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Wednesday, January 1, 2020

Painting Log: 2019

With year-end, time to take stock of the progress made in getting figures painted and onto the table.  Well, painted anyway since getting figures onto the gaming table is sometimes a challenge.  Less of a challenge this year than in years past, though.  I managed at least 26 games not counting a number of solo games and several multi-game sessions which I counted as one.  In that respect, 2019 was a leap forward in gaming activity.  Let's see if I can keep the momentum rolling in 2020.

On the painting front, 2019 exceeded my expectations on the number of figures passing across the painting desk.  Back in January, I posted a goal of 900 figures for the year.  I ended 2019 at a count of 1,630 figures painted.  As my grandfather was oft to say when playing bridge with him, "you have grossly underbid, kid."  That perhaps is the case but this year's totals are a bit of an anomaly, I think.  I don't expect such output in 2020.

Before focusing in on the 2019 painting activity, let me bring up a historical perspective of my painting output.  The chart below illustrates painting production for the years 1995 to 2019 by era.  Looking at the number of tightly-packed bars, each containing a number of eras in a kaleidoscope of colors, it is hard to believe that I have been tracking these data for 25 years.  It is a colorful picture.

Looking at the stacked bars, some years show more diversity in eras worked than others.  2019 was certainly a year of project diversity.  2019 saw thirteen eras receiving attention with some eras experiencing work in more than one scale.  It is fun to look back through the years and witness the ebb and flow of projects as chronicled within the Painting Log.   
When viewed from a Painting Point basis, output has been relatively consistent since 2008 hovering around 4,000 painting points per year.  The graphic certainly leads one to infer that productivity experienced a regime switch between 2007 and 2008. 
From the perspective of painting and scale, effort continues to focus on either 15/18mm or 25/28mm.  2019 saw a bit more diversity in that six different scales crossed the painting desk.  Diversity is good, right?
When digging into the details of 2019, are there trends to be discovered or simply a random parade of figures across the painting table?

First, it looks like I really dug in and got busy in October and November.  Those two blips are driven primarily on getting some 10mm ACW troops into the painting queue.  Second, a mix of projects tends to see action each month without a clear focus on any one.  I suppose that helps keep interest and painting motivation high.

So, a bit random with some focus...
Looking at 2019 as a whole, the Franco-Austrian War and the American Civil War projects take top honors with about 340 figures each completed.  The Seven Years War, Punic Wars, and Suvorov's 1799 projects round out the Top 5 in figure counts.  The Punic Wars project is no surprise since 2019 was spent fielding Celts for a potential Telamon refight.  I averaged one unit per month of Celts coming off the painting desk.  Good to see the mainstays of my 15/18mm projects, 1799, 1859, and SYW consistently in the mix.  I never seem to run out of these figures in The Lead Pile!   
When examined by scale, it is no surprise that 15/18mm takes top honors at just over 50% of total activity given the focus on the three 15/18mm projects highlighted above.
Well, that puts another year into the books with respect to painting effort.  2019 was a productive year at the painting desk with more figures completed than imagined at the start of the year.  What will 2020 hold on the painting front?  More of the same with a mix of projects and scales working through the painting queue.  Very little chance of duplicating the 2019 effort but a target of 1,000 figures seems doable in 2020. 

Happy New Year and May Your Brushes be Sharp in 2020! 

49 comments:

  1. Happy New Year Jonathan! many many awesome minis and projects!
    best

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  2. Very impressive stats Jonathan - I'm amazed at how long you've been keeping records.

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    1. The length of time I have been maintaining this database surprises me too!

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  3. It did feel like your output was ripping along and the data obviously quantifies that, that is an incredible output. The year has felt themed by your 15mm / 18mm (I miss seeing the Assyrians :-)) adventures.

    The thing that really surprises me is that your ACW has been so much more productive than the story my eyes told me!

    Your lead pile must have an identity / presence of it's own and must just be a joy to root through, add to and take away from :-)

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    1. Hi Norm. The Assyrians project is seeing a resurgence of late. Most of the finished units are backed up waiting for a chance at the photo booth. You will see a number of units in good time. One big block of ACW Federals awaits its turn at a photo shoot too.

      The Lead Pile is large, for sure. One of the shelves holding a stack of unpainted lead containers collapsed two weeks' ago under the weight. No injuries reported but I am still digging through the rubble...

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    2. That’s Freakin’ hilarious! 😀

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  4. Some 1600 plus figures is quite amazing. Your charts are as colourful as many of the figures you paint.

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    1. The figure count snuck up on me this year. Putting about 400 10mm ACW figures into the mix boosted the totals nicely. As for the chart colors, maybe they are a bit too garish but they do draw attention to these data.

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  5. Wow, most impressive stats Jonathan, may be even better in 2020! Happy new year!

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    1. Thanks! Phil! Not likely to beat the 2019 numbers in 2020.

