My experience with CMON

boubi

New member
Today I want to express my gratitude to all members and founders of CoolMiniOrNot and share my experience of my last 5 years with this forum.

First of all, I am not living in my country (France) since the last 10 years, I started my career in China and stayed there since then, even got married to a lovely wife and having two kids. Being far from my family I had to escape my heavy and stressy daily work (50~60h/week) with something, something to keep my mind busy in a different way... When I was young I was painting the pilots and crew members of my big brother's plane scale models. Then I have painted some "Dragon"'s military figurines then stopped. 15 years later I have started painting again, and I can say that it represents a quite big part of my life now (and budget). My way to escape... My way to relax... My way to meet and exchange with new people...

I have then discovered this forum, and posted my first mini in 2009... I was really disappointed with my first result! I have spent 4 months painting every evening to reach, finally, a bit more than a 6, but it didn't stop me. I have bought a book, watched videos, and for sure read this forum... again and again to reach 7.5 to 8 now. It is now a simple habit, when I open a browser page, I directly open CMON forum. I am not the most active "writing" member but I love this place. People are respectful, give good advice, always here to help, something you don't find easily on internet nowadays. Something created by passionate people for passionate people for this great hobby! I have now 50 pictures in my gallery, and i progressed, my skills are still not the best ones but it is coming slowly, as many things in life, practice, practice and practice, again and again...

I have the impression to know some of you, 10 ball, Dragonreach, AndyG, Zab, Kretcher, SkelletetS, Sproket, Meph, Bailey, Alexandra, Einion (that we lost since a year almost), and so many others... Even if I never met you! This is the only forum I am active and which I have this close contact. Here in China, not many people know about miniature painting. Only a fraction of people know Warhammer and Games Workshop, so I am feeling quite lonely in my miniature hobby. But thanks to this forum, I can still share some of my last discovery and participate to some online forum painting competitions...

That's why I wanted to share this experience and these thoughts with all of you. Also for new comers here, don't hesitate to post your WIP and ask questions, this is a great place, and one of the best to get good advice about this wonderful hobby!

Again a big thank you to all of you to create this unique place...
Please share your experience with CMON after few months or many years I would love to hear how it started and why you are still here on a daily/weekly basis... ;)
 

Zab

New member
I joined to learn and grow and I made new friends in the process. Also, being here keeps the little voices at bay so that's plus too :p Love this site! Internet hugs for all!!!!
View attachment 29141
 

Dragonsreach

Super Moderator
Staff member
I'm standing naked, a paintbrush in each hand, crying.
Not a good mental image.

Boubi, merci mon ami. Painture les monde sans frontiers.

I found CMON in 2001 and became a member a few months later and now you can't get rid of me.
Coolminiornot has led me to spend lots of time learning and developing new ways to watch paint dry.
But the best thing I've found is that I can share what not to do, from my own mistakes, something that wasn't available when I was first starting out in my teens.
Oh poodle doodle that was 45 years ago!

OH and I have to blame Jen Haley on this site for leading me into my addiction for Rackham figures.
 

Zab

New member
Now wait a minute, I was told by Ten and AndyG when I joined that everybody on here painted naked :suspicious:
 

AndyG

Active member
Now wait a minute, I was told by Ten and AndyG when I joined that everybody on here painted naked :suspicious:
Sucker!;)

put some pants on Lee!

Yo Boubi your a good lad and I like very much your painting your OSL is rocking. Post more is my advice can't go wrong there! I know what you mean when ever I log on the internet it's the first thing I do is see how CMON is doing.

Er for me it was about three years or so ago that I decided to become more serious about my mini painting which I had just been doing for my D and D group.

A couple of nice people Milosh and Dragonsreach helped out with advice on how to improve which made a huge difference (cheers lads) and then there was this cheeky chappy Brumy who painted the same stuff as me Ten Ball (quite a decent sort though I would never admit that in public....... oh damn just did!) and from then on I've been addicted. Through hell and high water even the great Tmm/Nmm wars and the invasion by the Sweedish mafia I keep coming back for more;)
 

boubi

New member
Nice, DR, I really like your French... Thank you Andy and Zab.
I will try to post more on my old WIP. My problem is that I have quite a lots of WIP, I am finishing them one by one but it is quite hard to follow if I post them... That's why I was stopping posting WIP. I should start again and stop jumping from mini to mini!
And last but not least, I will try to paint naked too, if it gives me the skills of 10, it worth trying... But I never saw it in any of my tutorial DVD, how come?
 

Kretcher

Active member
I don't really know which video it was (I am sure it was a British guy that made it) , but I have heard that instead of painting naked you could taste some Swedish surströming and after that your painting will improve and of course you will only be able to paint TMM.

On a side note, I also enjoy this place and yes it is great.

/K
 

mud duck

New member
Paint naked?!? I'd scare off kids and blind the neighbors. Damn I really need to get more sun.....

This site is great thou, isn't it.
 

Dragonsreach

Super Moderator
Staff member
You stop that now, sir. I am talking to you Dragonreach. I still remember you sending my wife salt and vinegar chips (crisp) from the UK and the miniatures years back. You are nice. Accept it!:)
NEVAH!
I am Evil, Warped and Twisted and ever shall remain so.



Ok, one of my colleagues used the C word for me the other day......................she called me CUTE.
I was HORRIFIED!
 

me_in_japan

New member
I don't post much these days, but I do still lurk around, and occasionally even paint. The folks here on CMoN are great, they really are. I know that however long I'm away I can still drop by, ogle gorgeous minis, and if I need help and ask for it, lo, it will be forthcoming. *raises glass CMoNwards* Many thanks, all.
 

Ritual

New member
NEVAH!
I am Evil, Warped and Twisted and ever shall remain so.
You, sir, are not fooling anyone with that bad guy attitude! Especially not anyone who's met you in person! You're simply an altogether sweet, cuddly teddy bear of a person with not a bad bone in you!

Oh, am I in trouble now? :nailbiting!:
 

ten ball

Active member
Yep, Mike is my snuggley security blanket.

Ah god bless the original Tom Selleck.

(and don't go deleting the post you nasty *******)

:)
 

wargamesculptor

New member
Joined three years ago as I couldn't get out of the house that often, and was a way to chat to people about this great hobby. Has become so much more for me with useful ideas lending knowledge to others and some good friends to.
Have to agree DR is a really good person met him at my first year of Salute, and I thought the only one who painted naked was Milosh while wearing a cowboy hat !
 

Ebonbuddha

Active member
You, sir, are not fooling anyone with that bad guy attitude! Especially not anyone who's met you in person! You're simply an altogether sweet, cuddly teddy bear of a person with not a bad bone in you!

Oh, am I in trouble now? :nailbiting!:

Is this what happens when Ritual and ten Ball meet Dragonsreach?
http://youtu.be/023bAm7-AgU

But I guess you'd have to call him Geordie and not George.:)
 

KruleBear

Active member
I agree with most of the sentiments expressed. I was aware of the site many years ago and started watching pretty closely about three years ago. I joined up two years ago to maintain a wip to get me to paint more and to improve from the great feedback on the sight. That worked well until 18 months ago when we had a newborn. Now i seldom paint, watch the wips closely for inspiration to keep me motivated (and to keep my mini buying addiction going strong :)).

I also folow the Reaper forum as there is more activity there, but the feedback there tends to be more sugary than here and way too many oard rules. I prefer cmons comraderie, reinforcement, and constructive feedback.

Love this site (although the voting could use some updating).

-Mike
 
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