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I've been trying for the past 3-4 years to get a solid routine going for painting. My problem is that I discourage myself and wind up putting down my own work / stripping it with plans to repaint, and not doing it. Part of that comes down to the fact that I work a 9-5, have class 1-2 times a week in the evenings, and have a group I get together with to play 40k at least one night a week, and another group I get together to do tabletop RPG's with every other week. Add in that I'm married, so my "down time" wants to be spent with her. All's not lost on that front - as we're converting a room to be my workspace and her sewing room - so soon the painting can double as wife time.

Reading all that - my questions for you as a community is this - How do you make/find the time? What drives you to paint/sculpt? What drove you early on? And what would you say the ideal work area should have?

I'm a long time lurker - and I think that's part of my problem. I see what can be done, and I'm defeating myself before I try. Also given that my finances are tied to a mortgage, two car payments, utilities, and such - extra money to just drop on models is lacking - so I don't want to do a sub-par paint job on a model and have to wait to save up to buy more to try again. This too will hopefully go away soon, as I did partake in the Bones Kickstarter, so I have 200+ "practice" mini's coming my way. I just think they're saving mine for last shipping wise

Welcome to dakka!

I love this kind of post.

How do you make/find the time?

I can't always. I too am married, working two jobs, and have a social life. But you do a little at a time, and bit by bit, an army grows.

What drives you to paint/sculpt?

The end result for me is gaming with a fully painted army. None of that great grey gak on the board. I love listening to audio books and I only listen to audio books while painting. This is a reward system.

What drove you early on?

Escape from a troubled family life. The calm and quiet of painting away the hours got me hooked.

And what would you say the ideal work area should have?

1) It should be clean and organized.
2) It should be visible--don't tuck it away. If you pass your work area often, you will paint more.

Good thread idea!

How do you make/find the time?
Well, it used to be an issue when I was in highschool. I graduated this year, and I've been painting 24/7 since then. Since I'm paid to paint, I spend 7+ hours a day at my desk, working away.

What drives you to paint/sculpt?
Right now? Profit! My family can't afford to send me to college/pay for my rent and utilities, so I'm using the next 1-2 years to save up as much money as I possibly can. Sadly I haven't been able to paint anything of my own, since I'm too busy with commissions, but I when I do, I do so to allow me to express myself artistically. Miniature painting is, IMO, an art, and it's one of the ones that I'm best at. Seeing a gray chunk of material transform into a work of art you'd gladly put on display is a huge pleasure for me.

What drove you early on?
I started when I was 14, because I needed a hobby to replace videogaming and I had always loved looking at the amazing things people did with miniatures. I started out as a boardwargamer, playing stuff like Battlelore and Heroscape(long may its memory remain!), and was eventually hit by the itch to paint figures myself.


And what would you say the ideal work area should have?
A work area needs to be comfortable and secluded from the distractions of family/pets. It shouldn't be so secluded that you never see it, however. If it is, you'll never get anything done. Since I'm living on my own in a two-room apartment, I keep my painting desk right across from my bed. I keep it clean and organized, which is very important for me - a cluttered desk simply frustrates me and makes it really hard to get anything done.

~Tim?

Welcome to Dakka. I hope you like it here.

In answer to your questions.


How do you make/find the time?
I am married with 4 kids ranging in age from 2mo to 10yr, I try to paint a bit after the kids go to sleep for the night or the younger two are taking a nap during the day. Finding the balance between painting/playing time and family time is always a challenge.

What drives you to paint/sculpt?
The need to constantly improve on my painting skills. My desire to have the best painted mini's at FLGS. To eventually average above a 7 on CMON.

What drove you early on?
My wife wouldnt let me buy another mini (or box of minis) until the last was fully painted.


And what would you say the ideal work area should have?
Your work space should be clean and organized with what you need at hand. A huge deterrent to getting any painting done is having to get up every few minutes to get something from somewhere else in the house. If the wife/kids see me up and about they think I am done and drag me away.

How do you make/find the time?

I try and find 30 minutes to 2 hours at a time. I am an Upper Level Manager at the company for which I work (50hrs). I have 3 kids (5, 7 and 9) all whom have sports practice and a spouse. I Go to church, and workout 3 to 5 days a week and volunteer for the boy scouts. Having said that I MAKE TIME. Generally I am painting either 10p to 1am or 4am to 6am. These are the times when other pple need less of me. I got the most done when I'd paint in those 30 to 1 hour increments daily.

