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Lately I have been lacking the motivation to paint and I hardly finish any of my models. I lay down the basecoats, tidy up and start on the highlights and that's where it stops. I think I am too 'strickt' with my self, thinking it has to be perfect, 10/10 quality, even though I am not capable of that. I long to paint like a pro, but I can't settle for tabletop standards. I don't by any means try to bash down on anyone, or lift myself high above anyone else. I am not a good painter, I'm not capable of spending hour upon hour on the same model to get that perfect look, but that's the look I want, anyone with me?

Right now I got loads of models, none of which have been finished. I tried to sit down with one model and paint him, everything was great and fun untill it came to some stupid lenses and now I haven't done anything on him for three days. I don't like this about my self, because I feel like I am forcing this hobby on myself and I am afraid I'm not enjoying it.
I paint about 1-2 hours each day, with a Tvshow in the background so I never push myself to paint, only when I want to. But I always end up unsatisfied.

One thing I am going to try is to paint up my Dark Eldars, remove all paints and models that do not go with the Dark Eldar and just finish them, no matter how long it takes. This might give me some experiance and disciplin that I need.

Sorry for the long text, but I don't have anyone to talk to about this as I am the only one who got Warhammer in my region, that I know off.

So what do you do, when you are down below and just dislike everything you do or just plain unmotivated to paint?

Many thanks

I made a topic about something related, how to actually do something when you're sitting down on your hobby table. But i suppose the advice will be the same.

Perhaps you want to much too fast, and that's putting you off before you even started? If that might be the case try planning in 1 stage at a time, like cleaning and assembling, priming / base coat, separate highlight stages for colors i think you know what i mean.

If that's not the problem, perhaps you need something new to get you going again (or in case you have been forcing yourself to paint/model in that case you might want to take a [set time] break).


Personally i have a looot ready to paint or prime, but i also have motivation problems. When I'm sitting in my room I'm just too easily tempted to sit and essentially do nothing:<

Really I find that it is impossible to stay fully motivated. I can't just keep doing it day in and day out to finish a project. Typically what happens is I will grab 10 models and say "I am going to do these to completion". I will work on them for the next few days to a week and finish them. Than there will be probably about 2 months before I start another project. That is the only way I have found that I can keep painting, small do-able projects and breaks in between.

Edit: Also, I find that doing "the same thing" to a group of models is easier than finishing a single one. I will pick out 10, paint all the shoulders, than all the tabards, than all the guns, etc.

I too feel like this sometimes, i find watching tv or a film(well listening to it helps me, but like you I only paint when I want to, I don't game with my models so hhave no targets or deadlines, you have to want to do it this will help you stay motivated.
Also i've found the 40k audio books (or any for that matter) are the best thing for me to have on in the background, i've found my self painting just so i can get another chapter in.

If you can start seeing improvements in your work this helps to motivate too, I struggle too finish projects, i have about 5 project at different stages that way if i feel like painting i will or basing, or modelling ive always got something to do.

Your not alone I feeling this way.

Deadlines also help a lot. When you know a tournament or event is coming up, you want to make sure your stuff looks good for it!

Spincr made a good point with the "forcing yourself to paint" issue.

I used to find myself in a very similar position to you in that I would get all my kit out, sit down all ready and end up really not wanting to paint a thing. I would think over the course of the day what I needed to paint in order to 'finish that unit' or 'that tank' etc

As a result I would probably fart around for 20 mins then just put it all away and the end result is I've done nothing. I now just go into the games room, literally look at all my unpainted models and go for the one that I actually want to paint. Even if it has nothing to do with my current army or project at least I will both enjoy doing it and will get something done by the end of my session. This is the best way I have found to keep myself motivated. Your models wont go anywhere so paint as you wish to rather than you feel you need to.

I am a very average painter. I aim to get them to a decent tabletop standard and in fairness am not capable of doing them much better anyway. I'm happy with that and as my painting time is very limited I can get the results I want in the time I want. Maybe you could paint a few models with varying degrees of time and quality and find yourself a happy medium?

I find the only way I can get anything done is to paint everything in pieces. Once they are painted then assemble.

The reason for this, is unknown, but I have found that it works best for me. I'm thinking it's because each individual piece isn't this massive undertaking so I feel like I can get through them and actually make progress. Mind you I am a slow painter, but it helps.

Also I'll do this for one complete unit at a time then move on. That way I get some variety in my modelling. What I mean by this is I'll go through the whole process with each unit. IE take models off sprues, clean them, prime, paint, assemble, base, varnish. Something to that effect anyhow. Once that's done then I'll do the same process with another unit. I suppose the variety helps keep things fresh even if it is just another squad of X.

