Getting Ready for the XIII Annual Painting Challenge

 

Winter is coming ... but also the Annual Painting Challenge. This is a friendly context organised by Canadian wargamer Curt Campbell (a.k.a The Snow Lord) in which you basically compete against yourself (after setting your own points target scoring that must be reached or exceeded) and shared with 80+ other participants your painting work.

This is my Challenge's eight year. Traditionally it has been an opportunity in the bleak three-months winter days to  progress in my painting projects. In previous years I alway tried to focus on one specific project (British Red Devils, German Fallschirmjagers, French and Austrian Napoleonics...) complemented by a radom and many times unrelated paiting models to socre addittional bonus points.

It won't be this year, though. I turned 60 last May and over the summer I realized that I had an obscene amount of unfinished projects (the "pile of shame") and realistically enough time or stamina to undertake all. For that reason I have been selling and giving away to my local club friends for free, minis, books, and boardgames that either do not interest me any longer or will unlikely play in the medium term. 

I also committ to not buying any new models except if a similar number to those bought are taken away from the pile (the "net-zero" rule). So far, so good, more than three months since making any new major acquisitions (just a singular mini or a complementary vehicle sporadically) 

Therefore, I aim approaching the Painting Challenge this year in a more relaxed way, painting whatever I feel more attracted at each time and also trying to follow (and enjoying more) the other participants' work. What I have on the painting tray right now is a mix of different themes, including:

• German early 2WW infantry and supports
• German Fallschirmjagers in 1940 jump suits for an Operation Mercury project
• Complete a few Saga warbands (Dark Age warriors, Moors and El Cid Reconquista)
• A Germanic warband for Infamy Infamy 
  
• A wide array of 2WW vehicles

This year I also got introduced in the world of 3D printing with the assisstance of two of my club friends, real professionals in the field. I don't rule out printing some models during the period of the Challenge from STL files already acquired, but always under the same "net-zero" rule as explained above.

The parting shot of the Challenge is December 21st extending until midnight March 20. Expect to see reports of my progress over the next weeks.

And as usual, feel free to leave your comments.