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I have a two part question. Firstly, I know a lot of the people here are into the whole gaming aspect of the hobby and paint their armies so that they can field nice looking miniatures, but my question goes out there to those of us who aren't into gaming. Why do you paint war gaming miniatures? I have been thinking about this for a few weeks now while I toy around with the idea of getting back into the hobby, I'm here thinking to myself, what am getting out of this hobby if I am only going to focus on painting? I have a few of my own ideas but I really want to hear what the masses have to say. And secondly, to those of you who only paint, what do you do with your models after you are done with them? Do you sell them, donate them put them on a shelf to collect dust until one day you decide to do something with them? Please let me know, there is no right answer here, I am just looking to see what everyone else does and maybe something will trigger me to either come back to the hobby or walk away completely, I just want to make sure that I want to invest my time into this hobby again. Thank you for reading and I hope to read your response to the questions.

I'm a painter, but I love the idea or potential to be able to use them in a game, a game that produces beautiful mini's (for the most part) and has a real feel of escapism for me into the sci fi wonderverse of 40K. while I paint I always think about how the unit or model will fit into 'my force' whether this army comes to fruition or not, it keeps me motivated to collect and continue painting.

I only paint, have never played a game and probably never will.

I paint for something to do that is analogue, and that produces something. I could just as easily be painting on canvas, or drawing, or whatever. It is relaxing, and is a good release from work.

If and when I finish an army, they will sit on a shelf collecting dust until my kids are old enough to play with them, then they will die glorious deaths.

I've recently started painting for other people, which is great as I don't need to find space to put finished miniatures

When I paint a mini i always think to myself that some where out there is a poor kid in a sweat shop making toys and painting it with toxic paint for $0.08 and it is being sold for $5 in the USA. Then I look at the box the mini came in and realized GW got me to pay $30 to do something the kid gets paid to do for $0.08 and I realize the kid is smarter than me.

Painting and modding is a very tactile pastime, and I can't say which part of my brain it appeals to, I just know that it makes sense in some strange way. Folk enjoy drawing, colouring and painting, putting it onto a 3D surface is only slightly different in my eyes.

When I paint figures that aren't for playing with, I put them into a small cabinet in the front room near my desk. I can see them form here, sometimes I get them out and rework them a little. Longer term than that, I don't know, I haven't really done a ton.


Edit: Nvm I misunderstood you there. Apologies.

 nerdfest09 wrote:
I'm a painter, but I love the idea or potential to be able to use them in a game, a game that produces beautiful mini's (for the most part) and has a real feel of escapism for me into the sci fi wonderverse of 40K. while I paint I always think about how the unit or model will fit into 'my force' whether this army comes to fruition or not, it keeps me motivated to collect and continue painting.

^I feel exactly like this, except I play games on a regular basis.

The spectacle of the game is one of the reasons I love 40k. The stories unfold so much better when it's a battle of beautifully painted miniatures than when you're basically playing with expensive bare plastic army men.

On a personal level, painting is also my "zen" thing and the part of the hobby I spend the most time on.

I'm a gamer. But I learned how to paint over the years.
Usually, I never go out with unpainted models. This holds for my 40k and WM armies.
In view of AoS, I changed my policy. I have the starter set and started playtesting with (extended) armies, Sigmarines and Bloodbound. Not sure if and if so, when I will paint them.

I personally just love fielding fully painted army. And I have three that I can field fully painted 2000 points.

I paint because I enjoy it, quite simply. The 1/2/5/however many hours I spend painting a mini are hours of entertainment, and the odd time they see the game table after that is gravy. Occasionally I'll paint just to be able to play something (even when using proxies/standins, I force myself to use only painted stuff), but usually I'm more than happy, having painted something, to photograph it for sharing then stick it on a display shelf. In my hobby room I've got 5-6 fully painted forces on display (mostly LotR) and then a larger shelf for my smaller forces, one off pieces and pure display bits like dioramas or large models. Every time I add something new to that shelf, or take a mini down for a closer look, there's a sense of achievement, either because of the mini itself or the progress I've made since painting it.

On the other hand, it was this sense that minis on the shelf didn't 'do' much that led me to start doing freebie and then commission painting for others; at the end of the day, if a mini is going to sit on a shelf then it might as well be someone else's, as that way more people than just me can appreciate and enjoy my work. Painting minis is as much an art as painting portraits or making sculptures, so I think about it in the same way; the 'value' of a piece of art isn't how long it took, or the cost of the materials, it's what both the artist and the viewer takes from it, and while you're not going to get a social commentary or deep allegory from a painted gaming piece, if I enjoy painting it and someone enjoys seeing it (whether that's someone I show it to, an opponent ,a client or even someone viewing on Dakka) then none of the time or money spent on it can ever be called 'wasted'.