Hope that helps!

I find the best way to stay motivated is to completely paint one model at a time instead of batch painting. sure it may take longer, but I feel better than i would if i painted ten models at once.

Yea its a very similar story here. I have a tonne load of models unpainted or sitting at 95% completed. The 95% completed I'm fine with though.

Currently I have been painting for at least 3-5 days in a row. I think it had something to do with almost having a full army painted, granted the bases are no where near done but the actual models are.

Like a few others I have various projects(CSM,Necrons,Tau,DEld,HE,Lizmen) that way I can actually paint what I want. I'v spend today and last night painting Necrons even though my main army is CSM.

Also I find it helps to paint 5-10 standard troops then move onto something a bit bigger, so 10 Necron Warriors then a Monolith. Gives yourself a "reward" for getting some of the more common troops "finished"

for modeling. Im not sure.
select instances I have a project then I just stop half way and don't feel the need to keep going. But then I figure to build something else (usually something small) then ill use that momentum to complete the previous project.

Others its a matter of "I really want to see it complete and use it in battle"

For painting. It a simple thing of it not looking all that great unpainted. But every thursday when I go to the local store I usually bring all my paints and get to work on the model doing the primary colors and the weathering + detail will be done at home.

Painting with freinds or a group also helps since you can help or learn from other painters. It usually turns into an informal competition, but thats something that motivates most people.

Paint forums used to be good for motivation too, posting WIP pics would get several helpful replies. But that seems to be in the past as the forums have just gotten too busy, some people dont get replies and then its even harder to keep motivated.

One thing I've found that helps is listening to audio books while I paint. That wards off the boredom some people get when theyre painting for more than 20 or 30 minutes. And if its a good audio book, listening to it can be sort of like a reward for sitting down and painting.

And the last thing I can think of, don't paint the same thing over and over for an extended period of time. Like painting 30 marines/eldar/orks whatever- the 'same mini different day' feeling sets in and makes it feel tedious. Paint up a squad, then paint something different, a vehicle, character, monster, or do up some bases. Just mix it up, and maybe even keep a few 'reward' miniatures around- these are the really cool stuff that you always want to paint- but set a goal like painting a bunch of troops before you get to paint up the reward.

the way i get anyhting done is to work in a place that has absolutly no distractions (no computer, tv, radio ) and work in stages

i often find my self not painting enough because i still paint infront of a computer all day oogling in the dakka gallery =/

@ OP

Damn. I was thinking something similar earlier. In terms of painting skill not motivation but it all rings true.


For me, I have only once become demotivated, when I was painting my ADL and how I got through it was routine. Set yourself small goals. For example, using the ADL again, I painted all the panels green in one go, then the demotivation kicked in when I tried to do the metalwork. My goal was to simply paint a section in each sitting. I would just sit down one day, and say "I am painting this line." Get the section, load the brsuh and work untill finished. If you feel you can go on then do, but never leave something half-complete, and always have a picture of what you want it to look like. Picture utmost perfection and strive to achieve it, and plan each stage out like crazy.


If you are struggling to get stuff done, because of new stuff, set yourself a list. For example, in my P&M blog, I paint a unit of a model or something, like a squad, per month. I set down a waiting list and stick rigidly to it. It means that should I finish a project early I can take a break, find money for the next month and just plan it out. Do the same. Set a regular schedule, like a unit a month or a model a week or something, get a written waiting list, post it in a Word Doc or something and follow it. Even go as far as to write down your proposed paint scheme.


Alternativley, do what I did, and either start or keep with a blig. I did it for differwnt reasons but it does give you that motivation of "I have 30 days, lets get something done."



And the most important thing is to vary it up. If you're sick or skin, creme and green of Cadians, throw in some Orks. If brightly coloured Eldar are annoying you, get some DE, or whatever floats your boat.

The thing that motivates me is either reading BL novels which inspire me to create awesome character heroes or to continue painting my army to match the exploits of the courageous 4th company of uriel Ventris... the other thing that keeps me motivated is when I think about some cool models I can kitbash together, namely the idea on my mind now is creating my own Legion of the Damned. Just mixing up your routine in painting and modeling I think can help keep you motivated

I pretty much gave up trying to paint an actual army and now I'm more motivated

It takes me, for most models, at least couple of hours to paint them from sprue to finished product. So when I think there's 100-200 hours to paint even a small to medium sized army, I get kinda overwhelmed and stop painting after a few models.

So instead I just paint what I want to paint rather than what I feel I need to paint for an army.

