absolutrudy
New member
Do you think people level off in this hobby, i.e. they reach a certain level of quality and cannot go above it. Can we all paint figures as well as they do in the Rackham catalog?
Just curious....
Just curious....
A question of talent
- Thread starter absolutrudy
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Dammekkos2
New member
I think it\'s more a question of desire really. I started off pretty bad, read a few bits of info, and got better. However, I used to really push myself, whereas I\'m now content to just get something finished, it doesn\'t have to be the greatest thing I ever did anymore.
I also think having someone teach you would be good (but I don\'t know any great painters, so I can\'t see the processes they use, I can only read about them and look at pictures).
I also think having someone teach you would be good (but I don\'t know any great painters, so I can\'t see the processes they use, I can only read about them and look at pictures).
ipaintminis
Active member
i think you can get as good as you want to be...
rackham is a certain style, i don\'t know if its possible for all painters to achieve that style, but i do know that each of us don\'t have a glass ceiling because there isn\'t one in this hobby...
with patience and effort we each can achieve things unimaginable because we are each different
*gets off soapbox*
rackham is a certain style, i don\'t know if its possible for all painters to achieve that style, but i do know that each of us don\'t have a glass ceiling because there isn\'t one in this hobby...
with patience and effort we each can achieve things unimaginable because we are each different
*gets off soapbox*
hmm...
That is a very good question.
I think someone can technically improve themselves immensely. The techniques can be mastered, but there is still a missing ingredient that makes a technically good painter a great painter.
I don\'t know if it is talent, sense of color, or whatever, but I\'m sure it cannot be described in a \'how to\' guide.
That is a very good question.
I think someone can technically improve themselves immensely. The techniques can be mastered, but there is still a missing ingredient that makes a technically good painter a great painter.
I don\'t know if it is talent, sense of color, or whatever, but I\'m sure it cannot be described in a \'how to\' guide.
airhead
Coffin Dodger / Keymaster
I tend to agree with Vike somewhat on this. I think most of us can/could get to an 8.+ level with concerted effort. But much as going from drafting to art, there is a certain something that is not quantifiable that makes it happen. The 9+ painters are the true artists.
P.S. and this should probably be in the general forums.
P.S. and this should probably be in the general forums.
Originally posted by airhead
I tend to agree with Vike somewhat on this. I think most of us can/could get to an 8.+ level with concerted effort. But much as going from drafting to art, there is a certain something that is not quantifiable that makes it happen. The 9+ painters are the true artists.
It\'s possibly a question of how you want to approach painting.
Personally I\'m looking at general figurative art to try to improve aspects of the painting I do.
In my opinion the higher scoring artists aren\'t just sitting on their laurels they are trying to develop their skills in order to win trophies and in a large number of cases earn a living.
It\'s a case of what do you want to achieve, I want to gain a trophy at a Gamesday so I\'m looking at other peoples work on here and other sites and trying to figure out how it was acheived. (and then trying to emulate it).
As with most people there is a learning plateau when they get to a level where increasing their abilities becomes harder, some can make the effort and climb up to the next level with ease, some just climb slowly. But if you don\'t try to improve and listen to the constructive criticism being provided then you\'ll end up staying at the same point.
Having said all that the level of scoring has tighten up in the last few months. As has the standard of the 9+ pieces on here.
P.S. and this should probably be in the general forums. Nope it\'s fine here
I agree with a lot of the above. I think anyone can work at becoming a better artist, whether it be in performing arts or visual arts or whatever. There are undoubtedly people who \"take to it\" much quicker, but that doesn\'t always indicate where they\'ll be after a few years or so. A lot of it, I agree, has to do with personal desire and the honest drive to become better and learn more. Another part would be a person\'s ability to comprehend different aspects of the art in question. Being able to grasp new ideas isn\'t always as cut and dry as they try to make it out sometimes in school.
I would also add that approaching the learning process with humility balanced with self-confidence helps a lot. If you are willing to concede that there is always new things out there, but temper it with a solid amount of real self-esteem, you can use constructive criticism better and can constantly, with an honest heart, strive to be better.
Or, as Einstein put it MUCH more succintly: \"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious.\"
I would also add that approaching the learning process with humility balanced with self-confidence helps a lot. If you are willing to concede that there is always new things out there, but temper it with a solid amount of real self-esteem, you can use constructive criticism better and can constantly, with an honest heart, strive to be better.
Or, as Einstein put it MUCH more succintly: \"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious.\"
Unless the steadiness of hands is due to age or something physically wrong, I think you can change things like that. Either by diet, exercise, stretching, calming exercises, etc. I know my hands shake, but I also drink, smoke, and consume bunches of caffeine. In the past, I\'ve had steadier hands.
Apologies, but I\'m a big believer in people being more about possibilities that are usually artificially limited by their own thoughts and habits. Feel free to call me an idealist.
