Staying motivated mid project

[Wombat85]

So I have been doing some metacognition lately on my painting and the more I think about it seems the biggest block I have is keeping up motivation and finishing a project. Lets See:

Initial motivation: Check
Mini Buying: Check
Excitement at new minis: Check
Excitement cleaning minis:wavering
Excitement while painting: Lost

Now it isn't I don't enjoy painting, I truly find it relaxing, it just seems that the image in my mind is always so much better then whats on the model, so I lose excitement mid project and want to start on something fresh and maybe this time achieve my vision, only that doesn't happen. Anyone have similar problems and can you share how you keep your motivation up? I have thought about starting a WIP thread but dont know if that's the answer.

 

[MAXXxxx]

no, WIP thread didn't help me in that sense.
What helped me:
- taking a break (I mean go outside, do sport or something)
- paint a simpler different mini even to only a TTQ level, so you have that "I'm finishd with a mini" feeling

but if you already have problems when cleaning it up (should be done in about an hour or so for most minis) then I don't know how you could help there

 

[RuneBrush]

I know exactly what you mean. I get it every now and again when I'm cleaning/assembling something and realise that instead of the straightforward "glue together and it's done" job, it turns into a massive greenstuffing exercise. If I find that my enjoyment is wavering at this stage then I'll finish assembling it and then put it away until I build up some more keen. Generally I tackle models as two separate stages - the put together & undercoat stage and then the painting stage. This way I can keep my enthusiasm going based on how I feel.

My biggest problem is that real life comes along and kicks me in the nuts. I've just had four solid days of painting to the point where my eyes are dry and sore - the trouble is that I was painting my kitchen and not the last touches on the squad of Death Guard...

 

[Bailey03]

Yeah, I wish I had some solution I could give you but I've got plenty of my own half finished projects cluttering up my painting area and closet. Starting a WIP thread can help (though help a lot or just a little is up for debate). Being able to post pictures when you make progress, any progress, is nice. It helps me feel like I've accomplished something without having to wait until the mini is completely finished. If you have some friends who are also into painting you can get together on a regular basis and have a painting day, evening, whatever. I'm part of a group that meets once a month at our local hobby store to paint. It's a nice excuse to bring along any stalled project and get back into it.

 

[10 ball]

1. (most important) Always pick a mini that you LOVE.
2. Prep / prime on a different day to start painting.
3. Set completion goals on the mini like one night skin, one night metalics, one night just freehand etc.
4. Start a WIP (and as Bailey says) progress photos feel like great progress
5. Try hard not to start another project.

 

[Wombat85]

Thanks guys, with regards to squads has anyone has success in breaking the squad up into smaller groups completed from start to finish. I feel like this would be slower but help break up monotony.

 

[Kelly Kim]

Sometimes when approaching a large squad / unit of models, I would do the basic prep, assembly, primer, and base coats for the whole unit, and then break it up into 2 model blocks. By finishing two models at a time, I would get a sense of accomplishment in a shorter amount of time. By doing the whole unit at once instead of breaking it up, I might delay my gratification of completion off for too long, and get discouraged.

The other thing that helps me get models done (a great source of motivation) was to enter as many painting competitions as I could. Even if you're pushing yourself to get something done for a small local store competition, you have a deadline to complete projects by, and your pride / ego may be enough to motivate you to still paint to the best of your ability (so you don't show up with sh*te models). In the end, it's not even that important to WIN the painting contest... just by entering you are pushing yourself to finish something, and finish it well.

 

[SkelettetS]

problem with breaking up squads into single minis is to find the 100% the same colors, at least when painting uniform-minis. a suggestion is to make notes of every paint you use, if you tend to mix a lot. (that also goes when painting large stuff where you paint body parts separately).

as Kelly kim said, competitions sure helps. lost count how many times ive been pushing myself to get ready in time. im in that state right now...phew!

 

[TrystanGST]

See - I'm going to have to be that contrarian. Nothing kills my painting mojo faster than feeling pressured to finish by a deadline. And after the contest is over, I'm burned out. It's part of why I stopped entering them. I still have grand dreams of Crystal Brush, maybe Golden Demon if it comes back north, and the random WAMP contest.

