Awards for the Painting Challenge - Please Vote for Your Choice!

As some of you may remember from my early January post I stated that, in addition to the prizes for the top three finishers for the points standing (Congratulation again to Ray, Kent and Tim!), I added four additional award categories:

Challengers' Choice: This award will be determined by those who took part in The Challenge. So, to all Challengers, please browse through the entries from December 20th to March 20th and send me an email with your selection.

Judge's Choice: This will be my favorite submission of all entries submitted during the Challenge (myself excluded of course!). 

People's Choice: This is for our visitor/commentors to vote for their favorite Challenge submission. So, to all of you who enjoyed following the Challenge, if there was an entry that you particularly enjoyed please leave me a note in the Comments area of this post. I have temporarily reset my blog settings to moderate all comments so your choice will be private and only known to me - I will not publish 'People's Choice' selections. 

Sarah's Choice: This award has been sponsored by Sarah who will give out a prize for her favorite historical female figure. I am busy organizing all the entries for her to review so she will be quite busy over the next little while.


I will announce the winners of all the categories at 2pm, Saturday April 7th (Saskatchewan Time).


Again, for all those who've enjoyed following the Challenge please vote for your favourite entry. If you are new to the blog please take some time and peruse the Challenge submissions (again, from Dec 20th to March 20th), enjoy the excellent work exhibited by the lads and join in the fun by sending in a vote.


Thank You!


Curt 

Awarded the 'Cross of St. Steve' - Celebrities as Napoleonic Russian Generals

My apologies for the shameless cross-post but I thought this was just brilliant. Check out this digital artist who has done Celebrities as Napoleonic Russian Generals. These are manipulated renditions of original George Dawe portraits of 1812 Russian general officers.  I almost split my face smiling....  

Teaser: The Ian McKellan, Simon Pegg and Matt Damon portraits are brilliant (but there are many other that are very good as well).

I would pay a buck or two to have one of these done up... Hilarious.

From Curt: The Last Post - 2nd Annual Analogue Hobbies Winter Painting Challenge

Well everyone, we've done it! After three months of mad building, painting and basing the Challenge has finally reached its conclusion. And boy, am I knackered! I took the day off today knowing I'd be deluged with entries, and I was very, very busy with 20 submissions rolling in right until the last minute (yes, you Ray!).

Below is the list of participants and their final scores for the 2nd Annual Analogue Hobbies Winter Painting Challenge:

RayR: 4940 

KentG: 4724

TimB: 3385

FranL: 2152 

SteveM: 2044

ChrisP: 2029

DaveD: 1975

MilesR: 1061

GregB: 1019

JohnM: 1000

IanW: 900 

MikeW: 867

Curt: 791

Scott: 695

PhilH: 519

JuanM: 446

ChristopherS: 442

DallasE: 420

Michael: 315

JohnB: 310

RossM: 269

TimmyD: 138

Sylvain: 90

PaulP: 34

As I stated from the beginning I've always envisioned the Challenge not to be a competition where painting is judged, but rather an event where people of all abilities can challenge themselves to 'get stuff done' and more so to enjoy the energy, good will and camaraderie of other like-minded souls.  

In regards to the success of the Challenge, the 24 participants submitted 273 entries from all their corners of the world. As a merry band, we generated just over 30,000 points, which if roughly equated to 5 points per figure, equates to well over 6000 miniatures painted and based. That is freakin' incredible.

It was an amazing event with all of the guys being gracious, supportive and such good sports. It was also a great experience for me and I'm delighted to have made many new friends over the past few months. So to all you guys I lift my glass - you made my winter very entertaining and enjoyable!

So, before my blog returns to its sleepy corner of the blogosphere I thought it apropos to close the Challenge with a rear-guard entry of my own. I'm afraid its negligible in comparison to the titans at the top of the point standings, but nonetheless I humbly present a battalion of Portuguese infantry accompanied by a lone French unit/casualty marker to add to my others. 

Thats 145 points for me... ;)

So, until we meet next winter I wish you all the best of health, happiness and an unerring brush.

Warm regards,

Curt

PS: Be sure to check back in the coming weeks as we conduct the Judges Choice, People's Choice and Sarah's Choice. I'll also be posting shots of all the lovely Vikings that I coerced the Challengers to paint for me as 'Curtgeld'. Oh the suspense, the bright lights, the glamour!

