It’s time for another retrospective of my hobby year. In this post, I’ll continue our annual tradition and show you everything I’ve painted in 2021, lots of Nighthaunt and Skeletons, Silver Skulls Primaris Marines, Necrons, and much more. I’ll also share my hobby resolutions for the coming year.

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As usual, I’ll start the post with a recap of my vows of 2020:

  • Paint at least five units/warbands/Kill Teams (somewhat failed)
  • Paint at least five character models (success)
  • Paint at least 15 scenery pieces and finishing my remaining Warcry / Age of Sigmar terrain (failed)
  • Rebase at least three units of my Iybraesil collection to 28.5 mm bases (failed)
  • Write at least ten tutorials (success)
  • Make at least three videos for YouTube (failed)

So how did I do? Well, as you can see when scrolling down, I failed some and achieved others, so I don’t feel too bad actually. I only managed to paint four new units but reworked and expanded a few old ones. The Alpha Legion Kill Team wasn’t meant to be (it’s surely lurking somewhere in the shadows of my box of shame), but I painted a Skitarii Kill Team instead. I managed to paint five character models plus a few more test models and even a large Impulsor tank for my Silver Skulls. I utterly failed to decimate my terrain backlog this year, and also didn’t rebase any of my Iybraesil models (but rebased at least a unit of Scourges). On the plus side, I wrote lots of tutorials this year, over 20 in fact, but only made two YouTube videos. Still, it was a start.

My painted models of 2021

In total, I’ve painted 36 models, 14 terrain pieces, 3 player aids, plus I reworked 27 existing models and one terrain piece. I’ve painted less new models but reworked a few more than last year, but to be honest, my painting mojo was a bit low, especially in the second half of the year. It sure must have been the pandemic monotony. You can find my output of 2020 here.

I started the year by completing two projects from 2020: an Aeldari Webway Gate, and two more models to complete my Goliath gang, a Stimmer and Forge-Born. I wrote no less than four tutorials: one for the Webway Gate, one for painting caucasian skin, one for painting eyes more easily, and for the Goliath Forge-born. I also reviewed Warcolour’s Antithesis paint range.

Adeptus Mechanicus Kill Team Skitarii and Sicarian Infiltrators

I spent March and April working on the first five models of my Forgeworld Metalica Kill Team, while also painting a classic 2nd Edition Ultramarine for #marchformacragge. I wrote a tutorial for recreating the “inverted” plasma glow I used on my Kill Team, which you can check out here, while a complete tutorial for my Metalica paint scheme can be found on Patreon. I also painted two more Reivers to make the three models from my Silver Skulls Kill Team into a codex legal unit, as well as rebasing the rest of them, and updated five more models from my classic Escher collection, a reworking project I started in in 2019.

Next, I completed the Adeptus Mechanicus Kill Team (sadly it’s no longer playable in 2nd Edition Kill Team, so I have to rework and expand it at some point -_-). I painted a unit of Spirit Hosts for my Nighthaunt, for which I came up with a slightly updated paint scheme, as well as a Skeleton Warrior test model. I also worked on a few more pieces for my terrain collection, like a classic Citadel hill, as well as a few more Azyrite Ruins from the original Warcry starter set (which I haven’t photographed or posted yet). I reworked the final five models from my classic Escher Gang and painted a Guardian of Souls. My Nighthaunt collection was shaping up nicely, with plenty of options to choose from for a Warcry warband.

On the tutorial front, I shared a tutorial for the liquid green hoses on my Goliath Stimmer, the sickly green skin of my Skitarii, and reviewed the new Citadel paints that accompanied the Kruleboyz release of Age of Sigmar’s 3rd Edition.

Moving on to July, I upgraded my Drukhari Scourges to 32 mm bases, and wanted to expand my Death collection with a few Soulblight units, so I started with the first five models of a Grave Guard unit, which I personalised by profiting from the interchangeability with the old Skeleton Warriors kit. I also expanded the four Intercessors from my Silver Skulls team with another model to make a codex legal unit, as I felt inspired to expand my Kill Team into a small Combat Patrol army, and Watch Captain Halgrim from Cursed City to lead my Graveguard into battle.