The other reason I paint is because, aside from writing, it's the only form of art I'm any good at. I'm thoroughly mediocre on guitar, so while I still enjoy that, there's not really any creativity beyond making it up as I go along and nothing I can take away when I put it down (as in, I lack the skill and knowledge to actually compose anything). I can't draw or paint 2D for toffee, so painting minis is the only physical creative hobby I have, and encompasses so much that it's possibly the only one I need.

Why? Relaxing. It's a hobby. Even if I didn't have opponents now, I might in the future.

I am a player, but leaving the fact that I want to play using nice armies out of the picture, I paint because it is good for my confidence.

I am colour blind so painting is probably harder for me than for most people. When people tell me my models look beautiful, that means I beat my colour blindness. It means that even though I am held back by it and I have to put more effort into painting, I can accomplish what others can.
I'm going to risk sounding arrogant but I think I paint better than a lot of people who do see colours and that is a big boost to my self-confidence.

I come from a tad biased point of view as I do play (not much, but I want that to change). Anyway, my favorite local game store that doesn't do miniature gaming (besides like HeroClix, X-Wing, and Attack Wing) had a free miniature painting workshop on one of their "Game Days." At the time, I was looking for a really nice figure to use in a D&D or Pathfinder game. And, I simply couldn't find what I was looking for amongst the pre-painted D&D and Pathfinder figures out there. So, painting one was going to be my best option.

After the workshop, the store started a "Paint Day" on the first Sunday of each month. I went to all of them in the beginning and loved them all. I found painting to be so incredibly relaxing. I really just enjoyed doing it. It was all Reaper based paints, figures, etc. And, no stores closeby that I'm aware of run Warlord.

So, I figured I'd give Warhammer a shot because I enjoyed painting figures so much. It was just very relaxing. I'm no master at it by any means. There are people I know that can embarrass some of my best models with just their model's base.

That said, I still really enjoy it. I wish I had more time to work on it as I find myself painting during all my free time from the time I get home until I get ready to go to bed several days per week.

tl;dr... For me it's:

1) Relaxation
2) Being able to make my mind focus on something else if something isn't going well that day/week
3) Sense of accomplishment when it's finished

SG

I started painting when I started playing. Lately, I paint & model more than I play due to RL issues. It's relaxing; it uses a different part of the brain than my job and other hobbies. It doesn't require me to sit in front of a monitor to enjoy. It's fun to create!

DaPino wrote:
I am a player, but leaving the fact that I want to play using nice armies out of the picture, I paint because it is good for my confidence.

I am colour blind so painting is probably harder for me than for most people. When people tell me my models look beautiful, that means I beat my colour blindness. It means that even though I am held back by it and I have to put more effort into painting, I can accomplish what others can.
I'm going to risk sounding arrogant but I think I paint better than a lot of people who do see colours and that is a big boost to my self-confidence.

Well done, sir (or miss). Do you have a gallery or pictures to share?

I painted minis before I started playing any games. I had a few weeks off between classes and my summer job, and I remember putting testor's enamel on my Dark World minis, so I found a hobby shop, bought some reaper minis and Ral Partha paints (OOP even in 2001). I started painting, and I feel in love.

I played 40k pretty seriously for about a decade, and dabbled with other games. I still play Warmachine and Bolt Action, and my 40k may make a return at some point, but for now, I enjoy the craft.

I like creating. My job is very analytical, and a creative outlet is great for me. A mini is basically a three dimensional coloring book, and when I'm done, I "have" a tiny army. I'm painting a 30k Emperor's Children force, and even if I never use it in a game, it's a really cool thing to have!

I'm in the same boat. Been painting a SM army for a while now. Would just pick something, put it together, and paint it. Command squad, first tac squad, the AoBR term squad, one rhino/razor, one bike and one speeder done. Repainting eyes now. Attack bike and ironclad in progress. 2nd tac squad on deck. Want a pred next. This started with a scout sniper for s**ts and grins, and it's addictive. Once I'm happy with the eyes and they're based (waiting on snow flock) they'll go up for comments.

