Spartans - All done bar the basing!

I'd been looking forward to returning to my Spartans all day. So, straight onto the painting (a.k.a. kitchen) table when I got home tonight in order to make the most of the fantastic evening light.

'Blue' Spartan Platoons No.2 and No.3 were finished in record time. I also emptied the last zip bags of GZG New Israeli odds and sods to create a couple of additional support squads and then just painted every last miniature left on the table until there is a small sea of blue. My thoughts turn to Chelsea and I'm reminded of the 1979 the FA Cup Winners Subbuteo team I owned as a kid. Chelsea's main rivals were rather surprisingly Brazil, whom I don't think ever actually played at Stamford Bridge........

By 8.30pm, 60 plus Spartans and 3 conversions done in just two nights, with plenty of time spare to crack open a bottle of wine and plump down on the sofa with Heather to cringe in unison at the latest episode of The Apprentice on the BBC. Best TV of the week.

Cheers
Mark

Blue is the Colour!

My search for an adversary worthy of my Victorian Science Fiction army is over at long last courtesy of SPACE CAPTAIN SMITH by Toby Frost.

Imagine GZG Ixx as the Ghast Empire hive intent on exterminating square jawed Victorian hero, Captain Isambard Smith, his eclectic crew, oh and all humanoid life!

I've only just begun this frivolous Victorian Sci Fi homage to Flashman, but loving it already and left somewhat inspired.......

......And my painting is too, following yesterday's good talking to by myself. This evening I finished 'Blue' Spartan Platoon No.1, Company Command and two scout/recce bases. OK, not a lot of figures compared to what I could potentially achieve in an evening after work, maybe, but through breaking down the task into smaller much more manageable chunks, I'm actually enjoying what I'm doing. So much so that I also completed from scratch an unplanned and very much ad hoc 'strike platoon' (blue armour, silver helmets and green visors). And oh! They do look cool!

But, it didn't stop there! Bouyed up, I also converted a couple of spare New Israeli minis into Vargr Mercs using Wolf Beast Heads from Peter Pig (Range 6, pack 42).

(pics to follow once green stuff is dry)

All in all a successful but more importantly, enjoyable evening!

Cheers
Mark

Another Spartan FWC Company in Progress

We took a few days out last week, in no small part due to my discovering a potent wine called Elephants Trail. In addition, a business related trip to Edinburgh allowed Heather to pass the doors of Valvona & Crolla “Edinburgh’s undisputed food heaven”, on her eway home and return laden with mucho fine Italian goodies. So we decided to pull up the drawbridge, drop the portcullis and have some quality 'us' time.

Refreshed, renewed and with a gloriously sunny morning heralding the potential for the first BBQ of the season, the omens seemed to be in favour of it being a good day for painting miniatures. Now, I'm not one to thumb my nose at the gods )often), so I began another FWC 'Company' of Blue Spartans using GZG's 15mm New Israelis. I deliberately focussed on a known quick win to jump start my motivation this week and get some real momentum back under way!

I find mounting them on old CD's gives me a lot of control

whilst also reminding me that I am painting
units rather than individuals.

I thoroughly recommend you read this excellent piece on painting Motivation and Momentum on The Painting Corps blog. Just don't read it whilst drinking a glass or two of Elephants Trail! As you will find all motivation, as well as all sense of feeling, slipping away......

On the subject of motivation and momentum, another thing I happened upon in mounting my figures on CDs, is that each one holds enough figures for 1 FWC platoon (or FAD/AA:FoF squad). If the idea of painting boltgun metal on the weapons of 30 guys in one sitting seems a chore, I know that if I get the weapons, visors and gauntlets completed on these 8-9 figs tonight, and maybe even base them as well, then at least I've finished a platoon. If I can't be arsed to complete more minis tonight or simply run out of time, then I'll do the second platoon tomorrow, but if something crops up so I can't paint, at least I've accomplished something and finished a whole platoon ready for gaming.

Notice that I am using a subtle psychology on myself by talking in terms of 'platoons' rather than no.s of bases or miniatures. By thinking in terms of platoons, completing a 'platoon' convinces me that I've accomplished more than implied by 3 or 4 'bases' of miniatures. Also, looking at the task remaining ahead, I now ONLY have two more 'platoons' to finish, which feels less of a chore than thinking of 9 -12 'bases'.

Cheers
Mark