The new edition of Kill Team was released, and I got the Octarius box early, so I painted a Death Korps of Krieg for a tutorial. I also wrote tutorials for painting two ways of Ork skin, the Ork terrain and barricades from Octarius, speedpainting Necrons, and speedpainting bone. August was also super busy because of the release of Hachette’s new partwork collection Imperium, which I reviewed in detail here.

In September I painted a few more things from the Kill Team: Octarius set, including the barricades and gauges. I also started working on a test model for my new Necron paint scheme, and updated the paint job of Garkorr from my Nighthaunt collection, as well as those of my Myrmourn Banshees (which I haven’t photographed yet). It was also Skin Tones month, celebrating all skin colours of the world. I reviewed The Army Painter’s Skin Tones paint set, and posted a series of tutorials for dark skin, tanned skin, and golden skin.

October was also a special month, as Tale of Painters turned 10 years. 10 years of non-stop hobby blogging, with at least a post every other day, can you believe it. There has been a huge Instagram giveaway, a retrospective, and the launch of my Tale of Painters YouTube channel.

At the end of the year neared, I worked on a Suffocating Gravetide for my Nighthaunt and Soulblight collection and completed five Necron Warriors for a Necron Warrior fireteam for the new edition of Kill Team. I also painted the Silver Skulls Impulsor I started assembling in October, working with enamel washes for the first time, making a video of the process. Then, in December, I painted another model for my Space Marine Heroes Series 1 collection, a Dark Angel this time, and Anasta Malkorion for my combined Soulblight and Nighthaunt army. I also started a unit of 10 Skeleton Warriors but wasn’t able to finish them this year.

I also reviewed The Army Painter’s new airbrush paint range, as well was Scale75’s Instant Colors, and wrote tutorials for an easy glow effect with Nihilakh Oxide and my Dark Angels armour recipe.

Looking back on the year, I’m actually quite satisfied, even though the pandemic fatigue took some of my hobby energy. I learned a lot of new skills, video editing especially (check out my first video above, it’s a showcase video of my Space Marine Heroes collection in the style of Games Workshop’s New Releases trailers), but also techniques like using enamel and oil washes. My goals for next year are to make videos more regularly, improve my airbrushing game, and pick up even more new tricks.

2022 hobby resolutions

We’re at the end of this retrospective, so it’s time to share my plans for 2021 with you:

  • Paint at least five units/warbands/Kill Teams
  • Paint at least five character/single models
  • Paint at least 15 scenery pieces and finishing my remaining Warcry / Age of Sigmar terrain (this time for real)
  • Update the paint scheme of my remaining two units of Nighthaunt
  • Write at least ten tutorials
  • Make at least six videos for YouTube

As for ideas for upcoming projects, I’m really excited about the imminent update of the Aeldari range and surely will add a few new models to my collection. Can’t wait to see the new Warp Spiders… and maybe there’ll be a cool new Kill Team? I’d also love to do the Alpha Legion Kill Team I had in mind for quite a while now while updating my Adeptus Mechanicus Kill Team to be compatible with the new edition, as well as adding more fireteams to my Necrons Kill Team. For my Nighthaunt and Soulblight collection, I would love to add a few more units such as cool centrepiece models like Lady Olynder and the Coven Throne from the Mortal Realms partwork series. And finally, paint the Sigmarite Mausoleum to go along with them.

I hope that despite the never-ending pandemic you will all have a fantastic 2022. Stay with us, support me on Patreon for exclusive tutorials and extra goodies, and happy hobbying.

Find my resolutions for 2020 here, 2019 here, 2018 here, 2017 here, 2016 here, from 2015 here, from 2014 here, from 2013 here and from 2012 here.

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