Stuck in a rut

Elly3438

Elly3438

Member
Ugh. So lately I have been stuck in a sort of "rut." I feel I want my skills to be taken to the next level, and I am just stuck to the point of either A) keep crapping out the same level of miniatures (which to me has become boring and not inspirational) or B) try and push myself to get better and improve.
I see lots of miniatures these days that are pretty mind blowing, and I just don't know where to begin at improving upon what I already have. I've read articles and tutorials by the likes Seb and Bohun, and bought Jeremie's DVD and studied that. My problem is, I start working on something using very thin glazes or juices or whatever you want to call them, and I get really poor results! I know it takes practice, and I am very stubborn, but it's just very discouraging. I have no idea if my dilution is correct, or if I'm going in the right direction, so I feel like I'm kind of "flying blind." So then I usually give up, and then go back to my normal methods.
I know it takes time and practice, but I feel I need to be practicing correctly or I'll just be wasting precious time. I dunno if I should just expect a good chunk of crappy minis at first before it gets better or what. Anyone else go through something similar or can offer an insight on how they were able to adopt a new technique?
Thanks for reading!!!

~Jeff~
 
xMANIGHTx

xMANIGHTx

New member
Elly3438 said:
I have no idea if my dilution is correct, or if I'm going in the right direction, so I feel like I'm kind of "flying blind." So then I usually give up, and then go back to my normal methods.
I know it takes time and practice, but I feel I need to be practicing correctly or I'll just be wasting precious time.
Click to expand...


Hi Jeff.

I dont know how long you are painting, but I think you are a great painter. Far better than me... *sigh*
I realy like your minis very much. I am sorry for the hard critism on your great NMM, but I thought, that on your level you want to hear even the slighest points, that do not seems right. And please dont forget that my arguments are written from a personal point of view and are not "infallible".

I remember, how I was runnig through my town in hope to find somebody, who was willing to help me to improve my painting. There were only few, that I have found, but they had better to do, than to spend time on a dumb noob. After I have found one great painter forum (http://www.das-bemalforum.de/) my skills improved. But not without own experiments, own errors and own experience. Some of my thechnique are simillar to xyz, are influented by abc and so on. But my way to do this or that is very personal. In each new technique I have to do all the same again: experiments, errors, experience until I can tell somebody, that I understood it. And in many techniques I am a still looking for my way. Each time I have managed to accoplish one task I was pround on myself, because i have managed one step further and not because others liked it.

So dont give up, but try as long as you are satisfied by YOURSELF! Because if you are satisfied by yourself, even the hardest critism is unimportend. It is only his/her point of view, but you are satisfied with yourself. And things, that you are aiming for long time make you more satisfied if you accomplish, than tings that are given to you by a present.

So I try to adopt new techniques by reading, trying, discussing, trying, more discussing, trying, much more discussing, trying, experiments, trying... trying... trying... Oh, almost I forget: Trying... And this is no waste of time, because all these experience and practise with brushes that I made nobody can tell me or give me as a present.

And there is sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much to learn for me... And it is exciting for me, that I have so many challenges, that I can begin.

So please, dont stop, but have fun in every little stepp you get better.

Greetings, Taggi
 
Wyrmypops

Wyrmypops

New member
Wandering through the articles and sticky thread, there's so much there to prompt a C&C music factory remix*

I find that too many new techniques, paints combos, tools, can be overwhelming and becomes "effort" to the level it's no longer enjoyable. To that end, I try, and have suggested to a similarly effected friend, that maybe just try one new thing per mini. That way I can give it a decent amount of focus, while continuing to enjoy the whole painting of the mini in those techniques paints combos that one enjoys.

Also, might it be that the paints, or the way they're being thinned is the problem? Could be worthwhile hitting up a thread that's discussed that.

* "Things that make you go hmm"
 
Elly3438

Elly3438

Member
yeah, getting into a rut or a routine while painting miniatures is something I have been in aswell. I guess alot of people have this problem of sometimes not being satisfied with the result of their painting.
I have found though, that testing new coloursschemes and stuff like that makes painting less tedious at times, right now im doing a Death Guard army in bright green and schock pink, which is a fun fun fun colorscheme to paint (however when i get pictures up on them people might not think they are really cool or anything) and I really enjoy it, even if im still stuck in my style of painting.

So, try something different like that and be more comfortable and try develop your own style or something. That doesnt mean that you should only paint like your "own" style, you can perhaps try some other methods and produce some stuff thats not at all like your style. But i think a key ingredient of having fun painting is being comfortable. Just my 2 cents, anyway!
 
T

Torn blue sky

New member
Just ask yourself; "What would Techno Viking do?!"

That's what I do, but i'm still shit at painting...May need to rework strategy.
 
Elly3438

Elly3438

Member
Some good ideas here! Perhaps I am trying to do too much at once, and getting bored with painting muted greys and NMM lately. (need a break from Lord of the Rings, unless I wanna paint an Aragorn in bright pink lol) Thanks for the suggestions so far!

@Taggi - no need to apologize for your criticisms; actually I welcome them! That's why I am starting to post in the WIP. One of the keys to improving is for others to take a look at your stuff and offer feedback. The positive feedback is nice (means you are doing something right), but having some critical feedback can really help see areas for improvements. My Sanguinor WIP is an example of me getting lazy and becoming bored with painting, and it shows. (as well as my basing techniques ><)
I just have to realize that taking time to experiment with something new, and the trial and error are not wastes of time. It's tough when you have limited time to paint and want results and want them immediately. That's the internal struggle I have and I need to get over it and just have fun with the process, like you say! And enjoy eating the paints in the process of course... what diet would be complete without a little pigment? :brushlick:
 
T

Torn blue sky

New member
Funny thing regarding this, actually. Recently i've thought along a lot more linear lines in that "Its all just lines, layers and the right colours". Stripping away everything you're used to doing , while maintaining the knowledge of how to do them and trying different approaches has differed my painting a lot recently. I'd been messing about with a Blood Angel Vet and a base for a couple of weeks I still need to photo and throw in Discuss Submissions to get feedback on, but it's a lot different to my usual methods! All the result of throwing caution to the wind and having one big experiment. (And, admittedly, a lot of fun with it at the same time!)
 
black dagger

black dagger

Member
Ive had the same trouble in the past (it seams like i have painted a million space marines). i see you have painted a lot of lotr stuff, maybe you should try some thing very different. like a tank or walker. you can try some weathering. or paint some thing from a different range. or go mad on the basing, just try some new stuff you aint done before. also converting minis is alot of fun. there are other aspects of the hobby that can be fun.
Not all the minis in my gallery are what i would call my best work sometimes i paint a mini quite fast but concentrait on one techniuqe i would like to try. the result is not always important but it is important to have fun and try new things thats the best way to improve i think.
 
T

Trevor

Brushlicker and Freak!
What black dagger said. LOTR minis are hard to paint well, they are so small. I would try a more 'fantasy proportioned' mini, giving you more space to try new things.
 
TheDrescher

TheDrescher

New member
We could always get the band back together. Team Shorewood, Assemble!
tumblr_l349i9z1NZ1qzh5gno1_500.jpg
 
C

cheelfy

New member
It seems like, recently, you only painted nmm, you could give a try at painting with real metallic colours once your Sanguinor is finished.
 
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