At what point do you just say "FFFF IT!"

[ZombyWoof]

Greetings.

I've been working on a Black Templar Marshal model the past few weeks using the BT upgrade sprue bits. I figure I want him to look pretty decent since he's a HQ, but I'm sitting here right now looking at my (nearly) finished work and it looks like I let a 4 year old paint it. I've read plenty of tutorials etc and practice when I can, but I just can't seem to nail it. I end up feeling like I've been wasting time painting models that I need for lists that I want to play, rather than playing, which I would rather do. At what point is it OK to just say screw it and slap on a 3 color minimum and call it a day? Especially for the "big name" chapters where a little more involvement is expected.

Thanks for letting me vent.

[red_starrise]

When you're painting Imperial Fists & it takes 3 coats of thinned white, 2 of elf flesh & 2 of each of 3 different yellows plus a wash of gryphonne sepia to get them to look good! At that point before I do ANY detail work the models already have 6 colors on them: black primer, white, elf flesh, deep yellow, marigold yellow, bright yellow. Oh & don't even try to be smart & spray paint the yellow because then it will likely end up too thick & obscure details!

[puck]

I'm in this same boat painting a Deathwing Dread. trying to get a nice even coat of paint is causing me to make progress at what can only be described as a glacial pace. I've found it helps me to have two projects going one purely for fun and one more list oriented and strictly enforce alternating paint sessions. Granted this slows down the progress on both projects, but I'd say its balanced out by me actually wanting to paint and getting more sessions in. From your post it sounds like you much prefer playing to modeling so I'd say if that's what you like doing, do the bare minimum modeling so you can play. I don't think anyone will bat an eye. Also no one said that once you start playing with a model you can't paint on it anymore. Get three colors down for starters and then whenever (and only whenever) you feel like it paint on it some more. The hobby is meant to be fun. If you get to the point that you say "F it" then I'd say you're way past the point of having no fun.

[Arikel]

For sure my painting is not up to the awesome standards of many of the folk on here, but, I myself can see major improvement on the first models I painted(including my first hq) and every single model I have painted since then. Like anything else it takes practice. Just get your list painted up and go with it, they don't need to be masterclass to play with.

[Dark Bjoern]

I hate painting. I really hate it. It´s a question of discipline. When i look back at my Night Lords i must say i love the result. Alone the midnight blue are six layers of 5 different colors and for the golden details i used 5 colors in six layers. And now i´m working on my Grey Knights. Tons over tons of details. And i´m talking about 12000 points that i´ll have to paint. It´s all a question of discipline and someone who show you the right technics. Ask at your local GW store. They know not much, but there is one thing that they can. And that is painting.

[nurglez]

I'm ok at painting, but actually putting paint on models is a chore. getting all my models to a table top standard would be a major achievement for me.

 

I only had 3 models to paint to finish my draigo wing army for throne of skulls last month, and I did most of the painting in the last 3 days before I left for it, I wasn't happy with the state of the models, but they were table top worthy, just :cuss

 

There are many techniques for table top painting, my favourite is using a foundation paint and an ink wash on top of it, and dry brushing as well. Painting several models at a time can also help break up the chore!

[red_starrise]

I'm ok at painting, but actually putting paint on models is a chore. getting all my models to a table top standard would be a major achievement for me.

 

I only had 3 models to paint to finish my draigo wing army for throne of skulls last month, and I did most of the painting in the last 3 days before I left for it, I wasn't happy with the state of the models, but they were table top worthy, just :cuss

 

There are many techniques for table top painting, my favourite is using a foundation paint and an ink wash on top of it, and dry brushing as well. Painting several models at a time can also help break up the chore!

 

I run 3 completely different colored armies: SW, IF, IW; just for the very reason that I get bored w/ a color. To be honest, I still need to build 2 drop pods for my IF & just have been refusing to even buy the models out of loathing for yellow. But when I get sick of a color I go paint something for the other army. I'm trying to convince my wife that I need to start up a traitor IG army to go w/ my Iron Warriors as I need a 50/50 bad guy ratio but she keeps looking at me like I've grown two heads lol.

[Redfinger]

When you're painting Imperial Fists & it takes 3 coats of thinned white, 2 of elf flesh & 2 of each of 3 different yellows plus a wash of gryphonne sepia to get them to look good! At that point before I do ANY detail work the models already have 6 colors on them: black primer, white, elf flesh, deep yellow, marigold yellow, bright yellow. Oh & don't even try to be smart & spray paint the yellow because then it will likely end up too thick & obscure details!

 

 

This is why I switched to oil paints for yellow. To the OP I am afraid I have little encouragement, there is a learning curve, for some it is steeper than for others, just keep pushing, you will break through one day.

 

Ashton

[RobPhoboS]

I hear ya man.

That's why I bought an airbrush, saves the painful misery of painting boring undercoats and lets you concentrate on the details and washes. Much easier imho, and less frustrating (after getting the hang of the AB).

Spend money, save time - effectively.

[chromedog]

I am not especially fond of painting. I'm a converter/modelmaker.

