
Camouflaged Zero






Another amazing year of miniature painting is behind us and things just keep getting better! For me 2018/2019 was a year of Infinity miniatures. I love the game and the miniature even more.


My finished Dakkadakka challenge entries:

Spoiler:








Spoiler:







Spoiler:





Spoiler:







One more thing I just wanna show is how much the challenge helped me improve my painting. The mini down below I did about 3 years ago and is my benchmark.
When I painted that marine I decited to take my miniature painting seriously.

Spoiler:





I wish everyone a great year in this beautiful hobby!

This message was edited 3 times. Last update was at 2019/03/20 09:46:36


 
   
Made in au
Three Color Minimum






Melbourne, Australia

This monthly challenge is such a great place for motivation. When I first started entering two years ago, I would regularly start a mini and then move on, and then move on - I'm sure everyone gets the idea...in fact, I'm sure we are all guilty of it, I think sometimes the 'collecting' part of the hobby sometimes takes over the painting.
But this challenge really inspires me to get at least one mini finished very month and all of the other entries always inspire me with new ideas and excitement.
I'm really happy to have done so well up against some truly awesome painters and modellers! I look at other people's work with equal parts admiration and envy and wish I had the time to copy so many of the ideas that we see every month. It really is great to be part of such a prolific and supportive community of gamers, modellers and painters.

Thanks so much to Paradigm for all of your hard work keeping this awesome resource running and your inspiring, gritty style that sparks my imagination;
to Midgetgems for all of your hard work keeping track of all of the results and constructing the leaderboard and for your amazingly fertile model-building imagination;
and to Nev for organising this thread and your brilliant ultramarines that trick my imagination into believing that I might one day actually have the tenacity to complete a proper force.

One of the lessons I am going to try to take into the next 12 months is to 'keep it simple stupid' and focus upon one model rather than a group - I often want to create a diorama and end up running out of time, so some elements are weaker. This year, I am going to try resist the urge to overstretch.
Anyhoo, here were my models for the year.
[Thumb - whole1.jpg]


Skirr and Skiver, Fancyman of Cornwall and Best Friend of your Mother's. 
   
Made in gb
Is 'Eavy Metal Calling?





UK

Some great stuff here, seeing a year's worth of work come together is why I love seeing these threads each year!

@Modock: That Marine at the end (while still of a standard most painters would be proud of, I imagine! ) really does show how far you've come, and your entries for the year speak for themselves. There's several pieces there that I'd fully believe were Angel Giraldez Infinity box art if presented as such! Especially the Ariadna, the colours on them are a flawless blend of subdued military styles and real sharp and eyecatching detail.

And the Mierce pieces tell a whole other story, the fact you can switch up from super-clean sleek sci-fi to grimy, textured dark fantasy is a brilliant skill to have, and something you've clearly got in abundance!

@Chris: Very much along similar lines to be above, the fact you've got such a diverse range of minis in your entries, and styles ranging from grimy cyberpunk to comic book colourful to convincing realism on the busts, is so impressive. Your entries are among those I look forward to each month, because I never know quite what you're going to come out with, but I know it'll be a masterclass in colour and style.

@Midget: What can I say that hasn't been said? Your collected entries showcase a powerhouse of sheer imagination, and all ideas realised in a very natural and convincing way. As someone who often has cool ideas for conversions or dioramas only to have the results come out falling far short of what's in my head, it's inspiring! The Ork Jetbike is probably my pick of the bunch, if you told me that was a part of the Speed Freaks release last year, I'd totally buy it!

@Ezki: Three really solid entries there, definitely highlights of the recent months. Stick around for the coming year and I'd be amazed if you're not looking at the top 5 in the League next time round!

@Nev: I think at this point, it's entirely possible you've painted more for this challenge than anyone! You and I are the only ones (I believe) to have gone 48 for 48 rounds, but the majority of my entries have been single minis, while you routinely pop out full squads on a regular basis! Nice variety of entries this last year, the Nighthaunts are a standout for me, just love those models!



Now to compile my own entries! Probably in for a rude awakening there, there were some months where I totally phoned it in last year!

 
   
Made in gb
Is 'Eavy Metal Calling?





UK

So here we go...

March: Cato Sicarius
Spoiler:



To be honest, I feel this was one of my stronger entries, though it didn't do to well in the poll. I don't think the pics helped, it'd still be a while before I got into the habit of doing some larger, brighter ones. It was also far from eyecatching or inventive; in a round where there was a lot of creativity on show, a fairly bog standard Marine with no real standout features doesn't really stand out.