It has to be a priority to you or you won't do it.
One of my rules is NEVER repaint. Always move onto the next figure. You will get better over time and with practice. However, you aren't painting show level pieces here. Strictly tabletop for playing (in most cases). I paint in a manner that also lets me "improve" my work over time. ie. Do all the base coating very smooth with care to the areas being painted. Move on to shades (this can be weeks later). Finally a highlight, sometimes 2 or 3 if I want a character to have some pop.

What drives you to paint/sculpt?

Stress release for me. It has been my hobby since I was 12 (30 years...eeek). It is "My Time" as well. Some weekends I pull out the paint and figs for the kids to do it with me. I assemble stuff on my patio when it is a glorious day. I do love to share the hobby with others too.

And what would you say the ideal work area should have?

The area, if possible, should always set up and ready to paint or assemble. I keep my painting desk and assembly area separate. I move between several projects at once in case I get bored.

I love hearing everyone's answers on these threads.


How do you make/find the time?

- I currently am working two jobs on summer break from college so I maybe have a possible hour each day during the week. I don't force myself to paint though, if you aren't in the mood just don't force anything as you just won't enjoy it. On the weekends I pretty much am free to paint as I don't have a wife and kids so I can do so as I choose. In you case just set a little time each week for yourself and just paint.

What drives you to paint/sculpt?

-To constantly become a better painter, have a fully painted army, and to be proud of the work I have already done.

What drove you early on?

-Same as question above.

And what would you say the ideal work area should have?

-To be organized enough to just paint right away at any time. Also you may not want to have all of your unfinished work in your sight as that can be a deterrent and that will usually just make it feel more like a chore than something fun to do.

Good Luck!

Welcome to dakka! This was a great idea for a post!

How do you make/find the time?

I don't usually have a lot of time. Thankfully, I have the odd evening free. I work 50+ hours a week and am planning a wedding among other things, so it really is up in the air. At my place we have a movie night every week or so, and maybe another night where we catch up on tv series we like. I tend to bring a model out to paint during the show, or a bunch of models and stick to only one or two colours at a time.

What drives you to paint/sculpt?

I need some sort of end game and deadline. Most recently, the armies on parade at my local hobby store. I really wanted to have a decent army for it, so I treated it like a deadline to get some imperial guard done. I also play some large apocalypse games where all models must be at least primed and painted 2 colours, so I make it a goal to have my army painted before the event (I almost always fail to have it completely done, but the drive is still there). Also, I stick to a project: I may have tau and dark angels to do, but until my vostroyan are painted, I try not to allow myself to move on.

What drove you early on?

Lego? I used to spend hours making scenes with lego and army figures, then minutes destroying them in an intense "gun battle". Little did I know, I was already playing 40k, just without the dice rolling. I finally got into the hobby during a 4 month work placement in a city I had never been to, almost completely isolated from friends and family. I had nothing to do, so I decided to try painting.

And what would you say the ideal work area should have?

1) Lots of cubby holes for bits and pieces to keep things organized: keeping projects seperate from each other makes it much more managable.
2) Lots of light. Window(s) for daytime painting, and a natural light for night work.
3) Make the space your own. It is easier if it is a "paint area" and not a dining room table where you have to put everything back in boxes when someone else needs the space. That includes your other stuff too: no sports equipment/random books/paintball/office supplies. If the desk is for work, its for work; a painting table is for painting.

I'm really enjoying the responses here, and want to thank everyone for the warm welcome. I'm always afraid my first post is going to be something already asked or nothing anyone would want to respond to, so I'm happy that it's somewhat popular and enjoyable to read.

Hopefully, we'll get to working on the room again this week at some point and I can post pictures / ask opinions.

I will bite on this one. It is hard to find the time. I have a full time job 2 kids and I teach college 3 nights a week in the fall and spring semesters so I have a pretty full dance card. For me getting thing painted is a slow and steady project with no real set end point. I just keep working away at stuff and when I get some things finished I move on to the next thing. I work slow enough that between birthday, Christmas, Fathers day etc... I usually have something new given as a gift to work on. I have not run out of stuff yet and have not bought any models for quite some time now.

