Having had the vast majority of my painting mojo exhausted by the three-month long painting frenzy known as the Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge (AHPC), I felt that this month's themed attempt to diminish my ‘stack of shame’ should be nice and simple – something which would allow me to slowly plod through a few straightforward miniatures whilst my pastime batteries recharge. As a result I’ll be focusing upon several of the 1/1200th scale miniatures produced by “Brigade Models” for their quite extensive British and German Land Ironclads range.
As one might expect from a 2mm model, many of these vehicles should be pretty much finished following an undercoat, shade and dry-brush. But I have also taken the leap, having (re)brought the rule-set’s digital version, to purchase some strips of infantry and see just what these look like once I’ve applied my brush to them.
In addition to my dalliance with some “huge fighting machines” from “an alternative late Nineteenth Century”, I will be resurrecting the weekly challenge I successfully employed late last year, where every seven days I randomly choose (upon the turn of a playing card) a small number of miniatures to paint from a certain scale. Unexpectedly, the first of these tasks will be a number of 15mm figures, which rather neatly ties-in with my ongoing project to field a 1944 German Beach Defence Company.
I’m really hoping this frequent flirtation with different scales will help re-energise my enthusiasm for the hobby, and subsequently help me finish off several partially-abandoned projects which I started during the AHPC, but then ultimately side-lined so as to ensure I was achieving the painting points necessary to successfully attain my overall target tally. Alongside these short-lived tasks I am also determined to get some more games under my belt, and start posting up After Action Reports (AARs) and Battle Reports once again…
Undoubtedly due to my final painting push during the last weeks of the AHPC, the past month saw me match exactly the same productivity as I did this time last year. Albeit, much of this output was rather surprisingly due to my completing numerous 15mm ACW figures by “Warlord Games”, as opposed to the various 15mm “Battlefront Miniatures” I had been planning on finishing for my “Flames Of War” German Beach Defence Company.
This month will doubtless see plenty more 2mm “Brigade Models” vehicles completed, alongside a few stands of the aforementioned World War Two Germans by “Battlefront Miniatures”. However, as I am also hoping to clear some space on my painting table, I expect to ‘throw in’ a few odd figures from time to time, simply so I can see some of the wood from the trees…
Nice work on the ironclads. I don't like the sculpts but I like the paint jobs. Those FoW Germans have some lovely detail for 15mm miniatures. Great looking sculpts!
Well done on the Analogue mate, shame it's dented you enthusiasm a bit, hopefully the 2mm and 15mm stuff will get you firing on all cylinders again soon.
Cheers Roger.
I'm not surprised your hobby mojo has dropped a bit after your output over the past few months, Simon. Hopefully, as you say, switching to smaller, easier-to-paint minis will help. As always I'm looking forward to seeing what you turn out!
Hope you find your enthusiasm soon Simon, and if the weekly challenges help, that's got to be a good thing. Hope you manage a lot of your Ironclad models in this months challenge as well.