Pendraken 2025 Painting Competition

It's that time of the year...approaching every February, I pause my various hobby projects and dedicate some resources and time to entering the Pendraken Painting Competition. I've had some decent but mixed success with the competition. Some entries won that I didn't expect while others I felt were better didn't. Regardless, it's fun and I enjoy seeing all of the other entries as many of these provide inspiration for future and current projects. 

Vehicle Category:

This is an Egyptian Su-100M from the Battle of the Chinese Farm that occurred October 15 to October 17, 1973. I made some modifications to make it the proper variant: extra fuel tanks, an additional storage compartment on the front right. I also opened up the one hatch and added a crew member. These conversions were either Pendraken bits, green stuff and plasticard. The inspiration for this was a scale model conversion that I saw on the internet. 

Fantasy/Sci-Fi Category:

Here we have the aforementioned Sardaukar on Planet Arrakis from the novel and movies Dune. I realize these fellas are a bit plain with the black uniforms. I added the three gold stripes to the right shoulder pads and tried to accentuate the neon face screens. The basing is plain because I wanted to stay true to the sands of Arrakis. 

Foot - 20th Century Category: 

For the 20th Century Foot category, I am entering this Chinese Infantry Platoon, 1950 Korea. They are based for FiveCore Company Command. Comprising of three infantry sections, there are also assault and leadership attachments that provide an additional order and a bonus in assaults. Additionally, they have some extra firepower with a Russian Maxim machine gun. 

I purchased these figures from Leon over at Pendraken during the 2024 Claymore Convention. At the time, I told Leon I would make these winter-themed with snow bases so I guess I made good on my promise.  

I will put the whole company with various attachments and support weapons into the Open Category - Army category for the competition. 

Open- Army Category:

For the Army category, I chose my Chinese PVA infantry company based for Company Command. 3 overstrength platoons with company heavy weapons, attachments and even a Japanese Type 95 Ha-Go tank in PVA livery. I was pleased with how easy they were to paint up and how the basing and snow effects came out. I really look forward to painting up the Americans as well as some winter scenery and finally getting them on the tabletop for some gaming.. 

Open - Single Base Category:

This base depicts a standard bearer and commissar for the Chinese Peoples Volunteer Army's 38th Army (which was really more like a corps). I found an image of the actual flag online and modified my own image. When I saw the flag, I thought it looked so cool that I had to recreate it. For wargaming purposes, it is just like a commissar in Company Commander (or is it Company Command?). The figures are from Pendraken's WW2 Soviets in winter kit.

Foot - Pre-20th Century Category:

I went with Sassanid Persian levy spearmen for this entry. Originally it was going to be Pathans based for TMWWBK but I called an audible at the last minute. I purchased these figures with the assistance of winnings from a previous painting competition and the plan was to base them up for Dux Bellorum (and using my new bases that I plan to redo my existing DB armies). Unfortunately I couldn't find my bag of dice frames so I based without them. When I find those frames, I will add them to that empty area in the back right corner. I wanted the Sassanids in muted, soft colors. That choice probably doesn't make them "pop" to the eye but I am fine with that.

Mounted Category:

Similar to the pre-2oth Century foot, it was going to be Pathan cavalry based for TMWWBK for the mounted category. I went with Sassanid Persian light horse instead. Muted pinks, creams and whites for the color palette and a green and yellow shield. This code could have really benefited from an additional sculpt to add variety.

And that's it, there are my entries for the 2025 Pendraken Painting Competition. I enjoyed the diversion of painting these however I didn't enjoy photographing them. It is a skillset that I am very ignorant to despite much research and practice! Definitely looking forward to resuming some of my long-neglected projects and ultimately starting some new ones.

