Wednesday, February 12, 2025

Year In Review: Figures Painted

When 2024 began, I laid out two goals on the painting front.  For the first goal, I planned to cut back on the number of figures painted from 2023's total of 1,015.  The New Year's goal was reduced down to a more leisurely pace of 750.  I missed that goal but in a good way by painting 959 figures.

For the second goal, I challenged myself to paint more figures than purchased. On reducing The Lead Pile goal, I actually surpassed my expectations.  I managed to paint 945 more figures than purchased in 2024.  While The Lead Pile still looms large and I hardly notice even a little dent in its size, good progress was accomplished.  Setting this goal really helped in curbing my impulse buys.  In 2024, I only bought about 100 figures.  Now, that is progress!

Looking back over the last 31 years that painting records have been tracked, the last three years suggest my painting has fallen into a predictable pattern.  That is, roughly 1,000 figures have been painted and Seven Years War has dominated work at the painting desk.  2024 saw a few more figure counts in other periods, however, broadening my scope.  Those details are examined later on.  For figures painted, one foot, one gun, and one cavalry figure each count as one.  No increased counts for horse and rider.   
Let's examine the 2024 figure counts in more detail.

Monthly Totals
As the chart below shows, much of 2024 averaged a monthly output of about 60 figures.  Without the two big spikes in productivity in June and August, I may have hit the 2024 goal of 750 noted above.  Production began to look up as the year closed out with 100+ figures painted in each of November and December.  January 2025 maintained this trend.  December saw only SYW figures mustering out from the painting desk.

Totals by Era and Scale
Switching from the monthly bar chart to a pie chart, the total effort given to the SYW project continued into 2024.  Nearly 36% (350) of all figures painted were in this period.  The FPW project fired up in 2024 with 212 figures painted.  Even Biblicals saw a renewed interest in 2024 with 169 figures painted!  All three of these projects were goals set up for 2024.
When the counts are broken out by figure size (scale), it is no surprise that the emphasis on painting 15/18mm SYW and FPW figures pushed the weight to that figure size.  The chart below illustrates that nearly 63% of all figures painted fall into the 15/18mm classification.  25/28mm was a distant second with 239 figures painted.

15/18mm SYW/WAS Project Still On Top
As noted in the 2024 goals, expanding the SYW/WAS collection was a top priority.  That priority was in mind throughout the year and it paid off.

The graphic below shows that six countries saw units mustering out from the painting desk.  Not only did the main objective of fielding more Spanish and British/Hanoverians pan out but Bavaria, France, and Genoa all added units to the project.  Spain saw the largest influx of new recruits at 139 figures.  Hanover came in second with 70 figures added.
The graphic below illustrates the composition of each of the slices in the pie chart shown above.  Notice that Genoa and Bavaria only saw infantry painted while France and Britain saw only cavalry painted.  Hanover and Spain saw both infantry and cavalry painted.  Curiously, no country saw any artillery fielded in 2024.
    
In summary, 2024 was a solid year at the painting desk.  I hope to build on these successes in 2025.  

46 comments:

  1. A fine count and spread of periods there Jonathan.

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  2. It looked like a busy year, Jon and that's a fair number of figures you got painted too. I seem to recall you played or hosted a lot more games last year than normal, that must have had an effect on the painting?
    But only 100 figures purchased???? That's far too controlled for my liking!

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    1. Yeah, gaming cuts into painting time, for sure. hosting cuts into that time even more. Would I change that? I don't think so! On the buying front, let's see how my resolve holds out. Already bought some figures so the clock is ticking.

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  3. Well done Jon, good work! I must have bought more figures than you did last year....even allowing for the fact a lot of them were VERY small!!

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    1. Thank you! From my mental calculations, I reckon you bought way more figures than I did.

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  4. Good work, clear accounting of your efforts in painting. May I ask the impertinent question-------how large is your unfinished pile? Rough numbers?