From RayR: 15mm Russian Artillery (432 points)

Remember what I said about Ray and 'sandbagging' - well he should have his face under the description in the dictionary...

What we have here is 24 batteries of Russian guns for the Russo-Japanese War. Amazing!

There are 12 Old Glory guns and crews and 12 from Irregular Miniatures - all 15mm.

This veritable artillery park will give Ray 432 points, which in turn will give him a grand total of 4940! Right under the wire, you sneaky git. Congratulations Ray!

From KentG: 'He Ends As He Started' 28mm Imperial Romans (40 points)

What did I say about not trusting Kent to stop... He discovered that he had done the command stand for this Roman century about a month ago but had forgotten about them! Crazy.

  

These eight fellows will give Kent 40 points and will serve as his rearguard.

I'm going to be the bartender who sees the punch-drunk sailor wavering in front of the bar: 'That's it lad, you've fought the good fight. You're cut off...'

From TimB: WWII Soviet Infantry Regiment (752 points)

Tim's last entry is a very nice (and suitably huge) collection of 20mm WWII Soviet miniatures.

I'll let Tim describe the pics (It gets a bit 'involved', as you will see!):

'First, two Canadian 6 pounders and crew - Guns are from Rafm, crews are from FAA'

'Next, Canadian casualty marker - some sort of 1/72 plastic...? REvell, maybe... or Italeri...?'

'A German German officer which will act as a Forward Observer stand... again some kind of plastic...?'

'Regimental AAMG Platoon - previously painted FAA'

'Regimental Reconnaissance Company - one Foot, one Mounted Platoon - foot previously painted (Platoon 20), Mounted are new and I have no idea where the minis came from... combat Minis...? Maybe...? with plastic horsies from Eagle Games...?'

'Regimental Pioneer Platoon -  Platoon 20 - another OOB I saw claims there was a Regimental Pioneer COMPANY... but all I have is this platoon... so I'm going with the OOB that said only one platoon... (until I find some more Soviet Pioneers!)'

'Regimental SMG Company - Should be 3 platoons, I have only two. the one on the left is previously painted (Platoon 20) the platoon on the right is newly painted - Plastic Soldier Model Company.'

'Regimental Gun Battery - two platoons of 76mm Infantry guns - Plastic Soldier Model Company.'

'This is the rest of the WW2 Soviet Rifle Regiment.... These five pics are of the Rifle Battalions themselves... First Battalion (Rifle companies) Plastic Soldier Model Company (one rifle platoon stand and one HQ stand was previously painted, rest are new)'

'Second Battalion (Rifle companies) Plastic Soldier Model Company.'

'Third Battalion (Rifle companies) The two files on the left are assorted plastics (Revell, Italieri, etc) They are new as is one of the HQ stands and the Battalion Command, the file of the right are previously painted Platoon 20 figures.'

'The HMGs - the three platoons of plastic figures (Revell, Italieri, etc) in the front row are new, two in the rear are previously painted (Platoon 20) - now, here's where I get a little confused... a couple OOBs I've seen state that each battalion had a complete company of HMGs (three platoons each) AND each Rifle Company had an MG platoon, in addition to it's three rifle platoons... for a whopping SIX platoons of HMGs per Battalion (compared to nine rifle platoons in the battalion) and EIGHTEEN Machine-gun Platoons in a Regiment...  Is that for real?! Or is that wishful thinking on behalf of the Soviet general staff!? I have only five at the moment... guess I need to get a few more! I'll probably just pick up four more at some point and have three per battalion...'

'The Mortars - the plastic ones on the left are new... again, according to most OOBs I've seen the Soviets apparently had a Mortar COMPANY per battalion - three platoons serving 9 tubes! Compared to one platoon in each Commonwealth infantry battalion!? So I need another SEVEN for the Regiment at some point - if I ever care to kit out the force with their full authorized strength... to start with I'll probably pick up ONE more and give each battalion a single platoon...'

WOW, that is a shed-load of Soviet soldiers and attendent kit (174 foot, 3 mounted and 4 guns by all account)! This will give Tim a very impressive 752 points, placing him solely in 3K territory at Challenge end - fantastic stuff Tim!

From RossM: 28mm Hector and his Trojans (52 points)

For Ross' final Challenge entry he sends us this great stand of Trojan infantry with Hector in the midst of the fray.

These 28mm models are from Redoubt Miniatures.

