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I really enjoy assembling models. It's currently my favorite hobby. The problem comes with painting. If I felt comfortable enough to walk into my local GW with just a sea of gray, I'd honestly probably be pretty happy right now. I am just one of those people who believes that my models (not everyone's, just mine) should be painted before they hit the table.

That said, while my wife was not and still isn't upset with me about spending some weekends doing nothing but painting, I'd rather not have to use every bit of my time with her painting (we share custody of my stepson/her son with her ex husband). But, I find that I'm spending pretty much all of that time trying to get things painted and ready (including changing water, cleaning brushes, etc.).

I recently joined a Blood Bowl League, but I dropped after the first game as it took around 2.5 hours to play (90 minutes is really where my attention ends) and I rushed so much to get all of my Blood Bowl team painted as the person running the league gave us an additional reroll for painted models.

All that said, I'm completely and totally burned out on painting. I am currently building Bandai Gundam and Star Wars models that are already pre-painted or use stickers/water slide decals for additional colors needed.

I've gone through painting droughts before when I had just burned myself out (like after finishing up a near 140 model Hive Fleet Behemoth Tyranid army), but this one has gone on for much longer. I have many models that have been assembled but not painted, and I just can't get myself motivated to care about painting them.

Anyone been in this kind of rut when it comes to painting? If so, how did you get out of it?

Thanks

SG

Well you do need to take a break occasionally. That said, if you want to ease back in, just hide or store away every unpainted model or unit except ONE. Seeing a bunch of unpainted plastic is intimidating and can be discouraging, because we know how long it takes

Yeah, this happens to me quite often, especially if I have another project idea and want to work on getting/assembling the models.

I'm currently in a bit of a funk with my DW Intercessor Kill Team. 9 models, all Primaris, 1 from each first Founding chapter. There are all primed black with a base color on their Shoulder pads. I have the BA Inceptor done, and the SW Sgt is 99% there, but all other work has stalled.

Mainly because my sons are working on their UM and Salamanders armies and I am helping them assemble and paint their stuff. It's been great and they have been making lots of progress, but since I have to periodically get them more paint or make a suggestion, I just don't have the focus I need to power through my stuff right now.

But it will happen eventually and I'll suddenly get the urge/inspiration to do them.
This isn't the first time, nor will it be the last, that a project of mine has stalled for me to suddenly be able to finish them in a sitting or 2.

My advise would for to at least prime and base coat the models. That way they aren't just a legion of gray and you will feel better about playing them.
Sometimes, playing a few games is what I need to get that inspiration back to paint

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I have the opposite problem. I watch painting tutorials, read up on techniques and theory, brush care, etc. and get hyped to paint, but then I remember I have to glue and prime the minis first. Grudgingly, I'll go through the assembly, mold line nicking, gap filling and by then my enthusiasm is often drained.

What I might do is build, prime and paint one by one, rather than in batches/boxes and focus more on the specific mini than the unit as a whole. It might help hone my focus.

all the time.
repetativness of sticking to the same layout for more then 3 models prevents me from ever having a painted army. (nor is comission an option cuz its quality is far worse then what i can achive on my own on troops and elites)
nor does it help that moust paints has so low amount of pigments that 1 coat aint enugh. so if i have to paint 2 coats on 1 model then i basicly have painted 2 models, not 1.

i dont get the motivation back either so i have come to the conclusion to get rid of 95% of my backlog, and in the prossess quit armys and only fokus on skirmish/small warbands.

Oh yeah, definitely. Sometimes I'll get burned out and not do any hobby stuff for a month or two.

The best thing I've figured out is to just take maybe 30 to 45 minutes every day to paint. No more. It still adds up a decent amount of time overall, but it also lets you spread that time out and not get burned from doing the same potentially mind-numbing process all at the same time.

And maybe spoil yourself everyone once in a while with a marathon, but don't let it become a weekly thing.

Also, I can sympthize with the Blood Bowl time issue. It's a fun game, but some people just take way too much time to make they're decisions, or don't consider their next turn at all while you're going. I ran a tournament at the last PAX Unplugged and when two slow players were paired up in a match, they only made it through the first half in the 2 hour, 15 minute round.

All the time, I wouldn't call painting a chore, far from it, but I much prefer assembling the models than painting them.

Yeah, just come out the other side of one of them.

Best advice I can give, if you still want to paint, is to make it easy to do so. I'm really lucky in that I had a spare room that I've set up as a dedicated modelling room - 40th birthday present from my wife. Before I had this room, all my modelling stuff was packed away (kids, general house tidiness etc) and if I wanted to paint I needed sufficient motivation to get everything out, do the painting, and put everything away again afterwards. Now it's all ready and available, and if I have 5 minutes I can just pop in, put some paint on something, and pop out again... I've done more painting in the few months since my painting room has been active than in probably 5 years before that.

OK not everyone has a spare room they can dedicate - but maybe a dedicated hobby desk or something, where everything is laid out ready. If you don't already have that, obviously...

I lose motivation when a project isn't working out as I'd hope. Bought some Knights, and my first Armiger just isn't coming out as well as I'd wanted. I'm stripping the paint off the armor plates to try again, but it's kind of a downer that I had to break it apart to strip paint off halfway through painting it because I'm just not happy with it.

