From Barks: One witch, two witch, red witch, blue witch (35 points)

These are two mage figures from the Descent boardgame- she is the same person, but one is 'good' mode and one is 'evil' mode.

I'm learning with Contrast here, and thought I would do these figures with a rattlecan zenithal primer from black to white. However, the pale colours (particularly flesh tones) don't cover the dark shades at all, which I should have anticipated. It looked adequate, but not the effect I wanted. I was able to salvage them, however, through more conventional painting.

If you can't handle me at my worst...

... you don't deserve me at my best.

2x 28mm figures: 10 points

Teleporter use: 20 points

Sorceress Bonus: 5 points

Skullz: 2

From TomG - Shaun the Sheep Had It Coming! - The Shrine - 25pts

After a successful burst of hobby productivity, I bring you my second entry of the day, with this ancient priest, mid sacrifice, trying to please the gods and enjoy some tasty mutton after the ceremony. The miniature was a freebie given away with the release of the SPQR skirmish game from Warlord Games, and was very nearly the entry prize this year, but he fitted the Shrine setting too well not too silly his services there. 

I wanted to distinguish between the warm yellows and reds used in the knife, tunic/toga and his skin, from that of the sacrificial sheep, but it was harder than I thought. My initial fear was the the white wool would completely blow out the colour composition of the model, leaving a desaturated and washed out effect. However that wasn't the case, simply by changing up the texture and going for a more muted brown/off-white tone.

I attempted to add this texture to the sheep but selectively adding rough patches of highlights, then highlighting again with another semi random attack pattern. ,I ed with this were the dark horns and hooves and the sheep no longer detracted from the priest, and instead helped the model "pop" as some might say.

Although the model is made of an odd soft resin plastic, which made clean up harder, the overall finish was fun to create, and allowed me to practice yet more on my journey on perfecting painting yellow. Long way to go yet but I'm happy with this one.

Points -

28mm Infantry = 5pts

Challenge Bonus = 20pts

Total = 25pts

From TomG - Ork2 D2 - The Orcs' Pit - 25 points

From a race so foul we find them in pits, to a film character so rude every single word he speaks is censored with a beep or whistle! 

It was at this point I realised I had met my Challenge goal of 500pts, so I now intend on smashing on through the Chambers as they've brought me so much joy already! 

So, as I continue through the Chambers of Challenge, I finally had a reason to paint up this chap, having hung up my Warhammer 40k boots for good with the most recent release. A superb sculpt, from I believe to be Scibor miniatures, this ork certainly seems to have got himself an interesting outfit. 

The painting of this chap was a mix of my favourite hobby past time, painting orc skin, to trying out different weathering effects. I mostly stuck to stippling and washes, but I managed to add in an enamel rust fluid from AK Interactive and a pool of GW Nurgles Rot for the green ooze on the rear of the base. 

In keeping with the lore to 40k, and trying to stick to a vaguely R2D2 colour theme, we've got a lucky blue lid and wrist bands. The bands were a fun treat to paint as dyed leather, initially working up through blue highlights, then switching to Vallejo Cork Brown to add the cracked edges of the leather beneath. 

For the hand pads, they were initially a lot cleaner, but after a happy little mistake they ended up looking suitably corroded and scuffed up. The barrel added an interesting feature with the plug at the front, and although it was tempting to have blood or slime coming out of it, oil ended up making more sense. 

I did try to get as vibrant an orc skin tone as I could, simply just to contrast with the muted and desaturated tones of the metallic surfaces. All in all, my favourite piece so far, and I hope you like it too.

Points -

28mm Infantry = 5pts

Challenge Bonus = 20pts

Total = 25pts.

from RayR - Haitian Revolution - The Generals 20pts

 

For my next entry into the Challenge I've gone back to Napoleonics. The Haitian Revolution to be precise! 

The English General on the right is from Trent Miniatures.

While the Haitian General is from Front Rank. Apart from his head!

The figures is actually a French Officer/General, I can't find him on their site? 

I chopped off his head in true French style and replaced it with  a Trent Minis head to represent a black officer, either fighting for or against the French.

I painted the English General up with green cuffs, I'm not 100% decided if he's from the 39th Foot of 69th, who were both pretty unhappy to be sent to Saint Domingo at the time.

These fine looking fellows will add 20 points to my total!

