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Hey guys,


I am fairly decent at painting, and I don't mind doing it, and would rather have a painted army than a blob of grey. My problem is the motivation. When I'm at work, I always tell myself "Ok, today is the day you make a dent painting" I'll get home, bang out one kabalite warrior then not want to do any more... Could it be I basically sit on my couch and use my coffee table to paint? If I had a more "official" setup would this help with my motivation? If not, what can I do to help with my motivation? Also, could anyone recommend a good painting setup to me? Thanks in advance everyone!

Environment may be a factor in getting motivated, it all depends on how you work. Some will keep their desks completely clear, only one project at a time and everything neatly in position. Others, like me, will have a desk that is scattered with anywhere between 2 and a dozen projects around, covered in paint and not really organised at all. It's really down to preference which one works for you.

Of course, there are some things that help regardless of your exact set-up. Make sure you have good natural light available for looking at schemes in a natural way, and also a strong light on the desk/wall which can help with highlighting and just general detailed viewing. A magnifier of some kind is always handy for small detail. Somewhere to separate painting and modelling stuff is always good, and of course space to do one without being cluttered.

Other things that might help are having some music/tv on in the background, nothing requiring too much attention. A good seat is best, so you don't get uncomfortable. I also find having somewhere nearby to display painted models is always good, as I can look to them for inspiration or just to see what I've achieved.

Hope that helps.

Yes. You need room to set up a batch if you want to paint in any decent quantity. You also need to be able to leave your work in the state it's in and not have to get it out again everytime you want to push something on a bit.

winterdyne wrote:
Yes. You need room to set up a batch if you want to paint in any decent quantity. You also need to be able to leave your work in the state it's in and not have to get it out again everytime you want to push something on a bit.

I think that could possibly be the problem... I have a slowed siberian husky, and I can't really leave anything I love out, or she'll probably eat it... I recall when I was learning guitar however, that in order to motivate myself to practice, it's good to leave the guitar out of it's case. I feel that just having to prepare everything everytime causes some serious lack of motivation. I feel like having your work out, so you can just jump into it and it doesn't seem like a chore even getting started. Any insight on this?

Yes. When I had my project space set up on the main level of my house where I can still interact with the wife/kids I could paint like a crazy man. Now that i have a new space set up in my basement I dont want to go down there...because...I'm lonely...

Having a dedicated painting area helps tremendously.

I have everything set up easily, and can start/stop working very easily.

Of course, having one you can secure from kids/dogs/cats helps a lot as well.

My current painting area is situated where I can still see the kids play, and talk to the wife while she watches TV in bed (she watches her anime, I paint my models, and we can still chat - yes, I am a lucky man).

In our new place, my hobby room will be adjacent to the kids play room - that way I can see them etc.

When we were in a smaller place, I had a "hobby tray" I would have a current project and some paints on, and would bring it into the living room for hanging out (while the kids would watch kids shows, or the wife would watch chick flicks, etc.). I could paint models while still hanging out with family (note: still had dedicated "family time - where i would play with the kids - yeah, my daughter mixes star wars toys with my little pony....or cuddle on couch with wife, but I did the painting when we were doing our "own thing" but could still hang out with family).

This was not as good as a dedicated hobby room, but I could just put the tray up (like a lap desk, then put it up on a shelf when not using it) when not using it.

Many manage, some even prefer it, but I can't imagine working without a dedicated space. Tried doing some model prep on the coffee table, once, and I tried painting on an end table while visiting my dad - neither jived with me. As others have mentioned, though, it really depends on the person. Me? I organize, I compartmentalize, I form routines (well, they're not always as regular as that might suggest... perhaps "set methods" is more appropriate). Having a dedicated hobby space that I can arrange and maintain in that arrangement helps accommodate that.

Having it near my computer, where I spend a decent amount of time, also helps me get work done - I can throw on music in the background of a long session or I can clean single parts between rounds of a game. Either way, I accomplish more than I would if my hobby area was isolated out in a garage (...that I wish I had - the woes of apartment living!) or required setup, as with using the table in a communal area.