Pendraken Painting Competition

Decided to put some of my figures as entries for the contest:

10mm Dark Ages: Step by Step

After posting some Saxons and Late Roman Cataphract pictures on The Miniatures Page, two colleagues (Zargon and CPBelt) mentioned something about providing a tutorial of sorts on how I paint the 10mm figures. I doubt this series of photographs describing the process is all that informational, but here goes:

First step in process is to clean up the figures (filing flash, mold lines, etc.), rinsing them in soapy water to get any grease and dirt off, and gluing them to popsicle sticks. Below are two "sticks" of 10mm Irish.

Once the figures and glue are dry, I prime them tan. If I am out of tan, they can be primed grey or light green. Any lighter, neutral color will do.

After priming, I take Vallejo "Sepia" ink and give the figures a wash. This allows me to see all the details and provides a "black lining" of sorts in recesses which makes painting them much easier. In the case of the Irish, I forgot to take a photo of this stage, so here are some Arthurian cavalry in this stage as a proxy.

Next stage is the most time consuming. I "base-paint" the figures. I usually paint clothes, then flesh, then wood and leather and finally metallics, but it isn't always this order. Fine lines and details don't need to be perfect, no hi-lights, just paint each section the basic color I want it. I usually don't paint shield details or clothing trim yet.

Next up comes hi-light work and trim. Colored bands and borders around cuffs are added. Also, I take lighter versions of all the base colors are used on the figures and add some hi-lighting. Shield designs are painted hi-lighted in this stage. I should add here that I use a wet palette and most of my paints are those found in the eye-droppers (Reaper, Vallejo, etc.). Figures are given a gloss-varnish (I use Testor's) after hi-lighting is complete.

Once the varnish dries (ideally 24 hours but I am not normally that patient), I give them an "ink wash". I used to use a mix of Liquitex acrylic Payne's Gray mixed with Magic Floor Wash. More recently I have been using Army Painter "Soft Tone" from their eye-dropper paint series. It seems to really settle in recesses, even shallow ones. I often add some of my old Paynes/Magic wash to the "Soft Tone" to give it some black hue. The figures below have received this treatment.

After this dries (usually in a matter of minutes), I remove the figures from the popsicle sticks and glue them to bases, along with some pebbles. Below are the Irish alongside some Saxon pals...

Next up, I coat the bases with Liquitex Natural Sand textured gel, which goes on white and dries clear.

After the Liquitex gel dries, I use white glue to apply some Games Workshop loose gravel.

Next up is a base of watered-down brown paint. I use cheap craft paint for this stage. The pebbles are painted gray. I use beat up brushes for this work.

Finally, I drybrush the brown bases with a light tan, and use watered down white glue to add flocking in random patches. Once this is dry, I use super glue to add some Silflor bushes and then dull-coat varnish the stands. They are now complete!

I hope this is informative for some people, I apologize about the poor photos and the lack of detail. If you have any questions, please let me know. Thanks!

Indulgences: Saxons and Cataphracts

While I should be plugging away at more Irish and British to complete my armies, I decided instead to give into something different. I opted to paint some Saxon Warriors and Late Roman Cataphracts, now that I finished I can return to completing my Irish and British armies.

The Saxons are a hodgepodge of figures found within the ranges of Magister Militum and Pendraken. Saxon foederati from the Pendraken late roman range, Anglo-Saxons and Vikings from Pendraken/MM dark age ranges, and some Magister Militum Dacians.

I decided to go with a dark red, black and off-white color palette for the Saxons. Since one of the original invaders was "Horsa" (which I believe means horse), the white horse was used as their icon. I added simplistic white horse motifs to the banner and two of the shields.

The Late Roman cataphracts are from Pendraken. Beautiful two piece castings, I had some difficulty aligning the torsos with lower bodies in anatomically accurate poses. I should add that was an issue with my poor concepts of anatomy, not any fault of the castings.

I went with a purple, red, silver and gold color palette since they represent the cream of the Roman heavy cavalry. They may also represent a British warlord's companions in other battles.

I hope to update soon with more British and Irish additions to my 10mm Dux Bellorum collection.