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I have been interested in 40k for some time but I'm not exactly a prodigy when it comes to painting. Although I am aware that practice makes perfect, I'm eager to get into the strategy of the game and I'd like some nice miniatures to use. I have done some research and finally decided to start saving up so that I could commission an army to be painted for me at a very nice level. A thought popped into the back of my mind however. Not one which would change my decision, but one which I am somewhat curious about. How do people in the wargaming community feel about people who don't actually paint their own miniatures? If it helps I'm still in my teens, so I'm aware that if people didn't know I had paid for my miniatures myself I would undoubtedly appear spoiled. I'm more interested in how they feel about the average person though. Thanks in advance for your input.

They are your miniatures, and it's your money. Just don't try to pass it off as your paint job. You may get a little ribbing, but as long as your honest I doubt anyone would care much.

I agree, don't bother trying to pass them off as your own work though. Other than that it doesn't really make much of a difference. If someone dislikes the painting aspect, it still beats them just fielding a sea of grey.

Alright thanks. It's not as much that I dislike the painting aspect as that I'm going to be pretty bad for a while. I would never try to pass the models off as my own though, especially since the level at which they would be painted is beyond normal, and I'm still young. Thanks again for your input.

Perhaps it would be more worth it to practice then. Maybe pick up some cheap army men and paint them if you don't want to wreck anything. Everyone starts off bad, they just get better along the way.

A friend of mine loves this game, but has terrible eyesight and depth perception. He has trouble just putting down a basecoat on a mini, but he still loves the idea of fielding a beautiful, painted army. I figure quite a few people are in that boat, and having somebody else paint your models is perfectly fine. They're your figs, so no harm done.

Then again, this is coming from a commission painter, so I may or may not be a little biased

I don't think its a bad thing.

Some people can't paint and just prefer playing then spending time painting them.

coming from another teen, ive often thought about getting someone to paint my army. it definately seems like a good idea but there is something quite satisfying about pointing to an army and saying "I painted that"

Yeah it's not bad at all. It is really expensive though. I do have to remark I was really sad last tournament when the guy who got the best painted award paid someone else that to paint his. But.... I guess he put down the moneys for it so who am I to complain?

I have no issue with farming out your models for others to paint. As has been mentioned though it annoys me when people then either pass it off as their own work, or lie by ommission by not stating it is someone elses work (especially when looking at painting scores for tournaments where the point is to reward people who have painted their army well).

I've got to second the "try it yourself, first" suggestion. I'm a terrible artist, and prior to painting my first squad of Wyches I hadn't picked up a paintbrush since I was a kid, and I certainly wasn't good with one then. So with no experience, and only the foggiest idea of what to do (I just skimmed through How to Paint Citadel Minis), I started painting, and everything just sort of fell into place. By no means is it great, but it's certainly looks good enough when not viewed through a macro lens from an inch away. I was expecting it to look like garbage, so I was pleasantly surprised by the turn of events.

My rambling point is: you don't know how you'll do until you've tried, and even though it won't be as great as professional work, you're talking about plastic figures half the size of your index finger that'll be seen from at least a meter away; details kind of get lost in all that. Also, you can buy more models if you're painting them yourself, and they will be wholly your work, rather than work you bought from someone else.

Well at some of the prices some of the painters charge per model and depending on your army size. I personally would rather spend the money on supplies to paint my models instead of letting some one else do it for several reasons. If your just into the game go ahead and get them painted by someone else, but if your playing the game for the hobby paint them yourself. Price to get my models commissioned will be... $348 for my tau army. That not including basing and assembly if you pay for them to be assembled. With that money there I can buy myself an airbrush, aircompressor, paint, cleaning supplies, brushes and a few other things. That can get me started into becoming a pro painter myself. Well that's my $0.02.

There is nothing wrong with buying painted figures as long as people don't pass of the work as their own.

I have several pro-painted armies, and several armies I painted myself.

While I enjoy painting an army, I don't have the time or eyesight to assemble and paint a large 6mm army, so I am happy to send it away to be done.

The basic points about tabletop wargaming are that it should look nice (i.e. painted armies) and you enjoy it. There's no moral imperative to paint your own.

Pro Painted Russian 6mm Napoleonics


Am Painted Tyranids

I am kind of ambivalent on this matter.

I do feel that you should paint your army yourself, but I have thought about this myself. I paint slowly, and I'd like to own a million armies... so if I had the money, I just might commission one or two.

Then again, however, that just feels... wrong. Cheap. Painting them yourself makes them more than just playing pieces, somehow. I know every single one of my guys, they have become dear to me, because I built and painted them, sometimes also converted them. That single, unimportant tactical marine there.. he is just so much more to me than that.

So in conclusion, I'd not worry about it too much, but personally, I'll rather paint them myself, even if that means fielding a lot of unpainted minis while I am getting there.

I think that it your choice to let them be painted, but I prefer to do it myself.
It's just a part of the hobby. And, you can also choose how you like to paint 'em.
I was also a bit 'afraid' of painting when I started. But it seemed nice and now its the must important aspect of the hobby to me.

So, choose what you wan't, but I think that if you paint them yourself, you get an extra hobby!

I like to see painted miniatures no matter who painted them. Half the fun of gaming is seeing the figures.

Some of us are really busy. Some of us have the luxury of a few extra bucks and supporting someone who can paint a miniature to an acceptable standard is the preferred method.

Now, I would also never claim to have painted anything I had no hand in. Claiming a paint-job is kinda like plagarism, with umm, paint... Well, not exactly, but you know what I mean.

Who cares? It's like fixing your own car; you can have the warm fuzzy of changing your own oil, or pay someone to do it for you. Either way, same outcome (job's done) with the price of either your money or your time.

If you have the money and not the skill, go ahead and get them done.

Lots of people may be great at the game, but useless at painting. If they get told they can't play without a painted army, they can't play.

So for me, dipping or paying to get them painted is enough to get figures on the table.

I'm trying all my own, as it's why I started with 40k recently.

I'm more of a 'satisfaction of doing it yourself-er'.

As long as you don't try to pass it off as your own work, I couldn't care less. At least they are painted.

Spent $10 on my IG Company Commander to get it painted by a Best of Show winner. Well worth the money.

If you ever want to add more to your list it's going to be expensive.

It's better you learn to paint yourself but if you're happy and rich enough for it to be painted by someone else then do it.

Painting to an ok standard is more about the knowing tricks than to an being skilled.

You're going to get people coming up and looking at your army saying stuff like "Hey that looks good, how did you get that effect?" Or something similar and every time you'll have to say, "I didn't paint them I don't know"

It just might get embarrasing over time.

There is nothing wrong with having your army painted by someone else. Some people love the game but do not enjoy the hobby.

To me, I love the list building strategy and the challenge of the game. I actively dislike painting - so does that make me less of a gamer? If I field a fully painted army why does it matter who painted it? Playing with and against fully painted armies is a luxury, don't blast someone because they didn't paint the army themselves - unless you're ready to be playing against a lot of un-painted or primed models.

Vrakk wrote:There is nothing wrong with having your army painted by someone else. Some people love the game but do not enjoy the hobby.

To me, I love the list building strategy and the challenge of the game. I actively dislike painting - so does that make me less of a gamer? If I field a fully painted army why does it matter who painted it? Playing with and against fully painted armies is a luxury, don't blast someone because they didn't paint the army themselves - unless you're ready to be playing against a lot of un-painted or primed models.

That's very good point. I'd much rather play a painted army than a not painted one.

The way I see it is similar to how I feel about apple products:

Do what you want, it's your money and your hobby, just don't sit there and act like your better than me because you paid significantly more for essentially the same product (as people who owned macbooks in uni would facebook me using their iphones while listening to their ipod touches).


Incidentally, the above is the reason I refuse to use apple products.

also, DISCLAIMER: I am not claiming here that a) commission painting is ridiculously overpriced or b) people who use commission painted models are pretentious people with parents who dish out money like jelly tots

I take pride in my painting, despite the fact that I'm really not that good at it. I wouldn't have something commissioned unless it were crazy expensive to purchase or needed a more awesome paint job than I could give it. A great example would be the Fortress of Arrogance. I couldn't possibly do it justice, so I'd definitely have someone else paint it.

The point is, if you're not into the modeling aspect of the hobby, that's fine. I enjoy the painting and playing both, so I do both. Some people paint all the time and never play. Other field nothing but primer grey models because they can't wait to play.

Do what makes you happy. This hobby is expensive and as long as you're not fielding bottle caps and army men you're okay in my book.

I play 40k to play the game, I'm not very big on the modeling and painting parts.

I work full time, and when I get home there are usually about a thousand and one things I have to do that take priority over 40k stuff, as I live on what would technically be considered a farm(although the actual farmland is mostly just left to nature, we do have a ton of animals). I am barely able to find time to assemble my armies, let alone paint them myself.

It's your money you spend it how you want it.

Personally I know I'm a terrible painter but I get a good feeling at looking at it all and thinking 'I painted all this.' 'I made and did all the work and effort in making these.'

I have seen guys who had their stuff painted for them accept appearance awards and not give ample credit to the guys that actually painted them. That bugged me a little bit. Other then that, I would rather play against a commissioned army than an unpainted one.

I would rather play a painted army.

And I couldn't care less who paints it.

What others have said.

Painted > unpainted, don't take credit for work that is not your own.