Roadkill Posted October 30, 2003 Share Posted October 30, 2003 Hi guys, I think I've burned myself out on painting.. I havent touched a brush since Gen-Con... sad thing is I really want to paint some stuff but I just can't get myself to do it.. so... I figured I would turn to you "Die Hard" painters and ask what recent or past projects have you done that you REALLY had fun doing.. or any suggestions you have for getting back in the mood (and no I don't own any Barry White albums :D) to do some painting.. so i guess... help :oo: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7thunders Posted October 30, 2003 Share Posted October 30, 2003 NO,NO,NO! you are not burned out. your'e just expierencing other things in your life. maybe that you are not aware of. here is how I break that little problem. 1- find your best mini.you know the one that YOU! like. the one that every time you look at it you say Damn!! i'm good. 2-set that mini up on your work space,desk whatever you have. right smack dab in front of your face. put it on something like a pedastal or something to elevate it. 3-now find,or buy. 2 of the most awesome minis you have ever wanted to paint.something cool from the arlord line maybe. 4-open them up,clean them and take care of the flashing. don't prime them or nothing else,and set them right in front of you best mini. now go find another mini.something that you would never have thought of painting in a million years.something that forces you to just re-think your approach to this craft. (for me it was the giant foo-dog) now start painting that crap mini. and every so often look up at those 2 you want to do real bad. and don't forget to take a good hard look at your "best mini" as well. you see that best mini? well you need to make that crap mini look just as good as that. Now ifyou cheat on this your only cheating yourself. and then you will be blocked. but You can not paint those other two minis untill you do the job right on the crap one first. believe it or not as you look up you will start to get really neat ideas about what you would like to have those other 2 look like. go ahead and jot a note down,or make a paint sample,on a card. now sometimes sub-consciously,you will start to invert colors,and try all kinds of ideas,and guess which mini get's the prize of being the monkey? that's right the crappy one. now when you are finished,go on about painting the other 2 cool ones and when you are done before you seal them,put them all side by side. betcha dollars to donuts you have 3 really good minis . cause weather you want to admit it or not. I bet you go back to that crappy mini at least once during your painting to try out another idea,or because you came up with something else during you painting session with the good ones and you just know it would look good on your crap one. it works for me. hope it does the same for you. later 7 :cool: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hells_Clown Posted October 30, 2003 Share Posted October 30, 2003 I don't see a problem myself. If you want to paint you will. If you force yourself you'll either end up hating to paint or will do horrible paint jobs you'll have to redo anyway and that will upset you more. Let it go. Do other things. Just because you started painting doesn't mean you can't ever stop. It's ok to have other hobbies. Read a book, watch a movie, fly a kite. It's all good. Then when you're ready, you will go back refreshed and ready to paint. Does that help? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coogle Posted October 30, 2003 Share Posted October 30, 2003 An idea I use, even though I haven't been painting long, actually I use this in most of my projects, is if an idea for making something pops in your head, then do it. Even if it's useless or impractical, it get's things going again, and so far using this system, almost everything has been used for something. Gifts, fun etc. This is how in the last year or so I have made: 1 Entertainment unit 1 Coffee Table 4 Lamps 40 odd mini's 2 Diorama's 1 Mini display case, with lights 1 Mini shelving unit 1 Wooden Book it keeps the creative juices flowing. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niceman Posted October 30, 2003 Share Posted October 30, 2003 As people have seen on the board recently I'm on a diorama kick at the moment so of course I'll suggest that :) Take a look at the minis you have or some that you would like to get...think about what they would be doing, and make a scene. Another thing you might try is paint something in a way you never have before. This could be in terms of technique, such as layering or blending or some such....OR in terms of color. There's no reason why a gladiator figure's armor can't be painted pink with yellow flowers (actually there IS historical presidence for this, but I digress) :) Paint up something weird...even silly to flush out what burnt you up....trying to be correct and exact and the pains-taking attention to detail (note they call it PAINS-taking). Don't worry about that for a mini or two. You can always strip the silly ones and redo them later...or they may become some of your favorites :) Hope that helps ya! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whizard Hlavaz Posted October 30, 2003 Share Posted October 30, 2003 Challenge yourself. Really, really push yourself. Nothing seems to motivate me more than saying "I can do better than that..." Got a technique you want to learn? Then what's stopping you? Sit down and learn it. Paint and paint and paint until you've got it. Go. Now. Why are you reading on? Ok... More? Let's see... Find a mini online that blows you away, one that you could never paint in a million years, and then emulate it. Copy it color for color, technique for technique. This is pushing yourself again but with a tangible goal in mind, something more than "I'll learn NMM gold today." You'll have your final result already situated in your mind's eye. Heck, it'll be right in front of your eyes. Copying, forgery, emulating -- whatever you want to call it -- is one of the best ways to learn, whether you're writing, painting, sculpting. It's useful because you have an end result in mind with which you can compare your own work. Not sure if you've managed it? Well, you have a comparison right there. Think you've busted a cap in it? Well, check it out... Your model is right there. What else have I got for motivation.... Paint a mini to win the contest. Not to enter the contest... WIN the contest. Competition is a powerful motivator for many. If simply learning something new isn't enough for you, maybe competition will spur your horse. Paint a mini for someone else as a gift. Generosity is the perfect motivator for both getting you up off your duff and spurring you to do better. Heck, paint a mini for ME!! I'll PM you with my address. I prefer dragons! I don't know... What else do I have for you? Do a search for erotic miniatures. If plain old sword and sorcery isn't enough for you, maybe you need something a little more e-spicy! I've seen some pretty risque minis, but I'm not telling where. Teeter! Get away from that Dominatrix figure!! Darn cat. Where was I?... Oh, right. Change of venue. Look at some sci-fi minis, some historicals. Maybe something there will shake up your drive. Or move your painting desk. Sometimes something as simple as moving your workspace around will motivate you. There's a million ways to find your creative urge again... You just need to be... well... creative about it. