February 22, 2018

TFL Painting Challenge: Quick Update

February 22, 2018/ Robert Avery

Lots of entries in already this week, so a quick update to avoid a backlog!

In no particular order, we have:

Chris Stoesen with more scenery
Joe McGinn sends in his first entry of the year: and it's a big one from the Congo!
Two quick submissions from Mr Slade: some rabble rousers and some casualty markers. Wonder if they're connected...?
Andy Duffell sends in another 28mm tank
Egg is also back: two 4ground houses and some modern Canadians in 15mm
Carole is back to the 15mm sci-fi, with some lovely GZG hardsuit wearing infantry
And last, but not least, is Sapper, with some more Prussians and a nasty surprise for Edward II.

As always, clicking on the name above will take you straight to their gallery (opens in a new window) and I'll update the Scorecard tonight.

Today's pictures:

February 10, 2018

TFL Painting Challenge: This Week's Update

February 10, 2018/ Robert Avery

Sorry about the lack of posts recently: real world and too much time spent on the next Blitzkrieg supplements!

Let's see if we can end this drought with a quick Painting Challenge update.

In no particular order, we have:

Carole Flint returns to the Congo
The first of the year from Andy Duffell: a rather nice Somua, even if it is wearing the wrong colours
Sapper has some more SYW Prussians
A huge first entry of the year from Mr Davenport: almost 900 points in one go!
Mervyn moves from Middle Earth to Cimmeria
More pirates from Steve Burt
And last, but not least, some WW2 German Pioneers from Chris Cornwall

As always, clicking on the name above will take you straight to their gallery (opens in a new window) and I've updated the Scorecard as well!

Today's pictures:

February 04, 2018

TFL Painting Challenge: Big Sunday Update

February 04, 2018/ Robert Avery

I can't believe how quickly some people are racking up their scores!

I haven't had a moment to paint hardly anything so far this year, and yet there are already three people on around 500 points. Impressive stuff.

Here are today's entries:

Having vowed to leave the Mad Max madness behind, Derek Hodge sends in another set of post-apocalypse vehicles
Matt Slade adds some more plague-carriers to his Deathguard collection, along with a few Gripping beast champions to maintain his sanity
There's lots of tiny little tanks from Jon Yuengling: IDF in 3mm
The Hat is back! Lloyd Bowler with some longbowmen
Also back for the first time this year is Treadhead, and he has lots of tiny little tanks as well: his all sci-fi
Late entrant last year, Steven Lampon, starts 2018 with a vengeance: some lovely Highlanders (are these finished? I don't think so!) and some figures for Beyond the Gates of Antares
John Haines sends in some more Napoleonics
And last, but by no means least, Andrew Helliwell adds even more figures to his medieval and ECW collections.

As always, clicking on the name above will take you straight to their gallery (opens in a new window) and, shock/horror, I've actually updated the Scorecard as well!

Today's pictures:

January 29, 2018

TFL Painting Challenge: Big Weekend Update

January 29, 2018/ Robert Avery

This year's Painting Challenge is really starting to take off now. Loads of entries came in over the weekend, with more and more of the regulars starting to appear.

So, in no particular order, we have:

Neil Hooge with some Mexican Cuirassiers
More elves from Mervyn
More pirates from Steve Burt
Ralph Plowman is back with some rather nice Warlord Celts
More 28mm Germans from Chris Cornwell, whose name I am finally spelling correctly!
A single miniature from Carole, but it's a very nice one
Doug Melville has another couple of 28mm WW2 AFVs and some infantry
Blue Moose Ken is back, with a variety pack of figures and scales
It's the first entry of the year from Sapper: and a cracking entry it is too...medieval knights and longbowmen in 28mm, some Arabs and some Prussian Fusiliers
And last, but by no means least, Chris Kay continues his Star Wars theme with his first entry of the year.

As always, clicking on the name of the person above will take you straight through to their gallery (opens in a new window); and, also as always, I'll update the Scorecard over the next few days.

Today's pictures are below:

Knights, but not in white satin, from Sapper

A couple galliots from Blue Moose Ken (wooden models)

Celts from Ralph (despite the lack of finished basing!)

January 23, 2018

TFL Painting Challenge: Tuesday Update

January 23, 2018/ Robert Avery

A good, steady flow of entries coming in for this year's challenge, with a lot of people getting off to a flying start.