But yeah, it's tactile, challenging and relaxing. Learned a lot since my "teenage WW2 tank" days. Inks, washes, layering, drybrushing, 3/0 brushes, basing....haven't played a 40K game yet.

 Cleatus wrote:
I started painting when I started playing. Lately, I paint & model more than I play due to RL issues. It's relaxing; it uses a different part of the brain than my job and other hobbies. It doesn't require me to sit in front of a monitor to enjoy. It's fun to create!

DaPino wrote:
I am a player, but leaving the fact that I want to play using nice armies out of the picture, I paint because it is good for my confidence.

I am colour blind so painting is probably harder for me than for most people. When people tell me my models look beautiful, that means I beat my colour blindness. It means that even though I am held back by it and I have to put more effort into painting, I can accomplish what others can.
I'm going to risk sounding arrogant but I think I paint better than a lot of people who do see colours and that is a big boost to my self-confidence.

Well done, sir (or miss). Do you have a gallery or pictures to share?

Sure.

Tyranid warrior:
http://imgur.com/a/QxFjq

Chaos lord from WFB (I use him as a terminator sorcerer):
http://imgur.com/a/H04n3

Collection of Necrons:
http://imgur.com/a/2oA6P
I know the C'tan is messy, I cleaned it up since taking these pictures. :p

As you might be able to tell, edge highlighting is not my forte and I have to use strongly contrasting colours, else I can't tell the difference.

I only get to play once a month or so living out in the boonies like I do. I usually paint for 30 or so minutes a day, usually when I get home or while cooling down after a workout.

Part of the game for me is seeing well painted or at least identifiable armies on the field. It looks really cool and the more detailed and well done the better. I find battles against grey or primered armies to be rather bland plus you cant always tell what the model is just by looking at it.

In order for my own enjoyment, as I feel bad if I have less than a three color model on the board, and for the enjoyment of my opponent I paint the best I can and will not field greys and only rarely a primered model just as a personal rule.

That said, when I build a model or squad I know I will be using in the near future I will get my three colors(black doesn't count) on them as fast as I can. If this means I am fielding a three color army so be it. Its just details and washes from that point so no big rush. Last month I rushed an American Bolt Action army through this process, beige tops and helmets, fleshtone on the skin and mahogany boots. Took an hour but we knew what we were looking at when I was done and it made for a better game.

kb_lock wrote:
I only paint, have never played a game and probably never will.

I paint for something to do that is analogue, and that produces something. I could just as easily be painting on canvas, or drawing, or whatever. It is relaxing, and is a good release from work.

If and when I finish an army, they will sit on a shelf collecting dust until my kids are old enough to play with them, then they will die glorious deaths.

I've recently started painting for other people, which is great as I don't need to find space to put finished miniatures

This sounds about right. Everyone needs a creative outlet, and painting mini's is mine. People always complain about the price of GW mini's, but a box of plastic that will give me 1 to 3 weeks of entertainment is less then a night out at the bar/decent bottle of wine and dinner.

Assembling and painting the models, and enjoying the finished product is a reward in itself, plus setting them up in awesome battle scenes looks cool, LOL.

Never played a game of 40k, probably never will.

kb_lock wrote:
I only paint, have never played a game and probably never will.

I paint for something to do that is analogue, and that produces something. I could just as easily be painting on canvas, or drawing, or whatever. It is relaxing, and is a good release from work.

If and when I finish an army, they will sit on a shelf collecting dust until my kids are old enough to play with them, then they will die glorious deaths.

I've recently started painting for other people, which is great as I don't need to find space to put finished miniatures

Pretty much this.

Now that my son has taken an interest we have been actually playing but most of the stuff I paint I paint for fun or for other people.

I am looking to get a small IG army for 40k for no other reason then to paint because I find it relaxing.

my job is high stress ...

painting and building helps me relax and unwind from a bad day ... and gets me calmed back down on days off ...

it used to be model cars .. but they take up so much space ...

the mini's i have painted are on a shelf in my living room inside plastic display cases ... every now and then some friends will come over for us to play a random RPG tabletop game ... and as i get more mini's painted they are there to be used for those games ... (prepainted D&D ones never looked good to me)

i have gotten a friend interested in 40k as well .. so he is painting up some mini's to ... so one day we will be playing at least some killteam at my house.

DaPino wrote:

Spoiler:

 Cleatus wrote:
I started painting when I started playing. Lately, I paint & model more than I play due to RL issues. It's relaxing; it uses a different part of the brain than my job and other hobbies. It doesn't require me to sit in front of a monitor to enjoy. It's fun to create!

