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I came across a post in the swap shop (won't name any names) advertising some models as pro-painted. I have been involved in the Warhammer hobby for about six years and am just now getting serious about painting. I have finished one model during that entire time. I've had compliments on it, but I would by no means consider it "professional" in any way, shape or form. Despite this, my model was at the same level as the models that this person was selling at very high prices.

I just don't understand how so many people cannot know what the word "professional" means. Correct me if I am wrong, but I have always considered professional work in any field to be that which an individual gets paid regularly to do. For example, if you work out of a studio and regularly receive commission work, I would consider that professional- regardless of the quality. Selling a clean model on ebay does not make you a professional artist.

I feel like I'm whining, but at the same time I feel that people calling themselves is almost an insult to real artists who have honed their talents to a level above that of those around them. Having the ability to apply thin layers, do edge highlighting, apply a wash, or even use an airbrush without totally gakking up a model does not make you a pro. It means you have learned basic painting techniques.

I know I don't have to purchase these things, but I just find it a little annoying that so many people think so highly of themselves that they call themselves a pro. If you are a pro, you'll know because your critics will tell you.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Icarusthepilot wrote:
I came across a post in the swap shop (won't name any names) advertising some models as pro-painted. I have been involved in the Warhammer hobby for about six years and am just now getting serious about painting. I have finished one model during that entire time. I've had compliments on it, but I would by no means consider it "professional" in any way, shape or form. Despite this, my model was at the same level as the models that this person was selling at very high prices.

I just don't understand how so many people cannot know what the word "professional" means. Correct me if I am wrong, but I have always considered professional work in any field to be that which an individual gets paid regularly to do. For example, if you work out of a studio and regularly receive commission work, I would consider that professional- regardless of the quality. Selling a clean model on ebay does not make you a professional artist.

I feel like I'm whining, but at the same time I feel that people calling themselves a pro is almost an insult to real artists who have honed their talents to a level above that of those around them. Having the ability to apply thin layers, do edge highlighting, apply a wash, or even use an airbrush without totally gakking up a model does not make you a pro. It means you have learned basic painting techniques.

I know I don't have to purchase these things, but I just find it a little annoying that so many people think so highly of themselves that they call themselves a pro. If you are a pro, you'll know because your critics will tell you.

edited for typo

"Pro painted" is a term that has been overused so badly that it no longer has any meaning. People just add it to their description by default no matter how badly painted a model is, and you should just ignore it and let the paint job speak for itself.

I've seen someone say "pro painted primed". Cracked me up.

Unless you're buying a wholly painted army, I've never had any interest in the quality of the paintjob of a model for sale; whatever they claim, and whatever the reality is, I'm likely to strip it and re-paint it.

It can be the best painted model ever, but if it doesn't fit in my army, I'm just going to strip it. Often pro-painted just seems to mean "we want to charge more," and frankly, charging more for something I have no interest in does me no favours.

 FinkleLord wrote:
I've seen someone say "pro painted primed". Cracked me up.

So epic

It's true, the term "pro painted" has lost any value that it once had. Most likely, it is either someone trying to convince others to shell out lots of cash for models that aren't worth it or someone that actually thinks their finished products are worthy of being hailed as "pro painted." Either way, it means nothing.

this is how bad it is...
Quote from site..

"Bought new for $33.00. Awesome paint job and boss in the game side of things too. "

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=606079989

Sorry but no... if this is a Awesome paint job then my painting is Gold Daemon standard..."it's not!
I'd say i'm a good painter but not great... but getting better...

It does seem now that no matter what you're listing the title must include:

"pro-painted, FW, OOP"

Even when selling an item that's still currently available, was never FW or GW and looks to be painted by a five year old.

If you're painting models to sell them, it's by definition pro-painted.

People add all kinds of gak to item listings so that it shows up on searches.

We were putting together an art show last year based around the idea of representation altering our perception of reality. Part of that involved collecting hundreds of mouse statuettes and figurines.

The number of them (especially the taxidermies) that had "steampunk" in the title despite being a cat toy shaped like a pink mouse beggars belief.

