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Hi guys, I was just looking at all the Dakka Painting Challenge entries on the articles section of the site and was confused that the contests just seem to end after the Merry Malifaux challenge in December of 2012. Were there really no challenges in all of 2013, and none so far in 2014? The painting challenges seemed to have a lot of member interest/support and they present a really fun alternative to Golden Demon while also allowing models outside of the GW line. Am I missing something about where the recent (2013 and beyond) painting challenges have been hosted, or were they really discontinued?

I think it's because there are no sponsors. It's hard to make a painting challenge without prizes.

I'd totally dig another painting challenge.

 heartserenade wrote:
I think it's because there are no sponsors. It's hard to make a painting challenge without prizes.

I'd totally dig another painting challenge.

Prizes aren't a problem. IIRC, the first few didn't have any prizes... The Dakka Challenges are really just an excuse for people to flex their hobby muscles a little, with some prizes thrown in for stamps when they're available.


The lack of recent challenges has largely just been down to spare time on the part of those who used to organise them.


Things are in the works. Stay tuned.

Ooooh, now I'm intrigued.

Yes, the one most intrigued, is a Dakka painting champ .

Eh, online painting contests are the only ones I can feasibly join.

Yeah, the problem is simply that it is actually a fair amount of work to get them organized. Sponsors aren't that hard to dig up, actually.


And to the OP, there is actually one other DPC in 2013 that I forgot to ever add to the Dakka Painting Challenge article.

I'll get that added today.

I'll put myself in the interested camp. If a mod could find the time, it would be appreciated.

40K Online has a fairly straightforward painting challenge. Meant as a way to encourage people to get more stuff painted, their ruleset would work here.

thread: http://www.40konline.com/index.php?topic=227632.0

Thanks for the replies, everyone! I didn't mean to blow the thread off, I just didn't realize it got any replies. I'd love to see some more painting challenges (and perhaps even enter one myself!) in the future but I understand completely that real life often gets in the way of these things so no worries at all on that regard. I appreciate how much the mods and admins do here for free out of love the hobby so I'm grateful for Dakka whether or not the painting challenges come back. But they sure are cool!

I've never entered a painting challenge on the site, but i'd love to!

normally my issue is that im bad at pressure work or atleast ima last minute dude. So I just miss them because I feel I wouldn't make any of the deadlines whatsoever!

I do have interest in an abstract style challenge though...
such as;
Modelling and painting challenge
The aim is to create a model and paint it for another dakka member. So it could feasibly be like 'the poster above' is the dude your making a model for... Then everyone has a different target, they get to make and paint something different to their usual.. and best of all everyones a winner and gets a prize.. a model they didn't do and is personal to them they are then sent in the post at the end of the comp to your intended target.

Make sense? makes sense in ma head, but thats not what often is typed

I say this mostly because i'd love to make someone something nurgle, or a crazy conversion thats outside my 'normal' army... but with no actual use for the model I sideline the idea due to having plenty of models that I actually need doing to do.

I think the issue there is a potential "cost and quality" barrier. As an example one person converts/makes/paints up an amazing model for someone, investing significant time and money into the project, and their "prize" from someone else is a primed and dunked spruecron or something along those lines. Essentially giving a vast disparity in the cost to reward of the system.

 Melcavuk wrote:
I think the issue there is a potential "cost and quality" barrier. As an example one person converts/makes/paints up an amazing model for someone, investing significant time and money into the project, and their "prize" from someone else is a primed and dunked spruecron or something along those lines. Essentially giving a vast disparity in the cost to reward of the system.

Hey Mel what ya trying to say?! that ya wouldn't like one of ma models huh?! oh it on ahahahaha

But yeh I do get what you mean, but if the truth is people enter these competitions without there being a reward, then if you enter this under the same parameters of mind set I cant see why it wouldn't work. If you get a dip painted spruecron then you get a dip painted spruecron, if you dont like that you got the spruecron then dont enter next time, the risk is an evident part of the way the challenge would work, but to me thats completely not a reason to not have a go. Im by far not the best painter or modeller, but i'd give it a damn good go! and if someone doesn't like the best of what i was able to do, then shove em

For me the pleasure is in the work, the modelling and the painting, if there are other like minded dakkadakka's then it'll work

The main concern for me would be people who didn't get a model due to their modeller dropping out or being unable to finish what they started. But to counter that you can put in some basic restraints, like 'single characters/ small units with light work', 'aim for within X hours', then if you want to go above and beyond then you can

You could put further limitations on the project which would not only cover your cost disparity but also increase the challenge for people entering. I.e. "Modelling on a Budget", give a fixed budget of say... £15 for the project and then a type so Hero is a good example, and then people can say what they want, others pick up the project etc until everyone has someone.