How do you make/find the time?

I usually work on the weekends in the morning before people are up at my house. I like to wake up early and it is a nice quiet activity I can do. This get me about 4 to 6 hours a week painting. Sometimes I will work on things more if I have a tournament or game coming up I want to have something for. This is how I got my devastator squad finished up. I like to field only painted minis. When it is bad weather out it is also easier to find time since I need to be inside anyhow. New Hampshire winters provide me with plenty of cold nasty days to not feel too guilty about painting minis in my basement.

What drives you to paint/sculpt?

I don't like to play with unpainted models so this is what gets me to finish stuff. It took me about a year to get 100 points worth of stuff to play with but now I am slowly building up. ONce I finish the Marine stuff I have now I will move to the Orks I have. I just get a level of satisfaction after finishing a project. I also share the images with my facebook friends and post them here. Actually that is pretty motivating to me. I like to share my work and get feedback on it.

http://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/user/72079-Loborocket.html

What you see there is a little over 1 years worth of work.


What drove you early on?

I have always played games throughout my life. My son and I used to play Heroscape together and that game was eventually discontinued so we moved on to 40k as a substitute. As it has turned out 40k has been more for me than for him, but he is 14 so he is not as interested in playing games with his old man as he used to be.

And what would you say the ideal work area should have?

I have an area setup in my basement with all of my stuff. It is out of the way of everyone and not seen so I can pretty much leave everything out ready to go whenever I have the time. Not having to get stuff out or put it all away makes it a lot easier. Most important part of the work space for me is having lots of good light and I use a magnifier glass thing on an arm to help me see the details. it helps a lot. The one thing I find with that is I paint and work on things that will never show. I am getting better about not wasting time on those kinds of details.


I would suggest not being too worried about results and wanting to strip models all the time. You will get better and as you paint more and more of an army it begins to be a paint by numbers kind of exercise. Old model will inform you of color decisions and techniques. I find myself referring back to models I have painted in the past all of the time and it makes painting new stuff faster.

I have a small chair/table/stool in the bathroom with some paints and models.....

otherwise to inspire me, I may do some fluff reading, put on an audio book, or look at the finished models and think how much cooler it would be if there were more finished models. Setting a points limit also helps. Tell yourself to paint 100 points a week, and the pleasure of checking off another task done also helps.

 poda_t wrote:
Tell yourself to paint 100 points a week, and the pleasure of checking off another task done also helps.

I do this too. I try to paint 1 squad/vehicle at a time to make my progress evident to myself. It is easier to keep going if you can see measured progress.

I also love these times of threads...

How do you make/find the time?

Well, I'm married with two kids so my free time is a little more limited than I like it to be. Up until recently, I worked two jobs; my normal 40+ hour a week career as a union steamfitter and my side job of teaching at our apprenticeship school two nights a week plus Saturdays for most of the school year. Time was hard to come by, having only one day a week off most of the time and waking up at 4:00 every other day to go work and depending on where I was working in the DC Metro area, not getting home until 4:00 PM (and on school nights not getting home until after 8:00 PM!). Add time with the kids and spouse on top of that and my free time quickly diminished. However, I got a new job where I work 4 days on, 4 days off and I quit teaching at the apprenticeship school and now I feel like I have more free time than I know what to do with!

What drives you to paint/sculpt?

Trying to improve. I don't really play 40K but it is mainly what I paint and I build my models so they can be used in games because I intended to play a lot more in the near future. This is good as I don't have pressure to complete things like, before a tournament, but also can hinder me because it can be hard to focus on on project.

What drove you early on?

Same as above. I haven't been doing this for very long and I only started because I wanted a new hobby and this looked fun. Six months after I started, I won my first contest with a space marine Rhino. It was an awesome feeling and I used that the push myself harder.

And what would you say the ideal work area should have?

My workspace has it all: big TV with an Xbox 360 and PS3, reclining chair, gaming computer, drums, my record player (that's right, records), mini fridge stocked with beer, all my posters on the wall, sports memorabilia on my shelves... plus my work desk with all my paint racks, a large shelf for completed and in progress stuff, my air compressor for my airbrushes. It is actually a pretty awesome set-up now that I think about it. It is kind of mix between a teenager's room and full on "man cave."

