Anyone feel they are always painting the "wrong thing"?

[Invisible officer]

Grant, never follow the group, lead it.

Get them into the "real thing", that one you do in the moment.

Up to the moment I was able to resist ordering the Zulu stuff. May sound strange but that forum is a reason. Everybody does it in the moment. In january we will have a "Show yours" section full of buildings and redoubts. All from the same historical event.

I must confess that the new lancers look very nice, may be I......... But: Vive la résistance.

[Helen]

I to can get caught up with all the flim flam of nex products hitting the internet, but I've managed to stay discipline and keep focus on WW2 unless theer are some folks who need a hand with some sort of painting guide that I may be able to assist and just paint up a miniatures here and there.

My days for big armies are over, now it's just a platoon size with support. However, when it comes to the WW2 Japanese I can't have enough officers/nco flashing their katanas.

Cheers,

Helen

[grant]

Glad to hear that I am not the only butterfly! And I think I might have too many "personal projects" on the go, that guys in the group aren't even interested in. My 6mm baccus are a perfect example. I kind of regret getting those, now. Painted almost all the Austrians, too, so I can't even complain about that. Prussians are untouched. Maybe I should put them up in the trading section. Houses, too...

I suppose I will have to break this stuff down into smaller chunks so I can at least get something done to some kind of schedules. I actually spreadsheeted out all my stuff with stages - how depressing that was...

I am going to get those Japanese done. Then it will be time to see what Christmas brings!

Thanks everyone!


... and yes, mikeland, it was time for a change in avatar!

[Correus]

It's the story of my life...

Mikeland might have said "have the attention span of a very small goldfish!" but I have that of a gnat!!!!

I can be in the middle of someth

[grant]

It's the story of my life...

Mikeland might have said "have the attention span of a very small goldfish!" but I have that of a gnat!!!!

I can be in the middle of someth

What we were talking about? SQUIRREL!

[Correus]

1. Have a plan, stick to it. I consider in on sense non of my armies are ever finished, I will probably always add to them but I do have staging posts of finishedness in mind. For Example my ECWs are both nearly at that point. I set out to have 2 armies, each with 2 large foot regiments, 1 large horse and 1 small horse regiment, a couple of cannon each, skirmishers and dragoons in small numbers. Then I decided to do a band of Mercenaries and a band of club men as complementary floating units. After about 2 years I am now virtually at that point. With just dragoons and some ordinance to go. I will however probably be adding more foote and horse over time, but I have two armies I can be pleased with. The same goes for all my projects, at the start I decide roughly what I am aiming for and try onto to get distracted until I reach the staging post.

You and I tend to think alike Mikeland. All of my armies start the same way - a general 'core' that can be added to. As an example, Napoleonics. The main plan is to have 4 to 6 infantry units, 4 cavalry units and 2 batteries of artillery per army. These will be the cores. They can then be added to as befitting my whims.

2. Have a fixed limit of 'projects' (my projects are by era not army). I have mine at 4. Romans & Celts, ECW, WW1 and WotR. The ECW & Romans are bigger projects aiming to have full armies, the WW1 and WotR are smaller. I have done a viking project (Just a small one, 60 minis, 1 ship). When that was finished I started the Romans one, and a Napoleonic one I abandoned and then started WW1.

This one is harder... My main ones are Romans & Britons/Celts, Naps (British, French, Russian, CotR, and some of the other smaller entities), Samurai and hopefully ECW. On the fringes I have British/Zulu, F&IW, WWI and Sumerians (Biblicals are one era I'd love to delve deeply into).

3. Paint for yourself, not for others. Do what you want, and enjoy. If you start painting armies because other folk have an interest int era, not yourself, then you will soon get fed up. Most wargamers have a 'oooh shiny, newness' gene, that will be invoked when they see you beautifully painted army, they might want to follow you, not visa versa, if not, at least you have something complete, that you are pleased with.

Well said. My interests are all over the board and I have a hard time sticking to anything for any length of time. What I keep telling myself is that this is a 'hobby' not a 'job'.

[grant]

OK, by those rules...

Periods of Gaming
Ancient Britons
ECW
Napoleonics - 28mm land, 1:1200 naval
Sudan
WW2 28mm Pacific and 15mm Western Europe; 1:2400 naval
VIet Nam in 15mm

And then Sci-Fi/Fantasy by various means. Not too bad, I suppose. I just can't expand any more! In fact, I may have too much stuff.

I have managed to successfully resist the new Zulu stuff (how? I don't know!). Also The Crusades, Romans, Greeks, Wars of the Roses, WW1 (although regrettably in that case). Areas I have little interest in are modern gaming or Cold War.

My only regret right now are my baccus 6mm Seven Years War. I would have to say I would be happy to find a new deserving home for them.

[Colonel White]

AT end of the day unless you are a pro painter you should paint the items you want to paint. Why?

Because clearly you will always put more time and effort into something you want to do rather than something someone else wants you to do. I touched on this subject some time ago with Justin( Zed) .

For example at the store and club, Brian is pestering me to complete some of my Shermans for my US WW2 army as the allies are completely short of tanks for the big KGN games. I thought to myself "tough" I will paint what I want to paint and TBH Shermans arn't anywhere near the top of my list, as I know I do have many prepainted examples packed away somewhere in the loft.I want to paint my 6 Priests and will be contributing an Artillery unit to the Allies cause. Without trying to come accross as being rude , Brian, as he owns the store has far more gaming resourses and time at his diposal than me and if he wants Shermans then he can do some himself!
The tanks I am currently working on are my Cold War Soviet T80s and I am certainly not motivated enough at the present to start painting flippin Shermans.

[mikeland]

My only regret right now are my baccus 6mm Seven Years War. I would have to say I would be happy to find a new deserving home for them.

Perhaps go down the route Carvel took, flog em on ebay and trade em up for something you want more.

[Colonel White]

Go and do it Mikey.

You know deep down in yourself that you will not want to paint them . Better selling them and buying something you really really want.