Today's entries, in no particular order, are:

Carole with some more 15mm sci-fi armour
More walls and fences, and some figures, from Chris Cornwall
Mervyn has been listening to Queen, and apparently painting elves as a result
There's a mix of Japanese furniture and Napoleonic farm animals from Mr Haines, his first entry of the year
More 20mm medievals from Andrew Helliwell
Stumpy is back: ACW and Napoleonics to the fore
And last, but by no means least (as you'd know if you've met him) is Mr Slade, withe a couple of German WW2 AFVs in 28mm.

As always, clicking on the name of the person, above, will take you straight to their gallery (opens in a new window).

Plenty of time still to enter the challenge: so pick up your brushes and get started. It's almost February already!

Today' pictures are below:

And some Brits to fight them from Mr Haines

January 10, 2018

TFL Painting Challenge 2018: First Update of the Year

January 10, 2018/ Robert Avery

Good to see that so many of you have made such an early start to this year's challenge. Makes me feel slightly guilty about not having visited the painting table for a couple of weeks!

So, in no particular order, we have the first entries of the year from:

Andrew Helliwell, with a mixture of pike and medievals
A quick Somua APC from Jon Yuengling
More pirates, me hearties, from Steve Burt
Carole Flint has built a stronghold for Hoardes
New participant, Chris Cornwall, starts his challenge career with some terrain and a few random Germans
And last, but by no means least, Doug Melville smashes his way into the year with twelve rather lovely 1/56th WW2 vehicles

As always, clicking on the name of the person, above, will take you straight to their gallery, which will open in a new window.

Today's pictures are a few of Doug's APCs...

December 31, 2017

TFL Painting Challenge: Last Minute Entries

December 31, 2017/ Robert Avery

Three entries sneaking in just before the deadline...

John Haines with some AWI militia cavalry
John de Terre Neuve with some scenery and small-scale tanks
The Hat bangs another twenty-four twenty-eights into his pot...and gets so excited he forgets to tell me what they are (don't worry, I guessed!)

And here they all are:

December 31, 2017

TFL Painting Challenge: Enormous 31st December Update

December 31, 2017/ Robert Avery

And the last minute entries come pouring in, including a couple of "here's my entire output for the year in one go" submissions.

In no particular order, we have:

The name's Bond, Geoff Bond, with everything in one go, and a whole load of WW2 kit dating back to OML
A huge 'lots of terrain' entry from Koen, surely enough for him to win his littel side-contest with Thomas and Owen
Doug Melville sends in large amounts of all sorts of things
Regular Andy Helliwell has what must be his final entry of the year: more 15mm pike and shotte types
Another everything in one go entry, this time from Jim Catchpole: bronze, bugs and I can't find another "b" for his colonials
Andy Duffell sends in some more Soviets
And last but my no means least, four more post-apocalyptic cars from Mr Hodge

As always, clicking on the name of the person in the list, above, will cause their gallery to open in a new window.

There's still time to get those last minute entries in.

Here are today's pictures:

More WW2 German Vehciles, this time from Doug Melville

December 22, 2017

TFL Painting Challenge: Friday Update

December 22, 2017/ Robert Avery

As the end of the year approaches, it's time for everyone to start sending in their last entries of the year...so here's the latest batch.

In no particular order, we have:

David Scott with some US engineers and infantry
More Dark Ages types from Mervyn: allegedly his last entry of the year
Derek "Rockatansky" Hodge is out in the Badlands
A huge entry from John de Terre Neuve: some lovely WW2 desert 6mm kit
Mr Helliwell is, as ever, still painting furiously: ACW and TYW from him.
Egg is still on the moderns: always makes me break the 10th Commandment!
Steve Burt has donned an eye patch an stuck the inflatable parrot to his shoulder: arrrr, Pyrates!
And last, but by no means least, Ed Bowen has some Shock counters and Deployment points for SP AWI

As always, clicking on the name of the person will take you straight to their gallery (opens in a new window).

Today's pre-Christmas pics are:

Time for me to get back to the painting table myself. Last year I managed 1,219 points. This year I'm on 1,204 points, with a unit of twenty-four 15mm infantry undercoated and ready to be painted. If I can finish them before the end of the year, that's me just over last year's score. All hail the Painting Challenge!

Plenty of time to get the last of your entries in: the Challenge doesn't close until midnight on the 31st!

December 11, 2017

TFL Painting Challenge: Monday Night Update

December 11, 2017/ Robert Avery

Again, apologies for lack of posts since Friday. Very busy weekend, especially with the snow: abandoning your car at 8.30 in the morning with a 10-year old in tow is never a good way to start your Sunday...but fortunately everything ended up going more or less to plan.