Yep, frequently. I go in spurts. I'll paint a bunch of stuff in a week, then nothing for a month sometimes. If I have something new or exciting, it'll be more painting than normal. There is no real rhyme or reason.

It’s been a few years now....

No seriously the last several months have been really tough and I have tons of primed models just sitting without any real motivation to finish anything. :(

The Most Important thing to maintain motivation is learning to ENJOYING THE PROCESS.
The slow moments: the taking off the sprue, the clearing mold-lines, gluing, priming, base-coating, washing, highlighting, sealing, basing.

That process must be Enjoyed, because that is the ONLY thing that could maintain the motivation free from the outside factors or influences.

I had to force my self and actively think "I must be enjoying this, I must be enjoying this, I must be enjoying this, " Until it became a natural process.

Two Small tips to ease the painting process:
1 - Get a Good Paint Brush! None synthetic bristle, Kolinsky brush would best, size don't really matter, they all hold the tip well.
2 - Obtain Steadiness in hands! Ground both hands, the one with mini and one with brush, on comfortable hard surface AND rotate only the mini around the brush during the painting process, akin to handwriting.

Hope that makes sense.

Crispy78 wrote:
Yeah, just come out the other side of one of them.

Best advice I can give, if you still want to paint, is to make it easy to do so. I'm really lucky in that I had a spare room that I've set up as a dedicated modelling room - 40th birthday 'present' from my wife. Before I had this room, all my modelling stuff was packed away (kids, general house tidiness etc) and if I wanted to paint I needed sufficient motivation to get everything out, do the painting, and put everything away again afterwards. Now it's all ready and available, and if I have 5 minutes I can just pop in, put some paint on something, and pop out again... I've done more painting in the few months since my painting room has been active than in probably 5 years before that.

OK not everyone has a spare room they can dedicate - but maybe a dedicated hobby desk or something, where everything is laid out ready. If you don't already have that, obviously...

That is a Good point! Having the tools easily accessible makes it easier just to start painting. I found this to be true for me as well.

 Aristocrap wrote:
I have the opposite problem. I watch painting tutorials, read up on techniques and theory, brush care, etc. and get hyped to paint, but then I remember I have to glue and prime the minis first. Grudgingly, I'll go through the assembly, mold line nicking, gap filling and by then my enthusiasm is often drained.

What I might do is build, prime and paint one by one, rather than in batches/boxes and focus more on the specific mini than the unit as a whole. It might help hone my focus.

That Happened to me too and I think I figured out why that happens! Every time I would want to paint and work on minis, I would hit the forums and videos for the inspiration and ideas. Well what that does it takes you through the whole process to the end. Seeing the finished piece, the body releases hormones and a slight feeling of satisfaction settles in, like the slight fullness after a light meal, and because my mind went through the process to the end by watching a video, when I get up I no longer want to work on my miniatures. Now I watch inspiration materiel fully aware of that fact, and spend more time planning.

Have you considered just getting a commission painter to knock them up to tournament level?

I think most would paint up an army to 3 colours minimum for a pretty reasonable price, especially the newer services.

 ServiceGames wrote:
Anyone been in this kind of rut when it comes to painting? If so, how did you get out of it?

Yup. I just waited until I felt like painting again. Or building. Or whatever. It's a hobby, not a job.

I feel where you're coming from. The hobby is easy when you're a young singly with loads of time. Now I have a little girl and live with my partner, my hobby time is limited to a couple of hours in the evening, and the odd time on a weekend if my daughter is happy to amuse herself. Luckily I only paint models to put in a cabinet and look at, so I have no pressure to get games in, so I can't really advise there. Just gotta prioritise your time as best you can, but never put the hobby before the family!
Maybe some people would be fine gaming with your unpainted models if you have explained your situation?

Just don't paint for a while. I've been doing this since original Rogue Trader came out, and I've had stretches of 12-18 months of nothing being done in the miniatures hobby. You can always come back.

OTOH, if you're tired of taking too long to paint stuff, try painting faster. Usually this means simpler schemes and less detail, but if you're trying to get an army painted for the tabletop, rather than just for satisfaction, it's fine!

I have lost the motivation from time to time. Usually due to outside issues that take up free time. Also for active treatment I did not get any painting done. But eventually I get back to the brushes. I have found I have done better when I see an army getting close to being finished or some models needed for an upcoming game.

My two cents,

CB

I've easily lost the motivation from time to time to paint. When I first started 40k I didn't paint anything, I was only playing with a couple friends but the need to have the models painted seemed unnecessary at the time. Now all I want is my models to be painted before put to the table but painting squads and everything definitely seems like a chore. The 20 Poxwalkers from the Dark Imperium set took forever. I personally favored from trying to do the squad to just individual models for more enjoyment. Taking breaks from painting isn't a bad thing, look at some other peoples models or pictures of other projects to inspire you. Hope this helps!

I burned out pretty hard about three years ago. I just couldn't will myself into painting anything as I felt everything I painted was pretty miserable. I played a few games in between but that didn't ignite my fire at all.

Got back into painting in September as leaving uni meant my sport was a bit inaccessible and I actually wanted to paint more than just a tabletop level model.