I mostly watch TV while I paint. Just TV series that have tons of episodes and not a lot going on. I watched Prison Break, Supernatural, Legend of the Seeker, Primeval, How I Met Your Mother, Heroes and tons of other TV series while painting. A TV series that has gone a few seasons will often supply 50-100 hours to burn.

Well, just now i started a new strategy: i always paint in bunches of 5, and always finish to paint those 5 before i start anything else (hobby related). If at the end im not happy with the result, i figure out what i made wrong, and try to solve it in the next bacht of 5.

Also, im using the "reward system", it is, some models are like rewards for paiting others. Like, i will only paint a warboss or a meganobs squad after i painted 10 boyz.

You should be asking "why 5 models a time", well, i dont like to repeate the same thing a lot of times, and those 5 models let me try different things easily.

And dont forget, do it for fun, in a conforable place, listening to your prefered musics and enjoying the experience. If you are not enjoying it anymore, go take a break, play some video game, and come back another time

The Dwarf Wolf wrote:
Also, im using the "reward system", it is, some models are like rewards for paiting others. Like, i will only paint a warboss or a meganobs squad after i painted 10 boyz.

I tried that once, it just meant I got bored painting the boring stuff and never got around to the fun stuff So now I just paint what I want and don't worry too much about my force organisation chart until I have a decent sized (but massively unbalanced force) and then go back to fill out the gaps with the troops I previously didn't want to paint (the motivation being that, since I already have all the fun models painted, by painting the boring models I'll actually have a proper army ). Worked with my Tyranids. The last thing I painted in the Tyranid army was the Hormagaunts, the first thing was the Trygon, Raveners and Gargoyles.

Depending on what kind of community you are in, going to local tournaments can help motivate you. They usually have a side award for best painted and that can help you get to a goal.

Something I cant see anyone mention, is to have models specifically for the purpose of messing around, ready to strip afterward.

For me this makes a difference, because I'm also a perfectionist, and want a good result on the stuff that I paint for my army. By having a bunch of 'test models' I can go crazy and get a technique just right. Black Reach Space Marines were perfect for this, but you can buy those packs of 5 Marines in a local GW, which makes it something else... Otherwise, just get hold of some old Black Reach marines and strip the paint from them.

Remember, these models are not for your main force so theres no need to get upset if something goes horribly wrong. It helps me keep a level head and improves my skill at the same time, so if I get paint all over it I don't think "I've ruined it!"

My 0.02c

My perfect recipe for getting things done is being old.
Since I've hit 40 I have more patience than I know what to do with.
I sat down and painted 6 Kans and 2 Dreds in one go.
My body suffered, but I never got bored with the process or needed to fip out and upend the table.

When I was 20? I would never have even considered such a hobby. I would have thought it insane.

I too have a similar problem. I am incredibly torn between putting the time in to complete a decent paint job and finishing it quickly.
I don't doubt my abilities but unfortunately am too impatient to let myself produce the results I am after.
However when I do want to put in some time and paint it's good to eliminate distractions. I usually paint in front of my computer but must close all browser pages so I do not lose concentration. Beyond that it's pretty much self control

Have all your tools and paints ready to go, some snacks (watch those crumbs) or a drink (dont spill) to keep you going and possibly a show, movie or music on in the background. I find the Horus Heresy audio-tapes are a good listen while painting.
One last tip. Don't feel like you're forcing yourself into painting. Set aside some time on a day off or if you don't get days off, take one!

Good luck mate

like it has been said before, do it by projects.

Sicne my schedule is pretty busy and changes a lot, I start a project when I feel like it, finish it and it can be up to two months before I start another one.


Also, don't be too hard on yourself. Your painting skills a most probably not a pro painting level, be content with what you can do, but always try to improve. And comparing the project you did a year ago will show how much your skill will have improved which help wth morale.

I usually paint while watching some sc2 pro matches as background noise which makes it more enjoyable (ADD strikes a lot so I NEED multiple source of distraction or I get bored)

I have a list of things that inspire me:

1. After playing with a friend and I see models i've painted before some good some not so good I'm always pleased at how much better i've become as a painter.

2. also seeing painted models in play is motivation enough for me. They look incredible together all painted.

3. focus on 1-2 models at a time max. for me this is huge. I'd previously primer 10-25 models at once all in the name of the False God "Efficiency". Faced with such a huge load of guys and vehicles to paint i'd get lazy and leave them be. Then to come back to them i'd have to wash the dust off of them, wait for them to dry, see who's primer was chipped and so on. Painting big batches was not efficient at all: it is intimidating, demoralizing and generally unfun. Going straight from primer to basecoat into highlights etc is my new method and I get about 1-2 guys done a day. And in 30 days that 45 guys give or take.

