Painters?!?!?

[TwoGunBob]

Honestly I've been working on eighteen American Civil War miniatures (9 Confederates and 9 Union) since I finished the Diorama of Doom and they've been sapping my strength to paint. I'm determined to finish them before moving on to other projects but it's like a mental block. Although this last weekend I did manage to knock out enough Union figures that I only have two officers to finish up and then the nine Confederate troops. I guess it's like painter's block or something.

[Lonewolf]

well i'm bogged down by khorne bezerkers at the min.
once i get the squad ive done finished im planning on painting something for the FOD just to get a break from painting red

[Medved]

i cant see the damn things anymore!

and when my eyesight fianlly returns i have a backlog of 200+ saxons to get through 

[Custom_Hobby]

...and a Netherlord! 

[Toosh]

I just wonder if people find it intimidating with the likes of Avicenna, Toosh, Fluffy etc posting stuff?

Er.....thanks for the compliment Gi6ers but I find it intimidating to be in the company of those two!!! 

Re posting pics - I've just done my first two dioramas, one being rather large so ner !!!! Besides, I'm just pacing myself LOL!!


PS  Oh and Gi6ers you are our resident painting machine....turning out little gems one after the other! 

[Rod the Worm]

Because I have about 15 Inquisitor models to convert and paint first!

Nah, I'll get a few done soon, just not been painting a load recently.

[gi6ers]

PS  Oh and Gi6ers you are our resident painting machine....turning out little gems one after the other! 

More cubic zirconia or diamondique at the moment IMO.

[Buggrit]

Have been bogged down painting a wood elf bloodbowl team on commission.  Now I've got a team of shadowforge nuns to pain on commission and some of my own stuff (including the Heresy Flesh Golems) to do.... hopefully there might be pictures (eventually)

[Captain Sprout]

No excuses. Slow worker. If there was a motorway for paint jobs I would be on the hard shoulder. On a cycle.

But shall get there.

[Inso]

I wouldn't say I ever feel intimidated by the paint jobs on here...I know my limits and, let's face it, we can't all be award winning painters.

It's always nice to see a range of styles and levels.  I paint to a good tabletop standard so that I can get armies painted.  I don't want to spend weeks on a single mini when I could paint a platoon in that time.

It is, however, inspiring to see the levels at which some people paint .

I say 'the more the merrier!' .

[Reaperman]

I don't want to spend weeks on a single mini when I could paint a platoon in that time.

Weeks mine can take months! and still my 1 day paint jobs look better 

[Wildheart]

I've been working 7 days a week for the last 3 months due to staff shortages and increased workload, then coming home to work on my daughter's bedroom (which won't be ready in time for Christmas as planned ), so any spare time I have is generally spent wooing the other-half.
Any time spent on my "Little Soldiers", as "She Who Will Be Obeyed" calls them, would be seen in very poor light. Easy life for me. 
Anyway, I do have a few in wip, and a very nearly finished Thrud as a gift for my brother, so hopefully there'll be pics a plenty (well, one or two) from me soon.
It's just that time of the year, I suppose.

[Nosferatu]

Less and less stuff is posted in the gallery and colouring in room.  I'm pretty sure lots of us buy the FOD minis.. but why don't more of you post in the gallery?

...maybe it's because nobody comments on WIP stuff when people ask for advice? 











...or is that just me? 

[Inso]

If there are specific questions rather than 'what do you think?' then more comments would be forthcoming.

In a lot of cases people put up a post, say 'what do you reckon' and then expect a comment within ten minutes.

I've put stuff up in forums and had a quick reply...'that's a load of s**t, why do you bother?'...(NOT on the FoD)...not very helpful!

Getting comments shouldn't necessarily be the prime motivation for posting pix...sharing the wealth is what it's all about...getting comments should come second .

[Nosferatu]

I agree that specific questions are easier to answer (mine was about colour scheme ...but perhaps I wasn't clear enough). Ten minutes is not an option for those posting from the other side of the world, so I have no issue with being patient.

I agree also that negative rubbish like that is even less helpful than not posting at all.

As for comments not being the main motivation for posting, I agree wholeheartedly when it comes to finished minis (but even then I'm striving to improve on the next one, so comments are very useful ...I'd just stick a pic on CMoN if I didn't want useful feedback) but I disagree strongly for WIP shots. Not much point posting pictures of your current project unless you are asking for advice. A pat on the back for a half finished mini is pointless and a waste of everyone's time.

