TFL Painting Challenge: the Post SanFran Update

Quite a few entries submitted whilst I was across the Pond in SF.

In no particular order, we have:

• Kev with some lovely WOTR command types and a new resin fence
• Mr Treadhead submits some more Taliban: lovely figures as always
• Steve Burt fires in a few more Napoleonics: a British rocket team (did you see what I did there?)
• Mr Plowman adds some more rather spiffing sci-fi terrain objects
• Mervyn D finishes his US collection, and immediately starts on the Germans
• Dave Humm adds some Biblicals, some Germans and some halflings. Generously I didn't award half points for the halflings...
• Chris Gilbride with some colonials...and a little story, told below
• Mr Helliwell with some more AWI troops and some German mortars in 15mm
• Leif enters some Star Wars figures in 28mm
• And Mr Naylor, whose entry arrived just as I was writing this post, scrapes across the line for this update with some Germans...which apparently take longer to paint that Soviets.

Before the usual pictures, we have a little story from Chris Gilbride about the troops he had been painting. I'm sure we've all had similar:

Last year I found and finished some long lost Dervishes. Well now I've found and finished the ones to fight them. These were probably started 14+ years ago and only needed basing and a couple needed rifles gluing on. Easy points I thought. I then discovered that the uniform colour was wrong, they had a more WW2 khaki brown colour and the webbing was a sandy brown. Bugger. Re-paint the uniform and the webbing, stuck them on bases and then added the quick shade. They were looking good, now for the varnishing.

It was during the varnishing that the table tipped over dumping all 23 onto the concrete floor. Those that survived the impact ended up covered in ... bits of stuff. Did you ever think that maybe some figures are just not meant to be painted and finished?

Not bad, Chris: 14 years to finish a unit!

Right, today's pictures are from Kev and, of course, of Chris' British troops, bits or not!

How lovely are these?

"Fourteen years I waited to get into the action: fourteen long years!"

TFL Painting Challenge: Today's Update

Lots of entries again today: this is becoming a very busy event!

In no particular order we have:

• Doug Melville and some very lovely Milanese banners for download
• Andrew Helliwell with his usual crowd of 15mm figures
• Leif pops in a handful of Mars Attacks! figures
• Owen enters some more naval crew and guns
• Mr "Hat" Bowler returns after a short absence with some more WOTR figures, the first of many Caesarian chaps, and a triplet of ships
• Mark Luther provides some of the missing pics in his gallery
• Keith Davies sends in some 6mm WW2 figures
• Mr Plowman has two entries, both 15mm sci-fi, both fantastic
• and finally Kev has a couple of very gorgeous bombards for us to admire

Today's pictures are from Kev and Ralph, with Doug's banner's thrown in for good measure!

SciFi civilians from Ralph Plowman

One of Kev's rather lovely bombards. You can see a side elevation in his gallery.

Doug's Milanese banners, available to download from his blog (see his gallery for details)

Oh and here's another, as an extra bonus: some of Mark Luther's Japanese in action:

TFL Painting Challenge: Another Big Update

Apologies for the lack of posts this week: been very busy with real-world work.

As an example, I had a big battle this morning (Scenario #3B from Vyazma or Bust!) and was too tired to set it up last night: had just put the final figure down on the deployment table when the doorbell rang and the first of my four guests-players arrived. Great game:  AAR follows within a day or two.

In the meantime, here's another update for the Painting Challenge. Today we have entries from:

• Andrew Helliwell with lots of 15mm foot
• Matt Slade with more DC Comics figures and some nice ACW Confederates
• Steve Burt with some more Napoleonics
• Dave Humm submits his first entry for the year: a mixed bag of ancients, WW2, moderns and ACW figures in two different scales
• Mr Naylor pops in another Soviet WW2 platoon
• Andy Duffell is big into his 28mm WW2 vehicles at the moment. Here's another five.
• Andrew McCarthy also sends in a bit of a mass entry: ancients figures and some scratchbuilt buildings
• Mr Bairos is another lurker who emerges from the deep: lots of 28mm Napoleonics but no pics
• And Mr Douglas sends another four-score or so of US troops to the front

Today's picture is from Mr Helliwell: some nice ACW figures from Peter Pig:

TFL Painting Challenge: Colossal Update!

Well that's taken me a bit longer than I expected!

