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I just finished my second DA Razorback after a few days of painting, and I feel a bit drained, enough that I'm going to take at least a few days break before picking up a brush again. That got me wondering how other people tend to paint/hobby and the kind of pace they set. After a few days of painting, I always need at least a day or two to mentally prepare for the next project.

From the limited models I've painted years ago I would actually finish a bunch at a time. But I would take a day or two in between each step

It depends on my mood, but mostly I take a few days break.

I try to maintain a 1-a-week pace. If I’m behind, I try to paint a little bit extra. It’s also good to be a little ahead, as I know I’m going to have busy/off weeks.

But if the Muse is with me, I’ll paint while the fire is hot. Churning through a squad of Fire Dragons right now. Probably finish the second half of the squad by the end of next week at the pace I’m at.

Although I should slow down the painting and do some more building. The season to prime will be ending soon and I need to have enough stock to last me through the winter.

Depends.....
External stuff like currently AM takes some time. Especially that stupit Valdor with its tracks..... At least I get paid and/or a model/paint for that.
On the other hand: My Triaros took aprox. 2 Weeks, while painting 30 BA-tacticals at the same time. Or my Krios Venator. 6 days from cleaning to sealing(Well, that kit angered me that much, that I slept not realy to be done with it.....).
Or my Arlatax. 18 hours including modifiyng the model, basecoat, painting, weathering, washing, basing and sealing.

Completely related to mood/zen/phases of the moon.

I'll skip painting for a couple weeks at a time...then paint like a madman for several days. I only paint if the muse descends,because if not I find I'm forcing myself and I don't like the end result of what I paint.

It takes me many moons to just complete a single model to my new standards, and even after it's "finished" I'll still be poking it with my paintbrush to add highlights and extra details. As such, I always look forward to a cup of tea after hours of focusing

Sometimes I'll come back straight away and keep in the groove, other times I'll leave it at that for at least a week. Could I have a "a bit of all of them" option?

G.A

Once upon a time I used to blaze right through infantry models. I'd paint 2-3 a day or so as long as I wasn't swamped with classes or work. When it became time to paint vehicles, monsters, and characters I'd usually only paint 1 on a given day, and a couple models (a Zombie Dragon and Wraithknight come to mind) would take a few days to finish. Then I went off the rails crazy one winter break and decided to tackle my large, but woefully unpainted Empire army:

1x Horseback General
1x Wizard
1x Battle Standard Bearer
2x Foot Priests
1x Mounted Priest

40x Halberdiers
30x Greatsword Guys
10x Crossbows
10x Handgunners

5x Knights
4x Demigryph Knights
1x Cannon
1x Volley Gun
1x Steam Tank

...Of all those models I had painted 3 infantrymen and 1 normal knight before I resolved to finish it. In about two weeks I painted the remaining 105 models (granted in most cases it was just painting the same soldier uniform over and over, so it became a very fast, easy routine). The army was the pride and joy of my wargaming collection, but alas, WFB has since been Sigmar'd and enthusiasm for just playing 8th has died down. But they still see use as generic bandits/guards/mercenaries for D&D, though I rarely ever get to use all of them in an encounter.

Anyways, in the couple years since I haven't been able to muster up the sheer enthusiasm for my former levels of mass production. I'd paint maybe one model every 1-2 weeks. During breaks in school and/or lulls in work I'd manage some more impressive model turnouts, like 5 guardsmen or so in a day. Lately I've found newfound enthusiasm, too, though nowhere near the old levels of 'Empire mania.' I've started painting about 2-3 models a week since Death Masque came out, with those models usually being painted over a couple sessions. I've 7 DW veterans all painted up and an 8th on the verge of completion. I'll probably slow down once I finish 10 guys, as after the fist 10 I've a rhino, razorback, and Artemis to paint, all of which I imagine will take longer to paint than my rank-and-file marine.

In another week I start a new job. Then the week after that classes start. So I predict that'll put me back into a slow trudge through my collection.

It depends on the model. Infantry sized models I can usually do a few before needing a break from a few hours to days. Vehicles though, it depends on the size. Sometimes it will be a couple days before I start on the next model, other times, maybe a few weeks.

Size definitely has an effect, though in some cases I find painting vehicles with lots of panels and few details (i.e. vanilla Rhino) quicker and less work intensive than an infantry model.

 Retrogamer0001 wrote:
Size definitely has an effect, though in some cases I find painting vehicles with lots of panels and few details (i.e. vanilla Rhino) quicker and less work intensive than an infantry model.

I find that vehicles take more out of me.

Infantry I can do in small batches. Put a layer of paint on a couple of guys, walk away. Tanks I need to sit down and do the whole vehicle in one sitting. Not from start to finish, but just getting the basecoat down is a chore. I just use a fuzzy stick, so no easy coverage with an airbrush here. But because each session of work is longer, I tend to burn out sooner/longer/harder then just painting some guys.