April: House Escher Gang
Spoiler:



Happy with these. My first and to date only win, helped along I think by being a lot more colourful than my typical entries. Finding a balance between the bright, colourful Escher vibe and my subdued style was a lot of fun, I enjoyed painting these and really do need to do some more Necro17 stuff at some point.

May: Genestealer Broodlord
Spoiler:



About the best I could do with the Three Colour Max challenge, I think. I'd been wanting that round to go ahead for a while, so when it did I think I was in fairly good stead. Totally happy with a joint fourth that month, given the sheer technical artistry of the monochrome entries from ZoBo, Felt and Chris.

June: Predators
Spoiler:

Proof


One of my favourite entries of the last year, these minis were so fun to paint and full of character and detail. Working a lot with texture contrast on muted palettes was fun, and the third place they took was one of my best results to date.

July: Khorne Lord
Spoiler:



Another of my favourites. Again, a bit more colourful, and a mini that did come out exactly how I'd envisioned. Didn't do too well, again I think the pics let it down, I could have shot and edited those way better to show the mini off, they're a bit unfocused and small.

August: Freeblade Knight:
Spoiler:



I was pretty pleased with this conceptually, but wow, people did not take to it going by the gallery score, which is about 3 lower than most of my other 5-vote+ images (though it did alright in the poll). In hindsight, I definitely could have put more effort into the base, and again the pics are poor. Might revisit the concept at some point, try and do it some more justice.

September: Vax'ildan
Spoiler:



Maybe not the most technically accomplished entry, but definitely one of my favourites from the past year. As a huge fan of Critical Role, in which Vax originated, it's still kind of mad to me that this mini even exists! Who'd have thunk that a streamed D&D game would be in a position to release minis of its characters? Then again, they have just raised $7m and counting on a Kickstarter to turn said game into an animated series, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised. On the mini itself, I'm plenty pleased with it, the character means a lot to me and I think I did that justice.

October: Plague Marine
Spoiler:



Pleased enough with this mini, an experiment with various metallic textures and a predominantly wash-based approach. One of the stronger entries on the poll front. so I'm happy with that, though in the wider context of my hobbying, this was about the only thing I painted in October as it turns out, doing a Masters degree is quite time-intensive, so I was basically painting exclusively for the challenges with the time I had....

November: Plague Marine Champion
Spoiler:

Proof


... and thus the phoning-it-in began. Ended up basically submitting the same thing two months in a row. On one hand, it was a style that was both quick and surprisingly popular in the votes, but I really wasn't pushing myself at this point, just painting whatever I had to hand to get something submitted and not break my streak.

December: Meloda
Spoiler:



Definitely my strongest entry of the year from my perspective. New background and lighting setup meant better pics, the mini was a joy to paint and came out exactly as intended, and missed the podium by only a single vote on what is always the most hotly contested month, the Open Round. Maybe my favourite thing I painted last year.

January: The Three Hunters
Spoiler:



Man, these guys were kind of a pain to photograph, but I was happy with them, especially as part of the wider Fellowship who I've wanted to redo since my crappy versions a few years back. A nice benchmark for how far I've come in the last few years, and those old LotR sculpts really do hold up. As a few comments mentioned, Legolas is looking a little pink, but on the whole I think they came out really well.

Febraury: Theoden of Rohan
Spoiler:



Probably my second favourite, I just love this mini and for once, think I genuinely did the sculpt justice. Certainly put a lot more effort into him than others, and while he didn't place super-high, last month the standard of entries was crazy-high so I can't complain!


Overall thoughts?
Really happy to have clung to a top 5 finish again this year, I think more a product of getting in an entry every month than being on the level with those I share that end of the leaderboard with (especially Modock and Chris, you two are huge inspirations to me every time I see your output and I've learned so much from your work!). Glad I managed to keep up that streak, as mentioned I really did come close to non-submission a couple of times and from October to December I only painted about 5 minis total, so the challenge was a genuine motivation.

Taking a win with the Escher gang was a real landmark for me, a nice achievement after putting an entry in every month for 4 years. I imagine it'll be quite a while before I get #1 again, but at least I know I can now! Aims for the next year are definitely to push the boat out a little more in terms of style and technique. I'm happy with where the general vibe of my minis is at, but as I've said above, I think a real mark of talent is being able to switch up styles and approaches to match the subject, so that's something I want to try and work towards a little more, rather than falling into a creative rut.

Here's to another year! I'm still so proud of the community that's continued to spring up around this challenge. It's so supportive, encouraging and welcoming, and every month it's a genuine delight to see that every single entry gets a kind word or some helpful advice. So thanks, everyone who's a part of that, it absolutely makes taking a few minutes of my time each month to keep this going 100% worth it!

