Age! Does it matter when painting? How old are you? Vote now and leave your thoughts!

[Infidel Castro]

Age! Does it matter when painting? How old are you? Vote now and leave your thoughts!

Just a thought for everyone, at what age does painting become difficult? What age are most painters? Is there a prime age at which people peak? Who is the oldest painter on this group?

Join in the fun with this pointless survey!

 

[Flashman14]

I don\'t know if people peak as a result of age - but rather not trying new techniques - or getting out of the hobby before they get a chance to improve. If anything, one gets BETTER with age - vision being the only negative side effect of that inevitable occurence . . .
There\'s stuff I painted 5-6 years ago that I thought was the absolute tits - and even two years ago I still thought that stuff was near the best I had ever seen - yet today I look at it and think - hmmm there\'s lots of room for improvement there. But I can actually make them better! - not just know the difference.
Methinks painting is like anything: the more you practice, develop and learn the better you will become.
Though if there was a time when arthritis or shaky hands or loss of vision made it physically impossible to apply paint then it would have to be in the 60\'s . . .

 

[Dragonsreach]

Does age make a difference?
Possibly, possibly not. There are somethings I can do now that I couldn\'t in my dim and distant youth. (Afford GW for a start.) My painting has improved, but I put that down to this site in the main.

In my humble opinion it\'s the dedication to the hobby/art and the attention to detail that\'s applied that is the key factor.

Ok, so I\'m in my late forties and over the years have developed my patience to a fine art. (I work in IT support and have some seriously dumb users to deal with hence the patience). I\'ve learnt to apply Attention to Detail in building Servers & Systems and have applied that ATD to my painting. But I\'m still wanting to learn and develop new skills & techniques, which I think is what helps me.

In my local GW store there is 16 year old painter (customer) who\'s capabilities will be knocking spots of people in a very short while. His current standard would equal an average 8 score here.

So go figure! (pun intended).

Mike.

 

[Goodwinpaints]

I will hit the big five-oh in 2 days, and I don\'t think my skills have diminished in any way. Of course, I also think I am still 30 some days. I have a frined who is 73 and continues to paint. He still paints well, but is much slower than he once was.

Age and treachery will ALWAYS overcome youth and skill. lol

Deane P. Goodwin

 

[Zilo]

Welp, Im 19
On average I paint on a 7-8+ level.
Can I do better? You bet your sweet @$$ I can.

Paintings about patience, studying and technique.

Be patient when you paint, your figure isnt going anywhere...aside the scrap heap if you hurry.

Study your superiors, ask yourself how you can do that , how you can improve to make that better.

Technique, something only a dedicated painter can gain in time and all of the above.

Im climbing in my techniques, slowly but surely. I\'ll get to where I want to go sooner or later, and knowing that spurs me on.

 

[Errex]

Well, I\'m pretty much within the biggest demographic on this site (30-40). I don\'t know about age having anything to do with skill, but I think that passion for the hobby is the foremost trait you want for minin painting. I think that as long as you identify that what drives you is actually PAINTING a mini (as opposed to just collect them or wargaming with them), your skill will improve over time, even if you existed on a mini-painting void.

The great thing about this site, is that you can actually LEARN how to do things, by looking, and watching and studying the pieces presented here.

 

[Corwin the Confused]

I am also in the 30-40 range. I tryed painting about 10 yrs ago and gave up because I couldn\'t paint well enough. Now I am going to try again! And with all the helpful resources on the internet, I will hopefully like the figures that I paint.

 

[Infidel Castro]

Just a little extra to my reason for asking...

I asked the question out of interest, not out of any preconceptions! I\'m just an interested person, only not that interesting unfortunately. lol

But what I would like to know is how old the TOP 10 painters on this site are. Then, with the help of the Raelian Sect we could kidnap these people, isolate their painting genes and harvest their skills in an army of cloned super painters. This super-group would be called reverend plc., and I would make a fortune from their ability to paint the best miniatures 24hrs a day without questioning my motives (possibly removal of part of the brain that deals with the hey, hang on minute... reaction, thus rendering them powerless). Keep that bit to yourselves though, eh?

Mwuhaaa haaaahaaaa!!!!!! laughter fades... :innocent:

 

[idahoan]

I\'m 32, my daughter is 6. Both of us have work posted under my username.

Before last year I\'d paint maybe a couple times per month. I started painting for a living about a year ago. I have basically been painting every day since then and have improved more in a year than I did in the previous 5. It\'s just like shooting a basketball; the more you do it, the better you get.

I yet to get comfy with NMM, as it always comes out yellow(gold) or gray(silver). Even some of the best NMM jobs still look odd to me. I hope that another year at work will result in NMM mastery.

 

[Sturmhalo]

I\'m 26 (only recently though so take note of December 21st, I expect presents from you all this year!).

The longer you paint (and consequently the older you get) the more experience you acquire. I also think that age brings patience.

One query for the older guys and gals though. Anyone suffer from arthritis or any other problem with their hands as they get older as a result of painting? I ask because I paint every day (it\'s my job) and wonder if there are any long term health issues.

 

[ZaPhOd]

Old? Bah!