It’s not difficult detail work, just a lot of real estate to cover.

I tend to batch paint most of my models, aiming basically for a table top standard. Usually, my interest in the hobby waxes and wanes. I will paint 2-3 hours a day for a week, and then not touch a brush for months. Kinda depends on how little I've got going on and whether I'm enjoying painting what I'm painting (basically a question of whether or not I'm trying to paint gold... I hate that colour).

eat an other one or start with desert

Depends on my mood. Sometimes I can crank out a bunch of guys at a time. Sometimes not. If I finish a tank model I take a quick break to browse the internet.

I chose the first option - move on immediately to the next model. In my current Tau project, I am stopping myself from repeating the mistakes of my past, which is buying large swathes of my army at once, quickly assembling them and playing games with them. Instead, I am buying a squad or two at a time, assembling them, then painting them before I buy the next squad/model. This way the army is painted as I collect it, instead of having a massive army that only has a few squads painted and the enormity of the army paralyzes me when the prospect of sitting down to paint it comes up. So the sooner I get my current model(s) complete, the sooner I can progress with the army.

Also, I am resisting the urge to dive into any other projects; this is my only army, much to the chagrin of a couple of my friends who are also playing 30k & AoS (and luckily the armies I want to play for those systems don't have rules yet - Thousand Sons for 30k, or aren't supported by GW anymore - Tomb Kings for AoS).

On those rare occasions I'm in the mood to paint and in the groove, I keep going as long as I can before I run out of time or lose the mood.

Place finished model somewhere that I can observe and admire for the next few days, I find this pumps me up to do more painting.

Post any photos to local gaming groups on facebook. Complements help and you never know, you might encourage someone else to pick up the brush.

Take a day or weekend off. Maybe to indulge in a game or watch football. Casually thinking about what would be a next fun project or any models I have been avoiding.

Decide project and commence to jiggling....ahem I mean painting.

Reset

Depends, i dont really finish A model, i finish 10 or more at a time.

I usually take a break for a few days, but if I'm really excited then I'll get going right away. I just finished my Tidewall yesterday and I'm going to start doing the cleaning of my Ta'unar now.

Edit
I usually place the model with a few of my others for scale and show. Every year I haul out my Tau army (and eventually others) and set them up in an epic pose and take photos to show the years progress.

If it's an infantry model I immediately start a new one. It it's something larger like a drop pod or tank, then I stop and take a break.

I paint in bursts. I can generally paint an army in a couple of months but then I won't paint anything for a few months.

Depends on the model, units I'm going to use get assembled and painted within a week and models for other stuff get shelved after assembly. Mostly because I think painted minis fare better in combat and people in general like playing against painted armies.

I model HARD. I build models quickly and build them in large batches.

Painting, though? I work for maybe ten minutes at a time before I get bored. Then I game or something for a half hour or so before painting again.

I go to the bathroom, because I was likely holding it in due to not wanting to be knocked out of the zone and just realized my bladder filled up in the 4-5 hours I've been spending on the model.

Slap yourself in the face at the thought of slowing down and move onto the next marine you are batch painting... You are the one who bought over 100 Ultramarines and you will suffer for that decision damn it!

(I went for a blue horde style army in Horus Heresy...I'm an idiot)

I tend to mentally group my painting/modeling to a batch type system where I set a goal of sorts (paint 10 Ork boyz, 5 Flash Gitz, and a Crisis Suit) and keep working on them for the next couple of days/weeks until they are finished. After that I allow myself to put down the brush for a few days unless I'm feeling inspired to work on something else. As of late I have been taking more middle of a batch breaks where ill stop to play some computer games or whatever but I always try to get at least some painting/modeling done on non work days during an ongoing batch.

Depends on how I am getting on and how it is going. Sometimes I can get straight into the next one and finish maybe all that I wanted to get done. Other times it's proven to be quite stressful and I just need to put the brushes away for a week or so.

I tend to get bored though when I get to the backpack stage.

I finish a model?
Is this a trick question?


I usually get bored even before finishing the model and end up taking a few months break. Unless in the rare periods that I get productive. Then I can finish many models one after the other in just a few days. Then I get bored again and it isback to doing nothing for several months again.

Start another one ASAP. Don't wanna to lose my painting mojo.

Where's the option for immediately post picture to Instagram??

It takes me about 3 evenings to do a squad/vehicle, so after I finish I generally wait until about the same time next week. May take a week or two to work on other projects between painting.

Usually before I start the next batch though, I put a sealant on the previous group. By then, the paint has dried sufficiently on the last one (and I've had time to fix any flubs).