Dawn of the Lead

Another year done, time to look back! It’s been a pretty nice year hobby-wise, actually, despite the blog being sadly very quiet. Highlights of the year in terms of gaming-related things were definitely Cheetor (of sho3box) visiting us in Helsinki in the summer for all sorts of shenanigans including a couple of nice Ghost Archipelago games, as well as getting to go to London for Salute this November. Getting into 40k was a weird surprise too, but a welcome one too!

So, how did I do in terms of my resolutions for this year?

Finish at least one stalled project

Yes! I finished the brig’s rigging, finally bringing this project to a close. Seeing as this was the model that prompted the resolution, this was a resounding success. Another piece that kind of goes into this territory is finally painting up the A.T.A.C APC that I reviewed way back in 2013. Instead of my Colonial Marines, it ended up being repurposed as a Chimera for my 40k project. I’ll show it to you eventually, promise!

Paint at least 100 miniatures and other pieces

Yes! A total of 105 plus two bigger finished pieces (the brig mentioned above and the crab ship). I’m really, really happy about this one, as it basically means I spent more time on the hobby and loosened up a bit as a painter. Citadel’s Contrast range has helped a lot, as I’ve developed a more relaxed style of painting that still gives really nice results.

Paint something I feel is out of my reach

Yes, sort of. While I didn’t tackle an old classic or one of those super pretty Hasslefree pieces, I did print and paint the crab ship, which is a huge centrepiece kit covered in detail, exactly the kind of thing that would typically remain printed yet unpainted for years and years.

Blog regularly and participate in our lovely little micro-blogosphere

No and yes. For the blog this must’ve been one of the most quiet years so far, but I did keep up to date on the blogs I’m a regular reader of – for years now. I want to streamline my photography process, because this is where most stuff stalls. I’ve painted more than in years, yet blogged less than in years, so there’s a bit of a disconnect there. Some kind of semi-permanent setup would probably help with this.

Paint something just for the fun of it

Kinda sorta! The crab ship (that seems to come up a lot on this list) was a kind of a spur of the moment thing. I don’t really need it, nor will it see gaming use in years if ever, but it’s a cool model. Same goes for the lizard beast – while it was painted with Ghost Archipelago in mind, there’s not a direct equivalent for it in the game and I just wanted to paint something bright and tropical.

Learn some freehand

Hard no. I’ll push this resolution up to next year, as it’s something I still struggle with. I’ll get there eventually!

New year, new resolutions!

Learn some freehand

Not giving up on this one.

Paint at least 100 miniatures and other pieces

Another one I’m bringing over to the new year – it has been a welcome goal, not too stressful yet concrete enough.

Build a 1000 point 40k force

A very concrete task, this one. I currently have a couple of hundred points – maybe 500 once I finish a tank. At the 1000 point mark I’ll see if I need/want any more.

Try solo gaming

I’ve got the rulesets and the interest, but for some reason I’ve yet to get a game on. This is something I want to rectify.

Clear some backlog

Stashed-away miniatures, I guess we all have them – whether we think of them as a pile of shame, a pile of potential, or just the more neutral backlog – and I want to cut into mine. I want to paint some of it, get rid of things I’m unlikely to ever paint, and so on.

Experiment with something new

I like to develop my painting skills, or at least let them evolve. Next year, I want to try something new: a new kind of paint, a new technique, a fancy modelling material, something. I might like it and make it a part of my repertoire, or I might not, but without experimenting I’ll never know, will I? Not a bad approach to life in general, I think.

That’s it, six resolutions for the hobby year, let’s see what happens.

On this note, thank you everyone for the past year – the world may be messed up in a lot of ways, but there’s a lot of good out there and in us as well. On that note, I wish you all a happy new year and a better 2022!