Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Not sure where to put this however its a bit of a severe problem thats really slowing down my painting.

So I'm maybe 3/4 of the way through painting my first chimera. Most of the work is done I just need to do the extra details to give it a bit of colour and variety plus some weathering. So far its taken me maybe 8 hours? possibly more.

I thought this was a ridiculous amount of time and then it hit me...I spend maybe half my time staring at my own handy work?!? Am I broken. I'm just finishing up for the evening and have got to paint the top hatch...and i have sat here for 15-20 minutes staring at the hatch thinking...yeh thats gonna look so good.

Is this a problem that is only afflicting me?

Drawing is more about observation and recognition then the hand labour. Painting is also a way of giving thing a shape, even if you are painting on a 3 dimensional surface. Thinking ahead of aplying pigment is not so dumb.

You will gett fatser at it. Or you are painting for to long. Or you are taking perscribed or illegal medisine. Reading on colour theory is also smart.

I find that if I can't stop staring at a WIP model, it is normally an indicator that it's going to turn out well.

In fact, I often place a model I'm working on in direct line of sight from where I sit when watching TV etc, and will often spend time just staring at it, planning what I will do when I next sit down to add some paint.

Helps immensely with colour choices etc, and having an unfinished model in your eye line is quite motivating!

You're totally fine. I can't count the number of mornings where I've made myself late for work staring at my WIPs and thinking "Yeah, you're gonna look f***in badass when you're done."

You're thinking about how you're going to paint the miniature, so its just like doing a dry run in your mind to make sure everything is going to work out properly before you actually paint it.

Also, it took me about a month to paint my chimera, working maybe 1 or 2 hours a day 3-5 times a week. So you're not really going that slow!