TFL Painting Challenge: possibly the Biggest Update Ever!

A truly enormous update to the painting challenge this week. I'm just glad I've had a chance to upload it all before the start of the rugby!

Right, here goes:

  • Steve Burt with some Ancients, and I've re-loaded his missing pic from last time
  • Mervyn with some Middle-Earth elves and peacekeeping Crusaders
  • Matt 'the machine' Slade, obviously, with some more Napoleonic Rifles and a couple of handfuls of mythical Greeks: harpies and minotaurs
  • Egg completes (allegedly) his Cold War Brits: lots of squishies and a 'plane
  • Mr Yuengling has gone all Aeroneuf this week
  • Jon Davenport sends in his first entry of the year...and it's enormous: enough 15mm Napoleonics to fill the largest of tables
  • And so does Kev: same century, different era...but enough 15mm ACW figures to fill the other half of the table
  • Mr Naylor pops in some 15mm German weapons teams
  • And Carole sends in a British platoon who might oppose them
  • Mr Plowman sends in his usual eclectic mix
  • Derek Hodge is also of the WW2 mindset, but in 10mm rather than 15mm. Lovely figures.
  • Andrew Helliwell has gone all ACW, with some foot and guns
  • The Mad Padre has been spreading the love with some campsites painted for a friend
  • John Haines is still in the AWI: more British infantry
  • And last, but by no means least, Cabey Cabey has a few more beautiful Nappies for us to admire

So many pictures to choose from...here are today's selection:

A brace of 10mm 88's from Mr Hodge

Egg's Harrier

Reb Commanders from Kev

More Nappies from Cabey Cabey

Mr Plowman's walker

TFL Painting Challenge: Update Seven

A very slightly slower week this week, but still masses of entries.

In no particular order, we have:

  • The Mad Padre with some Falcata Napoleonic Spanish Light Infantry
  • Two Grand Manner manors from Sapper
  • Chris Kay pops in a huge Warbases building and a Humber armoured car, both in 28mm
  • We have some CoC jump-off points from Carole, along with some rather nice late war German infantry, all in 15mm
  • John Haines is back with some early Continental line infantry from Warlord
  • The Great Gatzemeyer has gone all Dropzone Commander on us
  • Cabey Cabey doesn't forget the pawns: some lovely Napoleonic 'minor characters'
  • A fan of Gaming Models, Jon Yuengling sends in three and a gun
  • and last, but by no means least, Mr Helliwell has some AWI Hessians for us to look at

A quick set of today's pictures, as I have AARs to post:

Cabey Cabey's 'minor characters'

Mark Luther's Burma terrain, claimed in the last update but only just now photographed

I do like Dropzone Commander kit, just wish it was 15mm

Some of Carole's Germans

TFL Painting Challenge: Sixth Update of the Year

A quieter week this week, but still plenty of new submissions.

In no particular order, we have:

  • Lloyd "The Hat" Bowler with his first entry of the year: a zillion little 'planes and some much bigger Romans
  • Sapper spans the ages: New Kingdom Egyptians, Grenzers and a  couple of cracking 15mm helicopters
  • It's scenery time for Mr Luther: some more for Burma and even more the winter
  • Cabey Cabey submits some rather nice Austrian Jaegers...and their dog
  • Mr Yuengling sends in some 15mm WW2 Home Guard (I've actually just been watching 'Dad's Army' on the tv)
  • Matt Slade has already amassed an amazing amount of points. To this total he now adds some Cacadores and a large number of fantasy figures
  • Andy Duffell also mixes and matches his periods: some great looking 28mm WW2 vehicles accompany a Dropship Commander troopship
  • And last, but by no means least, Mr Helliwell submits yet more Thirty Years War foot 

Today's pictures?  See below:

Cabey Cabey's Jaegers

Sapper's 15mm choppers!

Andy Duffell's 38(t)s

The Hat's fleet of aircraft

TFL Painting Challenge: Update Number Five

Apologies for the slight lateness of this update: two games of Six Nations rugby to watch. A great performance from the Scots (really good to see them actually win a game after all the heart and soul they put into their play) and a scrappy victory for England that takes their winning streak to fifteen.