Loads of entries today: people must be taking advantage of their summer holidays! Making me feel like I should paint something today, but I'll have to fit that in around chores and preparing for tonight's game.

In no particular order, we have:

• Treadhead with some rather nice 6mm Mechs
• Mr Luther with some entrenchments
• Matt Slade with three sets of entries: Arthurians, Crusaders, and some chaps from the LOTRs
• Mr Hodge with plenty of 6mm figures. He's preparing to play the Blenneville or Bust! campaign. Very sensible.
• Steve Burt with some horse artillery
• Mervyn pops in loads of 28mm US types for Chain of Command
• Ralph Plowman showcases the latest Armies Army 15mm sci-fi release. Very nice they are too.
• Owen sends in his usual cornucopia of figures: Nappy's, pirates and loot!
• Mr Naylor has finished his first 15mm WW2 Soviet platoon. Must be preparing for Vyazma or Bashnya or Bust!
• Keith Davies sends in some 6mm WW2 tanks and tank destroyers
• Egg increases the size of his fleet
• And Leif adds three Germans to his collection

In honour of the effort demonstrated by the above, four pictures today. Those of you who know what I like will know what's coming!

First up: Lief's three Germans

A Life On the Ocean's Wave: Egg's latest additions

Latest releases from Armies Army beautifully painted by Ralph Plowman

Some of Matt Slade's Arthurians

TFL Painting Challenge: Loads of Entries Were Waiting For Me!

I see that everyone has been very busy painting whilst I've been away.

In no particular order we have:

• Mr Ralls still alive and kicking, and painting like crazy: 28mm WW2 Germans and 1/48 modern Brits for Fighting Season
• Stephen Miller adds some lovely horse in 28mm and 54mm: not bad for a man with only one arm working!
• Mark Luther pops in some 20mm ATGs and sends in some pics for previous entries
• Mervyn with some ancient horse and WW2 foot
• Andrew "the other" Miller with an imagi-nation piece
• Richard Naylor reminds himself how to paint 15mm figures
• Mr Hodge adds loads of 6mm tanks
• Thomas sends in some Viet Minh
• Mr Davies enters some...well the photos aren't very good, so I've guessed at what some of them are!
• And finally Mr Helliwell sends in loads of lovely 15mm figures from a variety of figures.

Today's pictures are from Mr Miller, of the Stephen variety; Mr Ralls; and Mr Helliwell. Keep them coming!

Stephen Miller's 54mm French Carabiniers

Jason Ralls' "Fighting Season" Brits in 1/48th scale

Mr Helliwell's Pike and Shot

TFL Painting Challenge: Thursday night

Lots of entries again today, including two (from Topi and Sapper) that seemed to have been lost in the ether for a couple of weeks. Just arrived in my Inbox today despite having been sent some time ago: weird!

Righty ho...in no particular order we have:

• Topi with a plethora of German WW2 vehicles
• Sapper with some lovely mounted samurai
• Keith Davies with some WW2 20mm kit
• AJH returns with a bang...and an eclectic mix of figures
• Andrew Helliwell with some AWI Brits and WW2 Germans
• Treadhead returns with some cracking-looking Taliban
• Thomas pops in some palm trees and a cheeky half-track
• Mr Burt submits some more great looking Napoleonics: British this time
• Mr Miller, of the Andrew variety, returns to the challenge for the first time in 2015, almost equaling his 2014 total in one go.
• and Egg adds some more to his collection of Italian ships

Today's pictures are from Egg, his ships; and from Treadhead, his Taliban:

TFL Painting Challenge: Large Numbers!

Evening all. Large numbers of entries already this week, so about time for an update.

In no particular order, we have:

• Egg with beaucoups de Francais
• Thomas builds some trees
• Ashley pops in some nattily painted sci fi infantry
• The Matt Slade machine rumbles on: riders on chickens?
• Paul Baldwin submits some creepy-crawlies and 4ground houses
• Mr Naylor finishes his US Marines. Is that Maggie I see there?
• Tony Stapells writes an essay on his painting: some rather nice 6mm figures
• Mark Luther does some barbed wire, some more 6mm aeroplanes, and some tanks too
• Owen enters enough Austrians to make the Sound of Music many times over, and some naval cannon too
• and Mr Plowman paints up some very nice sci-fi stuff from newbie manufacturer White Dragon and old favourite Khurasan.

