Welcome to the Painting Challenge. Here you will find the fabulous, fevered work of miniature painters from around the world. While participants come from every ethnicity, gender, age and nationality, they have three things in common: they love miniatures, they enjoy a supportive community, and they want to set themselves against the Challenge.
This site features the current year's event along with the archives of past Painting Challenges.
Enjoy your visit and remember to come back soon.
My good friend Scott suggested and provided this mortar crew for us to paint as our
team effort. Scott painted the two loaders and I painted the observer
and am doing the basing. As you can see the basing is still in progress,
but I am running out of time to get this posted before the deadline -
just an hour to go as I type this! The basing will be finished and this
group will head off in the mail to Curt. Jonathan
Thank you Curt and all the participants for a fantastic painting challenge. From JonathanO and ScottM
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Terrific work guys! I have a real fondness for the early war German uniform so it's nice to see it featured here. Speaking of which I have several of these yet to do so this will provide me with some much needed impetus.
Thanks again and I look forward to having you with us next time out.
I found the model while out looking for females to paint.
It will add variety to the Imperial Assault games. The four male stormtroopers are from Fantasy Flight Games while the female is from Kabuki Studio as a star vixen KUBP16. Even though she is a larger scale she fits in well with the chunky troopers; A bit taller and thinner but is a strong leader for the Empire.
The kids assured me that they would have their masterpieces completed and we were 50% successful. Kolleen was not complete (her words were they aren't good enough yet). Seth was tuckered out and went to bed before I could get changed from from work. There will be none of Kolleens High Elves or Seth's Dark Elves for this season. Also for the Curtgeld, that will be a moment too. Kolleen has been researching Napoleonic Uniforms that we will paint, Seth has been working on bases, Valerie, Nina, and I have been waiting for assembly. Since that too isn't finished, we can thank Kolleen for the musical portion of this post as it is "a good Jam for running" All the kids are getting straight A's except for a couple B's so at least they are studious! ;)
Since Seth is tuckered out, and forbid posting of his Dark Elves...
He mentioned nothing about showing off his assembly, primering, basing and application of brown paint on his dad's scifi troops. These are Wargames factory with some other parts added. They are worth zero points for incomplete and I was in process of setting them as Inquisiton troops and finishing them with Commissar Yarrick. He wants to see all the steps so he can do his Dark Elves proper....and "by myself" ;)
Nina and Valerie were ready though. Valerie is giving me her patented" Really, Dad" look that only a 16 year old can summon. She is still embarrassed by my shout of glee when Vader appeared on the Rebel ship in Rogue One.
From Valerie-( 5) 28mm wood elves
I love stories so much that I created a story for my miniatures. So I started with the clothes, as who wouldn't? I focused more on a minty green with a bit of shamrock green With the two red-heads I thought of people who live in the force of life most often, are pale skinned and most red heads that I know have the most translucent skin that seems to shine.
The Tree woman has been around awhile and I thought of her as a creature who was one with the trees and has been brought back to help her people beat my dad's dwarves. She will break the curse of her people ad bring enlightenment to them in the end. She Can talk to the trees and the Dryads. I only got one completed. I'm going to incorporate more of my stories with victories over my Dad, sisters and brother.
From Nina-(6 chariots 12 crew,6 horsemen, one infantry) Tomb Kings Chariots, Horse, Lich, and Queen
(note- I dropped a chariot on the basement floor before the photo session and snapped her chariot banner)
I wanted my chariots to stand out along with my specials so I painted them red to show they have been out in war and to look intimidating, also to have the sun with the skull to show they shine throughout war. I also added the pink and purple to define them from my other specials and regular army.
For my horseriders I wanted them to stand out, but blend in with the army by making their horses bleech white and the blues and greensfor the riders armour.
I have a lich to make them more powerful and tougher.
My Queen I painted her to stand out by making her staff black meaning poison and her hair black to show she thrives on poison. My dad says her archers are tough and use poison and I have a lot of them and some on horses.
Originally when I painted her she as a mess of splattered paint, so my dad repainted her to show me how to do it. I completely redid all of her to make my queen Khalida Neferher the way she is to show her past.
She died by he cousin Neferata who turned her into a skeleton. She is thirsty for revenge on Neferatawho is a queen of vampires and leads my mothers army!
