To paint or not to paint, that is the question

 This is technically March's post although I am publishing in April. March has been super busy. Well, hobby busy. I have been finishing up on the Analogue hobbies challenge, painting some more Australians for the Illustrious Opponents WW2 challenge and also finishing a couple of entries for the painting competition at Salute. I even have had to interrupt precious painting time by going out and socialising twice this week, yep twice! Yesterday I was lunching with the Distinguished Opponent (Brother in Law) and a couple of other friends and the topic of how much painting we had done recently came up. I of course then had to show them the full result of my efforts for this years Analogue challenge, one friend commented that I had painted more than he had in the last decade! 

This reminded me that not everyone in the hobby is a dedicated painter. I was recently browsing YouTube and ended up watching a video from Siege Studios. As a business they will paint your models for you at various levels of quality depending on how much you pay. I have always completely ignored their stand at shows declaring there is nothing they could do for me, why pay someone else to paint my models? But after chatting to my friend I thought again, maybe some people don't actually find the same enjoyment I do in painting. My friend commented he loves restoring and converting models and really enjoys gaming, but finds painting a chore. I personally went through a period where I really didn't actually enjoy the gaming side of things. (That's another story involving too much meta-gaming.) So I guess everyone's hobby experience is different and if someone wants someone else to paint their models, so be it. 

In my extensive research (watching lots of different chat show style wargaming channels on YouTube) it has also become apparent that some players don't even paint their models before a game. Grey plastic models on the table, how very dare they? I have also learnt to accept that too. I can understand if they don't want to paint them, in the past I have put together a great looking kit then not wanted to paint it in case my paintwork somehow ruins the model. A feeling I have less these days, but there is still the odd occasion. My copies of Space Crusade and Space Hulk don't have a lick of paint on them. I could use the excuse that they are board games and don't warrant it, but really I just don't want to ruin the models. Although my recent foray into painting second edition style 40K has given me some confidence that I probably could do it.

Yep during the Analogue challenge I had great fun painting Orks and Space Marines, I think I may have removed my fingerprints with all the Biostrip I have been using to clean up old models, but I am proud of the results.

It's a bit of a photo dump, so I might save the Orks for another post. I embraced the use of another hobby product for these, Micro-Set and Micro-Sol. They really do help with adding transfers (and keeping them on the model) and a layer of clear acrylic paint on top helps too. 

April I will be attending Salute again this year. I have been trying to persuade Illustrious Opponent he wants to come but we will see, I will however be attending with Distinguished Opponent and possibly a couple of chaps from the club.  The necessities will be of course, speed painting and seeing if any of the other bloggers are getting together for a chinwag. I am once again braving the painting competition, not expecting to win any awards, but its fun putting stuff in the glass cabinets.

Me, last year at Salute, my entry circled. (I swear I do own other hoodies!)

One of my entries this year is a bit delicate, a 3D print that already I have had to sculpt a part of myself to replace some damage. I shall have to pack it delicately and hope nothing happens in transit. 

Shopping wise, there are already a couple of items various companies are teasing on the internet that may be limited in number too that I think my first half hour of the show will be running around grabbing those items. I'm not planning any new projects though, so any other purchases will just be whims I'm sure.  I have a copy of the show guide already, so I might do a little research beforehand to see anything worth investigating. Watch this space...