Keeping motivated

[Dizzyeye01]

So, 40k in general has had a good share of my life and after a period of being done with it I came back after a few of my close friends decided to jump in. Thing is, when I was younger I was able to paint up a decent force and get to a local store to have a few games. Now though? I can maybe toy around with a few models and come up with interedting ideas but getting brush to model is...challenging to say the least. It's become a bit of a joke with my mates that I'm unable to do an army (it is in good humour I should say)

 

Point is, for a while I've tried to get into makibg a force again but I just can't seem able to motivate myself into doing it. What do you guys do to keep the spark going? What makes you get that squad ready for battle? I'm not lacking on the ideas but they just seem so fleeting at times.

[Sagentus]

Ive seen some people sign up for tournaments that you have to have fully painted models. Or with your friends you could do an escalation campaign where you have to have 500pnts fully painted for the first month the 750 or 1k depending on how quickly you want to get the armies built. Maybe include a wager in there so the person who has all there stuff painted and wins the most games wins the prize fund.

 

Me personally i try not to build to much at once. Then as a reward for painting the squad i can build the next lot. I have to admit i struggle to keep to this at times as some models are more of a chore to paint than others, but i usually manage to keep to it

[Dragonlover]

The ETL is on the horizon, and is basically the only reason I have any painted models. I heartily recommend taking part, it's the most fun I've ever had with a paintbrush in hand.

 

Dragonlover

[Dizzyeye01]

@ Sagentus: I'm not really a big fan of tournaments in all honesty; narrative games or a campaign are more compelling to me. We are going to be doing a Deathwatch campaign in a similar fashion to MiniWargaming but we each control 2 models and work together. Maybe an escalation campaign could work though so I'll definitely consider it. I did always enjoy the Tale of Four Warlords that were in the White Dwarfs for a while so it could work.

 

@ Dragonlover: I can't remember if I did it or not but I might've tried taking part in it one time but ended up dropping out in the end for some reason. Either way it might be worth trying it again. Any idea when its starting up specifically?

[Dragonlover]

Nah, best Captain Semper has at the moment is "some point in May".

 

Dragonlover

[Claws and Effect]

I just wait until I have something thst really grabs me.

 

I came back a little over a year ago, and I did a bunch of reading over all the factions until I noticed that I kept coming back to one in particular: Raven Guard.

 

Once I knew I wasn't going to lose interest it became a lot easier to stay motivated on painting, because I abhor playing with unpainted models.

[Kinstryfe]

I go in definite phases with all my hobbies, and it's not unusual for me to paint half a force then wander off to something else for awhile. The best motivations I've found have been painting challenges, escalation leagues, and occasional pure stubbornness. I find that half the time when I don't feel like painting, the feeling goes away once I have a brush in my hand. It also helps me to break up a big project with other one off models. Not even the old paint a unit, paint a character, paint a unit technique. More like paint 10 Ultramarines, paint a Blood Angel character, paint 15 more Ultramarines, experiment in my quest for the shiniest space marine, etc. Getting entirely out of the colour palette tends to do me a lot of good.

[Bryan Blaire]

No matter what, I write my ideas down in my hobby notebook - I may not have time to take advantage of an idea now, but I never know when going back over my notes will spark a really interesting idea that I feel like I have to paint. Sometimes it's a really cool battle scene in my head that I want to get a couple of members in focus in my mind out in miniature form, or a new scheme I want to try on something, or the beginning of a larger army theme.

 

I also try to assemble, assemble, assemble - kit-bashing some cool stuff can get the painting juices flowing, and if it doesn't, I've got a bad-:cuss looking squad that will demand to be painted at some point (I only plastic glue the parts that never have to come off, and I use superglue on stuff I want to be able to get back off, like arms and heads).

 

I also use Kinstryfe's idea, and bounce to completely new factions when things have gotten to be a slog for me.

[DuskRaider]

I feel your pain. For the longest time I've only been able to partially paint an army before just kind of losing motivation. I started taking part in the events on B&C such as the ETL, Call of Chaos and others, this has really helped push me to actually complete not just one but three armies at this point. Set goals, post progress and ask for advice, opinions, etc. the folks here are always willing to help. 

