Im new and wanted to introduce myself

[SammyBusby]

Hello everyone! Im new to the site and just wanted to introduce myself and tell a little about me. Im From a very very rural small town in North Central Alabama called Nauvoo. I just recently got back into doing models as a hobby and I have chosen Warhammer AoS and 40K to use. I have been doing this for only 9 months and I have never even played or seen a game played with my own eyes. Thats where the Very Very RURAL part comes in and sucks it up. No one within and hour and a half of me plays that I can find so Im just in it for the modeling currently. I love doing conversions. I like to use my imagination and put things together from extra bits ai have lying around. I mix an match kits and see what I can come up with. LOL. I have been trying my hand at implementing sculpting to my models but the skill is just something I dont have. I see it in my mind but it never makes it down to my hands and fingers. LOL. My painting skills are pretty bad currently as well. I might can achieve a decent tabletop standard paintjob but thats about it right now. I plan on making myself get better since I have spent so much money on models, paints, brushes cleaners and evveryting else I have needed or wanted.

 

[Webmonkey]

Welcome to the site. People here are super friendly, and always willing to help. There may even be some from around your area. Stop by the "Work In Progress" area and start your own thread,.. that way we can see your work. And if you so desire, we can comment on (and possibly critique) your work. (Please take any critiques as an honest attempt to point out your shortcomings so that you can improve over time,.. and not as personal attacks. People here never want to push someone away from the hobby,.. but we do want to help you improve.) So if you see something you like,.. or don't know how a particular effect was done,.. just ask. Most folks here are more then happy to walk you through the steps. Also,.. feel free to join some of the contests. It will introduce you to a bunch of people that you may otherwise never interact with. Hope you enjoy your stay,.. and if you have any questions, or need any help,.. I and/or any of the others,.. are just a PM away.

 

[Zab]

Geez Webmonkey where is the awesome forum you speak of? It sounds fabulous. Nothing, but crazies around these parts Welcome Sammy - trust no one -_- They are all against you... Or was it me? They are all against me? Yeah, that sounds right. You are probably okay, for now...

 

[Webmonkey]

Don't trust Zab,.. he can't even do a Highly-reflective-semi-transparent-non-crystal-crystal paint job,.. :silly:

 

[Maenas]

LOL guys! hahahaha

Welcome Sammy!! Feel free to wander around, and as webmonkey says starting a Wip of your own is a very good idea!! Take whatever time you need to do so though

 

[Dragonsreach]

Welcome to the site. People here are super friendly, and always willing to help.

Ok Webmonkey you been taking the dried frog pills again?

We're a bunch of evil warped and twisted individuals, mixed in with grumpy old porch sitting coffin dodgers.

 

[Zab]

Ok Webmonkey you been taking the dried frog pills again?

We're a bunch of evil warped and twisted individuals, mixed in with grumpy old porch sitting coffin dodgers.

No, no wait. He's onto something here. Maybe we have found our new head of PR and Communications...

 

[Sicks]

Uh oh, the natives are getting restless again

 

[SammyBusby]

Thanks for the kind words everyone! This is the very first forum I have joined in the 8-9 months I started this hobby that actually welcomed me with opened arms this way! I already have much respect for this site! Even more so that the others I tried out only to be dogged on and just plain rude people. TBH I have never posted any of my work as it just never satisfies me and I will always start over or move on to something else. However, the past few months have been very hard on me Psychologically and money wise and I havent been able to buy anything new or even have it in my heart to work with what I have that much. Once in awhile I will start working on some conversions or something for a few minutes then just lose interest but Im keeping at it slowly but surely. I wish I had the money to buy the bits that I am wanting for some conversion stuff but with extra money to blow I cant get the stuff I want or need so I have to wait until the bills get sorted out. I dont see how some of you guys can buy all the stuff that you do! I have to find them on sale or already assembled on Ebay or something where they are cheap as crap. LMAO. I got into this hobby after my Dad died from brain cancer a couple years ago and I needed something to take my mind off of everything. So far it has helped more than I could have imagined. I havent played a single game but the hobby side of this stuff amazes me and seeing everyones beautiful painting inspires me to get better. This seems like a very good place to learn and finaly show what Im capable of without being ridiculed to death by immature people like on the other forum I was at. Thanks for being so nice and giving me a chance to be a part of the community

 

[Zab]

Don't sweat how much you have or what you have. It's not what you paint or how you paint, but that you paint at all that matters It all ebbs and flows as life goes on. Over time you too will have a cupboard of shame filled with unpainted minis. I would suggest sticking with mainly metal minis like from reaper or old oop 40k stuff you win on ebay. That way you can paint them, strip them and repaint them over and over while you refine your skills without breaking the bank. Simple green is cheaper than minis

 

[Webmonkey]

We don't ridicule,.. but,.. once we get to know you a bit better, there ~WILL~ be some good-natured rib jabbing and otherwise snide comments from the peanut gallery. :laugh: I hope you aren't easily offended.