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Tribe of Bromley, this is awesome.
I can see by that wrestling photo why Seth is tuckered out, but I can still appreciate his skill at prepping figures for his Dad (David, have you no shame?). We'll expect something 'proper and by himself' from Seth for Challenge VIII. :)
Your lovely daughters have hit it out of the park with Valerie's Wood Elves and Nina's Tomb Queen armies. I very much enjoyed both of their people's background stories, with my favourite bits being Valerie's shamanistic Tree Woman and the tragic story of Nina's Tomb Queen. Bravo to you both for all your hard work in getting this entry prepared. Like Seth, I hope you will join us again, if it's not too impossibly dorky. ;)
For scoring I put this lot at a very impressive 300 points ('cause I know those chariots are very fiddly to work on).
You got some great kids there DarthBrom. Keep them close, healthy and happy.
I wasn't sure if I would get these guys finished in time but here we go. I am going out the same way that I came into this year's challenge by finishing off my unit of SYW Highlanders.
There are 8 privates, a drummer, a Grenadier officer and two sergeants as standard bearers. As always they are from the Perry Miniatures AWI range, which I highly recommend. The flags are available as downloads for free from the excellent Warflags site. The Perry's don't include flag staffs with their Horse and Musket era figures, but I scarfed two from one of their Renaissance Command packs since they do get staffs (go figure).
As with my Hessian Militia, I have based these in twos - one file of two ranks. I hit on this due to a running out of my regular rectangular bases, which take a square of 4 figures. So with my normal mix of cheapness, laziness and impatience I McGyvered a solution and quite like the end result.
I came into this Challenge wanting to get a Sharp Practice force for my SYW project in the Western German Kleine Krieg. There were two main units that I had planned, British Light Dragoons and Keith's Highlander's. And now both have been finished along with a variety of support options and a couple of units for their French opposition.
Again just to prove that I am not recycling figures, here's the full collection of His Majesty's 87th Foot - Keith's Highlanders. Three groups of 8 privates, three officers, two musicians and two standard bearers - 31 figures all in.
This leaves me 40 odd points short of my 800 point target, but I am pretty happy with my output. I would have made the target if not for a family funeral on the other side of the country or a serious cold this weekend. Thanks again to Curt, for running this Gong Show and DavidB my Thursday Minion. And good work to my fellow Challengers, this has been the best year yet.
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Terrific work on these Jocks, Pete. I've really enjoyed all your Seven Years War entries over this Challenge, especially the civilians and the Light Dragoons. Your enthusiasm for the period is clearly evident and quite infectious. Who knows, you might even convince me to try a unit or two... All this being said,I very much look forward to seeing your collection on the tabletop soon.
Hello again all. It's been a little while but the Spanish are here as promised. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like the Celtiberians will be joining the crew in time for the end of the challenge, but with any lucky they'll be incorporated in the more casual weeks to come. This seems less and less likely, though, as just today I was given a squad of 28mm Great War mounted Australian Light Cavalry. These, along with their dismounted comrades, will probably command most of my attention going forward. I was very excited about these figures as I've been looking for them for more than a year now and my dad (EricM) managed to wrangle them up at Cold Wars.
On to the figures at hand. I appreciated the Old Glory Ancients Spanish figures because their simplicity allowed lots of customization. On the other hand, deciding what colour combinations and how exactly to paint the shields absorbed lots of time. To represent their Romanization under Sertorius, Old Glory Republican Roman command was incorporated in. Each unit is of 18 figures. First up, the classic red unit.
Next, the purple/burgundy unit (and my personal favorite).
The green unit, featuring an armoured centurion and musician.
And finally the blue unit.
Here, we have a class photo of the Spanish troops.
Overall, 60 Scutarii and 12 Romans, 72 infantry total.
I've got to say, though I didn't quite reach my target points goal, I certainly had a fabulous time painting up these figures and seeing what you all were up to as well. I'm really glad to have been a part of the Challenge. A major round of applause to Curt and the Minion crew for all their efforts. Thank you all very much.
Until next time!
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Great work Ethan! That is an impressive amount of ancient Spaniards. I can't tell with the high contrast, but are they on a snow-style basing? I have to agree with you, the burgundy and bronze unit is very fine indeed. I don't remember if you mentioned, but will these be used for 'Hail Caesar'? Whatever the system, you have a considerable force now. I'm delighted you had a good time with the Challenge and hope you can join us again in a future edition.
