My Year of painting has been pretty disrupted, a Trip back to Australia in March that ended up being 6 weeks, took pretty much all the wind out of my sails.  I really didn’t get painting again until I started this blog.   I was lacking some motivation, and really this blog provided me with goals that I should keep to.  I find deadlines always help me get stuff finished.

The Blog it’s self is a really good tool for me to get my work out there, I enjoy painting, and so I can show off to a wider community, I hope that I am producing some good work for people to look at.  If there is anything people want me to explain more drop me a message, I know my writing is not the best I am also working on that, It is good to get back in to working on some weakness that I have.

So on too what I have completed, what misses, what hit’s and what I am looking forward to

The start of this year was Bane of War, a Mid war comp this past year and something that I had to paint a fair bit for.  It was also when I got my light box for taking photos’, one which I have discovered its limits.  but for now it is what I need.

For this Comp I took an US Armored Rifle Company so I had somethings to finish.

What I had to finish

US AR Platoon
US armored Recon
US Recon Platoon
4 x Dismounted 50Cals
6 x dismounted 30Cals
Carry box for Cons P-38 – Invasion strip Version

I was also learning how to use my camera on small objects, this was at the time rather hard to work out, lots of trips to the internet to get an idea of what I was meant to do, to get some nice photos, I am still learning this, a new Macro lenses would be a big help but I will get there.

It also gave me a good chance to take photos of some things that I had taken before.

I have always been really happy with these models, I do love the experimental Arty the use had used, and I did plan on using the M3 75 GMC for my Tank destroyers instead of the M10’s but they just didn’t cut it.

Next was time to get ready to go back to Aus, I had to miss Adepticon this year as our trip got extended for close to 6 weeks or maybe over it.

I also had to finish a display tray/Carry tray as it seems like the right thing to do then.  This was purchased off one of the flames of war players around Indy. This was a great investment.

I went with the theme of an Aussie Invading the US Flames of War, Tournament scene.

The first and most important thing I had to paint was a group of samurai for Ronin, these are 28mm from Kensie, North star and anywhere else I could find them.

And this is where for the first time I started to work 2Brush blending into my painting, the Leaders robes came out the best, but it also came out on the yellow as well.

I was really happy with these, and they came out quite well.

The next thing I needed for the trip were some Battle Tech Mechs..

With these I tried to do a “Candy Apple Red” type paint job I wanted this to work so I could do the same on my incoming Kick Starter Relic Knights.   I use the Badger Minitaire series of paints. I got them in 2013 at Adpeticon, I had not used them and had them for nearly a year.  So the first coat was to build up a good gold colour using the airbrush the paint is a different consistency to what I was used to so it did take me a bit of time to get used to them.  Once I had a good solid colour down, and it dried completely, I then used the Ghost tint in Red and the effect is quite good, It was better until I added a Matt finish.  After that I was pretty disappointed. I finished 10 or so mechs this way, and I was not really that impressed with my self. I put this down to a learning experience and it is not one I will forget.

I also had a Flames comp on what was meant to be the last weekend in Aus, it was meant be a weekend away with the boys before I came back to the states, as it turned out I was not to head back for two more weeks.

This comp I have gone to every year expect 2012 it is a great little comp ran by a gaming group up in Albury/Wodoonga, on the Victorian/NSW border.   This year I was not taking it seriously, but wanted to take something with a little zing, so I went SS Captured T-34’s. I got one box of T-34’s from Battle front and a single T-34 from them as well, this used nearly all my points, so it was a good travel army.  They guys at Boarder in Flames also run a charity Auction, I added these tanks to that Auction as well.

I was really happy with these tanks, they came out fantastically.

This is sort of where it all stops for well a long time. I did have some high productivity in this period, but after the trip to Aus and my work kicking off, I sort of slowed right down, well ok I did nothing for seven months.

Firstly I got all this done for any 28mm WW2 game.

It is alot of DAK, but I still have plans to add to this .  I need to add lots more gun teams, I have a Light Mortar team and ATR team to add to this, I have more Inf if I need, I have also started collecting a 2nd Platoon of Kradschtuzen.  I need transports in both half track and truck, as well as more tanks. Some Marders would be nice as well. Captured material would also be good, I want to get some captured items for this army.

Hind Commander.

Having done a lot of work on those two I am quite satisfied with what I have gotten finished.

I have however also started a number of things that I have not finished.

This only touches the surface of the amount of clan mechs I have collected over the last year and started to paint. These are all getting ready for when I move back to Aus and we do the clan invasions scenario book.  There are now 35 mechs sitting in undercoat waiting to be finished, 10 more I am waiting on arms for.

Kickstarter…

Lets start with Kick Starter, my I have backed a number of kickstarters, the two I really wanted to see work, took over 18 months to get delivered.  They were Relic Knights and Robotech, but now I have lost interest totally in these two, and I have several hundred dollars worth of them both just sitting here.  At the same time I have had a number of Kickstarters turn out to be pure gold.   I have been really disappointed with the treatment of those that made Robotech a possibility.  I said in an earlier post it will be in Aus well before the backers get there kits in Aus, and well I was correct.  Some of these company’s kickstart things and really don’t understand the community they are dealing with.

Anarchy Models – HD Stencil System – for Camo and Detailing, this one is fantastic, got delivered in Jan or Feb, I have only had limited use of them.  I do have some big plans for them, I have some 1/35th scale stuff that I will use some on, and I am working on an idea for more 28mm tanks.  These are fantastic stencils, and I know I want some of the ones I didn’t back.  rather silly of me.

Folding Gaming Table for RPG and Miniatures – The table plans are great, I will be making a couple of them when I get back to Aus as well.

Rolljordan – Volmarian and Necro Fantasy Football miniatures – These are now in the in the Paint Cycle, I will start work on these after Christmas, I did a review on these when I got them they are great also.

Nuffle Dice – Limited – Fantasy Football sets – I needed three more sets of BB dice…. really I did…. So yep I backed this one as well. I am very happy with these.

The last Kick start of this year wont be delivered until next so I am going to leave it out.  But the three that have worked all had one thing in common.   The people running these projects kept everything they could do in perspective, and the result was a timely delivered project, pity not everybody understands what limits they have.  I think the big projects that have failed to deliver with in 6 months have shaken my faith in Kickstarters, I am unlikely to back much in the future.

2015.

Yep it is coming and fast.  I have a number of things I am looking forward to.  Firstly, Bane of War again in Jan, I have nearly everything sorted, it was decided that Aussie Div cav should be my army, I do love that list, it is not really good, but it works.

In March I am headed back to Adepticon, this time I am not playing Flames, instead playing Epic Armageddon, I am now building a list for that, it takes a lot of time to get Epic figures, so I need all the time I can get.  I am also doing a painting session with Meg Maples, on 2Brush blending, so I will get to refine what I am doing.  I might also go and do a Skin tone painting session as well, (if there are spots left) I am struggling with my skin tones and have not been real happy with them on the DAK.

After that it is anybody guess, we are due to move back to Aus next year that means packing everything, shipping it all back to a place to live in Melbourne, I am not sure of the timing, but I am really looking forward to getting everything out of storage and seeing all the toys I have, and seeing what I have doubled up on.   That is going to be big move and disruption to life, but that is what happens when you move countries for work.

I am looking forward to WWII Assault – Tactical Skirmish Combat Kickstarter coming in so I can get to grips with that game.

There will be other things that I will get excited about as times comes up but that is all I can think of now.

Painting in 2015

I would not normally do a list, in fact I really don’t like lists cause I could never keep myself to it at all, but I have a blog now.. Something that I can set deadlines too…  So….

It is not complete, I have not yet decided what else to put on it.. I think come the start of the new year I might have a few more things to add to this.

Well that is all from me now and this year, I wish you all a Happy Holidays and great New Year, I will have a post for the start of the new year myself. So until there Have a Fun, and remember if you can’t be good, be good at it.