The Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge

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.

Sunday, 2 January 2022

From JohnS - Not As Many Spaniards As You Think - Solaris - 50 points

Hiho Fellow Challengers!

It's great to be back on the brushes again, among such august company. The Challenge is one of the highlights of my year as I get some motivation to finish more miniatures, as well as a chance to be part of the greater miniatures community on a purely social basis.

My first entry for this year is an optical illusion from the Peninsula on Solaris.

Are you seeing double?

To the untrained eye it might seem that there are twelve Spanish infantry of 1809 in this picture but you would be incorrect. Kind of.

You see, only SIX of these Spanish have been painted during the Challenge, the other six were painted previously so they're not really there! Your eyes have been deceived!

I have been painting my Napoleonic Spanish army for longer than the war went on it seems and have been mixing up different manufacturers to give it a little more ragtag and individualistic look. I painted a couple of dozen infantry earlier this year and when I went to base them I realised that there were only limited poses and brands involved. So I prepped a pile of the Warlord Spanish for the Challenge and have been working my way through them.

I finished six this week and based them up with six from the pre-Challenge lot but I am obviously only claiming painting points for the six.

Waiting for their turn at the painting table

I have gone a bit crazy with my prep for this Challenge, this is about a third of what I have cleaned up and primed. Go hard or go home I reckon.

I have an entry for this year's ABC Side Duel!

Plus this would be my first SQUIRREL! point.

And I cheekily try for the Solaris 20 point bonus to give me a total of 50 for this entry.

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Oh, those are some very nice Spanish, John, even the poor misbegotten six that you painted before the Challenge look terrific (and great hook to give them some press here, btw). :) These fellows look rather chic with their muted grey uniform, set off by their dark blue facings and red plumes. I've always liked the Napoleonic Spanish as they had such incredibly colourful grear and a wide variety of jaunty (and crazy looking) headgear for us hobbyists to enjoy.

Great work John!

PS: I think I may rip off your excellent Alphabet Soup table as I love visuals. 'P' is for Plagiarism...