Now, on to today's update...in no particular order, we have:

  • Andrew Helliwell with, as he says, yet more Thirty Years War figures in 15mm
  • John Haines is in a last of the Mohicans Mood: AWI Woodland Indians
  • Mr Luther returns with a large 1/72 entry for his Burma 44/45 project
  • Chris Kay pops in another eight Napoleonic Brits
  • Mr Naylor rebases for Chain of Command
  • Derek Hodge also sends in his first entry of the year: four rather lovely Mediterranean looking buildings
  • Carole sends in two, contrasting entries: houses and barns...and hover tanks
  • Steve Burt is still in the Congo
  • Matt Slade sends in his usual enormous submission: the 95th Rifles and a horde of Dark Age warriors
  • The Mad Padre has a singleton Pasha, a brace of barbarians, and a trio of German AFVs to share
  • And last, but by no means least, Mervyn is still in Middle Earth with some Gondorians and some goblins

Today's pictures are below...

The Mad Padre's AFVs

Carole's hover tanks

John Haines' Woodland Indians

I'm off to the painting table myself now!

TFL Painting Challenge: Huge Fourth Update!

I can't remember the Challenge ever starting off so busy. Entries are flooding in, and I might have to move to doing updates more than once a week!

So, today, in no particular order, we have:

  • Sapper, with no less than three entries spanning three different eras: Napoleonics, modern MBTs and some Anglo-Saxon warriors
  • Steve Burt carries on up the Congo, with the mandatory bearers and a leopard that has definitely changed its spots
  • John Haines, new this year, has already sent in his second entry: some individually painted AWI Militiamen
  • Newbie Old Pivot is going to be playing Sharp Practice in 54mm: here is a group of his British Rifles
  • Jon Yuengling sends in his first entry of the year: some British WW2 minis in 15mm and a quartet of pulp figures
  • The weekly massive entry from Matt Slade: Hasslefree barbarians and bad guys of both the male and female variety
  • WillieB also makes a welcome return with two brigades of Sepoys for Sharp Practice Indian Mutiny: large numbers of lovely figures
  • The Mad Padre calls for the Mounties...and a moose
  • Carole sends in some terrain from Ironclad Miniatures
  • Keith Davies racks up some recce elements for his WW2 Brits
  • Andy Duffell has three 28mm Opel Blitzs for us to admire
  • and last, but definitely not least, Egg presents us with some more Cold War British vehicles...loving these!

So a huge number of entries today, so lots of pictures:

Just a few of Matt's barbarians: mine are okay, but I don't fancy yours!

Just some of WillieB's Sepoys

Check out his gallery to see the rest

Old Pivot's 54mm Riflemen

Egg's Cold War colation

Sapper's Napoleonic collection

Andy's Blitzs

TFL Painting Challenge: Third Update of the Year

More entries coming in all the time. Today's updates are from:

  • Mr Naylor sends in his first update of the year, some 6mm Soviets from WW2
  • Matt Slade, of course, sends in a large amount of Napoleonic French. How does he get the time?
  • Egg has some more Cold War goodness on offer
  • Ms Flint pops in her first entry of the year: five boxes of 15mm plastic armour
  • Keith Davies is also back, and includes a few leftovers from last year as well
  • Chris Kay is new to the challenge, and has some lovely Napoleonic Brits for us to see
  • Ralph Plowman is back to sci-fi, with an exquisite battlesuit on show
  • Mervyn Douglas adds to his Dark Ages collection, and has a few Natal Native Contingent for us to see also
  • And last, but by no means least, Andrew Helliwell has some more Thirty Years War chaps for us to see

So we're off to a very good start already this year. Today's pics are below:

Mr Kay's first entry

Mervyn's NNC

Carole's PSC Shermans

TFL Painting Challenge: Second Update of 2017

Things are starting to get moving now, with lots of first-submissions received this week.

In no particular order, we have:

  • Dave Humm with what was the last of last year's output, but we'll let him claim it this year as last year's books are now closed
  • The Great Gatzemeyer sends in his first entry of the year: some rather nicely painted WW2 German infantry
  • Andy Duffell follows suit, but his are British Commandoes. Perhaps if the two of you...
  • Matt "the machine" Slade slams in another batch of Napoleonics destined for the Iberian Peninsula.
  • Mr Plowman goes gNorman on us in a change from his usual sci-fi offerings
  • Newbie John Haines sends in his first entry ever: some AWI British infantry
  • And other newbie Cabey Cabey has some French Hussars for us to admire, along with some pigs and casualties
  • Steve Burt has been watching Daktari, although I can't quite see whether the lion has crossed-eyes or not
  • We welcome back Mervyn, with his first entry of the year: assorted Celts
  • Egg also sends in his first submission: some lovely Cold War Brits with helicopters rescued from varnish hell with a little olive oil
  • And last, but by no means least, Andrew Helliwell pops in his second entry of the year: some more Thirty Years War troops

Today's pictures are from the Gatz, the Cabey and the Egg...

