From TamsinP: Christmas? Baaaaaaaa! Humbug! (15 Points)

Just a quick (and small) entry to get me off the blocks and into the race.

I'm not sure who I bought these from at Colours. They're 28mm anyway.

It was also a good opportunity to have a play with the FlockBox I bought (also at Colours) to add the static grass. It seemed to develop a much stronger field of charge than my experiments with making tufts. And then I realised why - the sheep are mounted on steel washers. I'll have to remember that in future and not use it with metal bases - I was getting static shocks when the sieve was inches away from the other electrode!

Now, some of you might be thinking "That dozy mare has submitted figures that she's dropped in coloured paint". Well, you'd be wrong. In the UK at least, coloured marks on the rumps of lady-sheep are a common sight at this time of year. You see, farmers and shepherds like to have a good idea of which ewes are expecting and when they can expect the lambs to drop. So, they strap blocks of coloured wax to the rams' bellies and change the colours every couple of weeks so they can "see what yows t' tups have tupped".

So, for points, that's three 28mm sheep. Score them as you see fit Snowlord!

___________________________________________

Tamsin, I'm not sure if I'm more concerned about your self-inflicted shock treatment or your expansive knowledge of sheep-bonking (BTW is Piper a Scottish name..?) 

The last shot looks as if they are smoking cigarettes, exchanging stories on the local Tups. 'That Colin is a bounder, and has a nice blue belly, but he always falls asleep while counting...' ;)

Ms. P. I'm giving you 15 points as you've pulled the wool over my eyes. 

From DaveD: Colonel Campbell, the Good Lady T and a Little Crisis... (15 points)

"Colonel Campbell it's just not on! What do you mean there are no facilities? I have had a long journey from London. I am here to help and look after our brave troops in the Sudan" said the formidable Lady Tamsin W'gamer. "I expect there to be proper facilities for a Lady to use - so sort it out! or there will be trouble in the newspapers!"

The good Colonel sipping at a cup of his favourite Old Brown Java peered at her through his monocle and decided he had best attempt to do something - a job best delegated he thought. "Major Docherty! get one of your chaps to short this out my dear boy"

The Major knew just the person  "Corporal Millsy" - sanitation sapper extraordinaire with his mighty shovel would know what to do.

Soon the red coated sapper was beavering away - though strangely there was much sound of sawing and hammering from the far side of the hill.

There you are Ma-am - said Corporal Millsy a few short minutes later. The good Lady was impressed and looked relieved , its my General Issue Moveable Privy... or GIMP for short.

As the Lady Tamsin went to enter she recoiled back - "er....  Corporal Millsy - there appears to someone - or perhaps it's something inside?" Millsy knew who this would be - Private Clint who he had tasked with providing the loo roll was at ease as usual!

The Good Lady T is the limited edition Mary Seacole figure from Partizan this year. The Colonel was picked up from a mixed box of figures at a show and is of unknown provenance. The poor soul on the loo is part of a toilet humour set made by Colonel Bills - and the Thunderbox is by Foreground, if I remember. So its two 28mm and 1 part one. The Major and Millsy appeared last year.

Well - its good to be back in the Challenge Asylum for another year. I have another full programme of Sudan related activity - but also a few other asides as well.

This morning started well on the  "Paint and Chats" with 4 of us on from Oz and the UK - the sound of paint cleaning water being stirred was much in evidence. Right off to work on a "Point Bombe!"

________________________________________________

Haha! It good to see the adventures of Cpl Millsy and Major Docherty continue. Well done Dave!

I'm delighted to have made a cameo in this installment, as I'm sure Tamsin is as well, but what of poor Clint? Will he ever wake up? What is he reading? And has someone told him that the latrine has not yet been dug? :)

Right, let's call it 15 with the Thunderbox, eh?

From MilesR: Trenchworx Sherman 76 in 28mm (15 Points)

My first submission is a relatively simple model - a 28mm scale M4A1 76 from Trenchworx.  The guys at Trenchworx make, in my opinion, the best 28mm scale vehicles.  More importantly they're also gamers and now sponsors of the Challenge - what's not to love?

Of all the tanks I build for wargaming (and there are a lot of those), the ubiquitous Sherman is my favorite.  I'm not sure why, maybe its the lines of the cast hull or the soothing tone of the Olive drab paint.  I never tire of painting them.

The Trenchworx version of the Sherman is from their recently completed "Tanks of the Western Front" Kickstarter and is just a superb kit.  If you haven't built one of their models, you should do so.

The weathering is a bit understated (just a little bit of rust to hint a field use).  I've found with figures that go on the gaming table a lighter touch on weathering holds up better.

My first submission should net me a whopping 15 points and also be counted for the 28mm vehicle challenge.

One down, a metric s***-ton to go....

As with previous challenges, I break out brand new Winsor&Newton Series 7 brushes - this set of 0, 1 and 2 sized brushes should see me through the Challenge but will be severely worn out at the end.  I know they're on the expensive side but I haven't found anything better and it never pays to go cheap on ones tools when there's a job to be done.

Usually worn brushes end up the the dreaded "Terrain Paint Brush" drawer.  That must surely be the equivalent of a old race horse being sent to pull a plow in a field.  

Perhaps I should consider a more fitting send off for these veterans of the painting wars.  Maybe a Viking style funeral will better welcome these frayed veterans in the halls of Vallejohalla?

Tally-Ho!!!!!