 Ironklawmadgutsmek wrote:
this is how bad it is...
Quote from site..

"Bought new for $33.00. Awesome paint job and boss in the game side of things too. "

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=606079989

Sorry but no... if this is a Awesome paint job then my painting is Gold Daemon standard..."it's not!
I'd say i'm a good painter but not great... but getting better...

Haha, but that's clearly posted by a 12 year old. Have pitty.
"Please note that only games workshop super glue and some other resin super glue works
(Plastic glue doesn't work) "

GW would love that. "Oh, yeah, only our glue works on our models."

And you can tell that this guy has tried using a bunch of other stuff.

 marv335 wrote:
If you're painting models to sell them, it's by definition pro-painted.

Not really

A professional is a person who is engaged in a certain activity, or occupation, for gain or compensation as means of livelihood; such as a permanent career, not as an amateur or pastime.

Not really. By the "definition", you'd have to be painting models to sell them, and having that activity be the main source of income financing your life.

I'll accept a slightly looser definition of pro-painted: A paintjob painted by someone who makes a living from their painting or one that matches such a paintjob in quality.

I usually list my items as "well painted" when I put them up for sale, whilst the fact that I have in the past made money over retail for an item seems enough for some people to refer to their items as "pro" I know I am a million miles away from what the pros can actually pull off.

I think browsing the galleries here would humble most of the "pro" painters on ebay/swap shop, that not to say that some of the auctions arent genuinely well painted, but the term pro itself has just been overused.

That space marine made me cry a little inside. I might be misremembering, but I swear the first miniature I ever painted looked better than that...not a lit better, but still.

Well, strictly speaking, "pro-painted" need not be the "better" paint job, though that is often what is implied.


A lot of "true" pro-painters out there, i.e. those making a major part of their living from it, churn out massive amounts of more or less inspired air-brush works.

Some of the more spectacular "non-pro" armies you occasionally see, lovingly converted, build and painted months or even years by a talented "hobbyist" may well be superior to that.

The former, arguably, can be made profitable (to a degree). The letter, especially if it includes massive amounts of conversions, etc.., custom paint-schemes that take lots of finicky work, etc.., likely just don't suit themselves to a "profitable" production if you'd count the hours that go into such projects.

 Purifier wrote:

 Ironklawmadgutsmek wrote:
this is how bad it is...
Quote from site..

"Bought new for $33.00. Awesome paint job and boss in the game side of things too. "

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=606079989

Sorry but no... if this is a Awesome paint job then my painting is Gold Daemon standard..."it's not!
I'd say i'm a good painter but not great... but getting better...

Haha, but that's clearly posted by a 12 year old. Have pitty.
"Please note that only games workshop super glue and some other resin super glue works
(Plastic glue doesn't work) "

GW would love that. "Oh, yeah, only our glue works on our models."

And you can tell that this guy has tried using a bunch of other stuff.

He forgot the first rule of painting...

"THIN YOUR PAINTS"

 marv335 wrote:
If you're painting models to sell them, it's by definition pro-painted.

I would have to disagree. Making an attempt to sell something does not make you professional. People actually have to give you money for whatever you are pushing.

Yeah it always irks me when people throw around the whole pro painted thing. It's like they think people will ignore the pics if the title says it's painted well.

Unfortunately as someone training to become a commission painter, I'll probably become one of these "pro painters" although at least in my case it will technically be true(hopefully )

Icarusthepilot wrote:I just don't understand how so many people cannot know what the word "professional" means. Correct me if I am wrong, but I have always considered professional work in any field to be that which an individual gets paid regularly to do.

Professional is something that you do for the purpose of other people, compared to amateur, which is when you do something for the sake of itself. If you're producing a product for the purpose of someone else to enjoy it, whether they're trading for it, buying it, or even if you're just giving it away, it's still a professional exercise. The fact that someone paints models for the purpose of trading them (rather than, say, for the purpose of improving his painting skills, or for the purpose of playing games with them himself) then he is acting as a professional painter, and the models themselves have been professionally painted.