 

[Kelly Kim]

Trystan, it sounds like you don't have much problem maintaining painting momentum in the first place then. Personally, my painting comes in fits and spurts. Something will inspire me, and I'll start a project with my foot on the gas pedal. It slowly runs out of steam, and then I get distracted by another burst of inspiration, which leads me to start another fresh project (and abandoning my previous baby). And so on, and so on, and so on, until I have shelves of unfinished projects.

Then a painting competition gets announced, and I realize I don't have time to do up a project from scratch. I then scramble through my half-finished projects, figure out which ones will fit in each catagory, and then push hard as heck to finish them in time for the contest. And somehow it just works out in the end. I even have a respectable number of prizes and trophies to show for it (although the true prize is just having cleared some space on my "half-finished projects" shelf).

Of course, we're not talking about the Golden Demons or Crystal Brush. While some of my best work has been completed under a mad last-minute rush, I doubt that's a decent strategy going into a world-class competition.

 

[boubi]

Counter indication: start a new mini... Then come back to the first one and finish them by waves. Problem you will need to keep record of the paint used. I personally use my ipad/ipod to take quick notes. But a piece of paper or a small booklet is enough, just need to keep it somewhere you will refer in the future.

I personally keep motivated using this method, and in more than a year I finished all my miniatures I have started at the beginning. Some faster than others...

Then WIP is quite helpful, but it requires additional workload. Need to take picture, upload it somewhere then write your post... But it is rewarding when you get advice, direction to take, and comments from more experience people. It is also a way to push you to finish the work you have started.

Then you can participate to some small painting competition (painting forums, local hobby store, etc...) in order to push yourself going further and finishing the mini you have started in limited timeframe.

I remember that one Day 10 Ball started a thread for painting mini in 4h with 4 colors only. then people who participated just posted their pictures before a certain deadline. I took part of it and was simply fun... One really good painting experience. It was really motivating then using only four colors was new for me and I was happy with the results. Try to push yourself to go further and take pleasure doing it, whatever the results. You will progress over time.

 

[TrystanGST]

Trystan, it sounds like you don't have much problem maintaining painting momentum in the first place then. Personally, my painting comes in fits and spurts. Something will inspire me, and I'll start a project with my foot on the gas pedal. It slowly runs out of steam, and then I get distracted by another burst of inspiration, which leads me to start another fresh project (and abandoning my previous baby). And so on, and so on, and so on, until I have shelves of unfinished projects.

Then a painting competition gets announced, and I realize I don't have time to do up a project from scratch. I then scramble through my half-finished projects, figure out which ones will fit in each catagory, and then push hard as heck to finish them in time for the contest. And somehow it just works out in the end. I even have a respectable number of prizes and trophies to show for it (although the true prize is just having cleared some space on my "half-finished projects" shelf).

Of course, we're not talking about the Golden Demons or Crystal Brush. While some of my best work has been completed under a mad last-minute rush, I doubt that's a decent strategy going into a world-class competition.

Not necessarily - I have plenty of half painted minis littering my WIP thread (and painting area) - I fall prey to shiny mini syndrome quite easily. Though lately I have been forcing myself to finish things. I am always painting something, I just don't always finish before I start something else.

 

[RuneBrush]

One thing that has helped me in painting squads, is to lay down the first colour or two with an airbrush. Although increased speed is one element, using an airbrush adds in a different skill set which (for me at least) just helps to spur me onto traditional painting (i.e. with a brush).

 

[me_in_japan]

Like most folks in this thread I've had problems maintaining motivation at times. With squads, I agree with the advice on laying down a base coat and maybe a zenithal highlight with the airbrush. After that step, though, I find it near impossible to do a whole squad at a time. 2 or 3 minis, production-line style works well for me on that front. The fastest I ever painted anything was a squad of Heresy Minis Blights - 4 in 2 hours, 14 minis in 4 days (2 hrs a day.)

i also think cleanup and prep are best done on a different day to the actual painting, especially if you're doing a squad. Gets boring, otherwise.

Finally, if you find yourself losing Interest early in a mini early on, it can be worthwhile to out it aside and so something else for a bit. Prep another fig, fill some gaps, play some playstation, whatever. The muse is a fickle lass, and there's no point in forcing yourself if you're not enjoying it. That is, after all, why we paint, no?