TFL Painting Challenge: Huge 31st December Update!

Looks like everyone has made a huge effort to get their last minute entries in under the wire.

In no particular order we have:

• Doug Melville with a couple of Cold War vehicles
• Koen with some Frostgrave figures
• Mr Helliwell with some more of his late war Germans
• Mr Hodge makes a welcome last minute re-appearance with some Spanish Guerillos
• Jim Catchpole sends in a huge multi-scale submission: his first and his last for 2015!
• Mervyn Douglas has moved to the Sudan
• Joakim whacks in a quick witch
• Sapper also makes a welcome reappearance with loads of 28mm figures
• The Mad Padre also adds vast numbers of figures to his collection
• Matt Slade sneaks in another couple of submissions
• Paul Blankenship pops in another of his huge micro-army entries
• Paul Baldwin slides in with loads of 28mm figures
• Nils Hedglin with some dwarfs and halflings (not half points though)
• and finally Leif (spelt correctly!) isn't left out, with some fine 28s and a few bigger still

Pictures for what may be the final post of this year's challenge? A mixed bag...

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Mr Hodge's rather fine Spanish Guerillos

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Some dwarves from Leif

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Sapper's SYW French Currassiers du Roi

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 The Mad Padre's 20mm Revel Krupp Protze truck with AT Gun

TFL Painting Challenge: Bank Holiday Update

Huge numbers of figures have obviously been painted over the Christmas break. Here are today's submissions in the run-up to the end of this year's challenge:

• Joakim with some pulp and nativity figures (yup, I did say nativity)
• Andy Duffell adds some very nice terrain to his collection
• Jason Ralls just manages to finish twenty-four 28s and a host of little Gauls
• Matt Slade has obviosuly had a busman's holiday, submitting tons of new painting: most of it pulp and VSF
• Geoff Bond adds some cowboys and priests
• Dave Humm adds some fantasy figures
• The Bowler Hat finally finishes his WOTR collection and previews his next project again: the Romans
• and finally Pedivere sends in some more of his excellent Foreign Legion

I was tempted to have today's picture being Joakim's nativity figures, but it's the 28th and the moment has passed. Here are Pedivere's resting legionaires, Jason's Gauls, and Matt's Amazons.

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Still a few days to get your entries in!

TFL Painting Challenge: 22nd December

I'm settling nicely into my Christmas holiday now: no work until the new year!

Here's today's patch of painting challenge entries:

• Mr Slade sends in a pic of some very familiar looking figures
• Lloyd 'the hat' Bowler finishes off his WOTR collection with a couple of command stands, and starts up the Ancients with a unit of Romans.
• Carole pops in a couple of hover tanks
• Mr Plowman also adds some sci-fi goodness, with some Clear Horizon robots
• and, finally, Mr Helliwell manages another 30 Panzergrenadiers

Today's pic has to be Matt's familiar, but unavailable, figures:

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Well, there is one more entry to come. Treadhead has submitted a picture of his brand spanking new games room. I can't score this for the challenge, but I can include the pic here:

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Very nice!

Still plenty of time to get your entries in for the challenge. Doors don't shut until midnight on the 31st!

TFL Painting Challenge: Quick Update

Things are certainly hotting up as we draw to the end of another year's challenge.

Today's entries are from:

• A first entry of the year from Mr Skelton, proving that it is never too late to enter!
• Now under full steam, Koen smashes in another series of submissions
• Messrs Yuengling and Luther fill in a few gaps in their galleries
• Lloyd adds in some more WOTR figures and teases us with a test figure for his next project
• and finally Mr Duffell sends in some more WW2 28's

Today's pics? As it's almost Christmas, you get three today: it's got to be the Hat's command stand with hand-painted banner, and then Andy's 28's, and then one of Koen's entries.

Plenty of time for everyone to get their entries in BTW. This year's challenge doesn't end until midnight on the 31st. Come on! Get to it!

TFL Painting Challenge: Last Update in November

How time flies when you're having fun! One moment we're all talking about the 2015 new year, and the next it's the end of November already!