No, I agree that we, as humans, mentally hold ourselves back. I heard or read somewhere, maybe here, about some people that were asked to squeeze some strenght measuring device as hard as they could and they did good. Then they were hypnotized and told that they were very weak and the test results showed it. Then they were told they were very strong, and they did much better than when they were awake, trying as hard as they could.
I think something like shaky hands isn\'t really mental, and is dependant on the person. Caffeine certainly doesn\'t help!
I think something like shaky hands isn\'t really mental, and is dependant on the person. Caffeine certainly doesn\'t help!
I tend to agree with a lot of what has been said in this thread, but can only speak from my own experiences. I painted at a similar level for 5 straight years (maybe improving from what would be voted 5 to maybe 6 here), and then in the last 12 months improved quite a bit more.
Durring those 5 years I didn\'t want to improve my painting, I wanted to play Warhammer! In fact I never even realized you could do half of what I can now do. I was content and I always say contentment is the enemy of art.
I came to cmon about the same time I slowed my warhammer and thought to myself \"why not\" and decided to try that \"blending\" thing. Well one thing led to another, my competative juices kicked in, and well here I am! But I\'m still not content, there is more and I\'m determined, so I think (hope) I will continue to see improvement.
All of the above is probably only relavent to the technical side of it, I think. As for the physical side of it (shakey hands, bad backs, bad eyes, headaches, etc...) I think those can become real limitations that are not so easily overcome by determination. However as Equus mentions, I think there may sometimes be solutions to some of these.
And then of course there is that final \"mystery\" ingredient, that turns painting into art. And I don\'t know what I think about that... One part of me thinks it can be learned, but perhaps takes much longer, but perhaps that is just wishful thinking. I am really not sure, but it definately seems to be there, and in a lot of ways, at the end of the day can have the biggest effect on scoring and the quality of a piece.
-Eric
Durring those 5 years I didn\'t want to improve my painting, I wanted to play Warhammer! In fact I never even realized you could do half of what I can now do. I was content and I always say contentment is the enemy of art.
I came to cmon about the same time I slowed my warhammer and thought to myself \"why not\" and decided to try that \"blending\" thing. Well one thing led to another, my competative juices kicked in, and well here I am! But I\'m still not content, there is more and I\'m determined, so I think (hope) I will continue to see improvement.
All of the above is probably only relavent to the technical side of it, I think. As for the physical side of it (shakey hands, bad backs, bad eyes, headaches, etc...) I think those can become real limitations that are not so easily overcome by determination. However as Equus mentions, I think there may sometimes be solutions to some of these.
And then of course there is that final \"mystery\" ingredient, that turns painting into art. And I don\'t know what I think about that... One part of me thinks it can be learned, but perhaps takes much longer, but perhaps that is just wishful thinking. I am really not sure, but it definately seems to be there, and in a lot of ways, at the end of the day can have the biggest effect on scoring and the quality of a piece.
-Eric
Good friend of mine used to just call the mystery ingredient \"it\"...and raise her index finger in front of her face. Couldn\'t really think of any better way of putting it at the time.
Given a lot of time, I think you can learn \"it\", or at least come REALLY close using other methods beyond the idea of \"innate talent\". Granted, I\'ve only been involved in theatre long enough to see this actually happen, but I\'m pretty confident that it applies to miniature painting too. I think there\'s a point at which innate talent can\'t really take you much farther, and someone with good training and a good skill set can surpass them. Since it\'s less to do with pure physical make up as...let\'s say...singing.
Given a lot of time, I think you can learn \"it\", or at least come REALLY close using other methods beyond the idea of \"innate talent\". Granted, I\'ve only been involved in theatre long enough to see this actually happen, but I\'m pretty confident that it applies to miniature painting too. I think there\'s a point at which innate talent can\'t really take you much farther, and someone with good training and a good skill set can surpass them. Since it\'s less to do with pure physical make up as...let\'s say...singing.
wiccanpony
Official Freak Bar Witch
A lot of food for thought in this thread.I’ve seen the 9+ minis and while they “knock your socks off”, do I want to go this way?I’m not painting for GD or even selling, I’m painting to please myself and I want to develop my own style. I would be so pleased to reach a goal of when someone sees a mini I have done, they say “yes that’s by wiccanpony”. You have to want to improve and the only way I know is paint, paint, paint.
ipaintminis
Active member
YAH! thats what i want too...a style so far...i just paint
ipaintminis
Active member
Originally posted by Sturmhalo
Originally posted by Equus
Apologies, but I\'m a big believer in people being more about possibilities that are usually artificially limited by their own thoughts and habits. Feel free to call me an idealist.
You\'re a damned idealist!
agreed...both with you and sturmy lol
i do think people limit themselves based on intimidation...
ok lemme rephrase that...I do think that i limit myself based on intimidation lol
(mom...im not really intimidated by you...nu-huh...never [size=-2]just...dont enter the competition at GrailQuest ok? lol[/size])
(only kidding!)