Gee I just turned 33 a week ago, and it makes no difference. I have painted for over 15 years, off and on, though mostly off in the past, and until recently, I haven\'t really taken it too seriously. The experience is nice, but then I still learn new things all the time! I do tend to say \"Remember when...\" a lot, but that is geared more towards old AD&D games, than minis...
Not only this, but it is all attitude! I mean, I may have a family, a full time job and many other things going on but when I need to be, I can still be as young as the rest! In fact better, because i have done and seen so much in my time!
I don\'t think age matters one bit! Maybe if you are too young you may not possess the experience or skills yet, but they will come!

 

[Errex]

Originally posted by Sturmhalo

One query for the older guys and gals though. Anyone suffer from arthritis or any other problem with their hands as they get older as a result of painting? I ask because I paint every day (it\'s my job) and wonder if there are any long term health issues.

Uh, I don\'t think anyone in this group has been painting long enough to develop something like arthritis, as a result of pursuing this hobby. If by any chance, you are under 60 and have that illness, well, you were probably going to get it anyways. I\'d think it\'ll be some time before there is a serious study of the health hazards * associated to our activity.

* Other than trauma, mind you. Cuts, bruises and punctures are kind of a given in this line of work.lol

 

[ZaPhOd]

Time

Age and treachery will ALWAYS overcome youth and skill. lol

Deane P. Goodwin

Yes, someone in a good movie once said \"Time is like a predator. It will eventually hunt you down and make the kill.\"

I know my back get sore sometimes from hunching but then my workspace is not ergonomically friendly

 

[Chrispy]

Y\'know this is an interesting topic.. In the Brazilian martial art Capoeria that I was getting into, there is always a debate on \"Mestre\" (Master\" of the art.. Some say it is only when you have mastered the art and worked at it for years are you a mestre. Other think if you\'ve learned all you can and win all the time but have had little expirence, you can become a mestre..

The debate has always raged but I belive it makes no difference. If you are a great artist, you should be respected as such bcause of that art and not because you can do such at 10 or 100!

Also, think of this: some are naturally born articulate in their art and design, while others can never learn it... it\'s just something that comes natually.

 

[Dave]

AGE

I am currently 15 years old. I have been painitng for about 4 years, more seriously for the past two. I have not posted any of my work on this site so I am not sure what kind of ratings I would garner. I won the Canadian Youngbloods LOTR National Painting Competition last year (my figure is pictured in white dwarf 269 on one the inside pages), and I have won about 7 competitions in a row, one of which was in an adult category. I find age is a factor somewhat, as a younger child will not have the motor skills or patience to paint a figure, but it does come to natural skill and experience.

Dave

 

[Sand Rat]

Does age make a difference - Yes. The stuff I painted 20 years ago looks like, well, crap, and gets dipped as soon as I find it. Does painting help or damage the hands? I have found that it has helped my hands - especially the one that was damaged by a spider bite and surgery.

 

[by_zeph]

Seems I am in the same boat as alot of members. 30-40 and skills improving. When I started playing I did some things I thought where bloody brilliant. Now, I think \"I put that on the table?\"???. Painting has become therapy for me. I waited till later, 31 to be exact, to start college and am now heading for law school. The stress is horrendous most days. I find spending an hour or two once I get home bleeds off the days stresses and lets me concentrate on my assignments.

I think like many things in life our painting takes on a certain maturity. My current project could be considered poor painting by some. I\'m really happy with it however. I have started a BT dreadnaught that looks like it\'s seen several campaigns and is dirty and nasty. I hope people enjoy the effect once it\'s done.

For all of you, Keep up the great painting I learn so much from the pictures and articles and I\'m not ashamed to admit it.

zeph

 

[Feanor]

13

Well I havent seen any young ones reply yet so I will, I am 13, been painting for a few months and I\'m in the 5-6 painting range.I think my skill goes up when I learn new abilities, right now I am having one hell of a time learning a key technique, Highlighting and shading, There is no Mini gamers or painters in my area so I am on my own.
-Feanor

 

[Sturmhalo]

Originally posted by Chrispy
Also, think of this: some are naturally born articulate in their art and design, while others can never learn it... it\'s just something that comes natually.

Yup, gotta agree with that sentiment. Some people just don\'t have it in them to even paint to a very basic standard, nevermind all the fancy techniques that some of us use. No matter how long you persevere with your painting, if you don\'t have a natural flair for that kind of thing, you\'re not necessarily going to improve. Still, having people out there who can\'t paint is pretty handy for those of us who charge for our services

 

[Dragonsreach]

Sturmhalo

I\'m 26 (only recently though so take note of December 21st, I expect presents from you all this year!).

Jan 5th for me, and not a chance!

One query for the older guys and gals though. Anyone suffer from arthritis or any other problem with their hands as they get older as a result of painting? I ask because I paint every day (it\'s my job) and wonder if there are any long term health issues.

If it\'s any consolation the great classical guitarist Andreas Segovia had arthritis in both hands and still played for several hours up to and including the day he died.
The only health issues that I am aware of could be posture, caloussed elbows and strained eyesight. Please remember that a pale skin is a healthy skin, forget suntans. Spend your holidays painting under artificial light, that way you can save money for more mini\'s.

Have fun.

:bouncy: