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I'm just working my way through the Necron Monolith and I have to say it's one of the most boring models I've ever had to deal with.

How do you guys keep motivated on big dull jobs?

I think the key is to promise yourself something interesting to paint once you meet certain goals. Myself, I'm currently painting all of my space marine infantry. I get through it by painting an IC, sergeant, or special/heavy weapon for every two or three regular guys I do.

So maybe for every side of the monolith you finish, you let yourself paint 1... well... whatever is fun for Necron players to paint.

Prime, dry brush and seal. Sounds greatly exciting!

I do what Commander Endova says, with the specification that I paint/work on something really offbeat. Usually a piece of terrain like a hill, fort, or idol of Mork.

.. or is it Gork?

Just think... once you finish painting that Monolith, you can go get wasted! That's always good motivation, haha.

But really, the best way I've found to paint boring models is just do it in stages. Put on your favourite CD (people buy CDs still!?) and rock out to that whilst painting. You'll be surprised how much you get done. Then once that CD is finished, either toss on another one if you're still feeling the painting groove, paint something else for the time being (keep it fresh, as it were), or just take a break.

And the biggest thing to all that is to force yourself to paint. No motivation can be beat with the sheer power of will.

Good luck!

anticitizen013 wrote:
And the biggest thing to all that is to force yourself to paint. No motivation can be beat with the sheer power of will.

Very true.. Once I pick up a brush I find something's not as boring as I dread it is when I think about it.

I just play audio books when I am painting and its 50/50attention so its nowhere as boring or worse tedious,
Just my technique,

Watch TV or a movie while you paint it, or have a buddy come over and paint together. It makes boring paintjobs a lot less grating.

The absolute best way to deal with anything where you feel you'll be bored or lose motivation?

Batch painting. It's how I'm planning on doing my Cadian 82nd. Do the cloth all at once--let it dry. Read a book while waiting, or work on painting a bastion/Aegis defensive line.

Then do the armor/lasgun casings. Let dry, repeat the diversionary tactics. Then finish out by doing leather, blast visors, respirator bits, etc all at once. Let it dry...and then doing the washes at the end.

Bamf. All done!

Do what i do.
Simply improvise on such a basic design.


Paint it as usual, then use all that flat space for some freehand designs.

Use the necron symbols and go to town making a huge network of them over the model.
Even an airbrush design will help make it less boring.


Failing that, spice up the necron colours a bit, find one you like painting and could keep using.

Get a game, and promise yourself you will play a fully painted Monolith. Always works for me.

Brother SRM wrote:Watch TV or a movie while you paint it, or have a buddy come over and paint together. It makes boring paintjobs a lot less grating.

QFT. Depending on what you're painting, throwing on a movie can very easily curb the boredom factor. Heck, given how much time it takes (Unless you're a really quick painter) you might just find a good series, either on DVD or on YouTube, and watch that while you paint. I've managed to get through 90-some episodes of Case Closed between starting my army and now, which is with everything constructed and primed with the exception of a single squad that needs a few more pieces. (Damn Kroot, spiny pieces and lots of small parts that need to go on...)

Thanks guys, it's nice to know I'm not the only one who gets bored with certain models. This 'lith really is just a great big silver slab of plastic (not really happy with the finish on it due to the monotony of the painting) :(

I do generally paint whilst watching TV, otherwise the silence just gets deafening... I'm planning on nabbing some FW Elysians and Lightning Fighters after XMas so I'm trying to get myself through with the thought of giving them a crack.

anticitizen013 wrote:Just think... once you finish painting that Monolith, you can go get wasted! That's always good motivation, haha.

Actually that works for me too...

ImperialTard wrote:...a piece of terrain like a hill, fort, or idol of Mork.

.. or is it Gork?

Careful, that kind of thinking starts wars... ahh, I miss GorkaMorka...

Post on Dakka while they dry.

Anpu42 wrote:Post on Dakka while they dry.

Incidentally, don't try to paint at your computer desktop. I tried that once. One mishap later, my num keys no longer have numbers on them because they are light blue.