[Panzer]

Forum events as well as only building a new unit once you've painted everything you've already build helps a lot. My T'au are a mess progression-wise but my BA Primaris go smoothly. ^^

[Redtoof]

Most inspirational for me is watching battle reports with fully painted armies on fantastic terrain etc. I'm always a fan of having a fully painted force, even if it isn't all to my highest standards, I just think a unified army looks better than a few stunning models in front of a sea of plastic.

[N1SB]

I was in the exact same situation.  For about 3 years, I was trying to get back into The Hobby and my painting was so slow that my friends joked about my progress (or, more precisely, the lack thereof).  Then I had a breakthrough and got 500 pts in less than 2 months, which won an Armies on Parade category prize at our new Warhammer Store (real-time log in this very forum: http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/topic/340376-patient-zero-chaos-daemons-astra-militarum-artillery-army/ ).  Suddenly, no one joked about my painting anymore.

 

It might work for you, but to avoid prescribing before diagnosing, please speak more on the following:

 

 

I'm not lacking on the ideas but they just seem so fleeting at times.

 

I would love to hear about your ideas 1st.  Putting pen to paper, or fingers to keyboard, actually did lead to putting brush on miniatures for me.

[Dizzyeye01]

Thanks for the replies everyone, it seems like grenade ideas is working towards events and generally having a lot to work from.

 

@N1SB: In terms of ideas, the latest ones have been a End Priest leading a bunch of Lone Wolves in hunting daemons ( think along the lines of the Witches series ) so Space Wolves while the other idea is the Alpha Legion managing to raid one of Cawls ships filled with Primaris geneseed and then used the stolen geneseed to create renegade Primaris Marines (thinking along the lines of the Spartan II/III from Halo). There was also an idea for some Deathwatch investigating use of Wraithbone and making an Imperial version of it but the army itself I lost motivation for.

[N1SB]

Fun Fact - Games Workshop's marketing manager is a former top Xbox guy. There's a lot tabletop games and video games can learn from one another.

I read your reply earlier, tried to imagine a lot of scenarios, because what you described was really what I went through only 6 months ago. My 1 heartfelt suggestion:

Keep on coming up with these unique ideas UNTIL you find 1 whose Troops "Core" units you can speedpaint effectively, INSTEAD of just forcing yourself to paint.

Though this humble suggestion sounds obvious, I share it very carefully. If you were a new player, I'd have suggested something simpler like going for Necrons or Nurgle Daemons, etc., because they are both simply and forgiving to paint. You're not new. You know the lore, and it's clear story ideas are what motivates you.

Because you have many unique ideas, and it looks like you're constantly coming up with new ones, you can afford to say, "this story idea is cool, but it costs too much time and/or money." I myself went through a dozen army really good concepts/lists before I settled on my aforementioned Patient Zero army:

These Nurglings were my Troops and my most numerous models. I could comfortably paint 2 to 3 bases per night. I did not paint every night, since sometimes I feel like playing computer games. Still, within 2 weeks, this "Core" of my army was done...that freed me up to paint the fun stuff, like tanks. That motivated me.

(I know you're already thinking of ideas like that, such as your Lone Wolves, as an army with a low model count.)

What I did was find, on a blog, a speedpainting guide for Nurglings. In this case, it was done with mostly inks. It was easy, but not simple; a new painter might've found inks tricky, but you and I are not new painters. Just having a shortcut that I knew how to use was a motivation for me, it's like my past years of painting paying off.

(It's like playing a computer game RPG the 2nd time. The 1st time is slow, you're trying to learn where everything is, it's just a grind to start. The 2nd time, you know where everything is, how to best start off a game, what character build works best for the game, and it drives you. A speedpainting shortcut feels like that.)

If no speedpainting technique exists, find one. I found that to be even more motivating. I actually have cheap disposable miniatures just to experiment with.