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Decado Posted October 30, 2003 Share Posted October 30, 2003 I sometimes go through these funks were I have a bunch of half painted minis and no urge to finish them. Then sudenly I see a mini I really want to paint and I just go for it. This recently happened when I saw #2719 Ametime Earthlyte at my FLGS. I bought her and had her painted by the next day, which is record time for me. Decado Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
red5angel Posted October 30, 2003 Share Posted October 30, 2003 yep, I wouldn't force it. If you aren't in the mood give it some time. Personally I try to alternate working on terrain or painting miniatures. The other thing I find is that actually playing some games helps me get back into the mood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ladystorm Posted October 30, 2003 Share Posted October 30, 2003 Hi guys, I think I've burned myself out on painting.. I havent touched a brush since Gen-Con... golly, need you say more. folks what he isn't telling you is he spent his entire (right?) GenCon painting orcs for Reaper's Warlord demos and games. things happened (no blame allowed) and several of us ended up painting like mad to get the troops needed done for the demos and games. Roadkill, darling soul he is, did nothing else, everytime you turned around he was painting. I can understand that burnout. I've paced myself back into painting since then. So Roadkill, here's the incentive. I dare you. Pick any mini, I'll do it too. I'm guessing it won't be an orc. It isn't a race, heck if we can bust out 30 in a sitting, we know we can paint quickly. So say take the month and November we paint together. Is it a dare or a date? cbs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enchantra Posted October 30, 2003 Share Posted October 30, 2003 My cure for this problem is to go to my local FLGS and stare at the minis. It usually works. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Infinity Posted October 30, 2003 Share Posted October 30, 2003 Here's a strategy that might work. Go buy a steak dinner--the juicy, sizzling, sinful kind. Put the steak dinner on a fishing line, and hang the line from a curving pole that is attached to your belt behind your back. Arrange the pole so that the steak dinner is just out of your reach. Face the miniatures's painting table. Think "hungry" thoughts... It always works for me... :p Oh, and if the steak dinner doesn't work, try a pot-boiled roast, barbecued ribs, or Alaskan King Crab. In the end, even if you don't get anything painted, you'll have eaten so well you won't regret trying. :D Infinity Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orchid_Noir Posted October 30, 2003 Share Posted October 30, 2003 Actually, when I get in these moods, I try to totally forget about it, kind of a Zen approach, I guess. By trying to not think about it I end up wanting to think about it, by trying to not "go there" I see inspiration everywhere, and in trying to avoid it I end up seeing my painting area and feeling that emptyness in myself that painting occupied the whole time I was growing up. I am not suggesting avoiding this place, you don't have to be in the painting swing to enjoy it here, but use a little reverse psych on yourself. I works for me, my bouts of lack of desire to do minis usually can be resolved in under two weeks via this approach. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kheprera Posted October 30, 2003 Share Posted October 30, 2003 NO,NO,NO! you are not burned out. your'e just expierencing other things in your life. maybe that you are not aware of. here is how I break that little problem. 1- find your best mini.you know the one that YOU! like. the one that every time you look at it you say Damn!! i'm good. The first step in this wouldn't work for me. It would just remind me that I ruined the best mini I ever painted as I was sealing it. It fell and broke and I haven't painted since. My solution is to just do other things. Of course right now I have no inspiration to do anything. Getting up and going to work and posting is about the most I can do right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coogle Posted October 31, 2003 Share Posted October 31, 2003 Here's an idea I'd forgotten. Go to your local reject/discount shop, you know where all the useless junk is sold that couldn't sell anywhere else? Just wander around through it. Almost guaranteed you will find see something that you will go.. that would look great as a mini backdrop, or I could use that, or that would be usefull for holding paints... etc... works every time. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Lightning 2 Posted October 31, 2003 Share Posted October 31, 2003 Conversion work. Nothing breaks up the monotony of painting hundreds of Tau troops or CAVs better than assembling a new one. Ok, you've just painted a ton of Orcs. Well, break that up by doing that Assassin conversion that John Bear Ross was talking about on the Sci-Fi General Discussion a while back. Get yourself a Dramel, some green stuff and your bitz box and go to work. Pretty soon you feel that you'll be wanting to paint all of these stylish conversion you've done. Another suggestions might be to post some of your work where other people can see it. Like the Show Off board right here. Nothing inspires more that constructive criticism and compliments. What you need, Roadkill (and you too Aryanun) is positive reenforcement. Post your work, listen to your props and see if that doesn't get you to wanna pick up a brush again. Excelsior! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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