From PaulSS: [The Guardroom] Vicious old lady (25pts)

The Guardroom: This chamber-challenge is to paint some donut-munching, soundly-sleeping, or professionally competent guards.  Bonus points for painting things they might be guarding, as well.

I don't think that there could possibly be anything more competent at preventing the thievery of the common soldiery than a vicious old lady with a stick backed up by her slathering hound.

This great figure is the second part of the Egg Collecting set from Eureka Miniatures that I painted a few days ago. The dog has a pail of eggs and as well as her stick the old lady also carries a basket of produce to be guarded from the thieving blaggards passing through on their way to Mont St. Jean

There is a single 28mm figure with the location bonus for a total of 25 points. 

28mm Napoleonics Duel Totalizer: 14 mounted, 55 foot

From MikeF - The Tomb - Shameless points mining continues with Hero Quest tomb - ??points

 Apologies for the excessive number of posts, but I likely won't be able to post for another week, so I thought it best to get it done while I can. The final chamber in level 2 is The Tomb. I decided to paint this...tomb. The model is from Hero Quest. I played around with some rust powders and lahmian medium from GW. I think it worked pretty well to give his armor a bit of an aged look.

I can't remember the points I was awarded for the rack I painted at the beginning of the challenge, but it should be equivalent to that. As with the rack, the base is the original cardboard one.

Now on to level 3!

From MikeF - Oubliette - Imperial priest - 25 points

 For the Oubliette I'm to paint something forgotten, or from a long forgotten project. This is the last model for my inquisitor warband and he represents this long forgotten project. I purchased most of these models years ago when codex Daemonhunters came out and they've enjoyed varying levels of attention over the years. This Imperial Priest model has a history of neglect. It's gone through several cycles of basing, priming, debasing to cannibalize the base and then tossing it into the bits box, only to re-discover it years later and begin the cycle all over. This challenge has finally motivated me to get it done once and for all.

You definitely wouldn't want to miss mass with this guy running the show!

The completed Inquisitor Warband

From MikeF - The Shrine - 40k Imperial Preacher - 25 points

 After skipping the Orc Pit, I've landed at the Shrine. This requires I paint a cleric or similar. Continuing with the Inquisitor warband theme, I've completed an Imperial preacher. Everything in 40k is over the top and the Ecclesiarchy is no exception. This model is holding a staff with a burning brazier on top connected by hoses to a backpack gas container. I suppose this is to provide adequate lighting while reading verses from his holy tome, but I suspect that it doubles as a flame thrower for use against heretics, non-believers and people needing the 'Emperor's Peace.' When painting the model I was initially confused by the over coat. I thought it was armor at first, but after painting it I realized that it flowed seamlessly into the sleeves of the model. Turns out its a large padded coat and likely heat resistant. Sorta like an asbestos coat. |Additional protection comes in the form of welders goggles and oven mitts! This was my first attempt at a painting fire and moderately happy with the result. I'd put it in the 'good enough' category.

Best way to turn pages when wearing oven mitts.

From DrQ: Orks in the Armoury (40 points)

Having been swamped by a week of work meetings, I'm finally able to post my submission for the Armoury!

Nothing I have in my painting pile is really big on armour right now, so I went in the orky direction of "the best defense is a good offense." I present four heavily armed Ork Boyz with Big Shootas.

One in 10 models in an Ork Boyz brick can swap out their regular weapons to be armed with the more powerful Big Shoota. So I've already accidentally started painting my second unit while still working on the first. This might mean I'll need to touch one of these lads up later, since I plan on changing the shade of one of the colours for each unit. For now though, they all go together.

Not too much else to say on these boyz. A little more extreme highlight on their arm wraps than I had done previous, but still a pretty muted and dirty scheme. 

I was hoping for more progress for this post, but I got sidelined by work and the slow assembly of my Arkanaut Ironclad sky vessel for my Kharadron fleet (that's my personal big goal for this hobby challenge).

As far as points: 20 total for the four boyz, and 20 for the challenge area comes to a total of 40.

Now off to the Hatchery where I hope to paint something truly eye-catching from my backlog! 

From SidneyR: In The Larder ! (25 points)

After my flurry of postings around Christmas and New Year, it's been back to work for me - with, sadly, reduced painting time.  I've been trying a spend a few minutes a day with the paints and brushes, and there are a few things in the pipeline.... but, until they make it here to the Challenge XI Blog, here's my post for 'The Larder'.