4. challenge yourself. try new techniques, do something that scares you on every model, if that doesn't keep your interest maybe you just don't like painting models.

5. abandon perfection. sometimes things go wrong, highlights are fudged, airbrushes spew out globs of paint. so it goes.

6. buy an airbrush if you don't have one. by not having to basecoat every model for 1-2 hours on every model made my productivity skyrocket.

7. get a system for rank and file guys and perfect it. mine is basecoat, eyes, highlight, wash, decal, seal, optional weathering, seal again.

8. show someone your stuff. everyone loves an audience.

9. do whatever you want and find out your own best method.

I read through a bunch of suggestions here, but I'm not sure anyone hit the point I got from the OP.

If you're at a point with painting where you WANT to be really good, but you just aren't yet, and that discourages you from painting... then its all about practice.

When I started out, a friend hooked me up with an old ass boxed game... which I can never remember the name of... but it had some knights, some halberd guys, and some bowmen... kind of Empire-ish.
I slapped some paint on them and they looked pretty amateur. By then I had started building up some high elves, so I started painting spearmen and bowmen and got a little better. Then I tried my hardest on the command group... and it was like - DING! PAINTING LEVEL 2 ATTAINED!
So, I went on painting high elves, then tried my hand at the old Tyrion model... DING LEVEL 3! I started referring to this as the "character model breaking your skill plateau".

I went on like this with my World Eaters army. Painted some berzerkers, busted ass on a terminator... DING! paint more bezerkers, paint a lord conversion... DING! Paint more zerkers, Terminator Lord conversion (busted my ever-loving ass on his paint job) DING DING!

So, my point is, that you have to start somewhere. Paint some troops, then bust ass on the sergeant/command/whatever. You'll carry your learning from busting your ass on to the next batch of troops.

Maybe for you, since you get the basecoat done and then lose focus, throw down the basecoat on a squad or unit and set them aside. Then work your tail off on their sergeant or command group and then go back and finish the squad/unit's highlights and shading. You just have to plug away for a while, then try something hard. You'll learn and get better.

Wow, there are a lot more replies here than I expected so thanks a lot!

Ritalin

Relentless, Guilt and a brutish man with a whip I pay to stand guard at my paint station.

On a more serious note, my friends and forum users do, when I see my friends and forum members posting and showing me the amazing things they've painted or modelled, it inspires me to get up and do something myself. After all who wants to be constantly shown up

Also, I actively engage in hobby challenges, projects and bets a lot. I mean a lot.

This means I've got deadlines to meet, the potential loss of money/pride, a goal to share with my friends and the fact that I don't want to let anyone down, especially myself.

The best advice, do it because you want to, when you are in the mood to and because you can.

I stare at my receipts for about 30 seconds. That's usually a pretty good motivator.

 matphat wrote:
My perfect recipe for getting things done is being old.
Since I've hit 40 I have more patience than I know what to do with.
I sat down and painted 6 Kans and 2 Dreds in one go.
My body suffered, but I never got bored with the process or needed to fip out and upend the table.

Screw advice. You rule!


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Also, (unless you have deadlines and commission work which i suppose not thát many can be doing) you should really try to keep painting and related things FUN.

Some time ago i got really enthusiastic again, spend a bucket of money and now i have like 250 points of Dkok but only 2 or 3 models have paint and none of them are finished. This annoyed the crap out of me however i now simply try to go with the flow. When i feel like it a little bit i jump on it, when i feel like I'll be doing a half ass job i just do something else. Everything is stressed enough as it is.

Heres what Ive told other people who have had your problem

Ive had the same problem over the years, building and painting huge amounts, and then almost losing interest completely. there are a few options that may help you out

get involved in another game. it can be another games workshop game, or a different one entirely. I personally love flames of war and firestorm armada. Firestorm is relatively inexpensive, and 15mm world war 2 figures can be found very cheaply. combat patrol or killzone can be great for this, as they require few figures and stay within the 40k background. You could collect a killzone force for multiple armies until you get your mojo back.

try painting your armies with different techniques, colors and bases. This change up can break up the monotony of painting the same color scheme, and painting the skin on orks is very different than painting power armor.

Ive found that apocalypse has kept me very interested in the game, I have a HUGE chaos army (18,500 painted), made up of traitor guard, khorne daemons, world eaters, and a khorne terminator army using the space wolves codex. When I get tired of painting power armor, I paint IG, then I paint terminators, then daemons. The super heavies are a joy to build and paint, and can be used as a reward for painting the smaller stuff.

hope that helps