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  1. #1
    Brother-Sergeant
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Location
    Texas
    Posts
    50

    Default Motivation and you - How do you keep going?

    Recently I have noticed that I have no real drive to paint, or build models. I really have been in a slump for the last few years.

    I love the game. And I love the background for it. During the entire time that I could not be bothered to sit at my painting table or go to the shop to play, I still read BL books, armybooks, and was an active member of about a half dozen forums and such.

    Anyone else having problems with trying to keep the drive alive, so to speak, for their hobby related activities? How did you break the funk?

    Its strange how when I am not right in front of them I want nothing else then to sit down and sling some paint onto a mini. When I sit down to do so though I usually just end up pushing around the models, making the occasional "pewpew!" noise, and organizing my paints just right. >.>

    One thing I am doing is working on getting a Mordheim campaign started up with a few guys over here with me (in Iraq at the minute, had the wife send models and hobby stuff), and am also trying to fire up some Kill Team and Bloodbowl. Small scale games that are quick and fun.

    Anyone else have the modeling blues? And how did you snap out of it? I gotta get some painting done.

    -Eric

  2. #2
    Battle-Brother
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Location
    kk, ireland
    Posts
    39

    Default

    I look at awesome models and think damn i want an army/warband/gang as good as that.

    I also look back at the stuff that got me into the hobby , thats why i keep old white dwarf's

  3. #3

    Default

    motivation to paint is a problem for me, but entering things on websites which gives a team points for painting helps. even if i'm not painting what i set out to paint, i am still getting something done, which i suppose is a benefit of having 6 different armies and therefore 6 different schemes to paint
    My Project logs - on The Ammobunker:
    http://s3.zetaboards.com/The_Ammobunker/topic/7097078/1/
    http://z3.invisionfree.com/The_Ammobunker/index.php?showtopic=1436&st=20

  4. #4

    Default

    I have had the painting blues myself on several occassions, it usually happens right before summer and during the summer I take a break from the hobby, but I always return sooner or later.

    As for motivation, I tend to frequent the internet looking through modeling forums and blogs for inspiration and ideas. Having some friends to paint with is also a great kicker for me. But the best motivation is to play some games with unpainted armies, I hate playing with unpainted models and I have even refused to play because my army wasn't finished yet.

  5. #5
    Battle-Brother
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Location
    Jersey C.I.
    Posts
    22

    Default

    The bottom line - you have to sit at your painting table and work through the block - look for inspiration around you, on the web etc, but really you need to force yourself into a regular system. Eventually things will start to click and before you know it you will be producing some fantastic pieces of work.

  6. #6
    Brother-Captain
    Join Date
    Jul 2009
    Location
    Minneapolis, MN
    Posts
    1,348

    Default

    The best way for me to get out of a slump and start to enjoy painting again is to sit down and have a beer or three, listen to some good music, turn off the cell phone and just sit down and paint. The beer makes it more fun, especially when all you need is that little push in the right direction to get started. Just pick a simpler model for that night lol.

    Although personally, my best work has been done with a light buzz going

  7. #7
    Brother-Sergeant
    Join Date
    Jul 2009
    Location
    Barrie, ON
    Posts
    54

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Orlock View Post
    The bottom line - you have to sit at your painting table and work through the block - look for inspiration around you, on the web etc, but really you need to force yourself into a regular system. Eventually things will start to click and before you know it you will be producing some fantastic pieces of work.
    Bydand. Nice and simple.

  8. #8
    Scout
    Join Date
    Jul 2009
    Location
    Katowice, Poland
    Posts
    11

    Default

    I've had a huge problem with it. Had a large pile of grey plastic guardsmen lying on the shelf. They all needed some gs converting and painting and I just couldn't get to do it. Had at least 70 unpainted minis backlog. It was nearly a year that I've did pretty much nothing with them. And then something happened, not exactly sure what it was. Maybe the rumours of the new IG codex. In two days I converted all the 40 guardsmen that needed it and primed it all. And then the painting commenced. Now I'm sitting with two shelves of fully painted models and only a handful (Psyker squad, a second CCS, advisors, a Sentinel and a Vendetta left. Of course from things I currently own. *cough*). seeing so much done models sure is inspiring , especially with all the kind opinions I'm getting on the army.

    I think the major fault was having way too many unpainted models. Then you just walk to the shelf thinking "Maybe I'll paint a few" and then look at the sea of plastic and go "Oh gosh, that's a LOAD of work... I'll do it later.." and so it went. Even now I have to force myself a bit to paint that 100-something-th guardsman but once I start I keep going till its done.

    The bottom line - you have to sit at your painting table and work through the block - look for inspiration around you, on the web etc, but really you need to force yourself into a regular system. Eventually things will start to click and before you know it you will be producing some fantastic pieces of work.
    QFT. Do not take long breaks in painting or you'll have much harder time getting back to it.

    And there's one more thing that keeps me motivated - the comments left by people watching my army on [URL="http://42ndcadian.blogspot.com"]my blog[/URL]. Actually it's a huge thing! Now I work on stuff not to disappoint readers and have something to show that we all can enjoy!

  9. #9
    Veteran-Sergeant
    Join Date
    Jul 2009
    Location
    Brookly , NY
    Posts
    192

    Default

    I get in the slump too I also have a weekness for my " sons " playsation 3 or pc games and that can bigtime into painting ( ooh just talking about it makes me want to pop in infamous and beat it agian this time with the elctro blades ) . Anyway what I do to help is get involved in some painting threads online also start one of my own and promise the forum more updates now I am giving myself a little deadline for people that are watching me paint my stuff and leaving awesome comments .

    Also having a friend come over and instead of playing a game make it a painting night make some bbq get a few cider jacks and just convert stuff bull**** and paint !

  10. #10

    Default

    I think that pretty much everything needed to be said here has been said. The good thing, though, is that you're still interested in the hobby, and so that's the main thing. I've also found some stuff to do with this on good ol' Dakka, which should hopefully come as a link in this reply.
    [URL="http://www.dakkadakka.com/wiki/en/Getting_Motivated_to_Paint"]http://www.dakkadakka.com/wiki/en/Getting_Motivated_to_Paint[/URL]
    [URL="http://www.dakkadakka.com/wiki/en/Assembly%20Line%20Painting"]http://www.dakkadakka.com/wiki/en/Assembly%20Line%20Painting[/URL]

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