Thoughts of a Depressive Diplomatist

It is literally years since I last posted an upate on my paint-table and I have barely picked up brushes since then.  If fact, several of those minis in the pictures from Dec 2019 are still collecting dust in a part-painted state.

Quite a lot has happened since then, one of which is that I moved house and no longer have the space and lovely natural light I had in that house.  But this week I actually sat down and did some painting.

They were nothing special or elaborate - just a group of froglings from Lucid Eye, but I needed then for our ongoing 'Evils of Illmire' game that I've been GM-ing.  I finished them this afternoon and this evening they were in play!

The Party and their Frogling allies penitrate the Mantis Mound

As you'll see from the photos, I've been mainly using cardboard standees in games.

It seems a little thing to post about, but it's significant to get back on the painting horse.

It's a long time since I had any newly-painted figures to post here, but many mini-painting blog-owners will tell you that one of the worse things about sharing photos of  WIP and finished mins is the actual photography.

So when I went into my favorite charity shop and saw a light box (apparently designed to photograph cupcakes!), it was a quick purchase.  It doesn't appear to be branded, but it looks as if you can buy something similar very cheaply (£5-£10).

So, some comparision photos (click to enbiggen).  Minis from Crooked Dice, first posted (with their chums) here.

Fig. 1

This was photographed in natural light (outside in March 2017 on a wheelie-bin) using a camera.

Figs. 2 & 3

Taken inside on a dark October evening using my phone.

It's interesting that use of the two provided backgrounds should produce such different images.  

I haven't done any painting since before the summer, but the prospect of hosting my own RPG sessions requires me to get some minis ready for the table.  The group often says nice things about the minis I put on the table, so I thought I'd let that be a prompt to get the brushes out (we all need some encouragement!).  In addition, we're having a bumper session at the end of December, so I thought it'd be nice to have some new options.

So what have I been working on?  Grouped here by manufacturer for ease of identification;

Shield Maiden and Lanterns from Bad Squiddo Games

Hirelings and Not-Bullwugs from Lucid Eye

Frostgrave Cultists

Gnomes from Krakon Games

Those photos are from last week as I did the prep.  I didn't get as far as I intended, but have made some progress...




Seconds after taking the second photo, I snapped the 10-foot pole the hireling is carrying.  Sharp-eyed readers may also spot that one of the gnomes has lost his axe-head.

Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge X


Also, it's that time of the year again.  The AHPC starts towards on 21 December.

I won't be taking part this year: for the past few seasons I've felt like dead wood and that I've been clogging up the limited roster of participants.  I know no-one would begrudge me, but that does take some of the fun out of it for me.  If you are interested though, I would recomend it.  Its not a competition: it's a group of painters working in parallel, having fun and being supportive of each other.

You can follow the Challenge here.

Various blurry adventurers

Generic henchmen/hirelings

Secret project

Those bloody skellies!

I'm glad to say that I can present another Paint Table Saturday.  I'm actually picking up brushes again!  I'm even reconsidering my decision not to take up a slot in the AHPC this year.


The immediate purpose for these minis is our fortnightly RPG.  As it's an open table, we never know who's going to turn up or what characters are going to form the party.  Although the GM likes the aesthetic of using his 1980s cardboard figures (which I think are older than he is!), I feel it's nice for players to have a choice of something a little more three dimensional.  Last time we found that we had no haflings in either form.

This fine feller will be Ranwald the Strong.  Love the scar!

It'll be a couple of weeks before they see any action.  They won't be ready for tomorrow's session.

By my counting it's been week short of a year since I last made a Paint Table Saturday post. 

I didn't realise that it's been so long, but I'm not surprised - it's reflective of the current state of both my blogging and painting.  But regular posts such as Paint Table Saturdays are here to force progress on those fronts, so here goes.

OK, I'm committed to having a bash at the challenge.

This evening I've been looking a my painting table and lead pile to see what needed doing and what was suitable.  The focus is going to be on getting part-done and prepped figures finished.  This will include some I had for the most recent AHPC but also some that are up to three or four years old.  I'm also going to include some new (as yet un-prepped) figures after the others are done.   And not a Dalek in sight!

