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.

For my part, I almost always stream a movie or TV series while painting minis. Sometimes, when I look at some of my painted models, I remember: "Oh yeah, I was watching Deep Space Nine while painting these..."

Yep! I love listening to 40k audiobooks while I'm working on my 40k minis. Sometimes the tone, characters, or plot of the book will influence the model, too, which I always think is kind of fun.

I pretty much have to have something playing in the background when I paint. Usually it'll be some random Youtube videos or maybe a TV series like Star Trek where I already know how it goes and don't need to pay attention to enjoy it.

I can't concentrate on anything else while painting so, at most, have music in the background. I'll be near by computer since I always do computer stuff (forums, mail, etc.) before and after painting.

I'm pretty amazed that others can divide their attention, since I'm always making sure I don't make an error when painting!

I'll have a video on or something ... or have a small construction project going while I wait for the coats of paint to dry.

Not so much multitasking as a queue of things I can switch between. While I focus on painting, I won't see or hear much of anything else. It gets tuned out.

Sometimes I listen to music I have collected on my YouTube channel, But I consider it setting the ambiance, not multitasking. Fielding my wife's questions could possibly qualify (Like, why am I doing it at such a late hour?). Getting interrupted by doing a household chore, or taxi duty for kids... - not exactly multitasking, (unless doing a washing machine/dryer cycle).
Since I hate the chore of painting so much, I usually will paint minis in groups, usually 10-15 at a time, but in order to do that effectively, I limit myself to one pot color for the group, for each session (so I don't forget anything). So by 7 or 8 sessions, I'm pretty much done with them. Character minis done in the same way but with smaller groups, usually 1-5 at a time. That's the closest thing to multitasking i do when painting.

Yeah for sure. I tend to have a pod cast or audio books or some random video that's fairly low intensity. I find things like bat reps/ things I haven't watched before are hard to follow while painting.

Listening is much easier to focus on then video IMO. (on account of looking at where I'm putting the paint )

Sometimes I listen to music I have collected on my YouTube channel, But I consider it setting the ambiance, not multitasking. Fielding my wife's questions could possibly qualify (Like, why am I doing it at such a late hour?). Getting interrupted by doing a household chore, or taxi duty for kids... - not exactly multitasking, (unless doing a washing machine/dryer cycle).
Since I hate the chore of painting so much, I usually will paint minis in groups, usually 10-15 at a time, but in order to do that effectively, I limit myself to one pot color for the group, for each session (so I don't forget anything). So by 7 or 8 sessions, I'm pretty much done with them. Character minis done in the same way but with smaller groups, usually 1-5 at a time. That's the closest thing to multitasking i do when painting.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Sometimes I listen to music I have collected on my YouTube channel, But I consider it setting the ambiance, not multitasking.

Fielding my wife's questions could possibly qualify (Like, why am I doing it at such a late hour?). Getting interrupted by doing a household chore, or taxi duty for kids... - not exactly multitasking, (unless doing a washing machine/dryer cycle).

Since I hate the chore of painting so much, I usually will paint minis in groups, usually 10-15 at a time, but in order to do that effectively, I limit myself to one pot color for the group, for each session (so I don't forget anything). So by 7 or 8 sessions, I'm pretty much done with them. Character minis done in the same way but with smaller groups, usually 1-5 at a time. That's the closest thing to multitasking i do when painting.

I usually listen to talk radio segments or music. Tonight I will be attempting to answer the questions on university challenge.

The comforting, soothing strains of silence are my accompaniment to painting.

I usually just watch random youtube vids while painting.

I listen to music or podcasts. I can do TV shows that are really bad that I do not feel compelled to watch much of like DCs legends of tomorow. The ocational glance and audio is enough.

I can not watch a good tv show while painting. Podcast is the best.

I listen to music mostly but have been listening to audio books too since starting the Horus Heresy. Anything above that I find difficult to focus on as I'm painting, not watching TV.

queen_annes_revenge wrote:I usually listen to talk radio segments or music. Tonight I will be attempting to answer the questions on university challenge.