So many picture opportunities today. Very difficult to choose. After consultation with various offspring who should be in bed by now, I'm going for Matt's chicken riders and Ralph's pair of lovelies from Khurasan.

Want to see more?  Check out people's individual galleries. Well worth it: very inspirational.

TFL Painting Challenge: Sat AM Update

Enough entries to justify a quick update this morning:

• Matt Slade has his usual submission: some Dreadball players and some very nice Batman figures
• Topi roars back into the challenge with some 15mm WW2 Germans
• Mr Hodge re-bases some more, and paints skeletons and Picts
• Steve Burt finishes off his French
• Mr Naylor enters some more 20mm Marines
• And Mr Helliwell survives all that the world can throw at him and pops in some 15mm Germans and a huge chimney!

Todays pic is from Mr Burt: some more of his lovely French

TFL Painting Challenge: Fat Wally's Return

An absolutely humungous update today aided by the return of that Lardy stalwart, Fat Wally.

Kev has obviously been storing up his entries all year, and submitted about thirty 15mm SYW units and over fifty 10mm houses. Lucky I had a free evening to upload them all!

So, in no particular order, we have:

•  The aforementioned Fat Wally with some 28mm animals and gladiators, more SYW figures than even he could ever need, and enough 10mm buildings to solve the country's housing crisis once and for all
• Mr Luther with more 6mm 'planes
• Owen with...no, not just more Napoleonics, but some pirates. Ah hah, me hearties!
• Derek Hodge continues his Blucher-driven re-basing drive, and adds some skeletons to the mix. Dem bones, dem bones, dem dry bones!
• Matt Slade goes ninja
• Mr Bowler slides in some more WOTR infantry: Percy's lot this time
• Richard Naylor submits a few more Afghan police
• Leif is getting ready for the new Star Wars film
• and Mr Davies gets confused about the size of his infantry. Oo, er, madam!

Today's picture is, of course, from Kev. Just look at these Cossacks!

TFL Painting Challenge: Three Newcomers Update

It's another big update tonight...made even bigger by the fact that we have not one, not two, but three new participants parading their pretties for the first time tonight.

So, as always in no particular order, we have:

• Newcomer Pedivere with an amazing collection of French Foreign Legion troops from the early to mid-twentieth century
• Steve Miller also breaks his duck with some very large and very nicely painted soldiers: our first 54mm entries IIRC
• Mr Douglas submits three different entries, all ancient
• Keith Davies, newcomer number three, pops in a platoon of British infantry for CoC
• Mr Naylor turns to the Afghans, and an interpreter with seemingly very large hands
• Mr Burt sends in some Napoleonics...some French
• Thomas is obviously working at a frenzied pace: another entry and its only July
• and, finally, Sapper submits some Samurai and some US troops

As I'm sure you all know by now, it's traditional to feature some of the newbie entries as 'pic of the post'. Today's pictures therefore come from Messrs Miller and Pedivere.

First up are some of Steve's absolutely cracking 54mm Victrix French:

View fullsize

Then we have the group shot of Pedivere's French Foreign Legion: amazing!

View fullsize

TFL Painting Challenge: Big Tuesday Update

My very quick round-up of where we are after six months certainly seems to have galvinised you all into action!

Lots of entries today, including one newbie. In no particular order we have:

• Mr Douglas reverts to his Greeks
• Andrew Helliwell submits another two battalions of AWI infantry
• Richard Naylor sends in some more US Marines for Fighting Season
• Mr Yuengling makes a welcome return with some LDV types (Home Guard precursors)
• Thomas stuns us all by popping in some fences...and not a glued-on finger in sight. Most disappointing!
• Benito Vera is also preparing for fighting season: some lovely Brits.
• Matt Slade makes his customary appearance: three beautifully painted minis
• Today's newbie, who seems to have christened himself Mr Nouveau, explodes onto the challenge with a huge mass of 20mm WW2 figurs and terrain (presumably for playing some Operation Compass scenarios)
• and finally Derek Hodge is still stuck in re-basing hell (you don't think...you don't think he actually likes it do you?)

What an awful lot of submissions and points!

Today's pictures? Well one, as is traditional, is from Mr Nouveau. The other? Some of Benito's Brits I think:

20mm WW2 terrain and figures from Mr Nouveau

The command section of Benito's 'fighting season' brits

TFL Painting Challenge: Is It Really Saturday Again Already?