Cabey Cabey's French Hussars

Egg's Cold War Brits

Garrett's Gatzemeyer's late war Germans

TFL Painting Challenge 2017: First Update of the Year

And so it begins, with the first entries in already!

To start us off for the year, in no particular order, we have:

  • Ralph Plowman, with some very nice sci fi ship's crew
  • Mr Slade with an incredible 300 points-worth of figures already!
  • Sapper submits a sapper's cart
  • Steve Burt begins the year in Africa, Darkest Africa
  • Andrew Helliwell finishes his Tudors (for now) and starts on the Thirty Years War
  • and last, but definitely not least, the Mad Padre kicks off with some barbarian types

Today's pictures are from Steve, Sapper and the Mad Padre. 

Steve's Explorers

Sapper's Sappers

The Mad Padre's Wild Men of Dunland

TFL Painting Challenge: 2016 Final Scores

A very quick update today with a few people's last minute entries into the 2016 painting challenge.

We have:

  • Matt Slade with some last minute Wars of the Roses fillers
  • Jim Catchpole sends his entire year's painting through in one go!
  • Mr Hodge completes some more Mutineers
  • and finally Lloyd Bowler adds to his Vietnam collection

Mr Hodge's 28mm Mutineers

So that's it for 2016. You can check everyone's scores on the Scorecard, and see their entries in their individual galleries.

The 2017 TFL Painting Challenge starts from now: first update at the weekend!

TFL Painting Challenge: Update 30th December

Thought I'd better do a quick update to keep ahead of the tidal wave of entries coming in. As you'll see, below, it's not so much the number of individual entries but the number of entries per individual that needs taking care of.

So, today we have:

  • The Mad Padre with a round up of his recent painting
  • Matt Slade with a huge number of 28mm figures: more WoR and some lovely Doctor Who kit as well
  • Andrew Helliwell gets into the winter spirit with some cold-looking Germans
  • Treadhead makes a welcome return with his latest Sharp Practice offerings
  • and last but by no means least, Thomas makes a surprise appearance with a very large entry of Star Wars and Zombie stuff

Today's pics are some of the best of the above. Do visit people's individual galleries to see all:

The Mad Padre's Rohirrin villagers

Two of Treadhead's British infantry

"When the tower is in our hands..." Cybermen from Matt Slade

Well, we couldn't not feature Thomas now, could we?

TFL Painting Challenge: Huge Update

Whilst I have been a bit light on posts recently (real world, heavy cold, blah, blah, blah) the rest of you have been pulling out all the stops to complete your painting projects for this year's challenge.

Still plenty of time to get them in, but here's today's rather large update:

  • Mr Hoooge pops in some dismounted dragoons
  • Andrew Helliwell hits us twice: once with the Tudors, and once with the WW2 Germans
  • Mark Luther continues his conquest of the skies with some 6mm aircraft, and a 6mm town to go with them
  • Mervyn does Dux, with some Picts, Irish and casualties!
  • The great Gatzemeyer goes Dropship Commander on us, with a PHR starter force
  • Matt Slade sends in his usual large dollop of painted lead: archers and knights, very nice
  • Owen submits a colossal entry: foot, ships, a town...all in 28mm
  • And last, but by no means least, Ralph pops in some rather good 15mm sci-fi infantry

Today's pics are from Garrett, Ralph and Owen... 

Dropship Commander: if only it was in 15mm!

Galleons from Owen

More sci-fi, this time from Ralph

TFL Painting Challenge: Huge Update

Apologies for the lack of posts over the last week: real world and all that! Work is always crazy busy at this time of year, so just no time to process anything.

Leaving all that aside, here's a massive painting challenge update: everybody getting their entries in before the end of the year!

  • Thomas makes a welcome return and, much to everyone's surprise, pops in a few 28mm figures
  • Doug Melville has markers and a couple of 28mm WW2 squads
  • Lloyd Bowler has gone all Roman on us, and enters a mass of lovely 28's and some galleys
  • Mr Helliwell has been re-basing like crazy
  • Mervyn has been as busy as I am, but still manages a handful of figures
  • Matt Slade sends in his usual army of 28's, plus another army's worth of re-basing. The man is a machine!
  • Mr Hooge remembers the Alamo with some US Mexican War 15's
  • Ralph teases with three beautifully painted entries as we cry out for more
  • And last, but not least, Mr Naylor sends in a mass of 6mm WW2 armour

Today's pictures are from Doug, Lloyd, Mervyn and Ralph:

I'm loving these animal-based markers from Doug

So unusual that I had to feature them:  Lloyd's galleys from Donnington

Guerillos from Matt

28mm Sci-Fi Goodness from Ralph

The scorecard will be updated either tonight or tomorrow night: depends when I get onto my other PC!

