Help Going Forward

[Oldboy]

Good morning. I have been painting figures for 50 years during that time I have built armies for most periods which I have subsequently sold or given away. The problem now is what to do. I am luck enough to have a bit of disposable cash but seem to fritter it away on projects that stall after a few weeks. The small 'sample' order of maybe 20 or 30 figures rarely gets finished. I think this is because the slightest fault in a figure puts me off. Although I blame no particular manufacturers and have pretty much bought form all the major 28mm suppliers with an affection for all from Britannia and Dixon through to Perry.
I can't keep wasting money each month and I am seriously considering giving up. I also so wonder whether  I prefer the research to the painting. I do not game but hoped to rectify this in retirement.
Any advice/suggestions gratefully received..
Frank

[Norm]

Would it be worth doing something radical to kickstart a more sustained interest in one project?

Perhaps a complete change of scale, going to say 10mm might change perspective on what and how you collect and the technique of speed painting may rejuvinate some interests.

Or

outsourcing some of your painting, so that you are left to concentrate on areas that you enjoy more.

[Oldboy]

Yes thank you both good ideas although not sure my eyes will run to such small scale. It may be worth outsourcing the painting but sort of feels like cheating. No disrespect intended to anyone who has chosen this route.

[oberdu]

I paint many scales and periods and I have found mixing projects types for  a period helps maintian interst you could

1 Paint a unit for one side (I usually start with infantry)
2 Paint a unit for the other side (Infantry also)
3 Paint a supporting arm or Make a piece of terrain If you make a supporting unit at this step paint up on for the OPFOR.
4 If your interest wanes Take photo of what you have done view it and note what you could improve (This helps alot and since we use alot of digital photos are cheap and quick to produce)
5 Paint another core unit.repeat as above
6 Paint a leader  repeat for other side
7. If you followed the process you should have 2 Infantry 1 Supporting arm and 1 general at this point.
8. Play a small game with friends.
9 start over step 1 repeat as needed
10 Play music while you paint and craft it helps

I have been gaming since 1985 and using this system painted 50,000 plus figures amassed alot of terrain sold off extras and made enough money to support my Hobby.

[Oldboy]

Thank you this is a great help. I will try this. Now for a bit of research.... Although I'm thinking of the Peninsula War, Perry Miniatures. Just have to decide on. Which year for the OOB. F

[Ben Waterhouse]

Going 10mm for trad big battalion gaming was my route, keeping 28mm for skirmishing games.

[armchairgeneral]

I went from 15mm to 28mm just for ease of painting with ageing eyesight.

At this scale I just think you have to really think carefully about what periods you are most interested in and just stick to those but have enough variety to keep the interest going. If you find yourself tempted by a new period, think about what you would need for initial game forces and then work out how long that will take to you paint given your current painting output.

You could paint the side you have most affinity with and outsource the painting of the other side?

I keep my interest fuelled reading around the periods I am interested in which extends to historical novels as well. I try to get them in e-reader format as my bookshelves are full.

[robh]

Going 10mm for trad big battalion gaming was my route, keeping 28mm for skirmishing games.

I am of the same mind, but 6mm (or in case of my ACW itch, 3mm).
I find 28mm figures too detailed and take too long to paint( to the standard I am happy with) for battle gaming. Great for skirmish but not for battles.
Going with easier to paint smaller figures builds armies quickly and gives you much quicker "return" for your money and time.

[Oldboy]

I will stick to 28mm. I am going to try the Peninsula as there is a wide variety of colours and uniforms. I had not realised it was such a long period as I have continually ignored it in favour of the other Napoleonic theatres. Also at 28mm there are several manufacturers who I think will work well together. I am going to try the earlier suggestion of painting a battalion for each size followed by a treat as in a gun or similar and then repeat.
Thank you to everyone for the suggestions. F

[jon_1066]

The key thing to my mind is getting a game in.  Where and when are you going to get a game in?  Perhaps get along to your local games club (if there is one) or reach out to people on here (where are you based?)

Once you have an idea of what people play, and what you are likely to be able to play then that will drive what to collect and paint.

eg if you go along to your local club and they play Napoleonics then get chatting with them and see what they have, what opponents you will be able to have, where the gaps are, etc.  Once you have a goal then you can research the OOBs, collect the figures, etc all with the goal in mind.  Currently you have no overall goal, hence the drift between various projects.

[Oldboy]

Jon
Gaming would be my preference but I retire shortly and will be moving abroad. I will then endeavour to find a club or gamers but this may be difficult as I move to a sparsely populated area in rural Italy on top of that I have language skills to improve and renovation work to oversee so may have to game solo. F

[jon_1066]

May I suggest the 1809 Italian campaign would be a good place to start then.  You have the Austrians attacking the Italians and French.  So some good variety of uniforms to paint.  The Austrians start on the attack and then the Italians fight back.  There are numerous smaller engagements and a few big ones culminating in the readily game-able battle of Raab. 

Alternatively if you like your British then go for the 1806 battle of Maida.

[Oldboy]

Jon
Thank you again for suggestions I have today committed to the Peninsula for the very same reasons you mention for the Austrian Champaign and also because it is the one area of Napoleonics I have neglected so has an air of freshness. F

[Kommando_J]

I suggest setting up a game or other commitment, nothing like an actual deadline to light a fire under ones arse!

[Ethelred the Almost Ready]

This is not an easy problem and you will need to find your own answer or..........you may not.
I have largely given up on painting Napoleonic miniatures as I just couldn't face painting the same uniform over and over.  I prefer gaming or planning games rather than painting.
To keep my hobby going I took up fantasy gaming and now I can paint some "units" - a group or orcs or elves, but I can also paint a lot of individual figures - a vampire, a werewolf, a dragon.  It means that I can get a sense of accomplishment even though I have only completed one figure.
Now, I'm not suggesting you do anything as drastic as turning to fantasy.  But I think you could apply the same method. 
If you are going to be solo gaming could you play something like Sharpe Practice where you only need a few figures.   You could paint an eclectic group.  I often thought about using these rules for the retreat from Russia.  A band of French from all sorts of different units pursued by cossacks and a smattering of Russian regulars.
This would allow you to have some variety and feel you have achieved something even if it is one character.  at the same time plug away with your units for bigger games.  Some of the figures can cross over from the skirmish to tactical games and vice versa.