 
   
Made in us
Grim Dark Angels Interrogator-Chaplain






A Protoss colony world

Well, I was about to post my retrospective, but my web browser decided to crash on me and undo all my hard work when I was almost done. Now I'll have to start all over, but it'll probably be a couple of days.

My armies (re-counted and updated on 11/1/23, including modeled wargear options):
Dark Angels: ~15000 Astra Militarum: ~1200 | Adeptus Custodes: ~1900 | Imperial Knights: ~2000 | Sisters of Battle: ~3500 | Leagues of Votann: ~1200 | Tyranids: ~2600 | Stormcast Eternals: ~5000
Check out my P&M Blogs: ZergSmasher's P&M Blog | Imperial Knights blog | Board Games blog | Total models painted in 2023: 40 | Total models painted in 2024: 7 | Current main painting project: Dark Angels
 Mr_Rose wrote:
Who doesn’t love crazy mutant squawk-puppies? Eh? Nobody, that’s who.
 
   
Made in gb
[DCM]
Mekboy Hammerin' Somethin'





Bedford

Thanks for the comments Chris and Para Most of the time I'm just entertaining myself, I find it fun to plan out a conversion, see what extra references I can get in there, or how different parts can combine to make something I want and if you guys like it that's a delightful bonus I did wonder if a Squadron of the jetbikes would be cool but need to remember all the bits I used to make the first one now lol

Unlucky Zerg hope you can get it the message finished soon. If its a big post a sometimes copy it into word just in case something goes wrong with the browser.

My favourites of your entries

Modock - obviously very hard to pick only 1 of your entries out. For me its the chaos/barbarian with the massive axe, loads of great details as I'd expect from you but a different colour palette and I really like it.

Chris56 - The Esher with the Jetbike just beats the TMNT The models themselves are wonderfully painted but you have also taken the time to paint the floor and bulkhead to a high standard and added little touches like the posters which I appreciate

Para - Definitely the Esher ganger despite the quality of your other entries after that date, I think it was the splash of colour from the hair feathers and the light yellow of the chest that draws the eye perfectly to where it should be, they are just really nice to look at. Also Thank you for taking the time out of your uni work to still run the challenge it is very much appreciated and glad you are able to keep doing it for us all

Thank you all for making this challenge a friendly and enjoyable place to share our work.

P.s. Para your May: Genestealer Broodlord pic link is broken

   
Made in us
Grim Dark Angels Interrogator-Chaplain






A Protoss colony world

Okay, my retrospective post, take 2.

March 2018: Space Marines
My entry: Abaddon the Despoiler
Votes: 4
Spoiler:





Had fun working on this model, and he even went with me to Adepticon before I totally finished him (hard to believe it's been a year already!). I'm happy with how he turned out, but I'm sure I could have done better. I'll have to give it another go when the new Abaddon comes out.

April 2018: Agents of Chaos
My entry: Imperial Assassins
Votes: 7
Spoiler:





These guys are amazing sculpts and plenty challenging to make look good. I'm pretty happy with them too, and now that they have good rules I'm very glad I've got them painted.

May 2018: Three Color Maximum
My entry: Bloodletters of Khorne
Votes: 3
Spoiler:





This challenge was tough because of the technical nature of it. I feel like I did okay, but apparently only 3 people agreed with me. I don't even own these models anymore as I sold a lot of my Chaos Daemons to a couple of friends.

June 2018: Blades in the Dark
My entry: Dark Angels Scout Squad with Combat Knives
Votes: 5
Spoiler:





These old-school models were fun to work with, packed with a lot more detail than the plastic ones. They make it into nearly all of my Dark Angels lists too, so it's good that I got some paint on them.

July 2018: Might Makes Right
My entry: Dark Angels Primaris Repulsor
Votes: 7
Spoiler:





This was one of my favorite things I've ever worked on, and is one of the coolest vehicles in 40k IMO. The sad thing is that despite working hard to get this thing painted I still haven't actually played it in a game yet.

August 2018: Above and Beyond
My entry: Easterling Kataphrakts
Votes: 2
Spoiler:





I definitely stretched the theme for this one, and that's probably why I only got 2 votes. I feel like the models turned out good, and it was nice to paint something that wasn't Warhammer 40k-related.

September 2018: Pick Up the Pace
My entry: Death Guard Foetid Bloat-drone
Votes: 11
Spoiler:





This was an interesting and challenging model to make look good, and I'm fairly proud of the results. Only thing I would change would be the base, and I would just add more nasty-looking goo to really sell the Nurgle theme.