TFL Painting Challenge "Cold Sunday" Update

Not a bad little update this week: quite a few of you taking a rest from Thanksgiving and spending all your money in the Black Friday and CyberMonday sales to send in your entries!

In no particular order, we have:

  • Sapper with some Seven Years War figures
  • Carol with a couple of ACW artillery pieces and limbers
  • Matt Slade with a mass of late medieval types
  • Andy Duffell with a mix of 28mm WW2 vehicles and Feudal archers
  • Mr Luther fills in some of his gaps, and adds almost 200 6mm infantry
  • Mervyn enters some pirates to, as he puts it, "get the party started"
  • Mr Helliwell adds to his Tudors, and continues the Roman rehabilitation
  • And Steve Burt sends in some more Carthaginians

Today's pictures are from Messrs Duffell, Luther and Slade.

An Andy Duffell M5 Stuart

Some of Mark Luther's cavalry in action

Some of Mr Slade's Sergeants

TFL Painting Challenge: Huge Update

Several very large entries this week, with the obligatory ooh, er, madam!

In no particular order, we have:

  • Sapper with two whole armies: one 15mm, one 28mm
  • Koen comes back with a bang: and a vast number of figures: British Paras in 20mm, Star Wars in 30mm, LOTR in 28mm...the list goes on!
  • Stumpy continues his re-basing: more colonials, some Saxons and some Romano-Britons
  • Keith Davies sends in a small viking warband
  • Mervyn continues his Hyborian jaunt
  • Treadhead also makes a reappearance, with some lovely Nappies for SP
  • Steve Burt goes Carthaginian
  • Mr Helliwell also joins in the "I'll just send in an army, shall I?" gang with some Tudor colonials (is that a thing?)
  • and last, but by no means least, Mr Plowman sends in four very familiar characters

So many possible pics today. Here's a selection:

Mr Plowman's very familiar figures (insert your own favourite quote)

Mr Helliwell's Tudor colonials

British Napoleonic officer from Treadhead, and a British Para Jeep from Koen

sappers achemenid persians (i used to be able to spell that!)

TFL Painting Challenge: Lions & Hyenas

I see the end-of-year catch-ups are starting to come through...so we have a sizeable update today including a big contribution from Kev.

In no particular order, we have:

  • 28mm figures from Mr Douglas, who has gone all Conan on us (loving the hyenas)
  • Some sci-fi goodness from Ralph Plowman in 15mm
  • A small batch of tanks from Mr Luther
  • Some spaceships and space stations from Andy Duffell, who moves with ease from his usual 28mm to these teeny-tiny models
  • A huge update from Kev, including all his gladiator material in 28mm and some very stern ECW church militia in 15mm
  • The Mad Padre blesses us with two great pics of some of his 28mm collection
  • and last, but by no means least, Mr Helliwell continues to churn out his pike and shot armies in 15mm

No shortage of candidates for today's pics:

somewhere in Canada from the Mad Padre

just some of Kev's gladiators (and I love the lions)

VTOLs in 15mm from Mr Plowman

TFL Painting Challenge: Early Morning Update

And the clocks have gone back in Merrie England, so it's now only 9am instead of what was, until 2am this morning, 10am.

A rather quaint habit we have of moving away from GMT each spring onto British Summer Time: an hour ahead of GMT and giving the farmers more daylight or something. I'm not a fan: disrupts my body clock (set to get up at the same time each day) and always leads to someone being early or late for something by an hour. But then I'm not a farmer...

Anyhoo, moving swiftly on, time (plenty of time) for an update to the 2016 TooFatLardies Painting Challenge. So, in no particular order, we have:

  • Mr Douglas with three ruined buildings
  • Mr Slade with some more Arab bowmen
  • Dave Humm makes a welcome return after a long absence with an assortment of figures
  • Andrew Helliwell rescues some Romans from the attic
  • Steve Burt just paints some Romans
  • Stumpy paints and bases some 15mm and 28mm figures
  • and last, but by no means least, Carole leaves her garden (probably too dark to weed or something) and pops in a couple of 15mm buildings

Today's pics? Well, first up, we have some Ferdinands from Mr Luther.

Not on the list, above, as they've been claimed for previously, but a pic to fill in one of the gaps in his gallery. Nice!

