Tale of Painters - Sign Up

[King Ulrik Flamebeard]

Welcome to the sign up thread to the Tale of Painters. What is this you ask? Well...

This is a year long project in which you, as the painter, is to paint up a single two thousand (200 point army for either Warhammer Fantasy or Warhammer 40,000 (40k). You will be required to paint approximately two hundred (20 points per month, for ten months until you have a final, total and complete 2000pt army.

The point of this thread is;

a) Give those interested a chance to sign up - to do this you will be required to post your username; system and army you intend to paint.

b) To let you see the "rules and guidelines" to the blog.


The actual event will start on the 1st October 2007, so the final sign up day will be the 30th September 2007. Each member is required, each month to post up the following;

a) The 200pts painted for that month
b) Their points cost and equipment (sans the individual costs; total costs only)
c) A full army shot including every miniature that you have painted so far for this challenge.

So, please only post if you are interested in entering; and remember it is for a single 40K or Fantasy army only. Sorry, no duel armies.


KU

[King Ulrik Flamebeard]

THE TALE OF FANTASY PAINTERS

The aim of The Tale of Painters (TOP) is to help motivate those involved to start and complete a 2000 point army in the next twelve months.

The painters involved have made a commitment to paint and post, by the last day of each month, approx 200 points of their chosen army. They do this each month for the next 12 months. Starting with the first day of October 2007.

However, because people have real lives with exams, holidays, honeymoons, new babies etc, etc. They get two 'Jokers'. For two months within the year you can ‘play a joker’ and rather than post an update they can post saying "sorry guys couldn't get it done this month. Real life got in the way." But the other 10 Months they have to come up with (approx) 200 points of painted and based figures. 200 points for 10 out of the next 12 months.

In twelve months time we will all end up with a finished 2000 point army.

All chat, questions, discussion, painting advice, encouragement, tutorials, etc, etc, should be on this thread.
(or in individual painters own project logs).

A new thread will be opened on the last day of each month (and will remain open for a week) for each painter to post one, and only one post with the next 200 point ‘update’ for the army they are painting and a picture of the army to date.


I will just take this opportunity to thank all the painters who have signed up for their interest and enthusiasm and for their ideas that have helped shape this project. I wish you all the best of luck and I hope this project is a big success for everyone involved. I also hope 'the viewers at home' enjoy this results of all the work of the painters involved.



FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

The first post is the short version. However here are some of the Frequently Asked Questions that have come up over the last month during the planning of this project. I have included them here to help clarify some of the finer points.
These can be considered ‘The rules’ If you wish. Although as you read them You will see this is not strictly a competition and consequently the ‘rules’ are not very strict either. However, I hope this help everyone to understand what this is all about.


Q : Am I too late to join in?
A : No. Even now we have started, IF you can come up with 200 points of painted minis before the end of October you have not missed the boat. Make that first deadline and your ‘in’.


Q : I am not in a position to meet the first months deadline. Can I still join in.
A : Well you could play a joker straight away allowing you another month to get models and start painting. But it would be nice if everyone could try (unavoidable circumstances accepted) to post the first month. Just to get the ball rolling.


Q : What if I have an army I have already started.
A : Well I don't think anyone is going to mind if the odd thing is something you had already started. (no-one is going to know anyway!) Just so long as your not starting with a half painted army.


Q : Is it a competition?
A : Not as such. The painters are only really competing against themselves (and all the other challenges and distractions in life which regularly get in the way of painting an army). However, at the end everyone still involved in the thread (IE everyone who completes a 2000 point army). Will be asked to choose their favourites in the following categories:

1) Best painted Army
2) Best themed Army
3) Best converted Army
4) Best General (IE Character model)
5) Best joker or Best excuse used during the competition.


Q : Will there be prizes.
A : Yes. I am just not sure of the details yet. I will come up with something in the next 12 months. Mostly we fight for honour.


Q : How will you know if people are posting stuff they have done fresh for this and not just posting an old army?
A : Simply, I will not know. It is down to trust and an old fashioned word 'honour'. Obviously we could all do that but that would really miss the point of trying to use this as the motivation to help get an army painted. I also think it would take all the enjoyment out of it for the individual.

Q : Can I paint a selection of units from different armies or do they all have to be from the same army
A : The stated aim is to complete a 2000 point army. Involvement in this competition does not stop anyone from painting other things but all posts on these threads must be directly related to the army the painter has chosen.


Q : Can I paint less than 200 points. What if my unit only comes to 175 points.
A : That’s fine. If you do a unit that totals 150 points the next month you try to do one that comes to 250 points. There will obviously need to be this kind flexibility.
However I would like people to try and stay as close as possible to the monthly targets to make comparisons between projects possible. As long as by month one you are around the 200 point mark, month two the 400 point mark, month three the 600 point mark that will be fine.


Q; What happens if painters don’t post 200 points?
A : Nothing really. I guess if Myself and other mods are keeping an eye on things we can issue a friendly word via PM followed by a 'yellow card' warning and finally a 'red card" to anyone falling off the pace.