Curt, I regret that I did not get myself coordinated enough to work with another Challenger on my tribute figure. By the time I was able to think about this aspect, while other people were willing to make space for me, their projects had already gelled and I did not want to freeload on them. So I present this 25th anniversary special edition figure from Reaper Miniatures.
I like him because his hourglass, which has almost run out, evokes for me the constant time pressure of getting an entry ready, and always being surprised when the appointed deadline drew near.
I hope you can find a use for him in one of your Pulp games, or maybe just as a keepsake.
Thanks again for running this.
Best,
MP
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Thank you very much Michael, 'Mr. Bannon' is a wonderful figure and will be a very good reminder that time, and the its best use, are precious.
Not a bang, but a whimper...a few more Epic 30k bits to wrap things up
So I'm piling on among the myriad of final posts for this edition of the Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge, but I want to chime in with the final shudders of my own painting table as well as some of my own thanks. As to the content itself, well, it's not huge. A few more vehicles for my Epic 30k efforts. There are two Sicaran tanks, two Deredeo-class dreadnoughts and a Deimos pattern command Rhino APC from the VII Legion, the Imperial Fists, probably the stoutest and foremost of the so-called "loyalists", fighting to the bitter end in defence of the alleged "Emperor", if such a thing or person even actually existed...these vehicles and walkers are rounding out established elements of existing forces in my Epic collection.
Sicaran battle tanks of the VII Legion, the Imperial Fist. Hmmm...that sounds kind of fascist, doesn't it? Horus is so much more tolerant and open to new ideas...
The green vehicle is a gunship for the XVI Legion, the Sons of Horus, enlightened followers of the Warmaster and his bid for hope and change in the galaxy. This is the first of several Epic scale Space Marine aircraft I had intended to paint during this Challenge, but didn't quite get to because...I'm a wargamer and I got distracted! On the plus side, I'm stuck into SAGA now...
Command Rhino APC for the Imperial Fists. I have finished a few of these now, a benefit of the Challenge
Deredeo class dreadnoughts...they are small on the table, but they are armed to the teeth and wreck a LOT of sh!t...
Storm Eagle gunship of the XVI Legion - carries troops AND wrecks sh*t...will be fun to paint a few more of these for the Epic gaming tables...
I am sorry I have not been able to comment on the flood of submissions this weekend, but I was a bit pre-occupied with a local gaming event here in Winnipeg - Legions Maxximus. We staged an Epic 30k demonstration game today, and several models painted in the Challenge saw action for the first time - here are a few photos:
Titans of Legion Gryphonicus lead a loyalist assault...so deluded....
The Imperial Fists mount a deadly assault on the Sons of Horus in a urban setting...a Fellblade awaits the outcome...
Oh yeah!!! Titans clash in "close combat"...the Legio Mortis Titan on the right would rip the Loyalist Reaver titan to pieces...the Warmaster approved...
Points-wise, this amounts to...not a whole lot...four 6mm vehicles and two 6mm walkers. Curt will sort it out. There are too many people to thank...but I want to thank a few. First of all, my Tuesday minions, Alan and Paul. Well done, guys! I also really want to thank the participants in the 30k side duel - Iannick, Jamie and Alex. It's been awesome, a spur and motivation to finish a lot of figures and continue to enjoy a "period" and setting that is near and dear to me. You guys help make it even better. I have so enjoyed connecting with you, in spirit of the Challenge that Curt has inspired, so thanks, and keep in touch! An additional acknowledgement for Iannick, and his awesome work on the Curtgeld. You are a brilliant painter! With the hipster lightbox and everything! Woohoo! I look forward to getting some kind of grand 30k game together in Montreal, or at my cabin on Lake Superior, or here in the Prairies...we'll figure it out.... To SeanM...I'm sorry my friend, but Canada Post has not delivered our Curtgeld in time...I promise I will get the job done when it shows up. We won't get the points, but I won't let you down - I have too many great memories of gaming together here in Winnipeg for that. To others, like MartinN, Lee, Peter and more I can't name here...you have inspired me to dive into other periods and settings. Thank you for answering my questions and nudging me along. I can't say too much here, but let's just say, in terms of the next Challenge, I have one word to share...Byzantines... And most of all, thanks to my great friend Curt. Every year you do this Challenge, it rams home once again how much I enjoy hanging out with you, the great memories we share of gaming and hanging out together on Fawcett Avenue in Winnipeg. Damn, I miss you and Sarah, more than I can properly articulate. So I will leave it with this - all the best my friend, and I look forward to seeing you again soon... Cheers all - great painting all around! Thank you, and see you next time!!