 

My standard is for them to look "acceptable" at 3 feet, not astounding at 6".

 

Base coat, some detailing, wash, basic basing. Done. Next model.

 

They will never win a best painted prize (unless no other army is painted) - but I couldn't care less because I don't play competitively (tournaments where this comes up) anyway. I don't feel the need to compete with anyone else on how good they look to me. They only have to look good to me.

[ZombyWoof]

There are many techniques for table top painting, my favourite is using a foundation paint and an ink wash on top of it, and dry brushing as well. Painting several models at a time can also help break up the chore!

^^^This is my technique for mass troops. Basecoat, drybrush, wash, repeat! I generally shoot for tabletop quality, but I wanted my BT Marshal to look sharp with all the upgrade bits. Maybe I'm just being hard on myself for not meeting personal expectations.

Thanks all for the replies and motivation. I'll put up pics when my Marshal is finished, just a few more details to work on.

[Olis]

I too find painting less than exhilerating but I doubt I've ever quite managed a f*** it moment. But I do have to say that my painting is much, MUCH better than when I first started - there are techniques along the way that I've picked up that help immensely (when I can be bothered to pick up a brush), even if it's little things like thinning paints or how to paint the colour yellow well. Much like chromedog I derive more pleasure from converting/modelling than painting.

[red_starrise]

I too find painting less than exhilerating but I doubt I've ever quite managed a f*** it moment. But I do have to say that my painting is much, MUCH better than when I first started - there are techniques along the way that I've picked up that help immensely (when I can be bothered to pick up a brush), even if it's little things like thinning paints or how to paint the colour yellow well. Much like chromedog I derive more pleasure from converting/modelling than painting.

 

Yeah, I'll second that, I recall when I first started w/ 2nd Ed lol. My marines were testor's sky blue w/ red eyes that looked like botched OSL before OSL was even a thing. Then I thought it'd be cool to make them look grizzled & hardened so I spattered them w/ red, black & green to resemble human, nid & ork blood. Then it got even worse when I bought a pred annihilator & bike & proceeded to glue static grass to them to make it look like they crashed thru the underbrush.

 

I guess I should clarify that I never truly quit after a F*** it moment, but rather walk away for awhile & take a sebaticle from that color/army. Which is why some units in each army are painted different colors than the whole army. For example in my Imperial Fists my scouts have black armor w/ urban camo'ed BDU's while in my wolves my scouts including PA wolf guard are urban camo along w/ the vindicator cuz I feel wolves are masters of natural camo between their coats & their methods including scent camo so it fits.

 

I too get very hard on myself when my HQ units don't turn out as I'd hoped. Sometimes I get so afraid of disappointing myself in the back of my mind I won't finish them so I don't have to be disappointed I think lol.

[WeaponAdept]

You could post it to me and I'll paint it for free?

 

Link in Sig, check it out.

[ZombyWoof]

You could post it to me and I'll paint it for free?

 

Link in Sig, check it out.

Good stuff!

[Olis]

You could post it to me and I'll paint it for free?

 

Link in Sig, check it out.

 

Well now, this is a first - a free paint service? Nice.

 

+1 internet for you, good sir. :tu:

[Zincite]

Personally, the hobby is about the painting for me, so I rarely have those moments myself. But do, if just slapping colours on feels dull, try other methods. Sometimes just one colour and a wash can produce good results that you can then further by a simple highlight, if you even want to go that far.

 

Iyanden Darksun + Gryphonne Sepia makes a good yellow, re-highlighting with Darksun if you want.

 

Spray white, then wash with Asurmen Blue makes a nice white-ish combination.

 

Mechrite Red, washed with Badab Black, then highlighted with Blood Red (Red Gore might be better, but I've never used it.) looks good, though admittedly I've only use it on Tyranids.

 

Drybrushing, and I love this, really makes things easy, and the bonus is that models can look good after about even three coats. Use a large drybrush, it's expensive at the time, but I've never regretted it. Adding detail over the top on specific items such as gems, eyes, trims, and the like can also draw the eye away from the main Drybrushed part.

 

To use my own model as an example, Culln had his armour drybrushed, but I then paid a little more attention to the rest of it, which negates the perhaps slightly lazy main armour. :tu:

 

One of my favrites is spray black, drybrush Calthan Brown, Iyanden Darksun, then Dheneb Stone, highlighted after with Bleached Bone. It doesn't take long to do a lot of models, and provides a nice little Bone colour.

[ZombyWoof]

Well, I got some work done the past couple weeks. My BT Marshal is built and painted for table quality. I'm not 100% happy with the job I did, but I have enough bits to build and paint up another one at my leisure.

I started to get caught up with my Ultras and think I found a technique I can deal with: Undercoat black; brush over with dark blue (I use P3 Cygnar Blue Base); wash with Asurmen Blue; brush over again with Ultra Blue; then pick out the weapons etc. My troops are pretty much going to be "paint by numbers," but I'm going to give my HQ's and squad leaders a little more attention.