Morning all, here's another update for the painting challenge.

Quite a big one today as I've had lots of other things to bang up on this site during the week. So, in no particular order, we have:

• A triple entry from Steve Burt: guns, limbers, entrenchments
• Some 15mm WW2 figures from Mr McCarthy
• Sapper sends in a Soviet battlegroup, also in 15mm
• Paul Blankenship sends in another huge batch of 6mm WW2 vehicles and infantry
• Mr Douglas goes Persian
• Mark Luther has more 'planes for us: loving those Ju88s
• Mr Slade has more minions of the non-yellow lozenge type

Today's pictures are one of Andrew's Forged in Battle 88s, and Sapper's Soviet battlegroup:

TFL Painting Challenge: Saturday Morning

Just a quick update today as I'm gaming tonight and want to keep on top of things.

Today we have achievements from:

• Matt Slade with his Minions and Gunfighters
• Leif with a couple of wookies
• Mr Ralls with his usual cornucopia of 15mm delight: houses (those gardens!), French tanks, German tanks and infantry...loads!
• and Lloyd Bowler with another unit of War of the Roses types

Pictures? One from Mr Ralls and one from Mr Slade: lovely!

Just some of Mr Slade's Minions (now we know who really does his painting!)

Some French armour from Mr Ralls

TFL Painting Challenge: Monday Night Update

Just a small update tonight, probably as I did one on Thursday night as well. Some nice kit though.

• Carole goes back to the simple life: nice, plain Allied tanks!
• Mr Douglas sends in some Roman Auxiliary Cavalry
• Mr Duffell completes four very nice 28mm vehicles
• Derek Hodge, lately of Deep Fried Lard, pops in some sabot bases
• Thomas, dear Thomas, builds and paints a house for his Paras to rest in
• Paul Baldwin builds and paints some rocky outcrops

Today's picture is from Andy Duffell: a very nice Daimler Dingo...and there's more on show in his gallery.

Do feel free to comment on the achievements you see displayed both here and in the galleries. Obviously I'll remove any out and out nasty ones, but otherwise I'm sure feedback of any sort would be much appreciated!

TFL Painting Challenge: Mid Week Round Up

Thought I'd better get a quick round-up in now before the weekend rush.

Today we have:

• Thomas with some French Paras
• Vidal makes a welcome return with a sizeable entry but no pics
• Doug's Samurai finally get onto his scorecard
• Carole finally finishes her German zug: no more camouflaged zeltbahn for a bit
• Mr Naylor submits some more 20mm US Marines
• The Mad Padre sends in a whole vilage of 6mm buildings plus a few choice 28s to tempt us

Today's pictures are from Doug (as his samurai have been waiting for so long) and a 6mm church from, of course, the Padre.

TFL Painting Challenge: Humongous Update

Sunday morning after the Market Larden gaming day, so I'm feeling a little jaded even tho' I wasn't drinking! A great day's wargaming, and good banter (as my daughter would say) with many friends. 

More on that later, once I've had a chance to sort all the pictures etc. For the moment, here's the latest installment in the painting challenge: as the title says, a truly humongous update!

Lots of 6mm figures this time. What is it with 6mm? Nothing for ages and then almost 2,000 come along at once!

• Mr Hodge adds some more to his forces for Dux, along with some 15mm houses...
• ...but also earns himself a whole extra line for huge amounts of re-basing of 6mm Napoleonics
• Fred Bloggs posts his usual eclectic collection of 28s, but adds some WSS 18mm figures as well
• Carole has had enough of camouflaged smocks, so paints some camouflaged tank-killers instead
• Leif Eriksson submits lots of 28mm Afrika Korps, including two lovely vehicles
• Mr Luther is back to the 'planes: 14 of them to be exact
• Matt Slade goes Greek, with Jason and the Argonauts and friends in 28mm
• Paul Blankenship drops in with over 800 6mm figures from WW2 and later
• Stumpy goes colonial
• Mr Treadhead paints some Romans in 6mm
• Dick Bax adds some more Dux
• And finally Mr Helliwell goes all AWI

As I said, a truly humongous update...but what to do about pictures. Here are some that caught my eye, but I cannot but recommend the full galleries: loads of inspiring work!

A DAK kubelwagon from Leif

Argonauts from Matt Slade

Romans from Treadhead

TFL Painting Challenge: Sunday Update

Another very big update today, with two people submitting their first entries for the year.

