AHPC + Gunuary Roundup!

Hi Folks,

Apologies for the lack of blog post in the last week or so, with the challenge coming to an end I threw myself into painting as much as I could before time ran out!

I've really enjoyed my first bash at this competition, and I think I've set a decent bar to try and beat should I enter next time (I'm currently planning on it, but it's 9 months away!). I aimed for a challenging 500 points, achieved 682. As mentioned elsewhere the scoring is done on the size of the model, with 15mm infantry counting as 2 points, guns/crew served weapons as 4 points and vehicles as 6 points. The bigger the model, the more the points!

Out of 100 entrants (94 of which made it to the end), I placed 45th - with the aim to finish in the top 50! So yeah, I'm really pleased. But to put it into perspective, the people at the top of the table painted 4,125 and 4,051 points worth of stuff - total machines!

I'm also happy that I aimed to maintain my normal levels of quality and I feel I achieved that. In fact, in a couple of areas I think I improved. Having to paint a 28mm Lion was a new experience for me and I learnt quite a bit - oddly, it was probably the thing that most challenged me but that I learnt the most from. I also like the look of my 10mm ACW - again, something new for me!

Anyway, starting with the stuff that's not been posted here. First up is Cecil the Lion, painted as my contribution towards a group entry fee. Basing is not done as he will be shipped off to another zoo down south for this to be applied.

Without waxing too lyrical about this model, it was really interesting to paint from reference pictures of animals, and to challenge my concept of 'what does a Lion look like?'. I found that my first thought was something from the Lion King, and that I had to make a decision early on whether to go for something 'realistic' or something people would more easily recognise! New techniques for me included actually picking the colours myself rather than using a guide, blending the mane and painting facial details.

Of course, half way through I started seeing him as a big dopey Lionador rather than a fierce Lion, but I think he still came out OK. All he wants is to lick your face. With his teeth!

Next up is a unit of 10mm Pendraken ACW. I tried to go more rag tag with these guys, but came back in the end to something a little more uniform. I've still got a few more of these guys to do, as this was all I could base up in time for the challenge ending. I learnt a lesson there about batch painting by pose, and how it's not a great idea to tight time scales. If I hadn't had a sudden bout of common sense, I would have based all the painted stuff I had and been left with the rest of the units made up of only 2 or 3 poses. Thankfully I realised in time!

Most recently, at the very end of the Challenge, I rattled out the remainder of my current US Team Yankee 3mm models. Some batteries of M109 SP Arty, some M106 SP Mortars and some M113 Vulcan Air Defence tracks. Along side there were 3 'rifle platoon' bases and 3 'Dragon Team' section bases - to make up 3 platoons of US Mech Infantry. These were added to the helicopters I had painted earlier in the challenge. The Heli's were 3mm Tumbling Dice models, while the vehicles and infantry are Oddzial Osmy models.

Everything else I think you'll have seen!

Not bad for 3 months work! I wish I could say that the lead mountain has been significantly altered - but currently I'm like a man with trowel standing at the foot of the Alps! Still, one trowel full at a time... At least the amount of outstanding artillery has been reduced, thanks to the Gunuary focus!

For the next little while I am planning on finishing off the ACW figures and working on some other projects. In the planning stage are smoke and destroyed vehicle markers, minefields, some 4Ground buildings and Decals. All of which I have put off doing for various reasons. As ever, all input in appreciated!

Oh, and I also won an army deal from Battlefront! So some Grants and Crusaders will be joining the lead mountain at some point soon (hopefully!).

AHPC Entry - 15mm Matadors

Hi folks,

Last weeks Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge entry from me was a final (for now) batch of wheeled vehicles. Having picked up the V4 FoW rules upgrade yesterday, I'm pleased to see that for Late War the transports are still available for units.

This batch consists of 8 x AEC Matador trucks - tractor units for my 5.5" guns. With the completion of these models, I'm finally finished with Gunuary..

For these models, I decided to go with a slightly different paint scheme than those used on Battlefronts website and most other painters collections. I've had enough of the 'mickey mouse' camo scheme, so went with a paint scheme I had seen on some re-enactors sites.

Again, I haven't yet finished all the decals - although printer paper and ink arrived this week.

I didn't manage to paint all I wanted for Gunuary - I still have 8 Quad tractors and 6 Morris AA tractors to paint at some point - however I'm done with trucks for now!

I should have pictures shortly of the whole Gunuary/AHPC effort! My target for the challenge had been to get 500 points. With these models, I have reached 556. I'm not sure if I will get much more done before the final entry deadline on Thursday - although I do have my 'Kurt geld' (entry fee) model to finish. I'm really pleased to have attained my target, as I started several weeks after the start date due to the house move, and 500 points seemed pretty unachievable!

AHPC Entry - Moar Trucks!

Hi folks,

I'd like to be able to tell you I finished with the whole truck thing... sadly, this is not the case. However - barring one entry to the AHPC for next week, I am done with trucks for now.

Last week I managed to finish off the remaining artillery unit vehicles I had been working on, with another batch of mini dioramas.

For my Polish Sextons, I have two vehicles. A 'working party' has been detailed to change a tyre. One of them is proceeding with the job while his mates bunk off to try and find a local to trade some cigarettes for some 'vino' or 'oh effs'.