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Stonking stuff once again, Duderino!
These last vehicles will add the icing to a wonderfully executed Challenge, my friend. Yup, you were on fire this year Greg. The quantity of your work was only exceeded by its quality. But better than all of that was the wonderful fun of reading your submissions. I know there were more than a few of us who rubbed our hands together whenever we saw a 'Greg post' online, as we knew we would be treated to a entertaining combination of charming self-deprecation, joyous dork-comentary and razor-sharp wit. That in of itself was 'epic'.
Now, start priming those Byzantines for the next Challenge. I'll be right beside you with the Sassanids (and maybe a few Arabs). Until we meet across the next tabletop, mon ami. :)
Once Upon a Time Travel... Well that flipping deadline and countdown clock on the front page has been doing nothing for my nerves this weekend! And everytime I refresh the Analogue page there's a new awesome post so I get distracted from the task at hand... It's tough I tell you. Tough. Anyway what's with the time travel? Well for me it's Monday morning and as a Mondayiner I feel obliged, nay safe, to be posting on a Monday. Of course the Analogue is still on Sunday so I get to post backwards in time... that's how time zones work right? For the next few seconds/minutes you will hopefully be reviewing pictures of a 20 man strong squad of Khorne Bloodblound - The Blood Reavers. Yes I know. GW once again have named a unit from the Bloodbound Faction with the prefix of Blood. They probably carry Blood Axes. And Blood helmets. And most likely Blood Packed Lunch boxes for when they get peckish.
Lunch Box? Aw crap. Can we go back as I left mine in the fridge?
These boys are the human cultists who form the backbone of the cannon fodder units within the Chaos Pentagram. Sorry did I say cannon fodder? Of course what I meant was these are the brave souls on the cusp of daemonhood as they present skulls for the Skull God! Usually their own skull mind but let's quickly step beyond that slight inconvenience...
I opted for a warm colour scheme so everything is from the red/brown/yellow end of the spectrum. Sepia shade for the skin and yellow shade over most of the rest of the model.
I found these heads lying around. Anyone missing a head?
I decided to steer clear of highlighting and went for a table top finish using lots of shades and a little dry brushing. I suspect it would add a week if I went for the highlighting! Meet the command group and yes that banner is hand-painted. OK well it;s molded by GW first and then I played around with the paints!
This squad of 20 is from the Age of Sigmar starter set. Very good quality for starter minis and you get 10 different poses which are presented below for your delight.
Eric?! Will you sort your pose out there's a good chap! Smile everyone!
Even the fur is yellow...
Weapons use the same technique of yellow shades as the previous Bloodbound unit. And the helmets/metal trim work is a lead colour metallic paint washed with the yellow shade to give a faux gold appearance.
That's 20 x 28mm figures which should work out to a nice round 100 points. Sadly I've fallen short of my target but given I missed a quarter of the Analogue time due to unscheduled work travel I'm more than happy with my contribution. I also completed 2 side quests: Completing 1 unit from each of the 5 factions ahead of our Nottingham Trip Painting over 100 models - I completed 105 with this unit added in. Considering I hadn't painted anything for 2 years prior to the Challenge starting I'm chuffed. Thanks to everyone for making my first time here a delight. Special Thanks to Curt and his Minions for running this madness and for Miles for being my Monday Minion. See you next year if all goes to plan. Mondayiners Unite!
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These
guys are grimly wonderful. I really like all the warm tones you've used
for them - it definitely gives them an infernal countenance and the black ash bases make them 'pop' even more. Excellent work.
Well Nick, I'm delighted you had a great Challenge and I'm especially pleased knowing that you had a 2-year drought previous to the event. That's what the Challenge is all about - motivation and camaraderie. I hope to see you next time we roll out.
