Dreadtober is three things: fun, productive, and starting soon! Maybe you took part in it last year, or at least saw it take over your social feeds, or maybe it’s brand new. Either way, I want to provide a Dreadtober Introduction for you here and invite you to join in.

Do you have a dreadnought, Deff Dread, battle suits, Carnifex, Warjack, or anything along that size? Does it need painting AND you want to join in with a ton of other community members to get it done in a single month?

Then Dreadtober is for you!

Greg (last year’s host and originator), has handed me the torch for this year’s community challenge. I am super excited for this opportunity and hope to make it both productive (paint a dread!) and fun (community!)

What is Dreadtober

But before we get too far along, what exactly is Dreadtober?

I hinted at it above, but the goal of this challenge is to paint a dreadnought-sized model in the month of October. By teaming together with a bunch of other hobbyists, we can lean on each other to finish milestones, try new things, and overall improve our painting skills and have another model finished.

Last year, nearly 50 people officially took part with the majority of them finishing their pledge. It was the community aspect that I enjoyed watching last year (though I never actually joined the challenge). And it’s that same community aspect that I hope to bring back this year.

What to Expect

So, what is going to happen this year? I am running it a bit different and adding my own touches to the challenge, but the goal is the same: start and finish a dreadnought sized model in October.

Weekly Challenge

I’ve decided to break it down into six weekly challenges that create manageable steps. The six weeks wasn’t a math error, but rather the challenge will start September 25th with planning and end November 5th with the final Showcase post.

The weekly breakdown will be:

1. Planning and Prep: get ready for the month
2. Build: cut, glue, hack, and get your dread assembled
3. Main Paints: all the primary colors, layers, and shades
4. Construct and paint the base: add a cool base, or catch up week
5. Paint the details: decals, weathering, details – finish the model
6. Photography: learn some new tricks to get the best picture of your work

Each week will include the challenge description with links to tutorials, a brand new tutorial I’ve put together, and a weekly Showcase where I will post up everyone’s picture from the week.

Social Media and Blogs

All month long I will be encouraging everyone to post their progress on social media, your blogs, and any other forums you usually use. This way we can help each other out when we get stuck or provide feedback on something new you are trying.

For the #hashtaggers, use #dreadtober to help others find it. Also, spread the word about the challenge to get your friends involved.

Join the Dreadtober Mailing List

To make it easier to contact everyone participating in the challenge, I’ve set up a new mailing list. It’s as simple as adding your name and email below. I won’t share the email with anybody (even other members), so it’s safe.

Being on the mailing list provide a couple of benefits (for you and me):

• I’ll send you the weekly challenge Saturday morning
• Request for pictures for the showcase on Friday
• And a way for you to contact me with any questions or your pictures

What Can You Do Today

After all that, did I get you excited? Awesome! I’m pumped too. But before we get started, I need you to do two things:

1. Are you In?

Decide if you are going to join in. Even though it’s a single model, partaking in any challenge can be a good amount of work. I hope you are willing to jump in and join us as it’ll be worth it.

If you decide to join us, decide what model(s) will you finish over the month. It’s not set in stone, and there is no competition. So think about what you could finish in the month of October.
Then sign up in the form below so I get you on the mailing list.

2. Invite Others

The best thing about Dreadtober is being part of the community challenge. So ask all your hobby friends to sign up. Share this announcement on social media by clicking the colorful boxes. Point them to https://www.brokenpaintbrush.com/dreadtober which will always point to the latest post.

The more people who sign up, the more diverse and impressive result we will get by the end.

More to Come

I am excited to be kicking off Dreadtober very soon. So stay tuned for the first challenge post going live September 25th – or better yet, September 24th to your inbox if you signed up below!