Here's one of Stumpy's built, painted and based 28mm vehicles: a jalopy of some kind 

and finally, here's a 15mm Hovels church from Carole:

Keep them coming: only a few months left to go!

TFL Painting Challenge: Another Huge Update

Now I know why the challenge was so quiet over the summer: you were all saving your entries up so that I had something to do during these long winter nights!

So, another update is needed only a few days after the last one: and both pretty big too.

In no particular order, we have:

  • Mr Slade (always Mr Slade!) with forty-eight of the finest Arabs you can order
  • Mr Helliwell (and usually always Mr Helliwell too!) submits 32 billmen and pike
  • Lloyd "the hat" Bowler has been saving his painting all through those long summer months. Today he sends in about a trillion 6mm figures; more 1/600 ships than the whole of the current British navy (not so hard these days, I know!); and finishes off with some ACW command stands. Almost 500 points in one entry!
  • Steve Burt has some more Romans for us to look at
  • Keith Davies enters four 28mm buildings, even if I do appear to have lost the photos!
  • WillieB makes a bit of a come back with some Frostgravery and some Comitatus
  • and last, but not least, Carole takes a rest from her gardening and sends in an assortment of 15mm figures

All good stuff! Now, today's photos...

Some of Matt's Arabs

Lots of 6mm from Lloyd

Just some of the Hat's navy

WillieB's Comitatus

Keep them coming, folks: the end of the year will be on us before you know it!

TFL Painting Challenge: Truly Monstrous Update

It seems as if you have all been punishing those brushes over the past few weeks, as we have a truly monstrous update to the painting challenge to consider.

In no particular order, we have:

  • Neil Hooge with no less than three separate updates: weird WW2 and 19th Century Mexicans in 15mm
  • Richard Naylor with a huge amount of 6mm Zulu wars re-basing. Looking good!
  • Andy Duffell with some 28mm WW2 Partisans and Germans
  • Jon Davenport with a gorgeous church in 28mm, a 15mm Recce Group, and almost 400 (yes, four hundred) modern 6mm vehicles
  • Mr Luther pops in some 15mm dismounted Light Dragoons
  • Owen sends in so many entries of various different scales that my computer almost melted: over 1,500 points worth
  • Mervyn has some more 28mm Old West figures
  • and last, but by no means least, the Great Gatzemeyer sends in a squad and a half of WW2 Germans in 28mm

A truly impressive haul!

As it's way past my bedtime, just a few of the many pics:

Garrett's squad and a half of Germans in 28mm

Richard Naylor's re-based Lord Chelmsford

Lawmen and/or Desperados from Mervyn

Some of Owen's housing development!

TFL Painting Challenge: Saturday Update

Much like this site was slightly more fallow than usual in September, so entries for the Painting Challenge were quite thin on the ground.

And much like this site has woken up again in October, so entries for the challenge have increased from a trickle to, if not exactly a torrent, at least a respectable level of activity.

So, in no particular order, today we have:

  • Stumpy with his usual huge amount of re-basing
  • Mr Luther leaves his micro-miniatures behind and goes all 15mm Sharp Practice on us
  • Mervyn pops in some last minute figures and a ubiquitous building
  • Mr Helliwell sends in his usual 15mm ACW and WW2 contribution, but then surprises us all with some somewhat larger orcs. Controversial or what!
  • Richard Naylor's been re-basing as well: some 6mm Zulu War Brits
  • Steve Burt submits some lovely 28mm Equites
  • and last, but by no means least, Mr Hoooge (sorry: the o's always run away with me) sends in a variety of figures: Hydra commandos and a killer clown, some Napoleonics and some 7YW Prussians.

Today's pics? Well we haven't had one of Andrew Helliwell's shots for quite a time, so that's one. Steve's cavalry will be two. And Neil's Hydra commandos for three!

As we go into the last quarter of the year, now is the time to get your entries in. So come on: get painting and photographing now!

TFL Painting Challenge: Lazy Sunday Update

That's me being lazy, BTW, not you guys!

This week's update is all about the Andrews:

  • Andrew Helliwell expands his 15mm WW2 collection
  • Andy Duffell expands his 28mm WW2 collection
  • Andrew McCarthy also adds to his WW2 collection
  • Matt Slade paints and re-bases many 28mm figures, mostly Crusader-era types
  • Stumpy continues to re-base his Napoleonics
  • Steve Burt pops in a line of Romans
  • and last but certainly not least, the Mad Padre has some LOTR figures for us to look at

Today's pictures...

Lovely PaK40 from Andy Duffell

Re-based Highlanders from Stumpy

LOTR goodness from the Mad Padre