October 2018: Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid
My entry: Death Guard Poxwalkers
Votes: N/A (Did not finish)
This was the only challenge I failed to finish last season. I just wasn't feeling it with the Poxwalkers. They are kind of a chore to paint.

November 2018: Chain of Command
My entry: Space Wolves Primaris Battle Leader
Votes: 5
Spoiler:





This was my first ever painted Space Wolf model, and I feel like he turned out good. I'm particularly happy with his face and the pelt on his back. This was also the first time I tried to model snow on a base.

December 2018: Open Round
My entry: Space Wolves Wolf Lords on Thunderwolves and Rune Priest with Jump Pack
Votes: 6
Spoiler:





Following hot on the heels of my Primaris guy from the previous month, I decided to do some more Wolfy characters. The Thunderwolves turned out better than the riders did, I think, and I still need to get better at modelling realistic snow.

January 2019: Bonds of Fellowship
My entry: Taddeus the Purifier and Pious Vorne (from Blackstone Fortress)
Votes: 10
Spoiler:





I was itching for an excuse to paint stuff from Blackstone Fortress, and this challenge fit the two models I chose perfectly. I'm super stoked with how they turned out. Now I just need to paint the rest of the stuff in that game.

February 2019: Into the Breach
My entry: Blackstone Fortress Spindle Drones
Votes: 20
Spoiler:




I'm still in shock about how many votes I got for these models. More votes than my previous best (Mortarion from December 2017). I didn't even think I did that good on them, although they will suffice for games of Blackstone Fortress. I guess something about how I painted them seemed to resonate with people. I did try some new techniques, like heavy drybrushing to paint the carapaces.

Well, 11 out of 12 finished challenges is my best result yet, so here's hoping I can do all 12 this time around. Hopefully I can improve my painting enough to get on the podium in one of these perhaps. Not likely given the level of talent on display in these things, but a guy can dream, right?

My armies (re-counted and updated on 11/1/23, including modeled wargear options):
Dark Angels: ~15000 Astra Militarum: ~1200 | Adeptus Custodes: ~1900 | Imperial Knights: ~2000 | Sisters of Battle: ~3500 | Leagues of Votann: ~1200 | Tyranids: ~2600 | Stormcast Eternals: ~5000
Check out my P&M Blogs: ZergSmasher's P&M Blog | Imperial Knights blog | Board Games blog | Total models painted in 2023: 40 | Total models painted in 2024: 7 | Current main painting project: Dark Angels
 Mr_Rose wrote:
Who doesn’t love crazy mutant squawk-puppies? Eh? Nobody, that’s who.
 
   
Made in us
The Marine Standing Behind Marneus Calgar





Upstate, New York

 Paradigm wrote:
@Nev: I think at this point, it's entirely possible you've painted more for this challenge than anyone! You and I are the only ones (I believe) to have gone 48 for 48 rounds, but the majority of my entries have been single minis, while you routinely pop out full squads on a regular basis! Nice variety of entries this last year, the Nighthaunts are a standout for me, just love those models!


There is something to be said for quality over quantity though. At best I think I got something to the top third of the pack, and never even close to the podium. I was however able to field an entire army list out of my entries once though!

--

It’s always interesting to see how the votes go, and what our peers think is out best works. Although that’s not quite fair. How many votes you get is not just based on your quality, but also adherence to the theme, strength/size of the field, and whatever other whims of the public that day. Also how well you photograph things. As an example, I was disappointed in how well I did with my November entry in the polls. I put a lot of work into those guys, and as an entry is really pushed me. Doing three completely different schemes in one month, including one of what I think is the best things I’ve done all year, the Ultra captain. But it was a strong field, so I was a bit behind there. Also, due to the fact that I was doing 3 disparate things, I really felt the limits on the 6 picture max. I could have easily done 4-6 pics for each guy to capture their details. It’s not so bad when doing squads, but I felt the pinch here.

   
Made in gb
Dakka Veteran





United Kingdom

I love these retrospective threads. It's great to see so many excellent miniatures in one place. Excellent work everyone.