I say "Core" instead of Troops, because by "Core" I mean your most numerous models in the army. The Detachment system in 8th ed that gives you all sorts of options in putting together your army, and you might not even bother taking Troops (they're trickier to play, but it is a choice.) I focus on this because what demotivated me before was the Troops Tax...those were what killed my interest, just having to paint the same basic, weak model 20 to 30 times.

The other reason was this, and I mean this in the most respectful way possible - I learned painting from the Games Workshop method, but to be honest it's not every efficient or effective. Layer by layer, paint by paint. What I found out was the Games Workshop way of painting was really about selling you more pots of different paints, as they are a really good product for them. I found toying with inks way more effective, which I still get from GW, but I basically skip 3 types of paint with 1 wash.

So I had a dozen ideas, finally came up with 1 I really liked and found a great speedpainting technique. Then I made a 500 pts list and stuck with it. 500 pts in 8th ed is great because it honestly is enough to play with in the current Detachment system. If it works, great, you can grow from there. If it fails, well, it's just 500 pts. With the way 8th works now, that 500 pts can be 1 Detachment and your next project can be another, basically allies. This way you don't get bored of painting just 1 thing.

1 final note - this is my most honest view, but it might be seen as heresy here on B&C. From the ideas you mentioned it looks like you're trying to get back to the game with Marines. I did that, too, and chose Iron Hands for 30k. I thought they were the easy way back into The Hobby, like how Marines were many people's 1st armies. It turned out, however, THAT was my problem...I didn't want to paint Marines anymore, probably because I painted so many of them when I was younger (instead, what motivated me was Mechanicum and converting stuff).

+++++

To conclude, in your situation, I honestly believe you're best served finding painting shortcuts that work for you, for 2 reasons. 1st, it decreases your effort, so you remain motivated. The 2nd reason is harder to explain, it's that using or finding shortcuts or new painting techniques becomes the motivation itself.

Right now, you're probably thinking, you're painting FOR the game. When you start experimenting with techniques, painting IS a game in and of itself.

It's like finding a more efficient character build or weapon loadout in a video game, you're finding a more efficient way to kill enemies, but now you're finding a more efficient way to paint models. Instead of feeling like it's a grind, it's like you're just testing yourself, discovering you're getting better and better.

And yes, once you master it, you will probably get bored of a painting technique no matter how efficient it is. But by that time, you'll have a new idea to experiment with, probably building on top of what you already painted. With 8th, there's so many ways to expand your army, it'll be fine.

(You may/should disagree with a lot in this post. That's fine; if I told you everything you already knew, there's no point in me writing all this. Just keep what I mentioned in mind as a new way to think of your ideas, a new perspective. I think something may strike you as exactly this sort of thing.)

[Pandoras Bitz Box]

We have a situation where we in the last 4 years nearly all of our players have 2 children. That makes your time extremely limited and precious... often just wanting to use it to sleep or unwind in front of the TV... and I ALREADY had issues motivating myself.  Here are a few ideas we have tried

 

1. start a group chat with your friends about your hobby (on something like whatsapp or whatever)

 

2. organise a game with your friends with entry conditions (like a less strict touranment), like no grey models, or 2 colours exluding undercoat.

 

3. organise a game with penalties for models not up to a standard (other team gets 1 CP for each unit of all grey models? I did a game where we had to deduct 15 points from hour army for every pound of weight we missed our target by to encourage exercise!)

 

4. post in the forum, a continuous thread of your works progress.  In a more extreme example, we recently started a blog to achieve the same thing.

 

 

 

I think most people are suggesting tournaments because they love playing them so much it is an absolute, you cant do it unless you reach a standard.  I don't really like organised tournaments either though.  What I have found for the best motivator is people just seeing your models. if they are in a room in your house and only you see them, if you don't look at them then nothing changes and you can just procrastinate... if you have a blog, group, post in a thread though... that means that other people, be them strangers or friends are seeing your models and hopefully commenting on them, this means if you dont do anything they could notice and say... "hey man, I was looking forward to seeing your progress on that model/unit"... so its less contained.  means that if you paint or not actually means something to other people and it helps you notice more.