Q If I have painted more than the required 200 points can I post them.
A : What I would like you to do is only post 200 points even if you have painted more in an effort to stay close to that months target. Saving the extra points until the next month. (My feeling is if some people 'charge ahead' it will demoralize others who only have the time to paint the required 200 points rather than anything more over and above).
In this way you could stay 200 points ahead the whole time if you want so you are never under pressure just posting up last months painting. In effect always having some 'in the bank'.
I imagine some people will paint the whole army in six months but I will ask people only to post as close to the agreed targets as possible.
It is not a race. It is not about 'showing off' or “I am faster than you” This whole adventure is about motivating and encouraging each other. I think the best way to do this is to paint our armies together.


Q : Does my post on the other thread have to be pictures only?
A : No. Posts may include background or explanations of theme or any other information you wish to include n support of your photo’s. (Maybe even a bit of literature for those into writing about there characters/units) but none of this is compulsory.

It MUST include at least one picture of that months 200 point update AND one picture of the complete army to date.

It MUST also include the description, from the appropriate army book of the unit or characters including any equipment, magic items or wargear etc.... and points costs involved AND the total points value of the army to date. (To ensure people aren’t falling behind or racing ahead too much).

Think of these posts as the 'edited highlights' for those who just want to see where we are up to.

Anyone wanting the ‘full experience’ can follow this thread or follow links to your own threads or project logs. (which you are welcome to include in your posts)


Q : Do I need to post an army list.
A : No. Not everybody writes an army list at the start of a project and then sticks to it rigidly. Some people let the army list ‘evolve’ as they collect and paint their figures. The army list is constantly developing as the army expands.
As long as you post the points for the units you have done as you go along so we can see the army taking shape you do not need to post the whole list up front.


Q : Do I have to set up a project log for this?
A : There is nothing stopping people having their own project Log for there work. But maintaining a thread should not be seen as compulsory or even contributing to this 'working thread' If individuals just want to pitch up once a month and say 'here you go guys this is what I have done this month' and then clear off again till next month and have nothing more to do with it that is cool. Different people will have different amounts of interest and enthusiasm for this project and have different amounts of time to give to it.


Q : Does it matter that I have already started a project and have some units based and undercoated and have even started painting some?
A : In an ideal world we would all be starting from exactly the same starting point. A pile of unopened boxes. (And I imagine this will be some peoples starting point).
Some are not even in this happy position. I know some people have been frantically buying stuff on e-bay to scrape together enough models to start painting for the first month.

Obviously as we did not know this is happening everybody will be at different stages

Some will have test pieces done.
Some will have the odd unit or character painted or part painted.
Some will have done extensive GS work on some models.
Some will not have a single miniature yet or even the book and will be starting from scratch. etc, etc,

There will be as many different starting points as painters. I think we must all accept that. We cannot expect anyone to start a brand new project just for this. As long as people do not have a half painted army! I have no way of monitoring what people do so it must be left to 'trust' and 'honour'. If everyone tries to enter the 'spirit' of this undertaking. It will be fine. I trust that everyone who has found or been invited to this thread will try and do just that.

Some people will paint a further 2000 points to something they have already started. Some people will 'confess' in their commentary that the mini(s) they are posting were started 12 months ago but completed for this. Some people will apologize that the first unit they are posting was completed before this officially started because they were already beginning a new army. etc, etc.

All this is OK. I don't want anyone to feel they have to start a brand new army or that they are disqualified from taking part because they have already painted a block of Night Goblins. IF you can paint an additional 2000 points to what you have done...this is better but if you have intended to collect exactly 2000 points then so be it.

I hope everybody else is cool with the relaxed attitude towards this. If anyone is going to get upset at the end because someone gets 'picked' for 'best whatever' who already had a bit of painting done before the official start date maybe this is not the right 'competition' for you.

This is a bit of fun to help motivate all of us to get some painting done and a get a completed army on the table.



KU

[XenomarinesKiller]

i'm in, but i will most certainly fail or not be into painting for part of this time. i'll do my best. after all, talking to my GF on the phone is a great time to paint.

[King Ulrik Flamebeard]

Originally Posted by King Ulrik Flamebeard

a) Give those interested a chance to sign up - to do this you will be required to post your username; system and army you intend to paint.

-___^


KU

[XenomarinesKiller]

gah......

Xeno
40k
Word Bearers

again, i will fail horribly.

[_Toast_]

Well, lets get this started....

_Toast_

40k

Imperial guard.

I do have one tank painted up, with the odd test figure, but im sure its not that bad...hell if it bothers some people, ill just have to paint up another one

[Killswitch]

Okay, good time to start Chaos.

SWAT, Or J if you really want to
40k
My own Chaos Chapter (Fluff to come)

-J

[Aether-Moose]

Aether-Moose

40k

Chaos Warband (Fluff soon to come!)

This oughta be awesome, 'specially as the New Codex comes out here in 2 days Iand I just bought a Defiler on eBay and should get it in the mail soon.

[The Paint Monkey]

The Paint Monkey


40k


Crimson Fists.



I'm all in.

[minus_t]

minus_t

WFB

Beasts of Chaos


So far, I have my Beastlord completed, he is roughly 160ish points, so I have a slight advantage, but not hugely overwhelming, I believe.

Good work Kuffster...
^_-

-t.