Another reason why posts have been comparatively rare is that I am just finishing my next scenario pack for IABSM. The September War, Part 2 is on the way, and should be out at the end of this week. It's another 30-odd scenarios for the 1939 German invasion of Poland, meaning that if you were clever and bought Part One, you will now have sixty-four early war scenarios to play through. Definitely enough to justify buying that early war Polish army...

Anyway, back to the painting challenge. Today's submissions, in no particular order are:

Stumpy with huge amounts of basing
A few more gaps in his gallery have been filled by Mr Luther
It's AWI time for Mr Helliwell
Matt Slade has gone all LOTR on us, plus a small matter of a demon prince
There's a very familiar looking windmill from Chris Stoesen, plus a handful of Roman types
Some lovely WW2 Soviets from Mr Duffell
Steve Burt has moved from Africa to the wilds of Wild West
And last, but most certainly not least, the painting machine that is the Fat Wally (Kev) grinds on, outputting some more lovely SYW figures

As always, clicking on the name above will take you straight to their gallery (opens in a new window).

And I'm sure you'll all be pleased to hear that I've decided to run the Challenge in 2018 as well.

Here are today's pics:

These two look tres familiar: mounted characters from Matt Slade

December 03, 2017

TFL Painting Challenge: Easy Like Sunday Morning Update

December 03, 2017/ Robert Avery

With under a month to go before the end of this year's challenge, it's good to see the entries flooding in. Remember: the deadline is midnight on 31st December, so it's time to get the last of those units finished.

Today's entries, in no particular order, are:

Mr Kay is getting ready for the latest Star Wars movie with some 28mm Imperial Assault figures
There's a mass of Confederates, also in 28mm from Joe McGinn
Steve Burt sends in his final lot of figures for Darkest Africa, although I think that's what he said last year, and the year before that...
The second of today's Steves, Steve Lampon submits some beautifully painted 28mm Napoleonics, although it might have been helpful to let me know how many figures are in each unit rather than relying on me to count their feet/bayonets!
It's the return of Fat Wally (Kev), who takes a break from painting figures for other people to produce some 15mm SYW figures for his own collection
Mr Hodge has visited Games Workshop. No more to be said.
And last, but by no means least, Egg sends in some rather nice looking T-64s in 15mm, having suffered the same varnish disaster as befell me a few months ago.

As always, clicking on the name of the painter in the list above will take you straight to their gallery (opens in a new window).

Today's pictures just give you a taste of the goodness that's been loaded up today: I could have posted every photo.

28mm Victrix Numidian cavalry from Mr Lampon

15mm Prussian Fusiliers (36th von Munchow) from Fat Wally (Kev)

Finally, I'm just debating whether to run the Challenge next year as well. Who's up for it? Answers to admin@vislardica.com.

November 26, 2017

TFL Painting Challenge: Quick Sunday Update

November 26, 2017/ Robert Avery

It's been quiet here lately: everyone too busy with Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and that last surge of work before Christmas!

Not long to go now before the end of this year's Painting Challenge, so all those of you sitting on completed stuff need to get to actually sending them in. Remember: the deadline is midnight on the 31st December, so only five weeks or so to go!

Here's a quick update. In no particular order, we have:

Neil Hooge sends in some Indian Mutiny figures from his sickbed. His advice: never try and paint straight lines when on medication! Get well soon, Neil.
Mr Helliwell has been rooting in the garage in a desperate attempt to cut down the size of his lead (or in this case, plastic) mountain. Some ACW figures from him.
There's an unusual mix of cave-persons and F&IW settlers from Mr Duffell
Joe McGin sends in some lovely Highlanders and a ton of Union infantry
And last, but by no means least, Treadhead sends in three baddies, a swarm of 6mm tanks, and a great looking 28mm farm compound. The latter two items came straight off the 3D printer...perhaps giving us a taste of what the future holds for us all

As always, clicking on the name of the person, above, will take you to straight to their gallery (opens in new window).

Here are today's pictures:

Treadhead's barn: straight off the 3D printer

Finally, Mark Luther has also been busy filling in a couple of gaps in his gallery. Here's a shot of some of his Burma '44 collection...