 

The only other thing I could suggest is organise your models into groups... either a unit at a time or 3 models at a time?  if you have something like Tyranids... and you have 10 termagants and 3 warriors to paint, then paint 4 termagants and then a warrior... reward yourself for painting the boring fodder with something interesting... paint 10 imperial guards men to every tank or what ever.  Leaping into a huge army is so overwhelming, and if you paint one thing and look at the rest of your grey models... it will seem like an impossible task and that you have made no difference.  if you only get out 5 models though, one painted space marine is 20% of the work done!

 

Hope that helps somehow, the first step is done... your already here asking for help, next... tell us what you want to paint so we can ask to see the models!

[Kinstryfe]

N1SB and Azwaz made some really good points that I'll echo for emphasis. Definitely find painting shortcuts, and that usually means inks and other washes. They were a game changer for me, and painting up models the "old way", while it has its own charm for vanity projects, takes ages compared to the "new way". My Ultras I'm painting mostly the old way, with tons of freehand and layering. My newer projects like Custodes are mostly ink washed. The things you can do with metallics and inks and washes is amazing.

I'll also echo the benefit of batch painting. Unless I'm working an assembly line, I've learned that my maximum model focus at one time is 5 or fewer large models, or maybe 10 smaller models, at the maximums. Any more and it gets discouraging, especially when I look at the hundreds of Marines I still have sitting there looking all grey.

 

Lastly, I would add to make sure you use color schemes you not only like but can pull off without it being tedious and horrible. Blues and purples and greens I can do all day. Reds and blacks I can do just fine but I know they'll likely be less forgiving. Whites and yellows I can do, but they're kind of annoying, so I try to save them for when I want a challenge. That's why I have a pile of Ultras and Emperor's Children, several Sons of Horus, a ton of red Guard, and have painted exactly one space wolf.

[Res Ipsa Loquitur]

My hobby eyes are frequently bigger than my hobby belly. What works for me is to not build a new mini or unit until the one you're working on is done, setting realistic goals so that you don't get disheartened when you fail to paint 1000pts of Troops in a single day and, crucially for me, treating painting as an exercise in mindfulness.

 

The past is gone, the future does not yet exist and here in the present there is just me, this mini and this brush.

[Rik Lightstar]

So much great advice here already. For me it's also about rewarding MYself.

 

So once you've chosen a project, buy the starting blocks, like a couple of troops and an HQ. Paint the troops first with your HQ model as your reward for completing them.

 

Be strict with yourself and don't buy the next "batch" until the first one is done. This serves three purposes. The first is practical and simply saves you from investing too heavily in a project that might stall early on. The second is that you get to indulge in shopping for the next "batch" of models each time. The third and a really big one for me is you don't have that big intimidating pile of boxes waiting to be completed, just staring at you.

 

You can work these ideas into an escalation type campaign or league, or even do a "Tale of X Gamers" affair with a fixed monthly budget and points for game wins, painting completeness and budget adherence.

 

Rik

[Pandoras Bitz Box]

I have a mantra that follows Lightstar's ethos of rewarding yourself.

 

"Paint Before Progress"

 

thats what i mutter to myself if i want to buy a new model. I even appologise to the local GW Manager when he tries to sell me stuff and then say that at him! He know's the score, he tries to sell me books now! >.<

[Danny Cyanide]

Another suggestion is to set your goal at actually painting an army to a playable level, not a showcase level. Get your Army figured out and plan out what you'd need to do to the minis to consider them "table top" standard. Work thorough the entire force until they are at this level.

 

Now you have a painted Army that will look great on a table! Congrats, now you can head back and start bringing them all to a higher level of painting a squad at a time, but you still always have a painted Army to play with!

 

Table top standard doesn't have to be outstanding, basicly base colors and a wash will do fine for the first level.

 

With a Space Maine Army it could be as simple as a colored spray, 2 colors to pick out a few details, one for the aquilla and one for the rims of the pads, followed by a black or brown wash.