Once again, Ross has done great work on the shields

Ross tells me that Hector and the casualty figure should not be included in the scoring so this group will give him a base of 45 points but I'll place it to 52 with the great shields and groundwork. Well done Ross!

From JohnM: 28mm Napoleonic Prussian Fusiliers, Artillery Officers & Caissons (140 points)

John sends in his final entry to the Challenge with these fine Prussian Napoleonic fusiliers, artillery officers and a caisson.

Fusilier battalion of the IR21, 4th Pomeranians in their British supplied riflemen uniforms.

From John:

'I was aiming for an even 1000, but sometimes the gods conspire against you.' (I won't provide you John's full expletive as its wonderfully blistering and foul. - ed) 

For my Prussian Fusilier battalions I have decided to go with 4 figures to a base rather then 6 to allow more dynamic basing.

'I knew that the French command stand would bring me up to 860 points. Yesterday morning I got up and said, I am going to paint 140 pts of Napoleonics in 24 hours. There was some technical difficulties as my terrain style requires 24 hours for the first coat to dry, but things like hairdryers exist (I live with 2 women), so I said soldier on. I painted the 3/21st 4th Pomeranian Regiment yesterday, but woke up this morning with still 60 points needed and the terraining on the Pomeranians left to do. OK I said a Prussian caisson (10 pts), 4 horses and 2 riders (30 pts) and 2 mounted Artillery officers (20 pts)=60 pts=1000 pts= goal achieved.' 

Next up are some Prussian Artillery figures. Still drying I am afraid, but they are finished.

We have 2 mounted officers, a artillery colonel on the right and his ADC to the left. They are from the Artillery command set.

Well all good….by 2pm done aside from a bit of terraining, and then the inconceivable happened, I had painted a horse and a caisson driver that did not match, I just could not get him to fit on any of the horses. Should of checked before I started. C'est la vie! 

Here we have a horse artillery caisson sans one driver. I am using only 4 horses for each artillery support unit, so have 4 in reserve for Schrumpkopf's medic wagon.

Who's a silly boy! Can't find his horse.

Beautiful work as usual, John. But I'm afraid I can't see the problem. Obviously this last figure is a dismounted rider who is particularly bowlegged (or has some rare form of Prussian Rickets). So I've added the 5 points for him to make your total 140 for this entry. Oh my, look, you've broken the 1K barrier! Congratulations my friend, well done!

From MikeW: 28mm Clergy and a Brigantes Army (!) (600 points)

God's Holey Trousers! Mike drops a bomb with this entry. You'll see, just read on.

From Mike:

'First up, a set of 9 clerical types from Conquest Games UK. Slightly different from my usual approach in that I used Citadel washes (brown on most things, black on greying hair) rather than Army Painter dip. It's quicker to dry, but slightly slower to apply. Basing is Army Painter desert flock.'

'The second batch was completed for the WAB GT competition at the end of February - it's 110 (count 'em if you like :D) Brigantes warband, a mix of Warlord plastics, Warlord metals, Wargames Factory plastics and Wargames Foundry metals.' 

'Back to the usual approach for these - a mix of various colour Army Painter base coats (fur brown, platemail, human flesh, white, uniform green, dark blue, red) to save time with the top coats, then block colours and dip - basing is Tamiya drark earth texture paint, Javis moorland scatter and static grass.'

'These were painted on Monday through Wednesday, dipped Thursday, based and varnished on the Friday and packed off to the tournament on the Saturday. If I'm honest, it shows... but.. a) they pass the two-foot test and more importantly, b) I managed to figure out a production line system for getting a set of different colours on the tunics and leggings, and c) this is the batch of figures during which I started to get my head round how to apply dip properly with two brushes.'

Awesome work Mike! Its amazing what you achieved within a work week - a full army - wow. Well, this whack of 119 figures will give Mike 595 points, but I'll make it an even 600 for the sheer effort behind it. Well done!

From KentG: 28mm Normans, Wild West Civilians & Indians (90 points)

Well, I've learned not to say, 'This is the last one from Kent.' as I've been proven wrong so many times before. Nonetheless, as we move into the final hours of the Challenge I think this entry will help Kent relax as it further protect his 1st place in the points standing from that 'Rapacious Ray' character.

I'm not sure about the Normans (Gripping Beast?) but Kent tells me these Western folks are from Dixon.

This group will give Kent 90 points. Is 176 points enough of a buffer? We will see.