Nevelon - So many miniatures! My favorites are the Nighthaunts and the Wraithlord.
Ezki - Nice to see someone new to the challenges. I hope you stick with us! My favorite of yours was the Death Korps.
Midget Gems - Amazing stuff, I don't know how you do it. You've even branched out from the Orks! Favorites are the Back To The Future tribute, the Christmas diorama, and that big Ork mech.
Modock - Ridiculously good. I reckon if you'd have entered every month it's pretty obvious that you would have taken the overall top spot again. That Space Marine you posted as your starting point is pretty good, but the improvement since then is jaw-dropping! My favorites are the skeleton ghost guy and the last two or three months of Infinity goodness.
Chris56 - Consistently incredible work. I love your use of bright colours, and I'm amazed by your ability to make dioramas. Favorites are the Pirate bust, the jetbike diorama, and particularly the amazing Eldar Farseer and Wraithguard.
Paradigm - Tremendous atmospheric, narrative-filled stuff as always from you. Favorites are Cato Sicarius, which I just love, The Escher gang, Meloda, and Theoden.
Zergsmasher - Consistently good work. Favorites are the Spindle Drones, The Bloat Drone, and the Repulsor.

My own stuff:
March - Space Marines
Spoiler:





I really enjoyed painting this, and I'm pleased with how it came out. The armour, the cape, and the NMM gold were all pleasing, although the sword looks weird. One of my favorite entries of the year.


April - Agents of Chaos
Spoiler:



I think the miniature itself is doing half the work here, but I'm pleased my choice of colours communicated the kind of atmosphere I was going for. I was trying out a kind of stippling/pointilism technique although I think it got lost a bit due to my inability to keep the dots separate. After a while they become one big dot. Still, it added some variations of tone.


May - 3 Colour Maximum
Spoiler:



I'm so glad this worked. I'd been considering trying it for a very long time, and I've been slightly obsessed with Frank Miller's art on Sin City for even longer. The result is gimmicky, but striking. I'm very happy with it.


June - Blades in the Dark
Spoiler:



I love Super Dungeon Explore miniatures, but this is a rushed entry and boring to look at. It ended a streak from the Treelord Ancient that was my last entry of the previous year to Sergent Marv which probably remain some of the best stuff I've ever painted, matched only by the Plague Marine later this year.


July - Might Makes Right
Spoiler:



I think this might have won this month, which was a touch surprising to me at the time as I prefered Midget Gems' entry. It's a paintjob I'm fairly proud of, but a bit too close to the official GW one. There's not a lot of originality here. I do love Durthu though - he's a complete beatstick. Literally a stick. I used him in a game of AOS this afternoon though, and he completely whiffed. Didn't cause a single wound to anything.


August - Above and Beyond
Spoiler:



I think I would have been better off just entering Zug (the bald guy) as he turned out great, particularly the skin tone, because Griff (the other guy) was quite an average paintjob. Zug and Griff just have to go together though.


September - Pick Up the Pace
Spoiler:



Pretty weak. There's nothing that pops about this paintjob. It's a shame because these are great miniatures, it's quite hard to make them look this boring.


October - Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid!
Spoiler:



Yeah, I like this one. It's all down to the weathering paints I used and the techniques I nicked off youtube tutorials, but I really like the result. It's a great miniature, sinister and genuinely frightening, and I think I kind of brought some of that out of it. The base was great fun to make, although I nearly gassed myself with glue fumes.


November - Chain of Command
Spoiler:


Did well in the votes due to the power of Star Wars, and some OSL that actually turned out quite well. Not one of my favorites of the year, but okay, and at least I didn't let Lord Vader down. Techniques stolen from youtube again.


December - Open Challenge
Spoiler:



These didn't turn out all that well. They're a bit uninteresting. I still need to go back and paint the other nine players on the team, too.


January - Bonds of Fellowship
Spoiler:



The power of Star Wars propelled these to a podium finish, but not a deserved one. All I see when I look at them is Han's awful, soulless eyes. They weren't sculpted on the model, they were just holes. I couldn't make them work. Since painting them, a friend of mine who's a full-time professional painter has put up a youtube video where he fixes a similar problem on another mini by "simply" sculpting the eyes himself. Sculpting the eyes! I mean, how? The part of the two minis I do really like is, oddly enough, Luke's trousers.


February - Into the Breach
Spoiler:



They're just some Dark Angels dudes, and not particularly interesting to look at because of that, but I quite like these guys. I like the way the slightly different approach to highlighting the armour I took worked - A return to the way I approached the Space Marine armour in month one - and I like the weathering. The best part is probably the rope around the sergeant's chest.


The secret to my success is actually my wife, who I force to take all my photos. She makes the miniatures look better, and is patient enough to have another go when the photos don't come out right, adjusting camera settings and lighting. We never ever apply any post-processing to the photos, no photoshop shenanigans obviously, but her photography skills are worth probably two thirds of my points.

I really better get on with finishing my entry for the first month of the new year's challenge. I don't think I've even got round to posting my proof pic yet.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2019/03/24 22:38:37


 
   
 
Forum Index » Painting & Modeling
Go to: