Category Archives: Monthly Painting Challenges

July’s Models/Jewel of July 2019: Personal Round-Up

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Overall completed models for July ’19

Pretty tired at the moment, hence the lack of updates over the past few days. I did just get out to the shed to take a few photos, though – so at least I can wrap up my own July Painting as well as what I finished for Jewel of July this year – and shit! I’ve just remembered that I still have forgotten to weathering powder the bases of those bloody trees!

Completed Jewels of July '19.

Not as many finished for the Jewel challenge as I’d hoped, but then I’ve still been busy with any number of RL challenges, so once again – it is what it is – and my outcome wasn’t terrible by any means, so while I’m not super-please, I am at least ok with it in the end. Once again though, the month ends with a pile of models still on the desk that I’d hoped that the month’s challenge would help me to complete.

Rather amusingly, almost every model completed in July would have qualified for a Neglected Model challenge as well. That’s been an unstated (here, at least) thing in the back of my mind since December/January – for me to try and get as many of the neglected models I’ve accumulated over the years done as possible this year. I’d hoped to get all of the models that I’ve started and abandoned done this year, but it seems that’s more than a bridge too far. Maybe if I didn’t also have to work or have other responsibilities and interests, but that ain’t happening anytime soon!

Hm.. looking through, though – everything here was actually neglected except for three models. The trees had nothing done to them besides cleanup and spraying, but that had all happened more than a year ago. The rubble piles were also primed months ago. The dragon statues hadn’t had anything done to them previously, but they kinda fit due to where and how they were stored. But given that I’ve always considered “assembled, primed and then abandoned” as “started” for the purposes of Neglected model challenges… the only ones with less than that on the clock would be those terrible Dark Stone Brutes, who ad been clipped from the sprue and then forgotten about until I decided to use Contrast experiments to also knock them out quickly.

In the end, I just managed to get over my monthly target in July, with a total of 36 models. Thank goodness for meaningless scatter and simple boardgame terrain! I guess the lesson here is that this minimum-1-per-day-per-month sub-challenge I’ve had for myself is a good way to keep a constant motivation to get all those little bits of scatter terrain that we gamers tend to accumulate done. Add these to my previous month’s total of 229/232, and I’m up to 262/265.

The weather here is also shitful right now (I feel sorry for people who have to work outside in this – shoutout to IRO!) and spraying (priming, varnishing, mid-paint protective coats) are just out of the question right now, so the next few updates will be the one August model that I got varnished before the weather turned, and a couple that will look pretty much identical once they’re sprayed… Jewel of July Community Round-Up won’t be until next weekend at the earliest. As stated earlier, I’ve been fucking exhausted lately – so it’ll be done, but in good time. 🙂

Awesome August ’19: Community Painting Challenge

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One of these four models does not qualify! Stay tuned to see which one!

Something a bit the same as Jewel of July, but also slightly different for August. My original paining challenge plans for 2019 have been shifted around a little over a few of the last few months, and I originally had August pencilled in as a Neglected Models month, but we just had that with June. As it happens, IRO, aka Imperialrebelork requested/suggested “Augmented August”, where people would “Build something bigger and better than its original design or paint something cooler than its original design.” Now, believe it or not, my time, energy and ability to do either of those things is actually quite limited at the moment, and obviously I want a challenge that’s achievable for me in order to motivate me to Get More Shit Done. But.. IRO’s idea is a good one.

I was quite proud of this one when I finished it!

So I’ve decided on Awesome August – where the objective is to convert or paint (or both) something really bloody cool. Ideally, this would be a larger-than-normal model – hence the “Awesome” – because size matters this month. If you’re a fan of tanks, as a few of the regulars here are, it’s time for a Tiger or Jagdtiger or KV-2 at minimum, but really, a Maus or Konigstiger or T28 or one of the big IS-series tanks. For 40k players, skip the Rhino variants and get the Russ or Land Raider done – or better yet, that Baneblade (or Knight/(bio)titan/etc).

I don’t have a historical tank large enough to act as an illustration for this month’s challenge completed. So this 40k Dreadnought will have to do!

Monsters, Mammoths and Mûmakil. Dreadnoughts and Giants. You get the idea by now. Get your big shit painted. Nobody smaller than an Ogre need apply!

unless…

I feel like someone might need a very slight touch-up for 2019.

If you really prefer to skip the biggies – that normal sized model that you’ve (ideally) done a job that you’re proud of converting or kitbashing, painted to the best of your ability. Remember, it’s not a competition – it’s a showcase – so your only competitor is yourself.

Big doesn’t only come in 40k or Warhammer flavours!

So, the TL:DR is that August’s challenge is to complete something big. Ideally, really big. Or something small that’s ideally converted – and painted really well by your own standards.

‘cos it’s not a bloody competition, mate – is it?

– please DO REMEMBER TO LINK to this post when you finish something that you want counted in the round-up – because I WILL forget your post otherwise. It happens every single month. Also, if you’re doing the Jewel of July ’19 Community Painting Challenge, be sure and link your finished units over there. There’s still a week left to paint! (and a week or so grace period to varnish, photograph, post and link your models.)