The Lap Top is in the other room, this forces me to move around

set small goals. then jack off after you meet them.

don't set them too small, or you'll get blisters.

I commend anyone who can make it through anything Necron.

When I have to paint/put together something boring I make sure that when I am done I have a model that I really want to do ready to paint/put together
as a treat for my self
Like a donkey with a carrot


//Edge

I try to integrate new paint techniques as I go. I'll get bored search the dakka tutorials, pick something cool, and try to pull it off.

For the monolith, why not try painting some parts of it with fluorescent paints, ala this: http://www.hirstarts.com/tips11/tips11.html

elaverick wrote:I'm just working my way through the Necron Monolith and I have to say it's one of the most boring models I've ever had to deal with.

How do you guys keep motivated on big dull jobs?

I don't paint dull models. Simple.as.that.

This year, I painted over a hundred Orks, and let me tell you, it was only pure mind-numbing determination. Now, I can barely stand to look at the useless green bastards. (No nob bikers. What the feth was a thinking!!!???!!!)

Try 588 Ork models with 328 of them regular Ork Boyz. Music (120 GB Zune on suffle) and the sight of my finished pile growing is what keeps me going. Green, Metal, Red, Leather, Wash, Dry brush 30 at a time. Done, next thirty. About as interesting as watching the Kansas City Royals lose on TV.

As mentioned above, spice up your monolith color scheme to avoid apinting a big box of bare metal. When I painted mine, the biggest paint was the number of coats needed to achieve an ok coverage and avoid brush strokes. I'd try using an airbrush if I were you, the speed will be greatly improved, and you'll try something new as well.

If you do paint it in bare metal, try various rusting and weathering after the basecoat is done to add details to the model.

I drink on the weekends and only paint for 2 hours during the week. I painted around 45 Boyz in the past month. I wanted to cut my eyes out. I also play every Monday so I get to take my new stuff intot he shop and show it off. Even if it is just ten more boyz everyone is highly impressed they are painted. Sadly there is a lack of painted minis were I play. I did my Big Mek with KKF and found it to be surprisingly pleasant.

When painting monotinous minis (hordes) or boring ones, much of the advice already posted is excellent.

1. Paint in small pieces EVERY DAY. 15 minutes a day adds up.

2. Have TV on in the back ground. For me, personally, this is the best time of the year for painting. I can watch an American Football game and paint a mini for 3 hours and not feel rushed or forced to paint. Very relaxing, actually.

3. DVDs.

4. itunes or other music.

5. Naked Wife.

6. Put an interesting mini in eye-sight as motivation. "As soon as this monolyth is done, I'm working on that destroyer."

7. More Naked Wife.

8. Books on Tape.

9. Naked wife reading a book out loud.

Anything that will keep you from focusing 100% on the mini and getting bored or burnt-out on it.

ImperialTard wrote:

anticitizen013 wrote:
And the biggest thing to all that is to force yourself to paint. No motivation can be beat with the sheer power of will.

Very true.. Once I pick up a brush I find something's not as boring as I dread it is when I think about it.

Try sitting down and seeing 130 Termagants in front of you. That is both dreadful AND boring.

elaverick wrote:I'm just working my way through the Necron Monolith and I have to say it's one of the most boring models I've ever had to deal with.

How do you guys keep motivated on big dull jobs?

Boring? Are you crazy? I can't keep my hands off my brush because it's so fun. I only painting when there's nothing to paint, I swap colors or cat orchestra starts their daily growling in my tummy.

Add a lot of crazy detail and / or weathering to make vehicles interesting.

If you're just getting ready for the item to play, construct it, do a basecoat, and put it aside until you get some good ideas on how to make it stand out.

Even a humble Rhino can benefit from hours of attention, if you're into it.

Also, as others mentioned : show off! Not a lot of people do serious painting on their minis.

You could also head down to a game store that has painting stations. Whenever my buddies are getting bored of painting, I tell them to come down to the store and I'll hang out with them while they paint. It's a great distraction for them, and it entertains me more than sitting idly behind the counter. Plus, if thee store isn't busy, it's a good time for me to get some painting in, too!