November 17, 2017

TFL Painting Challenge: Pre-Warfare Update

November 17, 2017/ Robert Avery

Bit of a choice this morning between writing my shopping list for Warfare or updating the painting challenge...but duty won out, so here we go:

In no particular order, today's update includes:

Sapper with some more lovely 28mm figures: this time ECW cavalry
New entrant David Scott lands with a bang as he submits a whole company of 15mm British airborne troops together with a load of other Late War Brits as well. If his experience with painting British Paras was the same as mine, he can now be found in the corner of the room mumbling "Dennison smocks, Dennison smocks"!
There's some more Soviets from Andy Duffell and some much earlier Frenchies as well
Mr Helliwell also mixes his periods: some WW2 Germans and a few WoR command figures
Mervyn sends in the Maiden Guard for his ancient Indians, with the young ladies in question finished just in time to hit the tabletop tonight
A huge offering from Lloyd Bowler this week: the Hat finishes some more small ships, and then going mad on his Latins with three 28mm Roman units
Chris Stoesen equips some of his boats with crew
Mr Burt pops in some more Darkest Africa figures.
And last, but my no means least, Carole Flint joins Steve with some British infantry and French freebooters for the Congo.

As always, clicking on the name of the person, above, will take you to straight to their gallery (opens in new window). Well worth a browse, as there are some lovely paint jobs to be seen.

And talking of lovely paint jobs, here are today's pictures:

November 07, 2017

TFL Painting Challenge: Tuesday Update

November 07, 2017/ Robert Avery

About a week since the last Painting Challenge post, so a quick Tuesday update to make sure I keep on top of things.

Only eight weeks until the end of the year, so it's time to get painting/ photographing/ submitting to make sure you don't miss out on all those points amassed over the last ten months. There are still several 'regulars' who haven't submitted anything yet this year...

Right, onto those who have. In no particular order, today's update includes:

Sapper with some lovely 28mm figures
It's been a while, but Treadhead is back, with swarms of spaceships
Mr Hodge sends in some tanks and some terrain
There's a rather nice Soviet Fortified Region MG Platoon from Andy Duffell
Mervyn adds to his GdA collection, but doesn't know what to paint next...
Painting for Fall In, Mark Luther re-does his Highlanders, and some trees for them to hide in
And last, but my no means least, Mr Burt pops in some more Darkest Africa figures.

As always, clicking on the name of the person, above, will take you to straight to their gallery (opens in new window). well worth a browse, as there are some lovely paint jobs to be seen.

And talking of lovely paint jobs, here are today's pictures:

Scorecard will be updated tonight.

October 29, 2017

TFL Painting Challenge: Post-Edinburgh Update

October 29, 2017/ Robert Avery

Lots of entries waiting for me to process on my return from Auld Reekie so, in no particular order, we have:

Grand Maestro Slade with a one off character model and some Mongoose 2000AD Judges
Three tanks from Stumpy
John de Terre Neuve sends in four 20mm WW2 guns/tanks and a host of 32mm fantasy figures
Five tanks from Mr Hodge
Lloyd "The Hat" Bowler has some more 1/600 ships completed
There are four Mordheim (RIP) figures from Carole Flint
Mr Stoesen gives us some rocks
No picture, but Mark Luther has completed ten feet of roadside trees in 6mm just because he wanted some that were reddish-brown. As he says: it's a sickness!
And last, but by no means least, Andrew Helliwell has re-based and shroffed up an entire army

As per usual, clicking on the name of the person will take you through to their gallery (which will open in a new window).

Today's pictures are below:

1/48 T-72 for the Chechen war from Stumpy

It's an American towed AA gun in 1/72 scale from John de Terre Neuve

October 19, 2017

TFL Painting Challenge: Mid-Week Update

October 19, 2017/ Robert Avery

The publicity I gave the Challenge at the weekend seems to have worked nicely: enough entries to warrant an update already, and it's only Thursday. This includes a new entrant, Steven Lampon, showing that it's never to late to join the Challenge!

So, in no particular order, here are today's entries:

Steven Lampon is new to the Challenge, but opens with an impressive 668 point entry featuring some gorgeously painted figures
Lloyd "The Hat" Bowler returns: taking a break from his Romans with some tangential 1/600 ships. Beautiful.
The man-machine that is Matt Slade visits Middle Earth and Faerie: a mix of figures from the maestro
Ed Bowen sends in American War of Independence goodies
There's more re-basing from Mr Hodge
Andy Duffell submits some houses for the table's edge
And last, but by no means least, Carole is still in Darkest Africa

As usual, clicking on the name of the person will take you straight to their gallery (opens in a new window). I'm updating this before work today, so the Scorecard won't be refreshed until tonight.

