"Painting motivation?" Topic

I'm particularly interested in learning what it is that makes wargamers actually pick up a brush and start painting. To that end, I've posted a very unofficial poll on my blog, and introduced it with this post here:

One of the reasons I started blogging was to motivate myself to paint, and to paint better, because I would be posting pictures of the figures here [ie, on the blog].

To a certain extent this has worked, but one problem I have is that for space reasons I tend to either paint or play, and thus do not combine the two very well. I need to get on a roll to paint, and when I get out of the habit of sitting down with the brushes (and it doesn't take me long to get out of the habit!) it can be a real struggle to pick one up again.

So, my question to you, dear reader(s), is what is it that makes you pick up the paint brush and paint? I don't mean just thinking about painting, or researching painting, or � God forbid � ordering more figures to paint; I mean actually sitting down, picking up your brush, opening a paint pot and doing it.

On the top right of this blog you should now be able to see a poll, so if you feel like answering, please choose as many of the options there as you feel apply to you.

I'm fascinated by what it is that gets people from the 'hmm, I really should do some painting' to the 'look, I've just finished a unit!' stage, so if you feel that the poll does not allow you to express your experience properly, by all means add comments below. In fact, I'd be very happy for you to comment for any reason :)�

If you feel like adding your answers, please do so at this link, and, of course, feel free to comment here as that is, after all, what TMP is for!

link

Cheers,
Aaron

Addiction – can't stop myself – generally do at least an hour a day – get twitchy if I haven't painted something by bedtime !

Just love to paint – I find it very relaxing

Like you I go in waves. I get on a roll and paint a couple hours a day for a couple weeks, then slack off and work on other things.

Thanks guys – unfortunately, the poll widget thing is not working properly, and it keeps shedding responses. It's had 40 or more people respond so far as I can tell, but is only showing 8 at the moment. Not quite sure why that is, but something is clearly not right. Sorry for those who took the time to go and put your answers in :(

I too had that issue with motivation. After having a good friend/mentor/teacher die and seeing what he had left to paint, along with all of his projects, goals and dreams. I didnt want all my piles of lead to just lay there.

PLUS I inherited all of what he had left.

That was the big motivating factor for me to continue to paint each and every day.

It pays the bills.

Like others, I go in waves. It does help to self-impose a deadline. Maybe you want to put on a battle and while you have the figures, they are mostly unpainted. So you say, "I will put on a battle at the next Cold Wars." That gives you nearly a year to paint what you need.

Eying up new projects can provide motivation if you say you won't buy anything new until you paint what you have. That's motivation right there.

John

For me, its just finding time to do so…
So when I do, I really jump into it.

Just love to paint � I find it very relaxing

That's it. I would not be doing it if I didn't enjoy it.

Interesting that some of you really do love painting. For me it's just a means to an end; I don't mind it once I get going, but it's the finishing that give me satisfaction, not the painting itself. Probably why I don't paint half as much as I should :)

I find it relaxing, just wish I had more time to get caught up on all the projects.

Wherever possible I avoid painting figures for myself � too many commissions as a professional started to make it boring and repetitive and as I'm not a gamer I don't actually "need" miniatures.

By and large I stick to sculpting as that's what I both enjoy and get paid for, though from time to time I'll paint up the occasional detailed sculpts as collectors pieces for myself just so I don't get too rusty with a paintbrush.

Painting an army can be a grind but I find once you've done a certain amount it becomes easier to motivate yourself – you can see the mass of troops taking form.

As a general rule whenever I find myself cooking up excuses not to paint, or not to do something else, is to repeat to myself "If you want to work here, close." which may or may not make sense depending on what sort of films you like to watch.

Make a ridiculously stupid deadline then paint like a madman to finish.

This is kind of like asking why do you breathe?

You either like painting or not.

You either like the "craft" and "modelling" aspect or not.

There is certainly a reward in seeing the project taken from conception to completion, as in a regiment or unit, and certainly the anticipation of using it.

But it's all very personal and individualzed.

I do a lot of coverting of figures as well. That's another dimension. You either like or you don't.

Besides I also use oils and you get a nice buzz from the fumes.

The process of painting is fun enough but the greatest pleasure is in completing something. That last clear coat is dry, and you add it in with its already painted brethren. Joy!

In the old days, when I did a single unit from start to finish I would need a break of some period � a week or more. Now, though I paint a million things at once � usually by color. Red dress on a zombie, red epaulettes on the grenadiers, red caps on the pirates. Then I'll move to another color. Tan hat here, tan pants there, tan rifle strap here, etc. At some point some unit will only need one color left and I'll do that, finish the unit and then still have a bunch of things in various stages of completion. This way, I never have a big daunting mass of unstarted stuff around. Always folding in and finishing figures or units keeps it all fresh. 15s, 25s, fantasy, historical, little bit of everything all at once.

I love having painted more than painting. There is nothing like putting on the final touches.

love to paint it relaxs me . almost everyday . what to paint becomes the problem . I watch different movies , look at someone elses minis read a set of rules …inspiration will come

Once I started painting my own figures I have always enjoyed it. But there are times that I just can't motivate (like this year) due to other issues. Real life at times does really interfere with my hobbies.

It is what I do.
There is something that everybody does that is theirs……painting is mine.

To get the things done and on the table.

VR
James Mattes