Paint Table - April

2020 Painting Challenge - April

69/52 --> 100/52

April is just about wrapped up here in Boston. It's been a quiet, rainy spring in the midst of a global crisis, and amid those long days of uncertainty, I've managed to cross a threshold that feels like a bit of an accomplishment. As stated above, I have painted a whole 100 figures in the course of 2020, which while under extraordinary circumstances still feels damn good. I don't think I've ever had this productive a year in clearing out my lead pile, and certainly I have quite a ways to go, but having seen the numbers on other blogs, channels, and groups, I'm ready to give myself a little a medal.

as a treat.

This months haul doesn't quite have a theme. Ordinarily I feel like my hobbying efforts are towards finishing a posse or rounding out a collection, and if that is what I've done this month it is purely by accident. While muddling through the mixture of the current state of the world, I tried to pull figures from my extensive lead pile that I felt had languished too long, or things that demanded to be assembled and painted before they too were forgotten. That said, some distinctive patterns emerged that I can clearly discern; this month bore fruit for the Post Apocalyptic Wastes, and for the Dark Woodlands of Archaic Times.

THE WASTES

Pilot and Pugilist 

Mean Moe and Captain Pugmosh; some of Jason's pugs that inspired my pugs, which spiraled out of control and took over my table for a good long time. I was so captured with these fellas that I drew up a schematic for their airship (I would have converted it from a 2 liter coke bottle,) and this cover for a one shot comic that would have happened sometime during Johnny Colossus season one.

"Long Day's Night" by the Beatles would have played during this book's opening scene. Just trust me on this one.

Two good puppers, blowing somebot to kingdom come. As you do.

+2

Guinea Pig Convoy

Some excellent toys from Bad Squiddo Games, the fast attack and heavy support options for the Peeg faction that will be allies for the Grand Pug Alliance (GPA for short.) They're awful cute, and I recently got some bases that the light vehicles look absolutely darling on, if I do say so myself.

As a side note, the self adhesive grass has some really sharp bits, and often I found myself taking some splinters of it out of my fingers. I don't recall the brand, but as a very soft PSA, always take care when hobbying. I didn't think I could get mildly harmed from this aspect of crafting, but now I know better than to underestimate tuft grass!

+4

Just two pals

Robots of the Future! I got a pair of these Ironmongers from the Kickstarter, and finally had the impulse to grab these, base them up with some spare popsicle sticks, and slap 'em up with some fresh coats. Robits for hire! Hire some Robits!

+2

Rock the Casbah plays whenever they leap out of a helicopter.

Last year someone on the internet had been trying to recreate the Oldhammer army of their dreams, and after I mailed him a box of Skaven Plague Beareres, he sent me a box of random metal models. Among them were the two fellows on the left and in the middle, and to this day I still wonder what range came from, (the markings on the bottom said '93 and a name I could not make out whatsoever.)

And then Jason shared some digital sculpts he'd been cranking on. Something clicked, and I snagged these fools from the bitz box and got to work.

Jason's Gamma Runts for WASTEWARS

Lore wise, these are the smaller versions of the Mutie Brutes, who operate the machines that the big guys are too large to finesse. I'm a fan of the big green lugs, so little green lugs were a no brainer.
The third Gamma Runt is the Big Boy model from Wasteman's Bandit Posse starter pack, and rumor has it, this was the plan for that sculpt all along.

+3

Those Fun Guys

In case y'all missed my earlier ramblings, this link and this other link ought to get yous up to speed. Shroomanoids. I love 'em. Look at these dumb little babies.

+5

THE WOODS

Poop Monster and Butthole Nemesis

An old Doctor Who Yeti and an Antediluvian Miniatures Buer walk into a bar.
I don't understand how jokes work, so they just have drinks and catch up for a bit.
End of story.

+2

Some Dire Devils

More treats from Antediluvian Miniatures, who've waited a good long time to see the light of day. The three devils are but three out of twelve, so I have it in mind to paint them up in small batches, and in each one expanding the color palette as the sculpts become less and less tame. These fellows look kinda like Un Gor Beastmen, whereas some of the other models in the line have chest faces and hand mouths, and might be particularly nasty to bump into in a dark alley. I'm really hoping that as they get more outlandish, I'll lean away from the earthier colors I've leaned into the last month.

Oh and there's a cute little imp. He's probably friends with the gnomes.

+4

Spooky Scary Skeletons

My last models from the Gardens of Hecate Kickstarter. I rounded them all off in quick enough fashion; a ghost, another imp, and a carnivorous horse demon added to the odd folk one might encounter as they traverse a treacherous terrain. Especially love the little imp's trumpet nose! I know its a callback to Hieronymous Bosch's Garden of earthly delights, but I'm a bit of an internet denizen, so...

Doot Doot Doot

+3

Wodewose Sisters

I couldn't leave well enough alone. Remember the Wodewoses? And the Leshy? Yeah, so did I. 

I remembered them so hard that I made three more of them from scratch (except for the shields, which I stole from reputable businessmen.) Because I grew up on games with minimum unit sizes, I felt compelled to make sure this would fit for either some Warhammer variant or for Dragon Rampant, which is why so many of my model collections have units in multiples of five or three.

+3

Trolls Trolls Trolls

Speaking of multiples of three, I have three trolls now! They're based off of Brain Froud's artwork, and sculpted by the fellow who runs Admiralty Miniatures. These models were a private commission, and the commissioner was kind enough to cast me up a few of the models in some white resin. The molds were particularly interesting, and having polished these off like some sort of supper, I can look back fondly on the time spent whittling them out of their sprues.

"We sure had some good times together, didn't we resin blob."

Now that I've popped the trolls together, I think they'll find a pretty wide range of homes where they'd fit. My collection tries to do that most of the time, but just in case they're lonesome, I've already ordered some minis from Northumbrian Tin Soldier that should gel quite well with these kin.

+3

Which brings this month's total to +31!

Next Month:
Blind Beggar miniatueres, Chaos Dwarfs Online, and 28 Mag are all having painting/modeling competitions that wrap sometime in the next few months. Odds are, I'll make one of those deadlines and then fall into a black hole. Or not! Maybe I'll surprise ya!

Cheers!