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This challenge has held my interest over the past month, both in the thread and in individual WIPs. Whenever I thought it had reached a summit, another brilliant miniature (or two) was unleashed into the fray! I have been part of this forum for probably about 2 years now and whilst I can't speak for before that, this challenge I honestly think has surpassed all others to a huge extent, in terms of the sheer number of high quality entries, as well as some of the most unbelievably realistic pieces that for me lead the field. In addition, the number of entries is impressive on its own and I feel slightly regretful that I wasn't able to partake in, in my opinion, 'the great challenge of our time'! Need to take my paints with me to uni next time!
Having said all this, there are a few entries that for me, come at the top. Of these, a few are bordering on some of the best miniature painting I have ever seen. So, from the top, my favourites are:
Bandobras Took: I love the realism of this piece. Gritty yet unnervingly believable. I particularly love the highlighting on the horses on the shield and the realistic determination in the face of the captain. In my opinion the miniatures together perfectly conjure up the essence of Rohan. I can picture both figures standing resolute amidst a band of loyal kinsmen at the fords of Isen.
Dead Marsh Spectre: As always, stunning work. Flawless brushwork and a very precise looking miniature. You have certainly captured a regal quality, I think emphasised particularly by the freehand on the cloak. The pattern is very well done, following the folds perfectly, which I can imagine is no mean feat. A beautiful display of technical painting. The marble is also a nice touch.
Karavitis: In my favourites list for the sheer originality of the scribe. I honestly despise the Great Goblin model, but you have done the paint job well. The cart though is brilliant, and although I probably like it so much mainly for the conversion work rather than the painting, the painting on both is effective and gives an eery sickly feel, as befits such ugly dwellers of the mountains.
Silverhand: Another entry that probably draws me more for the conversion than the painting. The conversion is effective and perfectly fits the 'book feel' of Tolkien's work. Since however this challenge is on the painting quality, I think that you have done the conversions justice and successfully breathed life into Tolkien's varaigs with a realistic colour scheme that is not overly bright like many others you see around.
Gandlaf: I have followed this piece with interest for the duration of its making and it is by far one of the standout works of the competition for me. I have to say that when you added the purple glaze in your WIP I thought, "why has he done that? It looked so much better before!" However, seeing it now in the finished piece, it adds depth in a way that I couldn't have guessed. The miniatures are painted, in my opinion, to realism and then a bit further. The plate metal looks like it has been polished and the blue cloak reminds me of the beautiful blending done by, I think, Argish previously in his WIP. However, what really takes this piece beyond just another pair of brilliantly painted miniatures is the base. It is very realistic, and frames the miniatures well. I love the roots particularly. Overall, your piece reminds me of Roman's stuff on Massive Voodoo. Well done, sir.
BillFerny333: Lovely miniature. Hats off to UKFB for the conversion, but you have done it justice. I love the 'feel' of this miniature more than anything else. Whilst the NMM is not quite as smooth as some of the other entries, it gives a tarnished look that I quite like. However at the same time the miniature looks very technically clean and well executed, with effective basing to boot. Can't quite describe why this miniature looks so good to me, but it does!
MacGothmog: Some of the best NMM I have ever seen. Your NMM doesn't fall into the trap that many seem to of making it TOO shiny, in a way that only works with elves. Yours seems to have got there and then been dulled into the realism that befits Rohan. Similar to Bandobras, you have captured the essence of the Rohirrim, in addition to the painting itself being of flawless quality. Highlights for me include Theoden's shield in which the gold lining is precisely executed. Best of all however is the face of Hama, which in my opinion, is one of, if not the, the best regions of paint in this entire challenge. You would almost expect it to be a full sized bust for the detail you have put in.
PowerOfWill: Another entry that captures the essence of the situation well. You can imagine these figures urgently regrouping in the ruins of Osgiliath. The novel colour schemes are an eye-opener. You have cleverly given enough new material, coupled with traditional colour scheme, that these miniatures fit perfectly in place while standing out in a big way. The cloak is technically brilliant, yet for me the standout part is the banner, which looks like it is truly flowing. I think the base, in a similar way to Gandlaf's entry, is what makes this piece so effective at portraying a scene.
Having singles out these entries, I definitely am not devaluing the quality of the other works of art. In any other challenge many of them would be right up there at the top. However, these for me stuck out, and I feel that, if it weren't for the number of brilliant entries, each would have won any other challenge. I almost feel double points and votes should be issued for this challenge! My votes are currently swaying between Gandlaf, PowerOfWill, MacGothmog, DMS and Bandobras Took. Inspirational painting, and good luck to all.
'And so it begins, the great painting challenge of our time.'
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