The full set up, everything painted since January for this unit:

Then we have the vehicles for my medium battery, the 79th (The Scottish Horse) Medium Regiment , Royal Artillery. I've not quite finished these totally, as no one makes the correct decals. Currently waiting on some printer ink and decal paper to arrive in order to try and make my own. Wish me luck!

The theme for these bases was 'moving day'. Whether the unit is arriving and unpacking, or unpacking before departure, I'll leave up to you - but I wanted to try and show that even through periods of the campaign were quite static, there was always some movement going on. The typical army 'hurry up and wait'.

For there I have the two trucks with some chaps carrying bits. We have a box and wire reel being carried on one base, while on the other the figure getting directions is carrying a backpack in his left hand. Maybe these are the signals guys getting ready to 'wire in' the command post.

Meanwhile, as a suitable replacement for a truck, I have used a large staff car (actually, a 4WD Heavy Utility vehicle) - after all, a Medium Regiments CO can't be getting shuttled around in a 15cwt truck, can he? An officer and sentry watch the goings on (the 'wait' part of the 'hurry up and wait').

And again, the full unit painted since January. 

The full unit with the guns I painted last Gunuary:

Speaking of Gunuary - I have not forgotten about it! It just seems to have stretched on a little bit. However, with the publishing of my challenge entry next week, I'll call it quits. It's been quite productive (as has the challenge in general, I have achieved my goal of 500 points) and I will repeat next year. I didn't get everything I wanted to do done - there are still 8 Quads and 6 Morris AA Tractors to paint. To be fair, the guns were all painted in the correct month, it was all the support gubbins that overshot!

But it's time to move onto something else, and the 10mm ACW project needs some progress made.

Anyone know how to paint Confederates?

AHPC - 'West' Bonus round entries

Hi Folks,

Lots of blogging this week!

On Saturday night (and into the early hours of Sunday) I was feverishly working to try and finish off an entry into the Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge bonus round for Sunday. This bonus round theme was 'west', so having thought a bit about how West connects to what I'm working on, I established a few big connections.

Firstly, my FoW stuff is for the western front. Secondly, the trucks I have been working on are of Canadian manufacture - which led me to consider Canada's contribution to the war effort. Thirdly, Canada was one of Britain's most important allies - a western (geographically and politically) ally no less! The Canadian connection also works on another level for my collection, as my Highlanders were under the command of 2nd Canadian Corps during Operation Totalize.

Given all of this, I quickly established that I would use these trucks as my entry!

This set of vehicles, along with the other 5 I am working on, have taken a bit of time to get to this point. Prep wise, there is very little stowage on them, mainly because of the nature of the trucks. However, I did want to follow the idea I had many many moons ago - the trucks should be made into little dioramas. This would mean:

- Bases had to be trimmed from those trucks with a cast on base (6 of the 8). These then needed to be added on to a FoW Medium base to allow room for figures to be added

- Figures suitable for dioramas had to be sourced. This was something I had been working on for a long time, which has now come to fruition.

- I would need to do 8 dioramas, which was a challenge in of itself.

- The dioramas had to be logical, follow a 'theme' for Normandy and work with each other (to a certain degree).

The concept for the 128th Field Regiments trucks was that they here being harassed by some unseen sniper. Something that was common in artillery positions which were moving forward to keep up with an advance.

So, with a sniper lurking in a hedgerow somewhere nearby, what would be happening in the battery position?

For the first base, I went for a typical event that occurs in every Allied account of Normandy I have ever read. Troops 'foraging' to supplement their tinned rations. As such, I have to likely characters, returning from a 'fruitful quick wander' round the nearby area. One of them clutching a cask of Calvados and the other with a chicken - which was "Awready deed when we fun'it Sur!"

Finding themselves on the receiving end of a snipers attention (maybe it was his chicken?), they have taken cover behind a truck.

These figures are from the Battlefront 'Commonwealth Infantry' pack, with head swaps using the 'Guards' heads that were available separately.  The lighting in these pics isn't great, but it does look like the facial details need some work, as does the chicken! It is possible the light has just bleached them out a bit - they were actually both of squared paper when the pics were taken!

Next up, a survey team. This consists of an officer with a piece of survey equipment (my take on a 'No. 7 Director'), and a Private with a survey pole. The sniper has interrupted the work of laying the guns on the 'zero line', and the officer is looking rather impatient... Somewhere 'up front' an infantry unit might be looking for fire support.

Both figures are older Flames of War infantry figures. The chap with the pole was actually a pioneer with a Bangalore torpedo!

Lastly, we have a 'patrol' of either local (infantry) Jocks who have been roped in to help, or some of the battery troops (they look a little too well equipped to be the latter). These guys are being sent out to deal with the sniper. I think the chap on the corner looks suitably happy about his role.

Some shots of the three:

All three of them together. Imagine the sniper is somewhere 'above' the top edge of the picture.

So that's it! I've another 5 of these to do, which I should finish this week in time for my Thursday submission deadline. If you like what you've seen here, can I please ask that you check out my entry here (and check out the other entries as well!). I'd appreciate it if you could take the time to vote on my 'Canadian Jock artillery vehicles'! My entry in the challenge also talks a little more about Canada's significant manufacturing contribution to the allied victory.