I've been painting my Napoleonic Danes for a while now. I just have one battalion of the Schleswig regiment to paint. I've painted 10 battalions, 3 regiments of cavalry (well 2 and a half) and 4 batteries of artillery. The end is in sight. One weekend and it's done. The figures are mounted on painting sticks and primed and ready to go. I know I just need to get that cutthroat red open, and I'll be away.
I'm sure I'm not the only one who has come to this end of project slump. (Awaits responses to prove him wrong.)
So why aren't I leaping to get them done? There are number of reasons I think.
Repetition fatigue. If I painted 7 battalions in similar uniforms to the 2nd Schlewig, I've painted 525 figures very like these 75. The last unit I did was the 1st Scheswig so I don't even have the fun of different facings. I do try and mix the units so I'll do something like line, cavalry, line, light, line, artillery ... but for "reasons" my last 4 of the Danes have all been line infantry.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52414938238_c45f46b2c4_z.jpg)
Distraction I've sidelined into a few other projects whilst painting the Danes. Most of this is not my fault :^o - Pendraken just had to start the Cold War, and the Arab-Israelis, and then there were the Romans and, and, and ... Partly this is me thinking "oh it's just a little project", and they mostly are. The Soviet force I've amassed is 22 vehicles and about 100 infantry. Just 100! That's just over a battalion of the Napoleonics - and the US forces are 1/3 the size of the Soviets! As a palate cleanser these are a great little break from all those red coats and blue trousers, but take the Soviet, US, UK, Egyptian and Israelis together and I have a considerable distraction. The Danes are now "yesterday's project" and a chore to complete.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52628874365_9e2f7d7a5f_z.jpg)
But the BTR60 is superb. I couldn't resist.Taking too Long I started painting the Danes in June 22. That's 7 months on this project. Similar sized projects like the Bavarians or the Poles I have completed in 3-4 months. This is linked to the distraction "excuse" as when I'm painting BTR60s, I'm not painting Danes, but the longer it goes on, the lower the excitement. I'm probably being a little unfair to myself. Life intruded into my hobby space quite aggressively last year and my poor Danes took the brunt.
(https://media.tenor.com/p_UlHcDs4o4AAAAj/this-is-taking-too-long-kyle-broflovski.gif)
Loss of focus As I am in the painting phase of a project, I'm in the research and purchase phase of the next. My next project is (definitely) going to be the Ottoman Army, so my mind now revolves around
Orta and
Sipahi rather than
Infanteriregiment and
Lette Dragoner. The Danes may not yet have passed the baton, but the Ottoman runner has started their run with their hand outstretched to receive it.
Ottoman ->(https://thumbs.dreamstime.com/b/female-runners-relay-race-29655276.jpg)
<- DaneDistraction (2) So my next project it the Ottoman army - right? Yeah. Right. Unless the Amazons get released. the SciFi would also be a distraction, but a fraction would be a small force*. 10 factions though? That's starting to sound like a major distraction which I may not be able to resist.
As a more concrete example, Pendraken stocking the Vallejo Xpress is a serious risk to my plans. I've watched a few videos about the slapchop method and quite fancy having a go BUT I'm not going to mix painting styles on my table. So I'd really need to start a new period to try out the Xpress paints. Yes, I've been revisiting my English Civil War lists (a pox on your "War of the Three Kingdoms") and wondering if Xpress Sombre Grey would suffice for Hodden Grey. :-\
What is the answer?
My spreadsheet helps. I have listed each force with the status on purchase and painting. The orange "some" in the painted column is a constant reproach. It is an orange carbuncle in my sea of green "dones". Just need to finish the 2nd Schlewig and there's another green.
| | Inf | Cav | Art | Guns | Veh | Cmd | Bought | Painted |
| Denmark | 795 | 100 | 56 | 8 | 4 | 14 | All | Some |
Clear the tray After I finish units, I put them on a tray so I can see the army build as I paint it. My poor Danes have been clogging that tray for too long and I need to clear it for the next project. Which is Ottoman Army Napoleonic. Definitely.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52414938313_1a67f611df_z.jpg)
The Tray in October 22 Just do it Stop posting on the Forum, put Xpress into next month and get on and do it. Bit of discipline!
So that's what I'm going to do.
