"Painting and Beer" Topic

I've been out of the hobby for a while, and when I started back again in earnest earlier this year, I remembered one of my strictest rules: "beer and paint do not mix." Why was that I wondered…so I decided to rediscover my reasoning. Ok, so I shouldn't have picked my brigade general, but that's another discussion. :-)
So, does anyone partake while painting, or have you been turned into a teetotaller? (Ok, let's leave out playing).

I drink beer whenever I have the chance… if it coincides with painting miniatures, then so be it. Given my schedule of family transportstion, medical appointments, and work, my chance to partake (and paint) is fairly limited. So I combine them when I can.

I don't drink when I'm painting. I'm absent-minded enough to clean my brushes with beer and/or take a sip from the dirty water.

Seriously, though, I don't remember ever eating or drinking while I'm painting. The thought has never occurred to me.

Drinking while painting ALWAYS bit me in the butt, I'd come into the studio the next morning and I would always have to re-do things, especially if I was doing highlighting etc.

But I think you could drink while base-coating or doing some flocking or assembly.

Now, beer aside, partaking in a certain other common… ahem (cough cough)has always been a friend to the painting process.

Wine is far better when painting lace wars figures!

real men drink beer, smoke tabs and eat lard whilst painting.

Alcohol and scalpels, however, do not mix as my thumb and fingers show!!

Tally Ho!

I usually drink at least a pint, a couple of bottles of beer, or a glass or two of wine most evenings when I'm painting. I've learned that I have a limit when I feel fine, but the hand starts to shake.

My painting abilities are such that alcohol can only enhance them if anything.
Yes, when I sit down to paint, there is usually a beer. If I paint later in the evening then it is with whiskey or brandy.

I sometimes have some beer or wine when painting in the evening.

I haven't done much painting in the last few years, so I'm going kind of slow with the 28mm Dark Age Saxons on which I'm working. (I'm trying to get some speed and confidence back.) So I'm more inclined to blame myself for any mistakes I'm making, rather than any moderate amount of alcohol I might be consuming at the time.

I have not tried lard yet… :-) Maybe wine is the answer…I think I'm coming around to Texas Jack's point of view on the subject…

I sometimes paint with a glass of red wine, I'm painted Napoleonics at the moment, mostly Prussians, so it seems appropriate. One has to know when you've had enough wine though, or the painting becomes as Dave F. says a re-do.

Here is a list of painting skills that are not impaired by beer:
Spray priming
Sloppy undercoat
Stain
Dry brushing
The Dip
Spray Dullcote
Ground cover
Spear tips

What does that leave? Moustaches? Belts? Easy solution to that. Have a clean shaven army and leave the packs behind while you charge.

I sometimes paint with a glass of red wine,

Does it cover the figures very well?

I always find the tricky bit is when you rinse your brush in the wrong receptacle ..

Excellent list, John. Now, I wonder if painting 6mm Napoleonics could also fall into that category?

Beer or wine is no issue. I get to a point when I know I've had enough if I'm painting details. Or maybe a little bit more when basing figures or doing "macro" work, like scatter or gravel on bases.

Eric

Painting DETAILS???
I have seen you work, Eric.

Beer maybe

Good whisky – yes

John

MajorB – Yes it does. Great Burgundy wash….

Painting with wine?
No, but the stuff I drink usually _strips_ the figures to bare metal nicely, however! Pity about those plastic ones, though….

I have had a beer or two while painting. No problems. A BEER OR TWO. Just a BEER OR TWO.

The only real accidents I ever had with a razor I was drinking soft drinks. I might be more cautious when drinking.

If I have a beer I will lose track of it getting focused on painting and rediscover the beer when it's warm. Same with coffee, except it will be cold of course.

Drinking good for painting camo, not good for detail work.

Moderate intake of beer or wine or whisky is no problem. Tiredness is the main reason for my painting errors.

Even more hazardous now with 'dipping'!

Rarely partake when painting but make up for it afterwards if I can. Beeing so tall I can tend to have long flailing arms as well so no drinks make it onto my painting desk now after a few 'incidents'.

And yes I have accidently stuck my brush in a drink to wash it. Well I was daft enough to put it right next to the wash pot

Stew

Always have a beer or coke next to me when painting. And more importantly, an ashtray. Not lard, though.

I think the only time beer reveals itself as a problem mixed with painting is when you have to stop. The beer that is.

beer is meant to be warm……..at least the proper stuff real men drink.

I have the same problem as dapeters!

Moreover, I have often sat down to work with a tumbler of dark rum in ice, and by the time I finish with some brush work to take a sip my ice is gone and my rum diluted to wimpiness.

Neat single-malt whisky is one way around this dilemma.

What would painting be without one of the Burgundies of Belgium?