"Strange Psychology" Topic

I just finished painting a project that has been on my workbench for far too long.

It was a tedious job. Lots of detail work. Difficult borders between paint colors. Touch-ups of corrections of mistakes.

I had to force myself to pick up the models every day, to make at least some progress.

So why, now that they're done, am I so excited to paint more of them?

Ego, works every time!

Yup, ego's sense of accomplishment.

I think subconsciously it works this way: your grinding through a project and there are problems, issues, etc.

You deal with them as it goes along. When you're finished your mind now knows all the possible issues and you feel you can now push them out at a much faster rate. You're self-aware at this point.

I'm not a doctor but I've stayed at a lot of Holiday Inns.

…or paint figures that you have to force yourself to do…

Painting figures is only fun for the first 5 minutes. Then I have to force myself.

Finally finished some 40mm Sash and Saber ACW Zouaves after 9, yes 9 years (2006 to 2015 – I checked the painting log which I keep to record colors used).

After a loooong sigh, I took a look and thought "These figures look pretty good – the figures not the paint job – maybe I should paint some more."

I got over it quickly.

I'm still over it.

I had a similar project that was on my table for over a year. Three 15 mm Sherman Crabs from Battlefront. Painting the road wheels on the models is a real pain. I finally forced myself to do them, one *&@#! model at a time. I vowed never to do another Sherman again, ever! After the final decals and weathering they looked pretty neat.

Now I have 13 more 15 mm Shermans in various stages of construction and painting (8 Sherman IIIs, 2 Fireflies and 3 DDs) for my favorite British WW2 armoured unit, the 13/18 Hussars (I LOVE the large red numbers on the turrets!). I tell myself that yes, the road wheels WILL BE HELL but if I force myself to do them, I will win by attrition and the end result will be worth it.

At least, that is what I tell myself.

I believe the technical definition is masochism.

;-)

Bill, it's the end result triumphing over the process.

Buying the figures and lining them up into units, priming them and getting excited in the beginning. The middle stages of painting can get tedious, but the final items and touch ups gets exciting too

Triumph of the Bill?

I have a load of Landsknechts to paint. I keep putting them off. I understand the problem all too well.

At this point in time you are free to CHOOSE to start – but once you are under-way, you are TASKED until completion.

'I believe the technical definition is masochism.'

Then my leather chaps are wore out 8+))

Seeing as I do it to survive I have days of despair followed bvy days of elation depending on where I'm am on the projects and then there's 'those' days of "why oh why am I doing these" ://
Then the money comes in and the customer is happy/ not displeased and I'm prepping the next lot.
I need a long holiday…
Plus I just love painting the little chaps I spose and they really appreciate me giving them life 8o)
Yes that holiday..

I love having painted, (finished) , more than painting. A deadline works wonders for me. Remember, the perfect is the enemy of the good, or anything worth doing is worth doing poorly.

When not in a painting mood but want to finish some unit I force myself to do one color a day.

Yeah, there's definitely something to be said for forcing yourself to do at least one color a day…keeps the momentum up, I guess.

"Painting the road wheels on the models is a real pain. I finally forced myself to do them, one *&@#! model at a time. I vowed never to do another Sherman again, ever! After the final decals and weathering they looked pretty neat."

Just paint them green and/or cover them in mud. Life is too short and they look exactly the same on the tabletop….

It takes a very special model tank for me to bother painting the tyres on.

There is also "muscle memory" at work. You know how to paint them, what colors to apply and in what order. If you start more of them, they will go much easier than that first batch. I have muscle memory for Napoleonic French line infantry. I have painted them many times over the years in 15mm and 28mm. I hate painting them. Straps, coats, packs, ugh. Yet, once I start, they paint faster than ever. Just have to do that first color. Samething happened this year with Caesarian Roman infantry. After painting 120 of them, the last 37 are going very quickly.