LeeH - Ho Ho Omicronandonandon - Caprica (25 Points)

It's great to be participating in the Painting Challenge again and I decided to follow Curt's lead and start with an entry for the Challenge Quadrant. I have chosen Caprica as my starting point because it's beginning to feel a lot like we've been ambushed by Covid again. I, therefore, claim this world in the name of the Covidien Galactic Empire and rename it Omicron just to confuse the locals who will spend the next six weeks trying to decide how to pronounce it.  

It's becoming a bit of a tradition that my first post of the Challenge is a Christmas themed miniature and I had a couple of options in my lead pile for this year. I refrained from painting this particular miniature for Challenge XI as it seemed in bad taste, especially as Christmas was cancelled here in the UK. Little did we imagine things would still be bad this Christmas but given the rise of Omicron (sounds like a Transformer rather than a virus ?!?) I decided - bad taste or not - this creepy fella was getting the Challenge treatment. My immediate family have been fortunate to avoid Covid's tender touch thus far (triple vaccinated to ward off its ill humour's) but we are on high alert once again as both the wife and I are close contacts of someone who has tested positive. Taking daily Lateral Flow tests every morning feels a bit like Russian Roulette so the Challenge has come as a welcome distraction today! 

Until last night I was still thinking I would give the Challenge Quadrant a miss this year and focus on my main project (more on that later in the week I hope) but my resolve was short-lived. I’m not sure I will make it all the way through but I’m going to give it a try, kicking off with this colourful entry. Incidentally, this is the first time I have used contrast paints. I picked up a few bottles of the GW product cheap and decided to give them a try. I'm behind the trend as usual, but to be fair contrasts aren’t really suitable for my usual 6mm fare. I’m pretty happy with the results, and I love the rich red colour this has produced so I can see myself using them (selectively) in a few future projects. 

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Welcome back to the Challenge, Lee! I was gifted with a large dose of black humour and so very much appreciate your opening entry. I've always loved the otherworld creepiness of the plague doctor's masks and, unfortunate as it is, this treatment on Santa seems particularly apropos for this year. Also, welcome to the cult of Contrast Paint! The stuff is magic on textured surfaces and the rich red you've done on his coat is brilliant. Well done! 

At the National Civil War Museum in Newark a few years back. Remember that Sid and Sarah?

- Curt