Speed Painted Gladiator

Today, my friendly local game store held a speed-painting miniatures event, encouraging participants to bring some paint and a primed miniature and see what they could accomplish in 45 minutes.  Unfortunately they didn't get quite the turnout they were hoping for (I always assume, whenever someone marks themselves "Interested" in a Facebook event, they are actually politely saying "no.") but the event went on as planned regardless.  Here was what I accomplished:

I think this is one of the last of the Secutores I had in my Sons of Mars project pile, and after him I only have sixteen more gladiators left to go before I put this project to bed. 

I placed first in the speed painting competition, and my prize was $10 worth of paint; I picked up "Scorched Metal," "Gunmetal Blue" and "Coppery Orange" from the Reaper rack.  Granted, I don't know how great an accomplishment placing first was; I was one of only two participants, and the other guy had come into painting miniatures from traditional painting, and was using high-end artists' acrylics and mixing each shade he used by hand.  By his own admission he was not a "speed painter" of any sort.  I feel a little bad that I didn't pick a more intricate figure (I almost selected a Reaper samurai that's been on my primed pile of shame for a couple years now) to challenge myself with, though both my fellow competitor and the judge have made it clear I should not feel that way. 

I'll tackle his shield tonight and work on getting his base coated with Vallejo Sandy Paste tonight and then I think that's it for me as far as painting goes until the Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge begins on the 20th.