Once again, it's that time of the month... time to announce the winners of the painting competition!

And what an array of talents we had this time ! All entries were interesting, even though there was a clear distinction between those who tried hard and those who didn't... And those who cared more and showed the judges the most endearing miniatures weren't always those with the better technical mastery!

As a result, the judges were ruthless... one entry was even disqualified for not being green. Sadly, the nice Nurgle demon was just too brown, even though he started out green in the WIP photos. We gave other green-ish entries the benefit of the doubt, as we faced works based on original thinking : only a minority of orcs was presented this month!

At the end of the day, there was a clear top three, each separated by merely one point...

MrDee's Nurgle Lord, technically perfect and sophisticated, with a very inspiring WIP thread, only came third... Perhaps because, even though his piece is beautifully rendered, impressive and very detailed, it wasn't as original or soulful as some others.

Nanabaky's Snapjaw gatorman, our runner up, showed a masterful use of a limited palette of olives and browns on a big model, the only Privateer Press figure among the entries... Very menacing, convincing the judges with subdued and realistic tones set apart by a beautiful home-made base.

But the winner was, without question, Brushguy's Bayou Gremlin... A very small piece, each tone exquisitely rendered, a jewel of composition, its colors offset by a stunningly modeled and painted home-made base... It allies atmosphere and a whimsical je-ne-sais-quoi... Bravo to you! You'll be able to up your already mad skills with a hefty $50 Secret Weapon voucher...

The judges would also like to congratulate Dantihero1, for his Troll with Banner... While there is no question it could be technically improved upon, his very narrative conversion shows promise (good blending on the troll's flesh) and, most of all, creativity and humor. For this, he receives the honorable mention, and the backstage pass that goes with it!

The judges would also like to congratulate all entrants for their time and effort, and commiserate with the ones (and they are many, sadly) who didn't have time to finish their entry in this autumn trimester, always hectic for a lot of people... Maybe this month will be it!

Thanks everyone for the enthusiasm you all put in your works of art, you're the reason why these competitions are always a privilege to judge... And a thousand thanks to Frozenpyro71 and Blackeagle, our volunteer judges for October. We couldn't have done it without you!

The next competition will be announced soon, so keep painting!