Happy New Year!

I'd like to kick off 2018 with some reflections on 2017 and some resolutions going forward. 2017 for me was the year to get things done.  This effort won't be so significant to many who regularly complete painting projects.  But for me it was a big deal, starting primarily with my commitment to the hobby year as defined by 40kaddict. Since the kickoff last September, I have completed five projects for a total of 9 models (three characters, a dread,  and a squad of 5 Custodes) in roughly 3.5 months. I can number many years where I didn't get that much fully painted.

And that wasn't all.  There was a five man squad of Deathwatch veterans for Squaduary, six containers painted and some scatter terrain also fully painted along with most of a team of Tempestus/Astra Militarum for ShadowWar; Armageddon, and a couple Orc test models as well underway.  And a lot of terrain got built.

That certainly accelerated 2016. However, I want to do more!  While watching many other hobbyists out there completing whole armies within a year, I feel inspired to crack on and see what I can accomplish in 2018. I am unlikely to take on a whole army because my love of the hobby spreads my interest in projects all over the range of Imperium models. In 2018, I'll continue to tick off my TODO list from the start of the 2017/2018 hobby season.  Some new stuff will creep in as well since GW isn't going to stand down and stop producing great new stuff to build and paint.

So there will be more Deathwatch, Grey Knights and Dark Angels (new codex, woohoo!!) to come for sure.  I would also like to go back and finish pieces that started out this blog, and which still get new views each month. So the Death Korps Baneblade will get completed for sure before the year is out.  With Necromunda here again, the Sector Mechanicus terrain must see some paint as well.  This is the most ambitious project and should likely get done over a few major stages. I'd like to get the stuff primed and properly based...there there will be a gross dry brushing stage for all pieces...then the details...etc..  So over the year I'll go form playing on loose grey plastic, to stable primed terrain, to table-top quality, to a more professions standard...and eventually to done!

It's going to be a big year for hobby.

For the blog, I'm thinking it is time to step out from simply recording my projects - where the blog started for myself.  I'm planning some new how-to articles where I can share my own hobby processes, such as how I go about custom basing models and terrain...more details on my painting process and choices, etc..  There is a rich field of hobby bloggers out there doing this already, so it is not my aim to prove I do anything better.  I think my niche will be to share what can be done beneath the pro-painting level by the veteran amateur to achieve great results.

That's how I see myself - a veteran amateur.

With 25 years or so in the hobby, yet still have so much to learn;  I routinely make rookie mistakes; and sometimes I change techniques and process seemingly at random. Most of my large collection is unpainted, if lovingly assembled and generally primed or base coated.  I can use an airbrush, but largely only for priming and base coating. I produce pieces I am proud to share like a veteran, but then take months off from painting and when I come back to it, it's as though I'm set back years and have to retrain myself to get the same results again. I have made my hobby career about perfecting the art of the veteran hobby amateur.

And I suspect I am not alone.

Hopefully I can put out some new hobby content that inspires the other veteran amateurs out there.  And while doing that, I also hope I can do my part to support the blogging community.  I draw a lot of inspiration from observing the art and lessons of other bloggers.  I want to give back. My main hobby article for 2017 was the piece about adding shelves to my display cabinets.  I plan to do much more in 2018.

So here is to 2018 and the projects yet to come.

Cheers!

And happy gaming...