Still plenty of time to get your entries into this year's painting challenge. Here are some that other people have submitted:

• Mr Bowler is back with some more 28mm WOTR figures. Given everything that Hat has completed this year, his table must be quite impressive when a game is on.
• Steve Burt adds more Zulu War figures
• Mervyn pops in some Ancient Brits
• Mr Helliwell has foolishly let work get in the way of his painting lately...but has still found time to knock up 24 Confederate skirmishers
• Mr Luther fills in a few gaps in his gallery
• And Pedevere sends in more French types: lots of what I think are Legion Etrangere.

Today's pics are from Pedevere: his staff car and Dodge truck...very tasty!

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TFL Painting Challenge: a post-Warfare Update

Plenty of tip-top submissions this week. In no particular order we have:

• Mr Helliwell, with another regiment of ACW foot plus command and supporting artillery
• Joakim goes large with a goodly number of figures for Dust, including two very nice looking walkers
• Mr Luther adds another eleven 'planes to hi collection
• Dave Humm adds his usual eclectic mix, with figure for Frostgrave, Flintloque, and a very early example of a war photographer!
• Mr Ralls makes a welcome return with huge numbers of 28mm figures. Nice to see you back at the painting table, Jason.
• Jon Yuengling also makes a welcome return, with a submission consisting of trees, lots of trees
• Doug Melville is also back, with some lovely Medieval Scots and three bits of modern Soviet armour
• and last, but by no mens least, Kev (Fat Wally) has gone Star Wars crazy, with two ships and a quite frankly huge-looking asteroid base

Today's pics are from Doug, his Medieval Scots; and from Joakim, one of his walkers. Lovely!

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PS  Scorecard will be updated tonight, when I'm at home. Too difficult to do at work without the right software!

TFL Painting Challenge: A Dark November Afternoon's Update

Well it's just about half three and already almost dark: just the setting for a painting challenge update.

Not many entries this week: must be the calm before the end-of-year storm. If you are sitting on entries, do please submit them in a timely fashion: I was doing more than one update a day last year between Christmas and New Year!

Anyhoo, here are today's:

• Joakim pops in some pulp figures, including an eclectic looking WW2 Italian truck
• Mervyn has been away, but manages to squeeze in two units of cavalry
• Matt Slade submits his regular entry: some rather good looking special forces types from Crooked Dice
• Mr Luther doesn't add to his total, but does send in a pic of his Mathildas. Very nice, Mark, but I think the field gun went astray.
• Mr Naylor continues with his late war Soviets
• And Treadhead sends in yet more Taliban

As I said, a short update today...and thus just the one pic: Mr Luther's Mathildas:

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As for my own efforts, I am now ahead of last year and closing in on my target of 1,000 points. It's only early November, under 100 points to go, so I should be able to make it. Exciting stuff!

TFL Painting Challenge: A Pre-Rugby World Cup Final Update

Just time for a quick pre-rugby update before rushing through the chores before settling down in front of the box for New Zealand vs Australia. If the All Blacks can keep their discipline and play like they did against the Boks (I was there!), then the trophy should be theirs.

Anyway, onto the update. In no particular order we have:

• Keith Davies with some late war Brits and Germans
• Chris Gilbride with some late war Brits
• Mr Naylor finishes off his, wait for it, late war Germans
• Mr Luther with some Matildas and Japanese
• Joakim goes fantasy in 28mm
• and Mr Helliwell pops in huge numbers of ACW Rebs

Today's pic is of some of Chris' Brits, the heavy weapons:

TFL Painting Challenge: A "Clocks Go Back" Update

It's been a bit of a tough week this week, with real world events meaning I haven't been feeling it.

However, as I'm home alone on Saturday night now after being lucky enough to get to the SA vs All Blacks game, I've had a sudden surge of enthusiasm, so have caught up with all the outstanding painting challenge entries.

So this is a bit of a whopping update.