Consider your own personality. Also consider how you work best in unrelated areas where parallels might be drawn (e.g. in college, come crunch time on major papers, I could be found alone, huddled in silence, surrounded by roughly arranged but pointedly divided piles of reference material - hobby time is more relaxed than that, but the two arrangements aren't incongruous). Depending on your situation, setting up a dedicated area can be difficult, BUT if it's possible and seems like it fits your style, I'd say it's well worth it. If you're not sure, a "hobby tray" could be a nice option to test the waters.

I did have my hobby station set up in my 'office' (read computer room) as I study part time aswell as work full-time. However I found that aftee studying I didn't want to remain in my offce to paint so utilise an old floor tile as a tray to take my current project downstairs so I could paint in the living area with my gf. Over time more stuff migrates to the dining table (but it's easy to store away and remove back to my office when needed.) Having he spaceto store stuff in my office is great but the felxability in being able to paint downstairs allows meto actually get stuff done.

D

I think that enviroment does have an impact

Currently my man-cave has become a dumping ground for everyone elses crap, but with my wedding coming up and the gfs mum in the middle of a house move (by which I mean, they moved out of the old house, but are getting messed about with the current owners of the new house, so currently we are a storage unit for her stuff) didn't have much choice.

I really don't want to paint right now, my desk is tiny as it is, but with all this stuff piled up randomly it's hard to find the motivation to sit there and do anything, let alone paint.

But yet I spend most of my workday thinking about all the painting I want to do, and by the time I get home I don't have the drive, or the concentration ( I've been staring at C++ code for 8 hours) to get anything done.

As for when I still played 40K, I found the best way to paint my Orks, was company. In the house, I'd get through 1-2 models before getting bored, if I went to the FLGS, knowing I could have a banter with a few people while I painted, I could be there a good while and churn out a mob in an afternoon.

 Leigen_Zero wrote:
I think that enviroment does have an impact

Currently my man-cave has become a dumping ground for everyone elses crap, but with my wedding coming up and the gfs mum in the middle of a house move (by which I mean, they moved out of the old house, but are getting messed about with the current owners of the new house, so currently we are a storage unit for her stuff) didn't have much choice.

I really don't want to paint right now, my desk is tiny as it is, but with all this stuff piled up randomly it's hard to find the motivation to sit there and do anything, let alone paint.

But yet I spend most of my workday thinking about all the painting I want to do, and by the time I get home I don't have the drive, or the concentration ( I've been staring at C++ code for 8 hours) to get anything done.

As for when I still played 40K, I found the best way to paint my Orks, was company. In the house, I'd get through 1-2 models before getting bored, if I went to the FLGS, knowing I could have a banter with a few people while I painted, I could be there a good while and churn out a mob in an afternoon.

This is almost exactly what I'm going through right now... I work helpdesk and spend hours at my desk reading dakka and painting blogs (what I'm doing now) and think about all the work I'll get done on my new dark eldar army that I love. As it turns out, I've been doing 1 kabalite warrior a day... Granted, I've been doing a good job on each warrior, but at this rate I won't be done with all my warriors for a couple of months, and that's IF i continue each and every day painting one. Maybe I'll consider the painting tray from GW. It's not terribly expensive and could keep me organized. Because of my husky, I keep all my stuff in my closet and my paints are in a plastic bag.... So every time I go to paint I get out my battle foam, take a couple warriors out, and fish through a plastic bag looking for the paints I'll need. Such a pain in the ass. I just need to get this army finished. My girlfriend is 3 months pregnant, I wanna finish my DE before the kid is taking up all of my painting time... lol. so I'm in DESPERATE need of advice!

Yes. When I had my project space set up on the main level of my house where I can still interact with the wife/kids I could paint like a crazy man. Now that i have a new space set up in my basement I dont want to go down there...because...I'm lonely...

