It has been a long time since I’ve posted in this blog, with a small exception last month. More than three full years, to put a number on it. Lots of things can partly explain it: selling a house, moving, a pandemic, a sick partner (thankfully on the mend), mostly stopping commission work, etc. The list goes on. It was taking time that I didn’t want to put in it. But writing that quick post about the Bushido crew last month reminded me that I do enjoy the writing. Also, I’ve realized that now that I don’t post all the projects on my FB page, it’s harder to track down pictures.
So, I’ve decided to give it another go this year. I don’t think I’ll often publish big posts, but it will be a hobby diary, with quick picture galleries and updates. Even if I end up being the only one to go through it occasionally, it will already have a good use.
Last 3 years in the hobby
Since 2020, my hobby rate has increased quite a lot. More painting year after year, of minis and terrain. Miniatures games playing has slowed down, not out of disinterest, but mostly for the same reasons I’ve published less often. Being at home might explain part of the better numbers on the projects, but I’ve also gotten faster, and settled on a quality level I’m happy with, without trying to paint for contests on all personal projects. Something else new is focus. I’ve been finishing whole projects at once, instead of working piecemeal on random minis. I don’t tackle giant armies, so it might not seem like that big of a deal, but when you think about the fact that it took me more than 4 years to paint my 6-man Guild Ball butchers’ team, it puts things in perspective. I will have to come back and post some of those projects, as I really enjoyed a lot of those, and my gallery is really out of date.
Sadly, I slowed down on sculpting, by a lot, but I don’t think I’ve put that medium down all together. I did sculpt an orc coureur des bois for a contest at the end of 2020, which I really enjoyed, so I’m sure I’ll come back to it.
Another thing hobby related is that I got back into roleplaying. I started in gaming with RPGs, but I hadn’t really played anything serious in almost 2 decades. Since 2020, I’ve played in multiple campaigns and one shots, and even ran those myself, for multiple systems. It has all been online; whilst maybe not my favourite way to play, the convenience of it is undeniable. My favourite campaign was one I ran using Savage World and Deadlands, but under the Dracula’s America miniature game setting. I loved working on the atmosphere and mysteries, and I think the players enjoyed it a lot too.
What’s to come
I’m not giving myself hard rules, and also I don’t think I can repeat last year’s amount of painting, but here is a short list of the projects I hope to work on and complete this year.
Painting
- Paint a second Pulp City crew, and finish my civilians
- Mod and paint a Gaslands team
- Paint the second half of my Dracula’s America Forsakens
- Paint a small-scale force (Warmaster, Epic or Drop Zone Commander)
- Paint a Deep Wars crew
Terrain
- Paint the second batch of weird west terrain
- Build a custom themed Pulp City board
- Make a Mario Kart Gaslands table
Sculpture
- No official projects. I would like to have sculpted something for next year, but painting to play is coming first these days.
Role Playing
- Run a one shot of Havoc Brigade
- Run a small campaign of Wildsea
I will probably do more than that, and I will most probably diverge from those, but it’s a good starting plan I think.
Hopefully I will write again soon.
Tonio