In no particular order, we have:

• Steve Burt with the last of his Napoleonics...even 'though I'm sure you said that last time
• Mr Ralls adds some more Germans to his WW2 collection
• Andy Duffell also goes WW2: Kiwis in Italy or Poles in Europe plus some nice terrain
• Benito returns to the fray with some nice French Dragoons
• Matt Slade sends in his usual bumper entry: Rebs, shieldmaidens, Boudiccas, Zulus, British to fight them
• Mr Miller is having to slow down a bit due to his robotics (no, he isn't building Thomas a painting engine) but still manages to send in a Polish king and entourage
• Speaking of Thomas: some DAK, some Desert Rats, and a carrier
• Andrew Helliwell sends in another batch of ACW infantry: two regiments
• It really is very WW2 and very desert today as Koen sends in some DAK and a couple of guns. Perhaps you could send your entry here next time, Koen, rather than to my work. Lucky it wasn't those "gentlemen's miniatures" I asked you to paint!
• Not wanting to add to the innuendo, but Sapper has a big entry this time: some Samurai-period bushi and a mob, some limbers, a SYW battalion, and some Americans with bazookas
• Mr Luther sends in a cluster of 6mm equipment: planes, no trains, but automobiles
• And last, but by no means least, AJH submits lots of lovely SYW figures

 We'll finish, as always, with a few piccies.

Here are Benito's Dragoons:

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Here's a bit of detail on Andy Duffell's farmhouse...he's painted the inside too:

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Finally, here are AJH's SYW Austrians: very nice:

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TFL Painting Challenge: This Week's Update

Lots to post about today: not a huge amount of submissions, but a lot in those submissions.

First up, Joakim sends in pictures of his amazing Soerabaja Harbour in the Dutch East Indies in 28mm. This is an incredible piece of work, and there are more pics on his blog, which can be reached by clicking here.

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Secondly, Mr Hooge sends in a suitably hooge entry (did you see what I did there!) culminating in a couple of snaps of his games room. They didn't make his gallery, but appear below: a man cave of astounding astounding-ness:

The Games Room

The Bar in the Games Room!

Next three of the regulars send in their latest work:

• Mr Bowler has three ships a-sailing
• Mr Luther has some more 20mm Aussies and a fistful of 1/285 tanks
• and Mr Helliwell has some more AWI and ACW 15's

Finally, Treadhead sends in another ten Taliban, almost the last in his lead mountain, which gives us our final picture with which to finish things off for today:

Keep those entries coming: it will be the end of the year and too late before you know it!

TFL Painting Challenge: Monday Night Update

Some very nice submissions this week. In no particular order, we have:

• Keith Davies with some 20mm figures for CoC
• Mervyn Douglas gets some Afghans in 
• Steve Burt finishes off his Napoleonics
• Koen sends in a host of Desert Rats and DAK
• Kev pops in another twenty Gladiators
• Mr Ralls posts from sunny Devon with some 15mm armour and some bigger zombies
• Stephen Miller make a welcome return with some exquisitely painted figures
• and Sapper submits his new 10thC Western Turk army

A couple of pictures from Mr Miller:

Renaissance Gun Emplacement for French Italian Wars

Warlord 28mm 88mm AT "behind cover"

And the next submission will be mine: a host of Egyptian Army T-55s for my Six Day War project...once I've finished basing them!

TFL Painting Challenge: A Tuesday Update

Evening all. 

So here's this week's post-weekend update:

• Matt Slade adds to his already incredible total with loads more 28mm figures. How does he do it?
• Mr Davies bangs in a ton of 6mm vehicles
• Leif adds a lovely DAK Panzer IV in 28mm
• Kev moves away from his usual scale and period with some 28mm Gladiators...and a bridge
• Mr 'Hat' Bowler adds to his impressive collection of WOTR Perry figures with another two batches of thirty each, and adds a couple of 1/285th ships as well
• Paul Baldwin has some nice Greeks and Undead, along with a couple of houses
• and Mr Luther takes a break from extending his AAR lead over me with eleven more 1/285 vehicles

Today's pics are from Leif, his Panzer; and from Matt, his Ancient Britons; and from Kev, his Gladiators:

Leif's Panzer IV

Matt's Ancient Brits

Kev's Gladiators

As for me, I've now dived into my Six Day War project and am busy building and painting T-55s...lots of T-55s. Must hit the 1,000 points total this year!

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