University Challenge requires full concentration - I play competitively against the two teams, usually I can beat the second place team but I've never won overall.

As for painting, usually I'm parenting (I try to paint in daylight so there is a 4 moth old, a 3yo and a 5yo to distract) or on Monday nights I play D&D on Discord with my mates and paint while I'm playing.

Music on headphones.
Without it there is no will to even begin to paint.

I have music on but since the amount of time I have available to paint is so limited I actually want to spend the time painting.

Horla wrote:

queen_annes_revenge wrote:I usually listen to talk radio segments or music. Tonight I will be attempting to answer the questions on university challenge.

University Challenge requires full concentration - I play competitively against the two teams, usually I can beat the second place team but I've never won overall.

What, like record your scores at home? I just listen to the questions while I'm painting and shout out the answers. Makes me feel smart if I get it before the team does, or they dont get it at all. I was on fire last Monday. Must have gotten close to 10 questions right. If I can get 4 or 5 I'm happy

 queen_annes_revenge wrote:

Horla wrote:

queen_annes_revenge wrote:I usually listen to talk radio segments or music. Tonight I will be attempting to answer the questions on university challenge.

University Challenge requires full concentration - I play competitively against the two teams, usually I can beat the second place team but I've never won overall.

What, like record your scores at home? I just listen to the questions while I'm painting and shout out the answers. Makes me feel smart if I get it before the team does, or they dont get it at all. I was on fire last Monday. Must have gotten close to 10 questions right. If I can get 4 or 5 I'm happy

Yeah I keep track of whether I get a starter or not and only count correct bonuses if I get the starter. I'm a nerd amongst nerds.

Ah that's some hardcore quizzing. I'm just happy to get answers right

For me, it's background music. I inevitably get distracted but this is a different thing from multitasking as multitasking implies that the first task is still getting done!

I have tried multitasking by painting multiple models, it inevitably ends up with me missing half a paintjob on bits, EG painting sections blue on several models, and then realising that there are several patches which never got past basecoat.

 queen_annes_revenge wrote:
Ah that's some hardcore quizzing. I'm just happy to get answers right

University Challenge is more my forté than regular quizes (sports and entertainment/celebrities pass me by), I'm an academic who spans science and humanities so there's a lot that I can take a stab at.

I'll usually put some music on because I can't really focus otherwise ... since the covid outbreak I also quite often paint minis while listening to some conference or talk, or even while I attend some staff meeting at uni via zoom where I don't need to participate actively and can leave the camera off

 MobileSuitRandom wrote:
I'll usually put some music on because I can't really focus otherwise ... since the covid outbreak I also quite often paint minis while listening to some conference or talk, or even while I attend some staff meeting at uni via zoom where I don't need to participate actively and can leave the camera off

I’m a complete professional and would never do that on a conference call. No siree, wouldn’t be doing that at all,

I have "In Our Time" running. Its a UK radio show where academics just chat about a very specific historical or science subject for an hour whilst Melvyn Bragg throws in questions.

Thanks to painting Blackstone Fortress, I learned all about Pericles, Catullus, the Rapture, the Covenanters, the Gordon Riots, the proton.... there are hundreds of them.

Failing that, Classic FM. I find watching films or batreps too distracting while painting.

 Jadenim wrote:

 MobileSuitRandom wrote:
I'll usually put some music on because I can't really focus otherwise ... since the covid outbreak I also quite often paint minis while listening to some conference or talk, or even while I attend some staff meeting at uni via zoom where I don't need to participate actively and can leave the camera off

I’m a complete professional and would never do that on a conference call. No siree, wouldn’t be doing that at all,

I don't think being a master multitasker has anything to do with lowering one's professionalism as long as you can maintain focus on both

I listen to stuff on Youtube:

- fantasy/war drum music
- stand up comedy
- Vince Venturella

I do other things whilst painting, never paint when doing other things.

Painting is the focus, everything else is white noise, it used to be TV, then downloaded movies/TV, now you tube or streaming on the ipad.
My newly sorted hobby room will have a 50 inch TV on the back of the painting table to play everything on.