It's the fact that most people are stupid and don't realise the difference between "professional" and "good" that causes people hawking terrible merchandise to think they can get away with charging more.

Of course, it's all rather foolish. Something is only worth what its purchaser will pay, not what the producer sets the price as. It's more painters fooling themselves than anything else.

It is thrown around too much, but as a wise man once said, things are worth as much as others are willing to pay for them.

Most savvy consumers understand that "professional painted" just means the person painted it with the intent to sell it. Or rather that they have been payed at one point for what they painted. Just like a professional athlete.

Whether or not it is worth the asking price is another matter. Just like not all professional athletes are good.

Regardless of whether or not you do it as a main source of income, advertising something as pro-painted is not, and has never been, a guarantee of any specific level of quality.

Every professional plumber or accountant does not give the same standard of work. At last with miniature painting, you can usually see the standard of work you are passing for before you hand over any cash...

Something about these models being "pro-painted" really bothers me....

On Ebay, I'll scroll through different models and I'll see single models like Ork Boys going for £6 or so.

Now, I can easily see a child who has just gotten into the hobby wanting that model because it looks cooler than their models and they might get their mothers or fathers to reach into their own pocket for a model that could have been painted for free (excluding costs for everything needed to paint it).

I don't know, my media course in college has given me a bitter taste to these kind of things since I always think about who might be impacted by the selling of the goods. £60 for a "pro-painted" Carnifex is £60 that could have been spent on more important things. I suppose though, if you are unable to paint the models yourself that these things are worth it but otherwise I would rather be doing them myself.

I don't know... I've probably just come off as bitter about everything.... I suppose my own guilt and experiences have changed my view on things.

I use to paint models for pay, way back in my youth, but after painting 2 Harlequin armies, and a huge feudal Japanese army..I called it quites...to many colors

But even my best paintjobs I would merely rate as table quality or at best "well Painted", people like to toss around catchy words like pro, or expert to make stuff sound better.

And to justify double or triple the cost of the model.

If you can paint something to the standard that when selling it, it goes for more than the model cost, then i will agree that something is "pro painted"

Paintjobs speak louder than words.
If its adding value, then its correct to some degree, depending on how much it adds.

This post almost requires a "lighten up Francis" ... ;->

It is a badly overused marketing term, nothing to get hot and bothered about.

Canine Gallows wrote:
Something about these models being "pro-painted" really bothers me....

On Ebay, I'll scroll through different models and I'll see single models like Ork Boys going for £6 or so.

Now, I can easily see a child who has just gotten into the hobby wanting that model because it looks cooler than their models and they might get their mothers or fathers to reach into their own pocket for a model that could have been painted for free (excluding costs for everything needed to paint it).

I don't know, my media course in college has given me a bitter taste to these kind of things since I always think about who might be impacted by the selling of the goods. £60 for a "pro-painted" Carnifex is £60 that could have been spent on more important things. I suppose though, if you are unable to paint the models yourself that these things are worth it but otherwise I would rather be doing them myself.

I don't know... I've probably just come off as bitter about everything.... I suppose my own guilt and experiences have changed my view on things.

I saw some SoB vehicles being called "pro-painted" a few months back that were HORRIBLE and they wanted $150 for these things...

I was thinking, maybe 30-40% of the original model cost for these things. Too bothersome to strip and repaint these horrible paint jobs...

If you are listing as pro painted it better look good, very frustrating.

Pro-painted means nothing to me anymore. I have to judge for myself because tons of idiots slap this label on sub-par models. What a shame.

 PrehistoricUFO wrote:
Pro-painted means nothing to me anymore. I have to judge for myself because tons of idiots slap this label on sub-par models. What a shame.

If you were looking to buy painted models, wouldn't you have to judge the paintjobs for yourself anyway?

You make the call OP. You judge the model. In the end that all that matters. Right?

When I paint a model, if I can look at the finished thing and say, yep, now it feels worth the price I paid, I'm satisfied.