(https://media.tenor.com/-BwEeXo3u44AAAAd/goodbye-for-now-bye.gif)
* I have three sizes of forces:
- Large- e.g. Napoleonic - around 900-1000 figures
- Medium - e.g. Ancients - around 400-600 figures
- Small - e.g. Cold War; up to company sized units at 1:1 - 100-150 figures plus 20-25 vehicles
Know that feeling. Refurbing my 25 medievals, got 150 on trhe go, along with several 15mm vehicles, 10 28mm Yanks, 12 28mm Turcoploes and finally 30 10 mm pictish skirmishers.
If you need any assistance with the Napoleonic Ottoman Turks, feel free to ask, I have lots of info including nearly all the individual Janissary Orta flags (hint Pendraken Flag sheet called Janissary flags only has two that belong to Janissary units - the white flag with the red hand is the 24th Djeemat Janissary Orta, the flag to the right of it is one carried by every Janissary Orta like a national flag or king's colour)
(https://i.postimg.cc/MTnGmFy8/pendraken-ottoman-janissary-flag.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
all the rest on that sheet are random selection from I don't know what.
I presume you are using Magister Militum for a lot of the figures?
Mark
That's not helping Mark ;D
Nobby, schedule a game using the Danes for two weeks time and give the 2nd Schlewig a prominent role ;)
(https://www.shutterstock.com/image-illustration/hello-getting-things-done-red-260nw-335826563.jpg) :D
Know the feeling Nobby.
Four projects, no, five, on the table right now, one in a box waiting for base paints.
Actually, one in the box ready to post after machine Modi g it yesterday...
Three ready to base, one to continue assembly (needed for game on Wednesday, oh cripes) and the Amazing Mrs Kennedy is breaking out her overlocker today...
I always slump at project end.
Today the slump is caused by waiting for eldest daughter to get up so I can enjoy my biannual bath once she is done with the bathroom, then it's that I know I need to clear the 50+ paints off the (winter painting) board ready for basing, that involves going into the (not quite) sub-zero (Kelvin) conservatory to put paints back in the rack, and load up basing materials. Yuck. (Am I using too many brackets).
Hugs
The other thing pushing me forward is the fear of an incomplete project and worse, an abandoned project. It's never quite the same when I pick it up afterwards.
Paint board cleared this morning.
Already 19 colours back on it!!!
Danes Done! Sorry about the colour on these pics.
Based on the Auxilliary Corps at Sehested in 1813.
Vanguard: Schleswig Jaeger, Holstein Sharpshooters (2); Holstein Lt Drag; 6pdr Ft
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52645170974_ec7c0b144f_z.jpg)
1st Brigade: Oldenberg (2), Holstein (2); Queens Life; Hussars; 6pdr Ft & 3pdr Ft
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52645170884_0f1c4d4659_z.jpg)
2nd Brigade: Funen (2), Schleswig (2); Jutland Dragoons; 6pdr Ft
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52644916131_6059f852cd_z.jpg)
Prince Frederick of Hessen, Staff and ADCs
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52645170669_29a0979682_z.jpg)
Ensemble 795 infantry, 100 cavalry, 8 guns
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52645354560_9874ec1dde_z.jpg)
... and a company of T62s supporting a motor rifle company (I'm setting up a Cold War game, and they happened to be on the table.)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52644916461_a24e4980c3_z.jpg)
Thank you Paul, for the supportive and encouraging messages.
That is very impressive - well done in pushing through to complete the Army! And army it certainly is. I do like the artillery trains in particular.
A a little side of Cold War armour to round things out!
Love those Nobby, great work.
:-bd =D> :-bd
=D> =D> =D> =D> =D>
You're most welcome :)
Your Danes and Soviets look excellent fsn.
Nice work finishing them all, always good feeling when a project comes to fruition.
They look good Nobby, not sure the Danish artillery will be much good against the T72's though :)
I am envious, my 20mm French 1940 Platoon has stalled.
Thanks, chaps. :-[ Very pleased to have got that one done.
My next project is, of course an Ottoman army ... and I'm in the purchasing phase which may take some months so I won't start painting them for a while ... which means I need a new painting project and those early Scots (circa 1314) may have to be painted in the Xpress colours that I ordered (I was wrong, it wasn't 12 it was 14) and since they haven't arrived yet ... I don't have a current painting project! :o
Oh hang on - those Finnish aircraft. :D
Whilst waiting, must just check out the Pendraken Finnish range ... and all those WWI goodies too ...