__________________________________________

That is a nice 'Ronson' to be sure, Miles (I await the Treadhead assault...).I agree, the products from Trenchworx is top tier stuff. I have several kits from their WWI Kickstarter and they are terrific models. Almost no cleanup and a whiz to assemble. I like the light rust you've given it - I tend to go a little bonkers with the weathering powders, so a little restraint is nice to see. 

Winsor & Newton, eh? Pretty posh Miles. With the punishment you put your brushes through during a typical Challenge campaign season they should either be pensioned off and given land in Etruria or be treated like spent brass from squad weapon... Either way, they've definitely given you good service.

From IanW: My Opening Salvo - Three SYW Prussian Guns in 15mm (28 Points)

I thought in only fitting to kick off my Challenge with a project I started at the very end of the last challenge, that being my SYW Prussians. So rather than a parting shot it's an opening salvo.

Originally I was working today and tomorrow but with all the work more or less finished before Christmas I managed to blag two days off so this allowed me to get of the starting block quickly.

These two are Old Glory (as supplied by Timecast) the actual colour is quite a bit darker than shown. A rare bit of winter sun in Blighty. Typical of Old Glory these have a lot of detail and some nicely animated figures.

The other gun and crew are Lancashire Games and whilst the gun is notably smaller it still looks fine. In fact other than the heavy cavalry I have been very happy with all the figures I have bought from Lancashire indeed I have another couple of battle packs of cavalry coming my way that may get painted later in the challenge.

So two battalion guns and one medium to heavy piece just to get things started. Next entry will take a bit longer as I go small in a big way.

_______________________________________

A great entry to pair-up with 'Old Fritz's' opening! Great work Ian. It's nice that you've picked up where you left off last year with this project. I kinda like the brightness of the blue even though it may be a bit amp'd up with the lighting. I look forward to seeing those cavalry in the coming months. 

And with 28 points you slip in to the lead!

Mark 'em 'Ready'

Hi Folks!

To help the Minions out, can you please mark your posts as 'Ready' in your submission title so we can easily identify them in the queue and get them posted. Otherwise your heartbreaking work of staggering genius will languish in unviewed obsurity.

Thanks a bunch!

Curt

From AlexS: Sea People Warlord (5 Points)

Hello everybody. My name is Alex, I paint-golik. The second time I participate in this wonderful event. The last time I realized that I could paint quickly. This time, I want to learn to paint carefully and maybe beautiful. In addition, I'm bored just to paint, I need an idea. For example, paint the miniatures, which are associated with the Event participants. :) 

And my first miniature is the embodiment of my association with one of the participants. I think you will understand who is seeing his fashionable hat, smart mustache and beard, and dressed in the national colors.

This miniature warlord sea people (Philistines) is my private order with our wonderful sculptor Dmitry Medvedev. It was a little sdelono copies, and all of them are meant for special occasions. As for what occurred today.

Thank you all for the fact that we all participate in this wonderful event and congratulations to its beginning!

___________________________________________

Hello Alex! It's great to have you back with us this year. So, you're trading in speed for a more measured pace? Well, it seems to be paying its dividends as this is a delightful miniature! I do like the headgear, armour and trident. 

Is this supposed to be an allusion to me (i.e. the beard and the Canadian colours)? Hmm, Lady Sarah does frequently cuff my shoulder while calling me a 'philistine' so it wouldn't be too far off the mark!  That trident doesn't look very good for shoveling snow though...

A terrific start Alex. 5 points to mark the start of your efforts!

Challenge VII Begins: 'Fred, An Enlightened Despot, and His Mutts'

As per tradition, I'll kick-off of the Painting Challenge with the first submission. 

Here, I give you a somewhat roundabout entry on this year's theme on companionship.

Frederick der Grosse. Der Alte Fritz. Frederick the Great. This same man who won the Seven Years War, unified Prussia, rubbed shoulders with Voltaire and introduced potatoes to Germany was also a great lover of dogs - in particular his Italian Greyhounds. The Prussian Kaiser and his dogs were inseparable, with at least one being recorded accompanying him on campaign (Biche, who was with him during the War of the Austrian Succession). Frederick owned many dogs during his lifetime, most of these roamed free in his palace of Sanssouci, forever at his feet, always indulged.

Frederick's wish upon his death was to be buried alongside his dogs at Sanssouci, but thinking this beneath the dignity of the old warrior, his nephew and successor Frederick Wilhelm II, had him buried with his father (whom, ironically, he detested) in the Potsdam Garrison Church. 

Nonetheless, 205 years later, after Germany was once again re-united, Frederick the Great was finally re-interred according to his wishes, in a small ceremony after nightfall, placed next to his beloved greyhounds at Sanssouci.

Frederick the Great's grave (with the traditional potato offerings) next to his hounds.

On to the figures. Here we see Frederick II playing a minuet on his flute with his faithful Italian Greyhounds at his feet.  

This is a nice 28mm vignette offered by Eureka Miniatures, which I think is based on the painting by Adolf von Menzel. 

Well there you have it. I think I'll give myself 10 points for this entry. 5 for Fred and another 5 for his dogs and music stand. The first entry out of the gate and the first points on the roster!  

I'll be relishing the next few hours as it's the only time where I'll have the lead... 

Okay, it's off to bed for me. I'll be updating with fresh entries in about 12 hours. 

Aaaaand.... We're Off!!

Okay, I'm painting like a man possessed. Who else is slashing away with their brushes?