I found some which just needed a coat of varnish, so I've knocked those off.  Although I've decided that these Won't Count towards the challenge, I'm seeing doing this necessary task as its first positive result.  Equally, there's one that just needs basing. I haven't done it yet, but will do so in time to make a Doctor Who Wednesday posting: perhaps I'll find something else to add to it.

Other than that, there's no Great Plan.  I'll probably decide from day-to-day what get's painted.  If all goes well (ha!), there will be a nice mix and some useful minis at the end of the 30 days.

My submission date for Painting Challenge entries is Wednesday, so I've been intending Thursday to be my regular spot for an update...


These were all the usable Terminators from the second-hand box I acquired (it was obviously one of 'those gifts' - someone had tried to assemble the minis, broken several and then given up).  I've saved the broken ones in my gash box, just in case I ever do a Mad Scientist's workshop. 

I also have a batch of Future Resistance fighters, but no plans to paint them during the Challenge.

A WIP post for Zombtober. Not for today - because today has been crap - but for yesterday.

So, I spent a little time de-spruing and assembling some Zombs.  I got a half-dozen done before the inevitable meeting between craft knife and index finger.  Fortunately, I had some superglue on hand.

Tomorrow they *might* get primed, which would give me a dozen to play with before the end of Week 3 on Sunday.  What's the betting I only have one complete yet again?

Again, these are Zombs from Warlord Game's Project Z.   I must admit to being somewhat disappointed that the Zombie Horde expansion pack merely duplicates the sprues in the core box.  Am I naive in this?  I'm not terribly fond of the female figures (both Zombs and survivors), who are all a bit tits and ass for my liking - but again, that's probably just me being picky.

Blogging Schedule

If things go to plan, you should see the following posts this week.  But who knows, something exciting might happen to mix everything up!

Thursday - JRRT books
Friday - Dwarves and gargoyles
Saturday - Paint table
Sunday - Zomtober

OK, so having decided to make an effort to play something on or before International Naval Wargames Day I was left with the minor problem of not having any teenie-tiny ships.

Now, for anyone else in this situation, I'd recommend printing out some of the free images from the Junior General (either top-downs or waterline images) or perhaps buying some of the top-downs from Topside Minis.  However, I don't currently have a working printer and don't want to wait for the transatlantic post (however tempting it it to refight the Battle of Coronel for under ten quid!).



So, half an hour with the old EVA foam sheets, rounded scissors and superglue, and I have the nuclei of those old adversaries: Red Fleet and Green Fleet.

Now I could waffle on about the usefulness of having non-scale- and non-unit-specific counters instead of beautiful miniatures, but the brutal fact is that this the limit of my crafting skills.  I wanted something quick and dirty for what is in effect a play-test of rules.  For me the important bit is knowing which way the ship is pointing, and these will do.  The space abaft of the ships (d'see what I did there!) is to add some form of identifying mark.  At the moment I'm thinking of a sticker that can be quickly removed.  One of the other advantages of EVA sheets is that they will take drawing pins, if that's how I choose to mark damage.



Another advantage is that having scissors and glue out is getting one step closer to getting brushes and paint out...

It's 'fun-with-coffee-stirrers' week this time.  Otherwise known and 'super-glue-fingers-together-Sunday'.  Some quick-and-dirty terrain.

I think the photos speak for themselves...

A bridge

Some walkways

The off-cuts make signposts.  A little under-sized, but as it'll be the work of moments to make more, I'm not too bothered...


Lastly, I don't think I shared the following recent charity shop find.  Any suggestions (other than kindling)?

Sorry for the blurriness

The building and bases (two bags for a pound - much cheaper than my usual option of using 2p pieces) came from a chap who's name I should know, and seems to do most of his trade on FaceBook.  The house was £6.00, which I consider very good value.

I may share more loot tomorrow (unless I make a Dr Who Wednesday post).