In no particular order, we have:

• Chris Stoesen, with his first entry of the year, pops in some US Cold War infantry
• Carole submits another PSC German Panzergrenadier platoon. Obviously enjoying those camouflaged smocks!
• Mr Hodge sends in more figures for Dux Raiders
• Jason Ralls sends in another ginormous entry: two 28mm infantry platoon and enough 15mm houses to solve the nation's current crisis. This takes Jason past the 3,000 point mark (well past it) so congrats for that!
• Mr Hat, I mean Bowler, enters some more WOTR figures
• Geoff "Bond, Geoff Bond" Bond also appears for the first time this year, with a mamoth entry. Not prehistoric elephant-types, but sixty-seven 28mm chaps for Chain of Command. Has already beaten his score for last year by an impressive margin.
• Richard Naylor submits some more modern-day USMC
• And finally Mr Plowman has two orcs and two elves to add to his collection

Pictures? I don't need to ponder here: as is traditional, we'll feature the two returnees with their first entries for the year.

First up, Mr Stoesen's Cold War figures:

And here are Mr Bond's sixty-seven CoC-ists:

Is that a towel they're guarding? Must be for a 1940 scenario!

And finally I'm going to sneak in a quick pick of Mr Ralls' street. Lovely!

TFL Painting Challenge: Monster Update!

A truly vast number of figures submitted for this update...and I mean vast!

In no particular order, we have:

• Joakim Strom with twenty 28mm figures and a couple of 28mm vehicles
• Mr Bax with ten more 28s for Dux
• Stumpy submits a mixture of newly painted and re-based (half points) figures: a total of about 280 infantry, 48 cavalry, a couple of guns and ten jump-off points!
• Steve Burt pops in some more command figures to fill his gaps
• Mr Stappells achieves an entire French 15mm WW2 platoon plus supports: 82 infantry, two guns and three tanks. Tres bien, monsieur!
• Paul Baldwin adds thirty-one 28mm foot to his collection
• Mr Helliwell adds another twenty-four 15mm foot to his
• And finally Owen, who has obviously been painting in another dimension, where time passes more slowly than for the rest of us, achieves thirty-six (yes: 36) 15mm houses and 233 15mm infantry 

That's almost 350 28mm foot and another 350 15mm infantry plus an assortment of vehicles, guns and the odd horseman too. A most impressive achievement all round!

Today's pictures are from Tony Stappells, Stumpy and Mr Strom:

Tony Stappells' French supports

French Dragoons in 28mm from Stumpy

Joakim's Italian priest with Tommy gun!

TFL Painting Challenge: Mid Week Update

A very quick mid-week update mainly to celebrate Carole's return to form and Koen's first entry of the year.

In no particular order, we have:

• Mr Luther adds an impressive sixteen 1/285 planes to his already impressive collection
• Carole returns to form with a whole zug of 15mm Panzergrenadiers and supports...and I feel your pain over those camouflage smocks!
• Sapper slips in a Sherman, a very nice Sherman
• and finally Koen makes his first appearance of the year with an impressive number of 28mm WW2 figures, vehicles and even an oasis

So, as is traditional, we'll have a pic of one of Koen's entries: British supports, including an MMG, company officer and radioman, FOO team, medic and an extra officer

TFL Painting Challenge: Sunday Night Update

Nice to see a change from the regulars in this update, with some entrants who haven't sent anything in for some time.

Even more astonishing is that Thomas has actually finished some figures: racking up quite an acceptable total as well. If this doesn't make every Penguin worth his salt reach for the paintbrush, then I don't know what will!

So, in no particular order, we have:

• Richard Naylor with some 20mm modern-day US Marines
• Thomas with some highland cattle, some martians and some desert rats. An eclectic mix, n'est-ce pas?
• Andrew McCarthy achieves a 15mm WW2 German platoon and supports, and some nice looking 28mm steampunk types
• Sapper sends in some SYW figures and terrain
• Mr Duffell enters some very nice WW2 Germans in 28mm
• Then there's Owen and his Austrians, lots of Austrians
• and finally Mr Helliwell with a few AWI command stands and two medievals rescued from the bottom of the lead mountain

Two pictures today. First up are Thomas' Martians: loving those figures...

And secondly we have Mr Duffell's 28mm half-track:

Keep them coming, people: almost half way through the year now...