Lead Adventure Forum
Other Stuff => Workbench => Topic started by: Ahistorian on November 02, 2019, 06:14:06 PM
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Title says it all really. I'm in the house on sick leave, this sort of free time should be hobby manna from heaven! But I can't get meself on the brushes. Can barely get a conversion done a week.
Anyone got advice on cracking on with the wet stuff?
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Have a look at the figures - decide on a scenario - set a date fairly close for the game - invite the players and get going!
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Playing. Really. Playing more games, motivates me to paint more. And getting more models painted motivates me to play more games.
I just have to try not losing the momentum, and things keep flowing by themselves :D
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For me, it's actually work. After a long and stressful day, it relieves the tension of sitting down even as little as half an hour behind the burshes and make some sort of progress.
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Read a book or watch a movie or a documentary on the period you are painting ;)
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Focus on the figures that you really want to paint.
I can find it hard to paint when I am working on some line
of figures, I've gotten bored and slow, and feel I must finish
them before I can move on to what I would really like to paint.
Set aside what you are painting and paint what you want to paint.
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Do a little every day. It adds up. If you want to motivate yourself for a marathon, opera on headphones sometimes keeps me going.
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Do a little every day. It adds up.
I agree with FK. Furthermore, it can become a habit. If you start picking up a brush after dinner then pretty soon you find yourself heading to the painting desk without thinking about it.
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Move your painting stuff to where you spend the most amount of time. I created a paint box, because I wasn't making it upstairs to the office/hobby room. I got an old artists paint box from the local thrift store, 3D printed some inserts to hold my hobby paints and because it is pretty, my wife lets me keep in the living room. So I can paint on the coffee table while we are both watching TV.
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A certain amount of time - every single day - for 42 days straight and you will have developed a habit. And then just don't break the habit.
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I find less is more. Select a reasonable number of figures to paint, and have those out. Clear all the rest away, out of sight.
Then you can focus on those figures and progress them, without be distracted by all the other stuff calling out to you. Once these are finished - or you are really really bored of them, swap them out for another reasonable number of figures.
What constitutes a reasonable number of figures is very much up to you - but I would err on the lower side to start with, better to get something finished than have a bunch of half-done stuff.
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I find less is more. Select a reasonable number of figures to paint, and have those out. Clear all the rest away, out of sight.
Then you can focus on those figures and progress them, without be distracted by all the other stuff calling out to you. Once these are finished - or you are really really bored of them, swap them out for another reasonable number of figures.
What constitutes a reasonable number of figures is very much up to you - but I would err on the lower side to start with, better to get something finished than have a bunch of half-done stuff.
Strongly agree with the last point. A lot of half-painted figures reproach and demoralise you with your failures in a way that the shiny raw recruits can't.
In fact, it's a good idea to start with something small and flashy that you're drawn to - a small unit of samurai, one tercio, a unit of gaesati, your favourite tank - so it'll encourage you to go on.
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'Journey of a thousand miles begins with one step'
As the others have said, clear the table of all the half finished stuff.
Find a FEW figures that interest (NOT something you think you MUST do).
Put on some nice music & START to paint. I find finishing 4 skirmish figures,
say a Western Gunfight group, motivates me far more than undercoating 50 or 60.
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I have to get up again as well, but especially last year doing a bit each day when my girfriend was cooking really worked.
I work at home, just having models and brushes next to my working place works as well: doing just a little bit every time you take a break. Have been working in the living this summer though, which immediately broke that habit.
And 'push yourself without pushing yourself'. Do one colour or two, and just stop if you feel like it. Progress, however slow, motivates.
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Plan a specific game/battle, or several and go for it!
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I agree with some of the above.
Usually a documentary or some movie encourages me to paint miniatures I have about, that collect dust. Sometimes it's a nice practice after work to just sit down and paint/build/convert.
Books, either fictional writing, historical accounts or magazines sometimes do the same. It really depends.
Though I've adopted the standard of selling of projects that I haven't done anything with/for in a while. :D
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My motivator doesn't work for everybody. If I don't paint I don't pay my bills. It's a great motivator.
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I have a rule (guideline really) to spend a minimum of 30 minutes doing “hobby” each day. Everyone can find 30 minutes in their day. But those 30 minutes sometimes turns into 3 hours if the mood takes me. Sometimes I really only have 30 minutes. But I still have completed my goal and it is a success.
If the goal is paint a confederate army. It takes a long time to get to the success.
I spend the 30 minutes doing whatever I like. Sometimes it is building terrain sometimes I paint medieval sometimes ultramodern and sometimes I even clean up my work area! But it all adds up.
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My motivator doesn't work for everybody. If I don't paint I don't pay my bills. It's a great motivator.
lol lol lol
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You could try the "I'm just going to paint for 5 minutes" approach.
Force yourself to start on something, and if you're hating it after 5 minutes - stop. However, chances are half an hour or more will have passed before you know it.
I use this sometimes for things I have to do, but can't be bothered starting and it works (most of the time). The important bit is to start :)
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My approach:
- always have a variety of things on the go, so if you get fed up with khaki..
- make sure your painting table/tray/station whatever is set up ready to go
- try to find at least 5 minutes to do something every day.. stick on a drainpipe, paint a pair of eyeballs, anything
- don't set yourself unachievable targets; OR
- commit to something that forces you to paint...
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Mmm, always keep a few horses on the table to use up that interesting mix you've just devised for three men's hair.
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> Playing.
Our gaming group *finally* will play a campaign, of Gloomhaven. So now that I know my painted miniatures will get played, I'm more motivated to paint, but only those miniatures I will use, and I end up painting them quickly to tabletop.
Hobbies are supposed to be fun. I don't mind unpainted miniatures, though I do remind myself I don't need to buy more...!
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Thank you all for commenting! Things got worse before they got better, but have painted 26 models in the last week by following the small & simple method!
15 of those gained extra impetus from the game I am due to attend on Wednesday ;)
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Good luck keeping the momentum! That is always the challenge for me in the past.
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Mental self flagellation is the key! lol
Seriously though, don't be too hard on yourself and it makes painting a much more pleasurable experience. Then the mini's will start rolling off the painting desk :)
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Mental self flagellation is the key! lol
Seriously though, don't be too hard on yourself and it makes painting a much more pleasurable experience. Then the mini's will start rolling off the painting desk :)
When healthy, self-flagellation was absolutely my go to method, but I need something more soothing now :p
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As an individual who tends to tackle large projects, I have found that keeping the last completed batch within sight helps me stay motivated. The task doesn’t seem as daunting when I can look at completed work for inspiration.
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That's a neat idea, I may steal it =]
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As an individual who tends to tackle large projects, I have found that keeping the last completed batch within sight helps me stay motivated. The task doesn’t seem as daunting when I can look at completed work for inspiration.
I actually do just that.... but....... I also have all the unpainted, often undercoated miniatures sitting on the same shelf system o_o :)
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I wear electric sex pants … God damn them.
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I wear electric sex pants … God damn them.
lol
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I wear electric sex pants … God damn them.
Now there is a thought.