"Paint or Play?" Topic

The emphasis is on the "or" bit.

Do painting miniatures and playing wargames compete for your limited free time such that you either paint OR play?

For me, opportunities to play are discrete and separated in time. I need to be in a location with opponents who want to play. I can paint pretty much any time I am at home and not doing anything else. So in my painting time, I really didn't have the opportunity to be playing instead. When I play, because I have plenty of time to paint (whether or not a specific project is done or not), it doesn't feel like I'm missing out on painting to play.

So for me, it's a "No"

I paint and I play, but one does not really impinge on the other.

Last weekend in my basement, we had OFMCon.
It happened that we had games on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
(If you must know, Friday was a very enjoyable Empire game. I didn't paint anything for that.)

If I hadn't been gaming, I would have been painting. Or binge watching Ray Donovan.

But if I didn't game, why would I paint anything?
And if I didn't paint, what would I play with?

Poll options:
1. Paint
2. Play
3. Binge watch Ray Donovan

Generally I get enough time to both, though I'll often procrastinate instead of painting.

Play only. After almost 77 years, eyes not so good for
painting anymore.

Not that my painting was ever that reasonable in any case!

I paint so I can play. One activity drives the other. I allocate time to both.

Yes, painting and playing are in direct competition for me. I split the time.

My free time is quite limited now, I only have the time to do one or the other. I pay others to paint so I can play games.

For me, painting wins 75% of the time. Although THINKING about what I have to paint takes up even more time.

I have this odd quirk, I mean to play, but unless I am at a convemtion I never get around to it.

So, I paint as if I intend to play, invested in a ping pong/gaming only table, lots of terrain, buildings, ships, mats, figures. But invariably in the end I paint and never play and sell the stuff.

I don't choose between the two. I paint more than I play, I'm just at that time of my life when my job challenges my gaming time. 200 more school days until my retirement and then things may balance out a bit.

I do both and enjoy them both.

As I have gotten older and can now afford it,I outsource most of my painting. I now have more time to research scenarios and game. Now if I can only do something about work.

When I played more, I painted less. It's as though there was "hobby time" and when I don't have a game, I paint.

I usually only paint if I need something for a scenario. Mostly I play.

Painting is about 80%+ of my hobby activities. Only game 1-2 times a month or less.

painting time is easy and I just do it whenever.
Tuesday night, chores done, kids in bed, wife occupied, 930 PM, it's time to paint for an hour.

Playing time is harder. It's a larger chunk of time, earlier in the day, and usually involves being absent from the family.

Like ZuluPaul above: I probably paint 3-4 times a week, but if I game x2 a month then I am lucky.

I never enjoyed painting much: painting one line infantryman might be quite entertaining, but over a hundred of the fellows?
These days I work a few extra hours to earn the money to pay someone else to do so, and quicker and better than I could hope to do.
Painting time is time one could have spent playing!

I'm doing nothing but painting and have for quite sometime … a lot to paint before I'm recalled to the "Mothership" …

Painting only for me too. Painted loads and still buy and base , but haven't played a game in years.

Recently my time has been split about even between the two. At other times it swings back and fourth depending. Over the years gaming is definitely ahead.

Time spent gaming doesn't affect my painting time.

//both…

I don't have the problem described.

that is a very interesting question.

When I used to "play" Flames of War, I was always painting to complete an army. Eventually, after many months/years I have completed 3 armies. But I do not feel I have had that many games out of it.

Whereas now, I have switched to Bolt Action, not only I can complete a lot of armies (so obviously I am still painting) but I also play a lot more.

So play and paint, based on my experience seems rather based on the targeted game, and I found out, after many years that I can paint and play rather than being in the paint camp.

I do not paint, I colour, very minimal work is needed to make something acceptable on the table when play ing time is spent planning and moving. Even then I try to keep it at a minimum, because even colouring is in conflict with playing or planning senarios.

Overpainted figures look great close in but often look no better or worse at long wargame viewing ranges. Hence to me its a waste of time. I do not personaly see the need to ses figure up close. so proably at least 80% playing or planning and 20% colouring, painting 0%

Like ZULUPAUL and Stew Art mostly paint and occasionally play.