Painting Matters! In Defense of Hobby Standards.

[eilif]

Probably preaching to the choir, but after getting into it on a certain other forum, I finally sat down and typed out my feelings on painting -or the lack thereof- and the importance of maintaining certain minimum hobby standards.

http://chicagoskirmish.blogspot.com/2014/08/painting-matters-in-defense-of-hobby.html#comment-form

And of course just to drive the point home we've included some pretty pictures of miniatures as well.

[Vermis]

Probably preaching to the choir

Ayup. Well-said that man!

[Momotaro]

I do appreciate that picking up a paintbrush and starting on a mini is a daunting task, and I've had painter's block a number of times, so I'd never turn someone away from my table because they had an unpainted army.

However... a painted game just looks better and I don't field unpainted models.  There are so many fast-painting techniques that look good, and I use a lot of them to get tabletop results on an army. Washes, staining, drybrushing and the dip all make a model look good, but in truth even a neatly pained model in block colours is brilliant.  Spray your space marines in a base colour and you're mostly there!

[fitterpete]

I agree and disagree.
I personally don't put unpainted on the table.I will play against unpainted/halfpainted armies though.The difference for me is the type of game.
When I get together with a clubmate or go to a store to play a 2000pt game of 40k I could care less if his stuff is painted,though if at the club he will still catch a lot of  good natured grief from everyone if its not.

If we make a scenario for a multi player game and plan out the terrain and back story for it then I want everything to be painted.Mostly because this game will be for spectical as well as having fun playing.
 
So I think,yes, there are different opinions about what is and isn't "the hobby".

This topic actually split our club up a little and we lost a few people a couple years ago.We didn't have large numbers before and now its even harder to get enough people together to play.
Pete

[eilif]

This topic actually split our club up a little and we lost a few people a couple years ago.We didn't have large numbers before and now its even harder to get enough people together to play.
Pete

Sorry to hear that, it's rough when a club loses numbers..  Out of curiosity, was it the painted-only or unpainted-ok folks who left, and where did the club end up as a standard.

As it says in the essay, our club is painted-only, but we've been that way since the beginning and we always provide models for beginners and guests, so it's never really been an issue.

[fitterpete]

The unpainted guys felt like they were being looked down on and some feelings got hurt apparently.
It all started when we planned one of the scenarios I was describing and the unpainted crowd were all ready and excited to play,then the organizer decided he would supply painted models for all the forces involved.
I think it would have been no big deal if he had simply said from the beginning he was going to supply the models for a scenario "would anyone like to play?"
There were some other remarks made,I heard, that POed them even more.

There is stil one guy who plays with halfpainted armies but he is a slow painter,  his finished stuff looks nice though and I'm not about to tell him to lower his standards for me.He does make more progress everytime he shows up.

Then there is another guy who gives everything he uses a good base color scheme so there is color on everything then finishes the details later.His stuff looks good when finished as well.
The remaining 3 of us(yep that's all that's left) only use painted figures.
Pete
Oops almost forgot my nephew! Being my nephew he also only plays with painted figures So that's 4 of us.    

[Cubs]

If they're your toys, you can do what you want with them. If you prefer to only play with painted mins on both sides, again, that's your choice but don't be surprised when that limits your number of playmates.

I think this sort of rule is easier to impose when it's a tight group of mates who appreciate the incentive and will all enjoy the games that much more. But I think it should be a handshake agreement, not some sort of passive-aggressive way of forcing other potential members into (your idea of) the true path.

Personally I wouldn't want to game with unpainted mins, but then the spectacle is a big part of the fun for me. It would spoil my enjoyment more to feel I'd been less than courteous to another member, than it would to see some unpainted miniatures on the table.

[matakishi]

I don't see the point of playing the game if it doesn't look good. Therefore I would never use unpainted miniatures. What other people do is up to them but I reserve the right not to join in if I think I won't enjoy it (just like sex, religion and politics).