Here are today's pictures:

Some lovely Carthaginian types from Mr Lampon's first entry

Very clever: table's edge terraced houses

Charlie Foxtrot, submitted by Andy Duffell

1/600 paper ships from Warartisans, built by The Hat

October 14, 2017

TFL Painting Challenge: Big Saturday Update

October 14, 2017/ Robert Avery

A nice variety of beautifully painted figures feature in this week's update:

Carole has some Congo-style adventurers in 28mm
Steve Burt is also still on an African theme
A game of AK-47 has Mr. Hodge re-basing, and he's put together a couple of lovely terrain squares for WW2 Normandy
There are a couple of camels and their handlers from Matt Slade
Mervyn has been barnstorming in 28mm and painting Bavarians in 15mm
There's chicken coup and a few militia from Chris Stoesen
More 28mm Japanese from John Haines, with a few explorers and monsters in 15mm on top
Mr Luther has been painting hard for the 20mm Sharp Practice French and Indian Wars game he is running at the forthcoming Lardy Day GA: 11th November, 10am-7pm, free of charge, Giga-Bites, Marietta, GA
Andy Duffell has broken his drought
And last but by no means least, Mr Helliwell has been painting HYW and 7YW figures

As per usual, clicking on the name of the person above will take you direct to their gallery, which will, open in another tab.

Still plenty of time for the rest of you to get your entries in.

Today's pictures:

Some armed Liberated Ladies (including one who clearly went to the wrong sort of school) from Carole for the Congo

Some gentlemen to take them to the dance, from Mr Burt

More modern Africa: Andy Duffell's light industrial building and occupant

A rather nice Sarissa farmhouse, and a pigpen from Warbases, both from Mervyn Douglas

September 29, 2017

TFL Painting Challenge: Big End-of-the-Week Update

September 29, 2017/ Robert Avery

Well the need to do a Painting Challenge update snuck up on me today. Checked the InBox and there were suddenly masses of entries needing processing.

So, in no particular order, we have:

Maestro Slade with another GW abomination
Some recce units and re-basing from Mr Hodge
Chris Stoesen has some docks for his pirates to play on, and a few figures as well
John Haines continues his quest for bushido
There's a whole load of Soviet people-carriers from Egg
Odds and ends from Jon Yuengling
Mervyn smashes in a second great mass of re-basing
And last, but by no means least, Mr Helliwell adds figures by the score, including enough to put him at exactly 1,000 20mm ACW chaps.

As always, clicking on the name will take you straight through to their gallery (opens in a new window).

Today's pics are below...

Matt's Monstrosity...although I'm not sure the unit markings are quite right ;)

Loving a bit of Samurai action from Mr Haines

Keep them coming!

September 20, 2017

TFL Painting Challenge: Mid Week Round Up

September 20, 2017/ Robert Avery

Pleased to say that enough entries have come in to make a mid-week round-up a bit of a necessity: saves me being flooded at the weekend!

All the regulars are smashing their entries in, but it would nice to see some of the less frequent contributors picking up their brushes, paints and cameras as well. As I've said before, Christmas and the end of this year's Challenge will be on us before you know it, and that lead mountain won't paint itself!

Anyhow, in no particular order, here's this week's update:

Steve Burt is still in Darkest Africa
Plenty of 15mm sci-fi goodness from Carole
Matt Slade is off to the Crusades, twice
Mr Gilbride has an accident with his pillbox and the devil of a time with his church
It's talk like a pirate day from Mr Stoesen
Mervyn has suddenly realised he can get points for re-basing...
And last, but by no means least, Mr Helliwell has some Austro-Hungarians, Gallowglass and a ruined building for us to see

As usual, clicking on the name above will open their gallery in a new window. I'll update the Scorecard tonight.

Here are today's pictures:

Home-made ruins from Andrew Helliwell. Click on the pic in his gallery to see the recipe.

Piratical jump-off points from Mr Stoesen

September 12, 2017

TFL Painting Challenge: Huge Update

September 12, 2017/ Robert Avery

Morning all. This is what happens when I leave the Challenge for more than a week: huge numbers of entries!

That's all good though...the more the merrier...but it would be nice to see some of the less frequent contributors upping their, er, contributions. Come on everybody: it's September already. Time to get those points totals up to record levels. All you have to do is beat what you did last year by one point...

Anyway, onto today's entries. In no particular order we have:

Jon Yuengling with a mix of scales and periods
More sci-fi goodness from Carole Flint
Super-painter Matt Slade pops in two entries: some Crusader-period Arabs and, in contrast, some GW tanks
Fresh from a night out with Yours Truly, Mr Hodge sends in more of his micro armour for Normandy
Mervyn falls short of expectations. Well, his entry is a unit of dwarves...
A colossal entry from Mr Ralls: all WW2, all 28mm
Sapper has more Hittites and a handful of Romans
Chris Stoesen sends in more pirates than would fit on a dead man's chest
Stumpy bases some more Frenchies
And last, but by no means least, Mr Helliwell has been clearing his lead mountain of Germans and Romans