It's a dwarf, well on the way to being drunk in a dungeon larder, enjoying a pipe of Old Toby (or Old Socks, perhaps).  I've had the figure for many years, being part of Bugman's Cart from Citadel/ Games Workshop.  For some reason, I didn't make the cart, and the dwarf has been glowering at me from my spares box ever since.

Hopefully, he's happier now, being positioned in a far preferable location with a plentiful supply of beer and pouch of tobacco

As for the points, a very modest 5 points for the dwarf, and 20 for "The Larder", to add a few more clicks to my total.

And, in keeping with this beer-y entry, I finished the 'The Larder' last night with a very pleasant bottle of Straffe Hendrik - a strong, dark, but excellent Belgian beer which goes well with just about anything.

I think that's the first level of the Challenge Chambers completed for me, with hopefully a lot more painting to come!

From TomM: Decorating the Dungeon (10 points)

A small entry of essentials from me for this next update on my journey to the "1000" in that I painted up some dungeon furniture this week.

It is essential in such a way that while I have already printed quite some exterior scatter material for (solo) gaming, I realised I barely have any interior pieces.

To that end, I am going to be running my Ender 3 on that job (after I replaced the nozzle, this one has seen it's time, overextruding as a result) and make sure to get a lot of small stuff done, as well as piles of extra dungeon tiles.

Because who knows, this pandemic might actually end this year and I can get that planned DnD campaign going at last, only with a delay of 1.5 years.  Which is still faster then your average public transportation bus here in Belgium...

 

 

Points wise, I guess this is only about half a cube worth of little thingies, so 10 points seems right for them.

Heroquest Chaos Warrior - The armoury, Mark Backhouse (25 points)

 For the armoury the next challenge was something armoured. Along with painting lots of ancients in 2mm I’m also painting a few Realms of Chaos Oldhammer figures as a bit of escapism. I managed to find a few old Chaos Warriors and decided they deserved a repaint. I’d seen some beautiful repainted Heroquest figures recently which served as inspiration. The best thing about Heroquest certainly isn’t the Barbarian, no sir! This figure is the best! This one was painted in blue to be a warrior of Tzeentch as I’ve already got a champion for Khorne and Slaanesh. I might do the others as servers of other dark gods later, and it would be rude not to convert one as a champion of Nurgle at a later date.

For a single piece plastic figure from thirty years ago I think he came out really nicely. The simplicity of the figure made him a real pleasure to paint. I’ll add some daft backstory to him and enjoy reliving my youth with a few games with him.

I’d actually painted this chap right at the start of the challenge but saved him for this room in the dungeon.

Hopefully had ticks the armoured figure requirements nicely for the challenge so I make that 20 points for the challenge and 5 for the single 28mm figure. A total of 25 points.

On now to the hall of ancestors... hmmm I wonder what I could do for that?

Cheers

Mark Backhouse

From ReillyO'G: Goblin Infantry and friends part 2(120 points)

 The Drakwald Office of Greenskin Recruiting(DOGR) presents its freshest acquisitions with another unit of 20 old 3rd edition(?) plastic goblins, the second half of the Kev Adams doom diver pair, and an old metal GW night goblin boss.

These folk I found quite challenging in the sense that I'm quite used to paiting models with lots of moulded detail on them. So when it came to painting up a unit of these of mono-pose goblins that are quite frankly lacking the detail i'm used to, I found it quite difficult to achieve the same sense of depth. I wouldn't say I put as much effort into them as I could have, which meant they never hit a level that I was happy with on a model by model basis(but quite frankly thats quite alright when you remove these lads 15 at a time...).

Next comes the other half of the old metal Kev Adams sculpt of Doom Divers. This was one fun to do as I'm quite a fan of the cheeky grins and tongue hanging out of this lad as he flies through the air towards his inevitiable demise.

Last but most certainly not least, this night goblin boss served as a nice project while the basing was drying on the rest of the lads. As a contrast to the rest of the unit, the old metals have quite a lot of detail in them making it that much fun(and easier) to paint.

Overall, there were 22 28mm infantry, and 1 artillery piece making for 120 points.

Skullz wise, there were 16 skullz on the shields, 2 on the Doom Diver, and 1 on the belt of the boss.

Happy Painting all!