 

The nice thing about painting is you can always go back to make things better later!

[Dizzyeye01]

Thanks again the responses guys, I really do appreciate it. Real life has kept me busy but to the responses

 

@ N1SB: I think you've mostly hit the head on the nail there so thanks for the in depth look. I will say though while you're mostly right about getting back into marines, I do still wanna have a marine force to work with. Its why I've decided on a Scion/Primaris force mix which I can tie in with the Alpha Legion. I'll try and get a log set up and who knows, I kight just reward myself with an Alpharius once I've got the core nailed down ;)

 

@ Anwaz: Good thinking, I've already been talking with my friends on possible army choices and what to bring in them so thats been helpful. It's slso meant I'vd got the core armies formed up in my head at least and with the units being mostly fice man teams to start they shouldn't be too much hassle one at a time. Finally, I think I have a scheme nailed thanks to inspiration from Kizzs'own Alpha Legion amongst other stuff. Core plan at the moment is to get a Primaris Librarian, Lieutenant, 3 Intersessors Squads, 2 Tempestus Primes and 3 Scion sqauds done which be about 38 models to do. I'll get them piece by piece though so I won't get overwhelmed by a wall of grey.

 

@ everyone: I appreciate the comments, I've covered your points in the two above so don't feel like I'm ignoring you. As mentioned before, I will try and get a log set up soon and hopefully show my starting blocks :)

[Pandoras Bitz Box]

Also... I realise, these are all strategies for sort forcing your hand or even lightening the burden of effort you have to make.  There is another importent factor though, as your post suggests, motivation.  I have been hobbying for a while and enjoyed it... I have very little time these days due to having children and all of my friends in the same circle are in the same boat.  I've recently got into blogs though... and I dont just mean writing for one.  I'd never really read one before until I starting to write on one.  If you can find a great blog, or a few... or if you are on twitter (another thing I had never used until recently) then you have so much opportunity to see amazing miniatures. you can also customise the content you see by finding the appropriate source, so that your not looking at models from the wrong line, wrong army or even of the wrong standard.  An ultra amazing conversion and paint job is great to look at but doesnt inspire me as much as one that feels like its in my skill range.

 

Does anyone know of any great blogs or twitter feeds? those are the only things I'm looking at right now but if anyone knows any instagram ones too? what ever will suit the purpose.  We all want to make the most of our hobby and I feel like there are untapped resources knocking about.

[Sagentus]

I think having a WIP blog on here has helped me to no end. When people suggest bits to add and comment on your painting it spurs me on to keep painting. B&C is the best warhammer community forum i have come across, people here dont slag your painting skills off, they give you hints, tips and encouragment to improve

[Indefragable]

I am a notoriously slow painter (4 years now...) who never painted anything outside of 4th grade art class before getting into this hobby. I have come to really enjoy the modelling part, especially simple yet striking conversions (if I may say so myself).  Painting, though...now that's a chore.

 

I find that I am not good at 10min here and there. I need 1-2 hours of dedicated time to warm into it and then come back down before I stay up all night.

 

I will often work on something that motivates me, then while glue/paint coat is drying, try to crank out 5 models that are not so inspiring. Even just a coat or layer here or there. Sort of bribing myself and also "well, the layer's drying...might as well work on something..."

[Pandoras Bitz Box]

 

I will often work on something that motivates me, then while glue/paint coat is drying, try to crank out 5 models that are not so inspiring. Even just a coat or layer here or there. Sort of bribing myself and also "well, the layer's drying...might as well work on something..."

-Indefragable

 

 

I've been doing a similar thing recently with my possessed. I work on some non painting modelling aspect, like green stuffing or gluing something, then I paint 2 models simultaneously so I can switch between them as I wait for coats of paint to dry.

 

How has everyone's motivation been recently? I have to admit that I have never been more motivated than I am right now, I hope all of you have or do manage to find what ever it is that will encourage you to get on with and enjoy your hobbying.  What is everyone (trying) to work on?