Welcome !!!!

How do you make/find the time?
I made the time. Life is about priorities. Yeah, I know, thats easy to say.
I don't always game with the guys on the weekends, some times I pass if I need to work on something, or we try to have "painting days' where a bunch of us get together and instead of gamine, we hang out (thus we get our social near visit time in) and we paint. Its easier to do in a group setting, because we can encourage one another. Regarding time - I don't watch but maybe 2 hours of tv a MONTH. Most people watch 5 hours a day.
When I need to spend "family" time - I try to work hobbies into it (the woman is fine with me working on minis while watching obligatory chick flicks in the living room - a portable workstation helps with this).


What drives you to paint/sculpt?
I love the tangible nature of creating things. In my day job (which is way more than 9-5) I don't really "make" things...so this hobby allows me more creative output and the chance to make things. I also really enjoy the creative challenge of figuring things out - I just recently took on a big project because I had no idea how I was going to do it. It was a fun challenge of designing stuff (I had to base a thunderhawk on a single clear flight stand, 14" high - and have it be stable).


What drove you early on?
I wanted to have painted models. They just looked cooler, and I thought they would be fun.
My friends had painted armies (some of them) and they looked cool.

And what would you say the ideal work area should have?
Permanence. When you have to set up and break down every time - this will severely limit your work - it becomes a barrier to doing it.
Even if you don't have the space for a permanent set up, get a portable one.
Get a painting station or workstation type thing (google it, the gw one, or one of the others) - find a box or tote to store it in.
Put a squad of minis in it, and their paints. When working on it, take it out, do a few minies. Done, empty the water cup, put it back in the box slide it under the bed.
This will help your painting progress a lot.
After that - good lighting,organization, etc. all that normal stuff.
But the 100% most essential thing you need for a work space is access to it.

Another note...
I can say this - FINISH YOUR MODELS. Does not matter if they are crap - finish them.
Stop judging your work - FINISH it. You have to complete work to get better. I have so many projects that I would over analyze, get too many false starts on, or just never get done because I "didn't like it".
I eventually figured out I had to just do it.
Watch videos, watch your friends, experiment, try new techniques.
The key is don't stop - if you stop doing, you stop learning and growing (as an artist, human being, person - whatever).
I remember when I got my first small army done - looking back to what I can do now - they were just terrible.
But they were done. I was encouraged to do more, and to be honest, I think since that time I have repainted every one of them.
But the models i have today - would have never looked as good as they do now - if I had not finished the ones before.

Best of luck, and keep going - you will be amazed at what you can eventually do.

How do you make/find the time? What drives you to paint/sculpt? What drove you early on? And what would you say the ideal work area should have?

I paint all throughout the time when I'm home. I have free time at night and I chip away at my rank and file and paint in discrete blocks. Which is to say, I paint a whole squad of marines at once. Or a bike. Or a chariot. But as others before me have said. Finish it. When you become someone who finishes things you will find a lot of little toy soldiers get painted if you are a finisher. Sounds melodramatic but its true.

I paint because when I see how far I've come in just a few years painting off and on and moving up to an airbrush and then seeing the models on the table is the motivation. Its a positive feedback loop for me. I paint guys, then I play with the guys and when I see them come out of the case I'm pleasantly surprised at how nice they look to me. I guess its immodest to say so but I'm proud of how my models look to me. I used to keep the first flamer marine from black reach I painted around just to remind me. I painted it without any dilution and some terrible edge highlights and all sorts of funky metallics. It really made it concrete to me just how far I'd come.

I have always loved the setting of 40k. I started painting because I would look at the amazing paint jobs in white dwarf and I'd be inspired.

My work area is a closet with a light and a ton of paint. The ideal work area I'd imagine to be like my 5th grade science class with one big long table in the middle of the class with a sink in it. Put an air compressor and a nice light on there and that would be my perfect work area.

Tyronus Fruitridge Powers wrote:

My work area is a closet with a light and a ton of paint.

Was actually considering trying to do this based on a couple Lifehacker articles I read a while back.I'm just looking at it now thinking it's going to be too small to work. Anyone else have this problem?