[carlos13th]

There are many elements to this hobby. To act like you are better than another person due to the fact you like painting and they do not is a little silly. Some people just like the gaming side that's fine. These people would probably buy pre paints if they could so they Could just get on with the game and play.

I don't know anyone who wants to be applauded for not painting their models, I think that's a clear strawmen people just don't want to be looked down on or judged for enjoying the gaming and not the painting.

Are we going to start looking down upon people who buy terrain instead of making it too?

Yeah painting is cool, it's fun and it's great to see other peoples work but I imagine many of us already have to few other gamers to play with let's not make that worse by imposing some self proclaimed standard we can use to look down upon people who don't meet it. You don't want to play with or against unpainted minitures? That's fine just don't be a dick towards those who would rather game than paint.

This by the way is coming from a guy who is into this hobby for painting primarily where gaming is mere afterthought, I have no desire to field unpainted units. But I am also aware that some people don't like painting.

[Conquistador]

There are many elements to this hobby. To act like you are better than another person due to the fact you like painting and they do not is a little silly. Some people just like the gaming side that's fine. These people would probably buy pre paints if they could so they Could just get on with the game and play.

I don't know anyone who wants to be applauded for not painting their models, I think that's a clear strawmen people just don't want to be looked down on or judged for enjoying the gaming and not the painting.

Are we going to start looking down upon people who buy terrain instead of making it too?

Yeah painting is cool, it's fun and it's great to see other peoples work but I imagine many of us already have to few other gamers to play with let's not make that worse by imposing some self proclaimed standard we can use to look down upon people who don't meet it. You don't want to play with or against unpainted minitures? That's fine just don't be a dick towards those who would rather game than paint.

This by the way is coming from a guy who is into this hobby for painting primarily where gaming is mere afterthought, I have no desire to field unpainted units. But I am also aware that some people don't like painting.

Thank you, Sir,

This thread seemed to make me feel like I should leave LAF because I paint slowly and prefer to play than paint.  How dare I let Real Life, family, friends, other interest interfere with my painting...

Isn't this hobby small enough without unnecessary exclusiveness?

Gracias,

Glenn

[former user]

Yes, there are many reasons why gaming with painted miniatures is more fun, but I did not read any of them on that blog, only highbrow exclusiveness towards those who can't or don't paint that much. I would prefer a more solidaric approach and more inclusiveness - we are few enough, no point in sending others away.

Helping them and convincing them is a better approach - I myself used to belong to those who don't mind unpainted miniatures, and I learned the value of it, but by positive example, not by dismissive attitude.

However, lack of solidarity seems to have a certain spread in the hobby, and that blog contribution stands for that attitude. I would not want to belong to such a group, and I would not be surprised if that kind of people end up alone with a large painted collection but noone who want to game with them....

btw, I am doing this hobby for the last 25 years, and I met many, but I know of only a handful of people who have painted all of their painted miniatures by themselves - I would roughly estimate that barely 30% do not buy painted miniatures. Are we going to look down on those who can't paint well and have to buy them painted?  Or ist it about the size of the purse that allows some to have huge painted collections?  Let's pick some other categories for exclusiveness.....

[WitchfinderGeneral]

For me personally (!) painting and building is more important than gaming. But the initial reason for gaming with miniatures is to have a visually appealing game. In that sense you get a better game with painted minis than with unpainted. People who say they hate painting are in the wrong hobby IMHO. I wonder, why they don't just stick to boardgames and cosims with chits instead of minis? In the end it's about the love for miniatures. And painting a miniature is the most love you can give it. In return you get the reward of an even better looking mini and can be proud of it when presenting it on the table.

[former user]

I think that noone should be confined to having others define their hobby.....

[WitchfinderGeneral]

I think that noone should be confined to having others define their hobby.....

But that's what clubs are about with their statutes and hierarchy and everything. One reason why I don't like any clubs.

[Conquistador]

My mother was a maid - she told about "clubs" and why "our kind" wouldn't be welcome there.

Not much difference here it seems to me, just a smaller group of elitists...

Sad.

Gracias,

Glenn