As for our massive collections,.. believe me, they didn't happen overnight. Many of us are a bit older, and have been painting for a decade or more. It's taken all of that time to build up our stuff to the size it is now. Also, being older, we are at a different point in our lives where we have more disposable income then someone younger. So if you are in your early 20's or even 30's,. just be patient, you'll get here eventually.

 

[Bailey03]

Welcome to the site! You can learn a lot from browsing the Work in Progress section of the forum and commenting/asking questions. You'll also notice that there are a wide range of skill levels posting there, everything from beginners to award winners. So don't feel intimidated. If you feel up to it, post some of your stuff too. There are plenty other relatively new painters.

As for bits and conversions on the cheap, keep an eye out for anything you can repurpose for the figures. MassiveVoodoo (a fantastic site for tutorials and inspiration) has an article about using old electronic parts for basing. Got an old house phone or portable CD player you're going to throw out? Why not take it apart first and see if there's anything you can use for your 40K figures? It doesn't just need to be electronics. Before I throw anything out, I give it a quick look to see if there's anything I think I could cut up and possible use for a figure.
http://massivevoodoo.blogspot.com/2010/01/tutorial-building-base-with-parts-of.html

 

[SammyBusby]

Thanks for the encouragement guys! I already feel more at home here than on I ever did on the other site. Right now I only have the Blood Warriors from the AoS Box Set thats even close to being finished. I will post some pictures in a WIP Thread in a little bit so just Keep your eyes open as I would love to hear what I need to do with them to make them look better. As for my age, Im 39 with a birthday coming in July. Im disabled and on a pretty tight fixed income so anytime I get a new model its like Christmas for me! LOL. Gotta pay those bills or I wont have the lights to see how to paint! Ive managed to get a nice little collection of minis in my, Ill say 9 months, so far. Mostly I bought or traded for bits and built them or bought some kits when I had the money and found a deal. Its just the past few months that has gotten me down because of the Holidays and trying to buy presents for everyone for Christmas. The holidays are always hard for me. I get depressed for awhile before and after. Thats the MAIN reason I got into this hobby was to help me take my mind off of stuff when I feel bad and it really helps. And I have a great since of humor so dont worry about some good natured rib jabbing!! LOL. I just made a little spending money by selling some extra paints I had that I wasnt using so now i can get either a model or a bunch of bits that I can use! Look for my post in the WIP soon!

 

[Sicks]

Sorry to hear about your dad, I lost my step dad to cancer about 10 years ago

The cost of the hobby is one of the reasons I decided to try to learn to paint to a display level, it takes longer to complete each project compared to knocking out an army's worth of models to tabletop quality which means you don't have to buy as many models (in theory at least....) Don't be afraid to post pictures, I was at first, I found myself regularly visiting the forum long before I signed up to learn from all the articles and wip threads and I was nervous about showing any of my models, but nobody has mocked my efforts and the best way to help yourself improve is to show what you're painting and be open to advice and constructive criticism, we all started somewhere after all

 

[SammyBusby]

I just posted some of my painting on the WIP thread. I was so nervous! LOL. I already feel comfortable on this forum unlike the other I was on. They were just.... well I wont say what they were but some of them were just rude and tried to start things with every post. I dont like trolls at all. Most of the people were nice and answered questions but Id say about a 1/3 were a pain and rude about everything. Even some of the mods were rude at every turn. Anyways go check out my WIP. I hope to get advice and that everyone likes what Ive done so far. Only 9 months of practice to! LOL

 

[Dragonsreach]

Everyone is decent around here, even me and I'm the kinda Old Grough with the shotgun across his lap shouting at the kids.

I'm sorry to hear about your dad, just had a recent scare with my 83 year old dad, which was bad.

As you're on a limited budget eBay will be a great temptation, but learn to cherry pick by rummaging through the gallery and seeing what makes you go "Oooh".

