August 2010 Painting Report

August has been a fantastic month on the painting front. I completed all the items on my plan, and started on those for September. These first two months are packed with painting and I had expected to have to slide some things to later in the Fall...but if I keep at it in September, things are looking great.

Imagi-nation:
3 x 12 figure Infantry units: 36 points

Flames of War:
121 x US Rifle Company figures: 121 points
96 x GE Fallschirmjager : 96 points

Other:
Otter Fort: 10 points
Painted the bases on about 60 bases of the imagi-nation OPFOR: 0 points

TOTAL: 253 points !!!

Plans for September are:
1) US Para Platoon
2) GE Grenadier Platoon (need to order 2 medium bases)
3) 4 x 12 figure Infantry units for Imagi-nation
4) 13 x Splintered Light Hares
5) Hare fort

Gaming:
Continued the skirmish game we have laid out in the basement. Need to finish this one.
Also got in a few games of Memior.

Purchases:
Nothing! For the first month since I started gaming/painting, I did not make any purchases. Since making my year-plan, I am going to watch what I buy so the lead mountain stays a mole hill.

Fallschrimjager Company

The second company for Flames of War troops...ready to battle the US Rifle Company I did for my son. Next up is a US Para Platoon and a GE Grenadier Platoon. Following those up with a US Rifle Platoon and GE Fallschrimjager Platoon to bring both companies up to three full platoons.

Otter Fort

The first of my homemade terrain pieces for the Song of the Splintered Lands figures by Splintered Light Miniatures. The mound is styrafoam covered with spakle. Sticks and briars are from the yard, and flock is Gale Force 9 grit and static grass.

Yerka Isle Yeomanry

A regiment consisting of all able body men on the island. The remote location of the small towns and villages on the island makes consolidated training rare.

Roover River Ranger Cadets

This Regiment consists of the sons of wealthy merchants that can buy a spot in the Rover River Military Academy. This is a government subsidized, but privately run academy distinct from the national military academy.

Dookles Deserter Battalion

This battalion consists of recruits given one last chance to serve after having been caught deserting. Discipline is strict, pay is witheld until a year of service, and anyone caught deserting a scond time is shot on the spot.
The NCOs are drawn from each regiment in the army and are distinguished by the tophats.

Long Term Plan as of 21 NOV 2010

---Updated 17 Oct 10

I have been working on a long term plan to organize my projects for the next year. It is agressive, but I want to start bringing some projects to maturity so I can keep organized and not develop a mountain of unpainted lead. My planned purchases are limited for the coming year:

1) FOW platoons at each convention
2) Keep buying 1 of each Splintered Light animal pose
3) Maybe get more of the Blue Moon FIW 15mm range for the imagi-nation.

My stand by at any time will be the Splintered Light figures as I have only about a dozen of each animal so I can finish a group quickly if I hit painter's block on other projects.

I plan to make a unique terrain piece/fort for each SL faction too.

August 2010:
1) US Rifle Company (done)
2) GE Falschrimjager Company (done)
3) 3 x 12 figure Infantry units for Imagi-nation (done)
4) Fort for the Splintered Light Otters (done)
5) Finish painting the imagi-nation enemy forces bases green  (done)

September 2010:
1) US Para Platoon (done)
2) GE Grenadier Platoon (done)
3) 4 x 12 figure Infantry units for Imagi-nation (done)
4) 13 x Splintered Light Hares (done)
5) Hare fort -------(Delayed)

October 2010:
1) 18 x SL Rats (done)
2) Rat fort -------(Delayed)
3) 2 x SL Wolverines (done)
4) 4 x 12 figure Infantry units (done)
5) 7 x SL Badgers (done)
6) 3 x tanks (done)
7) 1 x camp (done)
8) prime figures for the winter (done)
9) SL Squirells (done)
10) rebase purchased enemy imagi-nation units (8 inf, 5 cav units) (done)

November 2010:
1) US half-tracks (done)
2) US Armored Rifle Platoon with dismounted machineguns (done)
3) GE Fallschrimjager platoon with MGs, Mortars, and snipers (done)
4) US Rifle Platoon (done)
5) GE half-tracks and STUGS (done)

December 2010:
1) 8 x 12 figure Infantry units for Imagi-nation (end of the Infantry)

2) SF Foxes
January 2011:
1) 12 x 8 figure Cavalry units for Imagi-nation (end of the Cavalry)
February 2011:
1) Imagi-nation civilians, generals,  and odds/ends

March 2011:
1) Imagi-nation equipment such as limbers, wagons, and ambulances

April 2011:
1) US Platoon (bought at Cold Wars)
2) GE Platoon (bought at Cold Wars)

May 2011:
1) Space Ships for Starmada

2) Remaining modern skirmish figures
June 2011:
1) Finish SL figures

July 2011:
1) US Platoon (Historicon purchase)
2) GE Platoon (Historicon purchase)


This takes me out a year and 2.5 years since I started painting/gaming/collecting. It will mature many of my projects (except ancients and pirates) allowing me to get more focused on gaming.

US Rifle Company (FOW)

Pictures of the Flames of War US Rifle Company my son and I painted. Also first try at using basing materials.

Basing Technique

I have tried my first dynamic basing...moving beyond just painting green on my Litko 1.5mm bases.

I did this for my son's US Rifle Company for FOW.

1) Score bases
2) Paint CraftSmart brown acrylic paint around the edges
3) Glue on figure with Elmers PVA
4) Cover base with texture consisting of Vallejo grey course pumice and the CraftSmart brown paint
5) Drybrush with US Tan Earth (70874)
6) Small pathes of GaleForce 9 fine basing grit (watered down glue)
7) Cover most of remaining surface with GaleForce 9 green static grass (watered down glue)
8) Spray with Army Painter matte varnish to seal and dull the figures (finished with the Army Painter dip)

Will post a shot of the finished product next.