Lower budget means more converting, customisation etc involved as you really have to get creative, use your bitz box, sculpt etc.

 Melcavuk wrote:
You could put further limitations on the project which would not only cover your cost disparity but also increase the challenge for people entering. I.e. "Modelling on a Budget", give a fixed budget of say... £15 for the project and then a type so Hero is a good example, and then people can say what they want, others pick up the project etc until everyone has someone.

Lower budget means more converting, customisation etc involved as you really have to get creative, use your bitz box, sculpt etc.

Yeh Mel! thats exactly the kinda thing! i'd not be looking for people to spend large sums of money, so a limit or intended aim is a great idea. As depending on the Hero's race would mean different things. If i was making a nurgle lord it would be way more sculpting for me personally with all its blisters etc. Whereas if i was making a SM hero, id probably go more kitbashing, using bits sites and my bits box.

it would have to be done geographically; as in a UK version, and then maybe divide up the US, as I have no idea how much it costs to mail something across the US, but in the UK its not too bad. You could state what army, the general vibe of your army (maybe include pics to help), the slot (most likely fixed as a hero or something similar) and some rough outlines;

Aka - I need a mega Armoured Warboss
or - I need a mega armoured warboss whos carrying da 'ead wompa, so needs a monsterous axe/weapon

It could either be random allocation or people could select/ say hey i'd love to make that one etc.. meaning if you know you wont have time to do X type of model, or you know you have a large amount of SM bits, but no nid bits then you can do something within whatever you feel capable of.

Simple is probably better. Strangers on the Internet exchanging international parcels just sounds like a recipe for failure. Paint up a miniature, PM pics to mod, post in thread, people vote, Bob's your uncle. Prize support is just gravy.

The theme is always the interesting bit

 the_Armyman wrote:
Simple is probably better. Strangers on the Internet exchanging international parcels just sounds like a recipe for failure. Paint up a miniature, PM pics to mod, post in thread, people vote, Bob's your uncle. Prize support is just gravy.

The theme is always the interesting bit

not trying to say your wrong... but if everything was done because it was simple then i highly doubt we'd be where we are, in every respect.

i agree, that doing it that way is simple, but then the question why not? i have found that is smething that can never truly be satisfied when you ask why not. yeh sure its not the easiest, but because it not the easiest the reward is greater, and its whether thats worth it to you. And the reward here is you get to model something different; which is refreshing, and you also get the enjoyment of receiving a model that has been made for you by someone else.

I think your right, international parcels would be stupidly complex, but within a country its not that difficult. Plus this doesn't have to be an instead of a classic competition, its simply an alternative that could be enjoyable.

Even if it ends up being between me and one other person, then i'd consider that a success and a worthwhile process.

Solar Shock wrote:

 the_Armyman wrote:
Simple is probably better. Strangers on the Internet exchanging international parcels just sounds like a recipe for failure. Paint up a miniature, PM pics to mod, post in thread, people vote, Bob's your uncle. Prize support is just gravy.

The theme is always the interesting bit

not trying to say your wrong... but if everything was done because it was simple then i highly doubt we'd be where we are, in every respect.

i agree, that doing it that way is simple, but then the question why not? i have found that is smething that can never truly be satisfied when you ask why not. yeh sure its not the easiest, but because it not the easiest the reward is greater, and its whether thats worth it to you. And the reward here is you get to model something different; which is refreshing, and you also get the enjoyment of receiving a model that has been made for you by someone else.

I think your right, international parcels would be stupidly complex, but within a country its not that difficult. Plus this doesn't have to be an instead of a classic competition, its simply an alternative that could be enjoyable.

Even if it ends up being between me and one other person, then i'd consider that a success and a worthwhile process.

I assume his point is that someone could create tonnes of DakkaDakka accounts and post alternatively in order to get everyone below his accounts to send their models to him, and send none in return.

 BrotherOfBone wrote:

Solar Shock wrote:

 the_Armyman wrote:
*snip*

I assume his point is that someone could create tonnes of DakkaDakka accounts and post alternatively in order to get everyone below his accounts to send their models to him, and send none in return.

Nah, I think the mods are probably smart enough to nip something like that in the bud. Call it being selfish: I'm not willing to part with something I may have spent 20-30 hours working on, and then be responsible to pack it properly, get it to the post office, and pay for shipping. Additionally, I'm not interested in someone else's random mini!

 the_Armyman wrote:

Nah, I think the mods are probably smart enough to nip something like that in the bud. Call it being selfish: I'm not willing to part with something I may have spent 20-30 hours working on, and then be responsible to pack it properly, get it to the post office, and pay for shipping. Additionally, I'm not interested in someone else's random mini!

Fair enough, cool with all views
But you do have reasonable concerns