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  6. Diligent record shows your excellent progress. A thousand figures would be a good target using average figure numbers around 40 units wow ! Just keep them in the boxes or you’ll never start 🙂

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    1. Isn’t the saying, “you can’t manage what you don’t measure?” Even with these measurements and diligent tracking, I still fall short of managing The Lead Pile. I may be making progress, though!

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  7. An impressive painting output Jonathan and one that puts my humble efforts to shame! Nice to see you got a good number of games in in 2019 and hope this carries on this year.

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    1. Thank you, Steve! I try to paint a little, often. This process seems to work for me. I hope to keep up the gaming frequency in the New Year but schedules are always difficult to coordinate.

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  8. Now, I'm a man for analysis, but I think you may have a problem...

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  9. A productive year to be sure, sir! Looking forward to seeing even more progress in 2020!

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    1. Thank you, Steve! There will be more progress on the painting front but not to the 2019 levels. I have one new project in mind for 2020.

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  10. Great output as always Jonathan, but I have to say, I am not a fan of all this analysis...it is far too reminiscent of the working environment, to which I must return in only a few days time....sigh!

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    1. Thank you, Keith!

      I enjoy data analysis whether at work or play. While it may seem like work, it is actually play!

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  11. That's some going Jonathan! Let's hope there's more of the same in 2020?

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    1. Certainly was a busy year at the painting desk, Ray. I doubt if I reach these lofty counts in 2020.

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  12. Impressive stats yet again Jonathan! Happy New Year!

    Christopher

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  13. You see Jonathan, I am not the only painting machine! Happy New Year to you and your family!

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    1. Mark! My numbers are barely a third of your totals. I may be a machine but you are an entire factory!

      Happy New Year and enjoy Fiji!

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  14. Impressive numbers, Jonathan! And yet you also find time for travel, family, and even a game or two or three (of superb quality). I also think adding the metric of assigning points as a measure rather than only figure count is one worthy of stealing--erm, considering--as a way to control for differences in scale, difficulty, etc, etc. Very nice!

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    1. I appreciate your kind comments, Ed! The painting metrics were lifted from the Analog Hobbies Painting Challenge scoring method years ago. The factors do a good job of adjusting for effort involved across scales. This year, I did not include as many Painting Point adjustments graphics as in past year-end accountings.

      As for travel, I have yet to begin chronicling my Egyptian adventure from February 2019.

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  15. I remember you saying you were looking at surpassing the 1600 figure mark a couple of months ago, so that really is a superb effort. It is nice to read that someone has actually exceeded their expectations for the year, and the interesting and varied subject matter as evidenced must keep motivation at a high level. That's something I'm going to try to be more conscious of in the year ahead.

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    1. Hi Lawrence. Thanks for your encouragement. Having a variety of figures, units, and projects always at the ready keeps my painting motivation high. Rarely do I get bored or have a painting lethargy. A 1,000 figures painted for 2020 is a much more reasonable goal and fits in with my more "normal" yearly output.

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  16. Even more impressive to me than your (customary) productivity and amazing diversity, is the game total. As of October 2020, I plan to decrease my work week, although by a relatively small amount (half a day, nominally). We'll see if that helps on the gaming side!

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    1. Much more gaming took place this year than I recall in past years. I seem to be moving in the right direction on that front. Hopefully, I can continue to makes a trend.

      Good to see you reducing your workload. I recall you having a heavy work commitment of late.

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  17. Looks like you had a banner year in 2019! It’s great to see someone actually meet and exceed a painting goal....you must be a rare person. I think that with your high rates of production you can afford to have a variety of genres come through the painting desk and still get armies onto the table. I also can’t believe you’ve been tracking this for so long!
    Great job getting in a good number of games with those painted armies. 😀

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    1. Thanks, Stew! I have been at this so long, I am bound to figure our the key to making good progress. The increase in gaming this year was a pleasant change. Can I maintain this pace two years running? We will see what 2020 holds.

      Thanks for a year of your support and encouragement!

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  18. Another great year in the Palouse! Well done, Jonathan. Hope to be back posting and commenting more regularly in 2020 - looks like I have a lot to catch up on :) All the best to you for the new year, Aaron

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    1. Aaron! I hope to see you back in 2020 too!
      Happy New Year!

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  19. Wow, I already knew your output was impressive, but those stats! O_o

    Glad I got to follow your progress this year sir, here's to a 2020 equally as full!

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    1. Thank you! I’m glad you are following along too!

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  20. Happy New Year to you too and here's to another super productive year

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  21. Happy belated New Year, I am speechless at your organisational skills.

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  22. Impressive output, I look forward to facing it across the table.

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    1. Thanks! Not quite up to your output but this year I was close!

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  23. Oh my lord, very impressive output Johnathon. All the best for your 2020 projects and thanks for your support this year.

    Cheers
    Matt
    French Wargame Holidays

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    1. Thanks, Matt! I try to keep myself occupied.

      Best wishes to you in 2020 and I thank you for your support!

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  24. Well done, sir. I asked myself how much I have painted in 2019.

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