I keep forgetting to mention this, which is odd as I find it so entertaining. Many of you will know this, though I’d guess a few won’t (the internet is quite large). In case you don’t know it, the Lead Adventure Forum (LAF) is a forum about miniatures, with the emphasis on painting. It’s got a linked range of Lead Adventure figures (really Ratnik), which include some excellent weirdness – see above, but today I would like to point out its annual competition: the Lead Painter’s League (LPL).
This year is LPL 9, and the astute among you will realise that it’s been going for a while now. What I like about the LPL is that it has a wide mix of abilities, and the forum is overwhelmingly positive. With a number of negative sites about, it’s nice to browse though the LAF, where it feels like a bunch of mates who are happy to offer help and advice.
What’s also interesting is that while the top painters on the LAF are very good, they aren’t all Golden Demon winners because they mostly game with their models as well as paint them – meaning these are standards that are practical for whole gaming forces. For real people. Well, sometimes ;P
What’s also interesting is the variety of styles employed. There’s a definite lean towards Dallimore-esque layering, but that’s far from universal. So, plenty of hints to be picked up and ideas to be stolen inspire.
Anyway, the LPL runs on a weekly basis, with contestants putting up something every week, to be judged by the forumites in pairs (I think that anyone registered on the forum can vote – I certainly do). Some are great paint jobs, some just dipped, though the pairs tend to put similar qualities together, so it’s not always easy to pick a favourite regardless of the level of technical skill, which is clever. The breadth of models the contestants manage to find is huge, and I’ve discovered several companies in this way. For that alone I find it a worthwhile place to lurk in 🙂
For additional inspiration, all the previous rounds from all the previous years are also available for your perusal, so there’s plenty of eye candy. Have a look for yourself.
Quirkworthy 
Please do join next year in LPL 10 😉
I find that is helps me focus on finishing the projects that I have, which otherwise often seem to stay at the 95% done stage and is a very good reason for painting completly different models or scenery.
I did however found out that since a few years (with family life), I actually do need to have that backlog of unfinished projects for the LPL. If I don’t have those, my output will be to low. Painting five miniatures every week for ten weeks in a row and producing pretty pictures is for me quite demanding (and can be that in a relations as well).
I wanted to join in last year, bought all the models and then ended up with too much (real) work. I didn’t get my act together in time this year (and was buried by work again). I would love to try my hand next year, so we’ll see how that goes. Definitely something I wanted to do, but you’re right that it’s a real challenge (though that’s really part of the draw).
Maybe I’ll arrange a ten week holiday next year, so I have plenty of time 🙂
That sounds doable 😛
Doh. I’d not thought of doing it that way. Pick 10 projects, and get them prepared and part of the way there, then just finish the job for the LPL…
I can do that.
LAF is my favourite miniatures forum for many reasons, but the emphasis on constructive criticism over the very needy and hostile approach seen elsewhere is the clincher.
The LPL tempts me every year, but the format doesn’t suit my highly strung attitude to hobby time. There are always miniature ranges and ideas that I come across in the entries that inspire me hugely though, I love looking at the entries.