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    1. Thanks! How large? Tough question! Having never actually made that count, I guess the Pile is at least 5,000 unpainted figures but likely many more...

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  5. Your painting numbers continue to blow me away. You've got a nice distribution of figures too, both scale and subject, to keep things fresh. Coupled with the fact that your painting is very good this is truly impressive, again.

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    1. Aaron! Good to see you again! I appreciate your encouraging comment! To maintain motivation at the painting desk, I find variety is key.

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  6. You have enjoyed another productive painting year! That's really all that matters, that you enjoyed what you did! I hope 2025 has got off to a good start.

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    1. This really is the important part, isn’t it? Did we have fun?

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  7. As impressive as a thousand figures painted is, it is nothing compared to the fact that you’ve done it for 30 years. I hope your flooring has strong foundations.
    Chris/Nundanket

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    1. The boxes of figures are stored in the basement so no concern about busted joists. I have been tracking painting output for a very long time.

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  8. It actually feels good painting more than was purchased. The only problem I am finding is that I much more enjoy painting the newer purchases than dragging an old project out of the pile, especially when in a few cases there are now nicer figures available.

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    1. It is a small reward, for sure! Let's see if I can stick to this challenge in 2025 as well. While I enjoy painting the new stuff too, I find it fun to rummage through The Lead Pile and dredge up something old and forgotten to bring to the painting desk.

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  9. You had a productive year on the painting front. I wish I only bought a 100 figures, I'm up to nearly 200 this month alone

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    1. I am up to 96 figures bought in 2025 so I am not far behind. If Newline has a sale, totals will take a hit.

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    2. Newline are nice figures and their sales are normally good value

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  10. Great output Jonathan. And as others have said, the quality compliments the quantity.

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  11. Impressive output as always, coupled with a lot of gaming! I'm equally shocked at your lack of support for the figure making industry, much more surprising than your painting numbers, glad to hear your rectifying that this year!
    Best Iain

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    1. Thanks! Iain, I easily front loaded a lifetime supply of lead from the figure making industry!

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  12. A very impressive total for the past year, really productive. A decent spread of periods too, interesting read.

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    1. Thank you! Glad you found the analysis interesting. I am not sure how many actually study the graphics.

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  13. Impressive painting output, indeed. Do you also have a painting log recording the paint schemes for each unit?

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    1. I do what I can! No painting log of colors used. I have been using the same brand of paints for most of the last thirty years and know which paints for which projects and which figures.

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  14. Epic year, Jon 👍🏼👍🏼. Great progress!

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  15. Impressive productivity Jon. You really only bought 100 figures last year ?

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  16. impressive numbers all around, and congrats on accomplishing both your goals. 😁

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  17. Blimey I don't know how you do it! Congrats on another very productive year. ( I am cheating by painting 6mm figures recently, I think I have about 200 on the go...)

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    1. Sometimes, I wonder as well! It all can become one big juggling act. I have 6mm ancients I am attempting to work into the painting queue but I don't enjoy painting 6s so much.

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  18. As always Jonathan a very productive year and quite a detailed examination!

    Christopher

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  19. I'm always amazed and impressed at how many figures you manage to paint and to such a consistent high quality! I think if I painted a 100 figures per annum I'd be doing well. However this year I'm making a conscious effort to buy no more figures, but to try and finish those projects that are 'nearly done' and have been for many a year now. So far, so good...

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    1. Good to see you beginning the year on the right foot! I wonder if your painting will pick up having a dedicated wargaming space now?

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    2. It is certainly helping having everything in one place and easily accessible:). Currently I have all of my figures for 'The Pikemen's Lament' laid out on the unit top, which is allows me to see what I need to paint to flash out existing units. Some groups of figures I have no idea what I intended for them, so are trying to figure this out!

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    3. It will be interesting to see if your new setup helps to increase your productivity at the painting desk.

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  20. With a project in mind I manage 3-400 a year otherwise I am at a halt compared to you Jon. Well done.

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