Of Epic Proportions (spring clean challenge 26)

So as the sunrise over the hill I have to admit I have failed. The pledges I made to that little rhino all failed.

It seems so long since I came up with this plan back in March, and in the last three months I’ve leant so much. Yet that doesn’t deflect from the fact I failed.

Point 1: Build and paint 2-3 armies.

Well I built one. OK one and half. In hindsight I spent too long getting used to painting at this scale. Also the side quest to paint the 2nd company distracted me from painting what I needed to do. The Guard where also so much bigger than I thought. My methodology hit problems with the numbers of units and models I need.

I’m really proud of what I’ve done though. I’ve never painted anything quite this small before.

What I’m more proud of the is the whole blood angel force.

Point 2 Find or make scenery.

This felt like a bit of a swiz since the scenery just involved finding a box. I really wanted to make some smoke markers, rubble and proper roads between the buildings. I even worked out how to do it. It was just finding time. Although I’ve crossed off this task, it’s a hollow victory.

Point 3. Play a game.

This was always going to be the hardest. It’s very rare I get to find time to play a game, never mind a game that I no one else plays.

I did better with the side quests. Probably because there represented my distractions.

I managed to paint the Blood Angels 23rd to company. It was a strange idea but I managed to do all the units I needed.

I never managed to paint the Aeronautica planes. Ironically I think I could play a game with the two fighters and the eldar raider. I had issues getting hold of nail polish remover. My usual supplier (poundland) had changed there product, so I never got the two Marader bombers striped and painted. Shame as I really enjoyed painted the bombers

The tributes had to be done. Its quite sad that since starting this project back in March two of the most influential 40k creatives in my life have passed away.

So overall I achieved none of my major goals, but without sounding too cliché I achieved something I didn’t expect. A new way of hobbying. With trying to be a good parent and a good husband means that a lot of your personal hobbies can take a back seat, but I realised it didn’t have to be. With a bit of planning you can grab the time where you can. The paint pens were a lifeline with this. They didn’t require any mess or faff, you just got on with it. To stay I didn’t trust them to begin with, I’ve spent the last couple of days looking for local places that stock them. I’ve enjoyed painting on the go so much, I started to miss it, so I plan to keep going with it.

The other useful item was these cheap reading glasses from the poundshop. Slightly stronger than my reading glasses it meant I didn’t have to constantly squint when trying to paint at such a small scale.

So is this the end of this project? Maybe maybe not. I don’t want to leave it unfinished, and I so want to paint the eldar (there’s an Avatar and a titan) also I never painted the Deathstrike Missile Launcher.

Yet I need to take a break too. I want to paint the four Roman gladiators (see my other project) and I’m now been pressured into painting more of the English Civil War models so that looks like it’s going to have to happen too.