 

[BloodASmedium]

Welcome Sammy to the greatest site in the world for excelling at the art of miniature painting...dragons reach is a fantastic moderator ,a fantastic artist,and a great guy all around....he won't let any garbage like rude or inappropriate conversation go on around here....just enjoy yourself,be patient with your rate of learning ,ask questions and you'll always get a warm and welcoming supply.


ill tell you something else Sammy.i was disabled in 2011 had two surgeries back to back on my dominant arm...and am now permanently disabled from using it...I'm on a fixed income as well and am great full I can still paint..
you see it really mentally destroyed my spirits because I was an athlete a semi professional athlete ,a MMA and a golden gloves boxer...I also taught my skills of pugilism to many folks.i was also a amateur heavyweight bodybuilder for many years before and right up until my injury...I was so gifted in my athletics that I did this for a living...well in October of 2011 I was told that from working 13 hrs a day ,and fighting and lifting I couldn't move my arm ,I had not 1 but 3 tears and retracted ...they operated first surgery was done bad I tore them again 5 months down the road and from the second surgery I was left with a limited range of motion(not much) on my right handed dominant arm...I was devastated ,...crushed,psychologically destroyed...so I started doing the only other thing that made me happy and it was mini painting.....on top of that my mom passed away ,where her and her talks were the only thing that made this 39 yo at the time feel ok in my head.

im now a regular contributor to GAMES WORKSHOPS 2magazines(WHITE DWARF AND VISIONS) and added to my two golden demon awards I've won in the past as recently as last year I picked up 4 more painting accolades (2crystal brush and 2 medles from mfca) THIS IS ALL LARGELY CONTRIBUTED TO THE FORUMS AND THE WONDERFUL PEOPLE ON HERE.among them DRagonsreach who is always willing too lend a helping hand...so welcome and know your not alone...

 

[SammyBusby]

Welcome Sammy to the greatest site in the world for excelling at the art of miniature painting...dragons reach is a fantastic moderator ,a fantastic artist,and a great guy all around....he won't let any garbage like rude or inappropriate conversation go on around here....just enjoy yourself,be patient with your rate of learning ,ask questions and you'll always get a warm and welcoming supply.


ill tell you something else Sammy.i was disabled in 2011 had two surgeries back to back on my dominant arm...and am now permanently disabled from using it...I'm on a fixed income as well and am great full I can still paint..
you see it really mentally destroyed my spirits because I was an athlete a semi professional athlete ,a MMA and a golden gloves boxer...I also taught my skills of pugilism to many folks.i was also a amateur heavyweight bodybuilder for many years before and right up until my injury...I was so gifted in my athletics that I did this for a living...well in October of 2011 I was told that from working 13 hrs a day ,and fighting and lifting I couldn't move my arm ,I had not 1 but 3 tears and retracted ...they operated first surgery was done bad I tore them again 5 months down the road and from the second surgery I was left with a limited range of motion(not much) on my right handed dominant arm...I was devastated ,...crushed,psychologically destroyed...so I started doing the only other thing that made me happy and it was mini painting.....on top of that my mom passed away ,where her and her talks were the only thing that made this 39 yo at the time feel ok in my head.

im now a regular contributor to GAMES WORKSHOPS 2magazines(WHITE DWARF AND VISIONS) and added to my two golden demon awards I've won in the past as recently as last year I picked up 4 more painting accolades (2crystal brush and 2 medles from mfca) THIS IS ALL LARGELY CONTRIBUTED TO THE FORUMS AND THE WONDERFUL PEOPLE ON HERE.among them DRagonsreach who is always willing too lend a helping hand...so welcome and know your not alone...

I dont ever see myself being an award winner of any kind for painting! LMAO. I hate to hear about your disability and of you losing your mom. I know thats tough. I am disabled to but not physically like you. Mines from medication and Severe Depression so I do know a little about how you feel. Ive been that way for about 8-9 years now and barely make enough each month to pay bills so wouldnt you know Id pick a expensive hobby (WH40K)!! LMAO. I manage to get Visions Magazine every once in awhile. You will have to let me know which one you are in so I can see your work!

 

[Dragonsreach]

Sammy, you're not alone in dealing with the "Black Dog" of depression, fellow sufferer here as well.

Art is a good means of combating it, not perfect, but a good means as you have a substantial and achieved outcome on the completion of a figure/piece.
Starting on this road and here at least you have fellow travellers who aren't judgemental. Critical, yes, but always we aim to be constructively critical and not people who just 'Pull you to pieces' for no good reason.
So while criticism can be something which affects our depression, please remember it's not a "Put Down" but an offered Hand to help you through the shadows.

 

[Sicks]

*raises hand* PTSD here, I find mini painting really helps, having something to focus on keeps the negative thoughts away and now when I lay in bed trying to go to sleep I find my thoughts racing around what my next project will be (especially when I've ordered something and am waiting for it to arrive) its better than what used to keep me up at night at least

@BaM I can only try to imaging how hard that must have been for you, but its good you didn't let it beat you, I know too many people who have resigned themselves to drinking their lives away because of things they've been through, hell I was close to doing the same a decade ago