I'd like to thank you all for taking the time to read and comment on my ramblings and help a grouchy old hobbyist feel like he has mates all over the world. It's not that I don't have "real" friends, I just have put my hobby self in storage along with my games and figures. I'm sure most of you who drifted away from the hobby know what I am try, very poorly, to say.
I think this last year has seen me paint the most figures ever and return to feeling a little more comfortable with my painting "style". I hope to be pushing my technique more and am already doing some planning for what I want to do in next years Analogue Hobbies painting challenge.
The blog now has 184 followers and more views than miles on my truck, finally. 179,853 as I write this, and not all bots.
Looking into Google Analytics, things look a little bleaker. In the past year I've had 8,648 sessions, from 5,992 users and 11,772 page views. People spend an average of 56 seconds on my blog and the bounce rate is 81.45%, meaning that percent view one page and leave. About 31.3% of viewers are returning. These stats reduce the warm fuzzies somewhat, but I think there are ways to dissuade bots from crawling or whatever the term is for those websites that spoof links to your blog. I've done some research on blacklists and I my try to implement one.
I will be doing a giveaway, I just need to dig out my hobby space and determine what I have to give you. So watch this space.
I'll finish with some pictures of the units I finished today.
I really finished these red and black boyz a couple of weeks ago, but I got the shields on them today.
Yellow and black boyz finished today. I don't like how these pictures came out, so I'm going to spend more time on the lighting.
Just showing the shields. 1, 2 and 4 are the ones molded out of sculpey. for the sculpted shield I wracked my brain for how to use the stitches on the surface. I took it to mean that the shield had been repaired and thus the markings were partial. I was worried that I couldn't pull off the black sun motif, but I think it worked. I may start paining shields on paper to practice.
Thanks for stopping by.
Happy Blog Birthday Sean!! I wouldn't put too much on the dodgy google numbers, as long as you're enjoying yourself and getting things painted, they're the real numbers!
ReplyDeleteThanks Ray. You're right, hobby motivation is the real reason I blog and all of that is way up.
DeleteThat's the reason me and Fran started our blogs, it all helps!
DeleteCongrats on 4 years blogging. The Orcs look rather cool
ReplyDeleteHi Neil, thanks. The old sculpts are a lot of fun.
DeleteHappy Bloggiversary - loving those Orcs. The sun motif works really well. I copped out on that particular shield design and just painted it to look like stitched hide - leather brown, drybrushed and inkwashed. Might have to borrow your idea if I ever go back to it.
ReplyDeleteHi Thantsants, thanks. I think stitched, multicolor, hide is a valid choice. I was going for that until I had the idea I used. I thought about using other motifs in the lower sections, but couldn't think of what to put.
DeleteLove these orcs, great colors...and congrats for the 4 years of blogging!
ReplyDeleteThank you Phil. I need to retake the pictures because the lighting was too harsh.
DeleteHappy Bloggy day!
ReplyDeleteThanks Chico.
DeleteCongratulations on your bloggiversary!
ReplyDeleteThank you Leif.
DeleteCongrat's Sean! Nice painting too!
ReplyDeleteThanks Rodger, I'm happy with how they turned out.
DeleteCongratulation on reachig four years=worth of blogging.
ReplyDeleteIt's no surprise to me that you've done so much (painting etc,), blogging is very inspirational.
Hi Zabadak, thanks. Aside from posting back and forth with all the great people, the motivation is the thing.
DeleteCongrats Sean! I've been enjoying your blog immensely (esp. The 1/72 stuff of course!).
ReplyDeleteThanks 1Mac. Sadly the 1/72 has taken a back seat for now due to the frenzy of getting ready for Oldhammer USA.
DeleteCongrats on this milestone! Love the Orcs!
ReplyDeleteThanks Steven,I love the orcs too. Hopefully I won't be swept from the field.
DeleteYES! Bloggiversary congrats! Those Orcs are looking great Sean. Can't wait to see them on the table top. ;)
ReplyDeleteThanks Airborne, hopefully they won't suffer from the freshly painted jinx.
DeleteGood for you, Sean! These milestones are fun... and what a lot you've posted in that time! Here's to the next four years and many more creative posts :)
ReplyDeleteHi Rab, thanks. And some of those posts are even marginally coherent :) !
DeleteHi Sean, congratulations on 4 years, I can barely make 4 months on mine! Glad to have been with you for 2 and a half of those years, I hope my Feedly habit shows up in your stats 'cause I'm still reading!
ReplyDeleteHi CS, good to hear from you. Yours is one of the blogs I've missed of late. I seem to have hit a critical mass where I can't keep up with everyone. I also use feedly, so no worries there. I think that it does not register as a page view unless you actually navigate from feedly to the blog. I could force readers to the blog more with page breaks, but I don't always do it. Just read what you like and comment when you can. Thanks.
DeleteHello Sean,
ReplyDeleteHas it been 4 years already? I remember when you started the blog. Well done on a fantastic 4 years - it has been a great journey to share! Here to sharing many more.
Hi Shaun, another blog that I shamefully haven't checked in on in awhile. Thank you very much. Hopefully I'll have more interesting posts to come.
DeleteDo not feel bad, I have not posted very much in the last 6 months.
DeleteHappy Bloggiversary mate! Four years just flies by huh? Screw the stats, it's the comments that matter as they tell you who the real people are that enjoy your stuff. Keep up the great work!
ReplyDeleteThanks Millsy, I do really focus on the comments when they come in. One thing I try to be wary of is what people actually comment on. Sometimes you write a post that you think is a throw away, that people love, whilst your magnum opus gets nary a comment. It's all good.
DeleteHi Sean. There isn't much to keep with at the moment, although inspired by John Yorio, Delta Vector and Five Parsecs from Home I've started sf-solo.blogspot.co.uk
ReplyDeleteSorry I missed this mate - I was away
ReplyDeleteHappy belated Blog Birthday!
Thanks Paul, your comment reminds me that I still haven't done a giveaway this year.
Delete