I'm the opposite. Due to my awesome work schedule, I am often home during the week with the kids while my wife is at her job. I absolutely love every second of being a part time "stay at home dad," but I know in the evenings and weekends, I can retreat to my basement to unwind and enjoy some "me time."

My hobby area is in my basement or "man cave" if you will. It has my computer, a mini-fridge full of beer, a TV with my xBox/PS3, a comfy recliner, my drums and bass guitar, and most importantly: my record player and stereo. I enjoy having my painting area downstairs because it is out of the way and cooler (temperature-wise) than the rest of the house, which is extra nice during miserable Virginia summers. The wife almost never comes down there and the kids rarely do, and if they do it's just to see what I'm doing or sometimes they'll watch a movie (even better, my 5 year old daughter has taken an interest in painting models and so far the results have been... interesting). When I first started painting, I did everything at the diner table. It was uncomfortable, the lighting sucked, I'd have to get out and put away all my stuff constantly, and there were too many distractions. I always have had the basement as my "area" but all I had in the way of work space down there tiny computer desk. My wife went to Ikea, bought me a nice "L" shaped desk, and I moved all my hobby stuff down there and I love it.

This is my painting area:

Wow super sick setup. My girlfriend is 3 months pregnant, so I'm trying to finish my dark eldar army, before the baby is born!

Your environment is a huge factor in your motivation to work and your ability to maintain concentration whilst working. Figure out what it is you need to keep you there and painting. For me it's a nice clean work area with everything reachable, with some form of audio in the background that I can absorb whilst painting/modeling etc.

I believe it is a great thing to have a studio set up. Mine is in a back room where I have no disturbances and I can focus on what I am doing. As far as a setup goes I'd just suggest an area that is large enough to keep the things you commonly use nearby. I have magnifying lamps with super bright bulbs, a clock radio, codexes, rule books etc within arms reach. Here is a pic of mine, I have rearranged it since but its fundamentally the same. I paint MUCH more since I set this thing up, my stuff used to sit on the kitchen table and my wife hated it.

I think as long as you paint you are in good shape. Having a painting area is a good thing.

I think if you are finishing one modela day you are doing really well. I have 3 WIP on my table and 2 in blisters.

Dalymiddleboro wrote:
Wow super sick setup. My girlfriend is 3 months pregnant, so I'm trying to finish my dark eldar army, before the baby is born!

I would say, don't try and force things, I forced myself to paint my Bushido Savage Wave for a tournament (I had 3 weeks), the painting wasn't enjoyable, the paintjobs were awful, and it put me off painting for a very long time. Remember, it's a hobby and so must be enjoyed, if it stops being fun it stops being a hobby

Why don't you try pseudo-batch painting, rather than doing 1 mini at a time, do 3-5. It's not a big overwhelming pile and it shouldn't be much more of a difference painting 3-5 as painting 1.

Dalymiddleboro wrote:


This is almost exactly what I'm going through right now... I work helpdesk and spend hours at my desk reading dakka and painting blogs (what I'm doing now) and think about all the work I'll get done on my new dark eldar army that I love. As it turns out, I've been doing 1 kabalite warrior a day... Granted, I've been doing a good job on each warrior, but at this rate I won't be done with all my warriors for a couple of months, and that's IF i continue each and every day painting one. Maybe I'll consider the painting tray from GW. It's not terribly expensive and could keep me organized. Because of my husky, I keep all my stuff in my closet and my paints are in a plastic bag.... So every time I go to paint I get out my battle foam, take a couple warriors out, and fish through a plastic bag looking for the paints I'll need. Such a pain in the ass. I just need to get this army finished. My girlfriend is 3 months pregnant, I wanna finish my DE before the kid is taking up all of my painting time... lol. so I'm in DESPERATE need of advice!

Perhaps setting up your painting station in a room or area that you block your pet's access to, via a closed door or gate? I don't know how needy the animal may be, or your inclinations regarding indulging it.