DaPino wrote:
I am a player, but leaving the fact that I want to play using nice armies out of the picture, I paint because it is good for my confidence.

I am colour blind so painting is probably harder for me than for most people. When people tell me my models look beautiful, that means I beat my colour blindness. It means that even though I am held back by it and I have to put more effort into painting, I can accomplish what others can.
I'm going to risk sounding arrogant but I think I paint better than a lot of people who do see colours and that is a big boost to my self-confidence.

Well done, sir (or miss). Do you have a gallery or pictures to share?

Sure.

Tyranid warrior:
http://imgur.com/a/QxFjq

Chaos lord from WFB (I use him as a terminator sorcerer):
http://imgur.com/a/H04n3

Collection of Necrons:
http://imgur.com/a/2oA6P
I know the C'tan is messy, I cleaned it up since taking these pictures. :p

As you might be able to tell, edge highlighting is not my forte and I have to use strongly contrasting colours, else I can't tell the difference.

Nice work. I especially like the scales on the back of that 'nid.

Don't get me wrong, I've painted a few miniatures in my time but was disappointed with the results. I spend so much time reading and watching tutorials on painting but when I go to do it I find out how bad I suck at it, that kind of turns me off to it. But on the other hand I love building the models and I was really starting on conversions. At the end of the day I still don't k ow if I will take the plunge back into the hobby even though I have like $600 worth of paint and tools in my hobby box.

I hate painting, but miniatures just look nicer when they are painted, so that is why I paint.

 Synister_Intent wrote:
Don't get me wrong, I've painted a few miniatures in my time but was disappointed with the results. I spend so much time reading and watching tutorials on painting but when I go to do it I find out how bad I suck at it, that kind of turns me off to it. But on the other hand I love building the models and I was really starting on conversions. At the end of the day I still don't k ow if I will take the plunge back into the hobby even though I have like $600 worth of paint and tools in my hobby box.

Do it. I am exactly the same with my painting - never quite good enough and then being hugely demoralised by it. Push yourself to paint models, and finish them, regardless of how crap they are. Then paint more. Compare them and see your actual progress.

I started painting/playing in high school, and it was one of the few constructive things I did with my time back then. I stopped for 18 years and still haven't played a game, but when I got out some of my minis a couple years back to give them to my nephew (who is now hooked on painting), I couldn't stop thinking about them. I was living in an apt at the time and couldn't make any noise (I also like to carve wood, do metal work, etc) so I bought a box of grots and 4 basic colors and started painting as a creative outlet that didn't upset the neighbors. I've been painting ever since.
I have an ork army, and it takes me 6-8 hours to paint each troop (I'm kind of obsessive like that), so now that 40K is all about huge armies, I probably won't have enough minis to field an army for at least another few months. But despite feeling like I am decent at it (after many hours of practice), I am still greatly humbled by others work, and it inspires me to try harder.
The things I like most about painting minis are:
1. it is relaxing,
2. it is something I can be solely focused on (pretty sure I have a little ADD to keep my OCD from getting lonely),
3. it is something that I do only for myself (my wife makes fun of my hobby, so I know it's something I'm doing purely for my own enjoyment),
4. it is easier to have something to start with as opposed to staring at a blank canvas and trying to make something from scratch (take a base and some blue stuff, stick on a pair of legs, stick on a torso, cut off the hand to make the gun just the way you want it...),
5. it definitely provides some escapism from real life, and
6. it gives me a sense of accomplishment to build an army that may one day be kicking the snot out of 'oomies, panzies, them robo-gitz, and anyone else who wants some (or maybe not, they're still fun to paint and look at).

Sorry for the run-on sentence, but reading this thread, I wanted to exalt just about every post on here. Why miniature painting? Let me count the ways...

If I were to get back in to it I think I am going to build an Ork force to sit on the shelf. I'd like to make it fully converted, possibly design and build my own clan, or I would want to build/ convert and paint models from all armies that I like. See, this is my problem too, I can never decide. Lol.

 Synister_Intent wrote:
If I were to get back in to it I think I am going to build an Ork force to sit on the shelf. I'd like to make it fully converted, possibly design and build my own clan, or I would want to build/ convert and paint models from all armies that I like. See, this is my problem too, I can never decide. Lol.

You want to paint orks? How about I send you one - paint it for me and send it back?

http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/180/656634.page

That would be awesome.

Post in that linked thread matey, oadie just posted an offer for North Americans