[Inso]

I'd agree with you for WIP minis (I forgot what bit of the forum I was on ).

I generally only post WIP sculpts for advice. 

I don't usually post WIP paintjobs unless I am unsure about colour schemes to use. 

I always paint my minis to the same standard (because I am an army painter, not a display piece painter) and as a result, know what I want to achieve (and generally it is a lower level than the advice offered would have me achieve ). 

It's not that I don't listen...it's just that if I took heed of offered advice, I would have one mini finished to a superb standard instead of a platoon of troops painted to a good standard.

When push comes to shove, the forum is all about community.  Shared pix should be accompanied by shared comments.  Comments should be constructive.  I don't comment too much on pix because they are usually of a standard I can't attain (well...apart from 'that's awesome ) but when the opportunity arises I will offer advice if it is specifically asked for.

BUT...sometimes I feel that it is better that I don't comment because I feel that there are more suitable people out there to put the comment into the right words (I can be blunt and I don't want to share those sort of comments on my favourite forum ).

With all that said and done... we can't comment on pix if they aren't posted...

So let's all get some pix in the galleries!

[Orctrader]

Less and less stuff is posted in the gallery and colouring in room.  I'm pretty sure lots of us buy the FOD minis.. but why don't more of you post in the gallery?

Please be assured that I post ALL FOD minis I paint here once finished.  I have never yet and will only rarely in the future post non-FOD paintjobs because I don't think it would be right as most of my output is non-FOD stuff.

Recently painted or nearly finished - but no photos yet:-

DemonWorld 15mm Imperial Commanders.  (Which I might post in the Non-FOD due to them being a bit unusual and rarely seen.)
A Foundry Judge Dredd.
Some Graven Images Border Reivers.
Some Foundry Chinese Pirates. 

I have never felt intimidated by the work of other painters and to anyone reading this who is I would say two things:-
1.   "Everyone starts somewhere, and if you enjoy painting that is all that matters."
2.   "Paint; then post and be damned!"   

For the future, I have a couple of Heresy figures at the prep stage.  And have placed a big...ish order with HF.
For the past, if anyone is interested, although they have all appeared here when first painted, you can see them in my galleries HERE

Hasslefree has a dedicated gallery.  For Spyglass, look in "Other Stuff"  and "Victoriana."  Heresy in "Witches and Wizards."

[alrith72]

Been in a real non-painting funk for a while now but have ordered a few minis from Hasslefree to try and break out of it.

[Wildheart]

On the occasions I've posted pics of my painted stuff, the comments have been very generous and praising.
I realise I'll never be the greatest of painters, but I'm pleased with my abilities and I've arrived at a level of skill of which I'm comfortable.
I paint mostly for pleasure, and it's great when others appreciate my efforts.
What I've noticed a lot about these forums is the general respect members have for others respective skills, and I can't remember reading anything derogatory with regards to a posted pic.
Encouragement is always better than criticism in my book, and a few friendly pointers are most welcoming, no matter how good you are, you can always learn something new from other painters.
If you think you're not good enough, then to quote Orctrader "Post and be damned", you can only get better (and you're probably not as bad as you think ).

[Avicenna]

Not much point posting pictures of your current project unless you are asking for advice. A pat on the back for a half finished mini is pointless and a waste of everyone's time.

I disagree with you on this one! Sometimes posting up WIPs is all about the pat on the back to keep you going, and giving yourself that extra motivational push. I personally love to see peoples WIPs, just to see how people do things, and also see all the different things people are working on. I'd rather see more of them finished *nudges Medved*, but the number of half started minis I have lying around, I can hardly complain

It's the other extreme that gets me - posting pics, receiving constructive critiqué and then dismissing them all offhand! Thats a waste of time

[Nosferatu]

Not much point posting pictures of your current project unless you are asking for advice. A pat on the back for a half finished mini is pointless and a waste of everyone's time.

