The Procrastination Pile

[Donkeymilkman]

Hello everyone,

I have been on LAF for many years now but never really contributed much let alone a thread of my own work. Therefore, after attending Hammerhead this year and thoroughly enjoying all the participant games and fun stuff (and taking home more things than I expected) I decided I'd finally make a thread on wargaming. Thus a the procrastination pile was born. After moving to Univeristy and the lack of alternative wargaming to Warhammer 40k there I have done very little scratch building, painting or modelling more in general. By creating this thread I hope to change that with regular updates about things I'm working on and more importantly I want to clear or my unfinished models at Uni, rather than add more unpainted things at home. If successful I may even be able to put on some non-warhammer wargaming games while I am here. Please feel three to drop comments, chit-chat or advice as I go about this.

To begin with, I have decided I would round up all my miniatures at Uni and post a photo of everything that currently needs finishing.

Admittedly there is more than I expected. Some I didn't realise I had here with me. In total there is approximatley 109 figures - horses not included. My aim will be to paint 12 figures a month or 144 over the course of the year. Hopefully this will go well and I've added the picture correctly.

[Burgundavia]

Ahh, procrastination piles. The worst kind of piles (except that which you see your doctor for). Don't worry, it will grow as you age, because otherwise the consequences could be fatal! 

[vodkafan]

A real mix of things in your pile!
12 figures a month is a gentle and reasonable target to start with.
But if you get into painting you might find yourself surpassing that easily.

[has.been]

Good luck with this.
Please keep us updated on progress.

Advice.
1) When painting, the figure will often be just in front of your nose.
    On the Wargames table it will be (at least) two feet away, so every
    so often hold it at arms length. If it looks OK, then it will pass muster.
2) Finish one thing before starting another (Very much, 'Do as I say, NOT as I do'  )
3) When choosing what to do next, choose what takes your fancy right then. The paint will flow easier.
4) Wear Sunscreen (follow the link)
   

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTJ7AzBIJoI/quote]

[FifteensAway]

109 figures!?  Pauper.  Proper piles number in the thousands!   

Slightly more serious, good luck - 12 a month plus university schedules seems reasonable. 

And listen to has.been (but maybe avoid the video  )

Get a figure painted and on the table for a game is the goal.  Not having a contest winning figure.  Those are Really Nice, but hardly necessary - and even a bit misguided if you are afraid to put a contest winning figure into a game.  Might has well have saved the time and money - unless you are selling figure I guess.

Oh, and, yes, my piles do number in the thousands - but not from procrastitination (mostly), just sheer volume.  And an occaissonal  dose of hobby-insanity. 

[syrinx0]

Ahh, procrastination piles. The worst kind of piles (except that which you see your doctor for). Don't worry, it will grow as you age, because otherwise the consequences could be fatal! 

Indeed!  I trimmed down most of my stalled army projects the other year but that still left me with over 1500 figures to paint.  Down to around 1000 now but I am planning on a few shows soon...

[Donkeymilkman]

A real mix of things in your pile!
12 figures a month is a gentle and reasonable target to start with.
But if you get into painting you might find yourself surpassing that easily.

Thanks James, it was nice to meet you at Hammerhead. There are a lot of half finished projects that's for sure! My friend and I before we both moved to uni used to split projects so I have a lot of bizzare single force sides (French in the Tonkin war, British forces for the Boer war and then Ottoman and Piedmont-Sardinian troops for the Crimean War), the issue now is I don't have there opposing forces.

[Donkeymilkman]

4) Wear Sunscreen (follow the link)
   

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTJ7AzBIJoI/quote]

Thanks for the advice, the fact that Baz Luhrmann made that does amuse me, not as glamorous as the Elvis film that's for sure!

[Daeothar]

According to that Larry Leadhead cartoon, I am, for all intents and purposes, immortal... 

A leadpile (or pile of opportunities as I like to call them) is inevitable it seems, when being in this hobby for any period of time. For most of us anyway. There are those who manage to paint everything they buy within a reasonable timeframe, but I secretly suspect them to be robots

An unpainted collection will only pose a problem in a few situations:
1)  it bothers you
2)  it bothers your significant other
3)  it is growing out of hand

Interestingly, the most common pattern appears to be 2, 3, 1, with 1 usually still well over the horizon before the other two hit

So unless the above applies, I would not worry about it too much; cyclists tend to end up with a lot of excess bikes, bike parts, helmets and spandex, we tend to end up with more miniatures. Any hobby will eventually make you end up with surplus. Just be happy you're not into muscle cars 

[Donkeymilkman]

Thanks for all the comments everyone, I appreciate the support.

Now for an update!

So for this month I have decided to focus on pulp figures. I am currently playing the roleplaying game Pulp Cuthulu. The specific campaign we are palying is Tale of the Two Headed Serpent. Occasionally we use miniatures for visalisation purposes, which people enjoy, especially those who already play miniature wargaming games as well. This I thought was a good place to start as the miniatures would actually get some instant use (every sunday) rather painting stuff that would just sit on my self.

So I introduce figure 1 of 109.

Isabella "Bruja" Romero

An occultist anthropologist with a desire to save her homeland of Bolivia from the dangerous snake based invasion during the Chaco War.

Some key highlights from this characters life were soloing a giant snake, while wearing high-heels, as it digested one of party, the very respectable Dr Hemmingway. Not only this she lead a charge of 50 naked icelandic people to freedom from an evil serpent lair, simultaneously trappeling the serpant guard to death (not to mention arming her nudist followers with flame-throwers  ).

It was great fun painting the figure and I am very happy with it, as it is the first figure I've finished in over two years. Next is one of the perculiar snake warriors!

[has.been]

There are a lot of half finished projects that's for sure! My friend and I before we both moved to uni used to split projects so I have a lot of bizzare single force sides (French in the Tonkin war, British forces for the Boer war and then Ottoman and Piedmont-Sardinian troops for the Crimean War), the issue now is I don't have there opposing forces.

May I suggest you put some of those on the

https://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?board=77.0

In order to swap for partners of the remaining forces.
That way you reduce the number of forces with no opposition, while increasing your collection of mixed pairs. Win win.

If nothing else you might be able to sell some & buy (already painted?) what you want.

[vodkafan]

May I suggest you put some of those on the
In order to swap for partners of the remaining forces.
That way you reduce the number of forces with no opposition, while increasing your collection of mixed pairs. Win win.

If nothing else you might be able to sell some & buy (already painted?) what you want.

No Sam! Keep everything! You are early on in your gaming career you may find opponents.