I disagree with you on this one! Sometimes posting up WIPs is all about the pat on the back to keep you going, and giving yourself that extra motivational push. I personally love to see peoples WIPs, just to see how people do things, and also see all the different things people are working on. I'd rather see more of them finished *nudges Medved*, but the number of half started minis I have lying around, I can hardly complain

There's that I guess. I also really like seeing how other people paint. If you put up pics of a half finished mini it also gives you a bit of a nudge to get the finished mini posted, 'cos someone might actually be watching and interested. However, if no comments are forthcoming then it can work the opposite way ..."no-one likes it, I may as well give up on it".

It's the other extreme that gets me - posting pics, receiving constructive critiqué and then dismissing them all offhand! Thats a waste of time

This is difficult (and I may seem guilty of this myself, though I hope not). A lot of the time constructive critique that you receive may be diametrically opposed to where you wanted to go with a mini (eg. you're going for a dark, moody atmosphere on a dark, moody figure and someone suggests that you really should get some more contrast into those highlights and how about using a brighter colour for that bit...). Sometimes it can also be the photographs that are not showing something how it truly is, which can be annoying because the comments are wasting everyone's time. Photography is far more important than many mini people give it credit.

It can also depend on the way the critique is phrased. Once a minis is 'done', I'm not going to go back and re-do bits of it. I've had enough and am moving on to something else. So WIP critique is particularly important. That doesn't mean that I don't want critique on finished minis ...I'll use suggestions on future projects.

It's a tricky balance, but in general the more people that comment, the more chance you (and everyone else) have of getting something useful out of the whole forum thing.

[shinobi]

I'm busy painting up a Flames of War army......... though the other Saturday at the shop I did paint up Mad Dog since there was only a few of us there and the other guys were painting already. Pictures to come once I get the chance to upload from the camera.

[Inso]

@Avicenna - It's the other extreme that gets me - posting pics, receiving constructive critiqué and then dismissing them all offhand! Thats a waste of time .

Constructive criticism is still subjective.  The ideas may be good to a lot of people but not to others.  Dismissing the criticism 'offhand' is rude (if the idea was constructive) but if it is just not followed, there may be reasons for it. 

There are times when people have said to me 'you should black line that' or 'an ink wash will improve that'...and they are right ...but it would mean that the other 60 Grymn that I've already painted in the army would also need to be black lined and ink washed...so I would respectfully decline the advice because there is NO WAY I'd start repainting my beloved Grymn when I have them painted to a standard that I am happy with.

When I painted my Sleiti, I got really good constructive criticism that meant I changed his suit colour (after I had finished painting the miniature) and darkened up certain areas to improve contrast.  It made a huge difference .  But in that instance, I was only painting a single mini so I chose to accept the advice given (and appreciated it).

Criticism aside....

Let's get more painted minis on the site !

[Captain Sprout]

I agree that specific questions are easier to answer (mine was about colour scheme ...but perhaps I wasn't clear enough). Ten minutes is not an option for those posting from the other side of the world, so I have no issue with being patient.

I agree also that negative rubbish like that is even less helpful than not posting at all.

As for comments not being the main motivation for posting, I agree wholeheartedly when it comes to finished minis (but even then I'm striving to improve on the next one, so comments are very useful ...I'd just stick a pic on CMoN if I didn't want useful feedback) but I disagree strongly for WIP shots. Not much point posting pictures of your current project unless you are asking for advice. A pat on the back for a half finished mini is pointless and a waste of everyone's time.

That sort of puts me off putting WIPs up here to be honest.

I don't mind criticism (and indeed I welcome it as well as hints, tips, suggestions et al) but sometimes its just nice to share what you are doing if you have a general lack of other people interested in this type of thing to look at stuff for you (not everyone likes toy soldiers and not every painter or modeller is in a club or what have you). Having people encourage you in your work is actually pretty nice, in my experience. Few people I hang around with want to see pics of miniatures..its not them being uninterested, its just not their 'thing'.

[Nosferatu]

I also really like seeing how other people paint. If you put up pics of a half finished mini it also gives you a bit of a nudge to get the finished mini posted, 'cos someone might actually be watching and interested...

Hay Capt. Sprout, don't be put off by me blathering on. Obviously other people feel quite differently about WIP pics and even I modified that earlier statement.

I certainly agree that it is nice to just share stuff with other people, especially on a large project like your DoD. I've become more reluctant to do that though as I have sometimes been keen to share something I'm excited about and have been met by a stoney silence. There may be several reasons for that, but it doesn't make you feel any better at the end of the day.