"Have You or Your Gaming Friends Given Up Painting?" Topic

In Sam Mustafa's article in the most recent edition of Wargames, Soldiers and Strategy (71) link he mentions that he is the only person left in his gaming circle who still actively paints. I wondered if many TMPers had given up painting to concentrate on playing games with what they have already or now exclusively use painting services for new projects?

Regards

I still paint. I can't imagine not doing so. It is part of the hobby as much as the gaming is.

Damon.

I still paint, although I'm not as avid as I used to be.

I have not yet begun to paint!

I went in fits and starts but for the last year I have been painting rather than playing.

I'm the other way I tend to do the painting/modelling side of the hobby more than play games if I'm honest.

I tend to do more painting than gaming. When I do paint, I do tend to be a binge painter though – last week I painted 0 figures, the week before it was 30+.

I use a painting service mostly. But I do some. The eyes aren't what they used to be, and there is no longer as much time in the day.

I don't get to game much either…………

Gone are the days when I would paid for 30- 40 minutes each morning before going to work. I've all but given up mainly due to poor eyesight. Although in theory I could still manage vehicles above 6mm and 28mm figures, I'm so out of practice now I don't like the results so it isn't worth the effort.

Still paint.

DM

I've started painting again for two reasons. First I got inspired by a new project (VBCW) and second I got my mageyes mageyes.com
My painting is still average but the enjoyment is infinite.

Doug

I don't play games but I paint almost every day.

Still paint. And my friends do as well.

Still paint a lot, though mostly for other people. One mate has had to give up due to eyesight problems and another does very little due to work commitments – many of us are pretty well retired so can get lots done, at least in theory.

Unfortunately still paint a little (too cheap to use a painting service) although I hate it. I prefer playing games.

painting is my therapy. I completely unwind when sitting at the paint table. I forget all the BS of my personal and professional life. Gaming is icing on the cake.

Yes, I still paint and assemble/convert models. That is how I started, the gaming bit is just a bonus.

Everyone I know in my various wargame connections still paints – a few play solo because they can't find suitable social time but they still enjoy the craft side.

Phil

I still paint. I've yet to finish a project where I feel I have enough figures to stop and I keep starting new projects despite my resolutions.

I love the modelling, craft and painting side of the hobby but I haven't done any of these in the last three years. Just haven't got the time and other priorities get in the way. I buy on eBay or collect 54 mm toy soldiers. Sad state of affairs as I love researching and find the craft side of the hobby a form of relaxation. I've promised myself (good lord willing)!that I will dedicate a proportion of my retirement to catching up with what I've missed out on. A few years to go tho'!

Warwell sums up my position admirably! Though I also feel that simply deploying toy armies painted by others is somehow 'cheating'…

I try to buy painted figures when possible.

That having been said there are enough special character figures needed as well as my pile of old unpainted figures that I still paint when the mood or need strike.

Bob

I paint. Not very well anymore though. And I was really good once. I just don't see quite as well as I once did.

Now I depend on my basing, the washes and the shield transfers to make my figures pop. So, I still get compliments but, unfortunately they are no longer for the fine paint job.

I still paint regularly, although it has its highs and lows. I enjoy the process of organizing and painting and basing, but it's also a necessity in a small place where you have to supply both sides for a period. Of my small group of horse-and-musket gamers, I would say that we have me, another fairly regular painter, one lapsed painter, and 2-3 who either never paint or at least never paint in this period.

I'd swear my gaming friends have given up on gaming. ;)

Still paint. All part of the hobby and quite relaxing.

I rarely paint anymore. I hate to paint. To me, it does not part of the hobby. If I had the money, just about everything would be sent out to painters. I have better things to do than spend countless hours sitting at a painting table.

Painting IS the hobby. Gaming takes up a fraction of the time.

I'm also painting more and gaming less. Gaming is OK but painting relaxes me and for me, half the joy of gaming is putting a great look on the table.

I would like to paint more than I do, but lack of time and energy constrain me. Painting can be both fulfilling or frustrating, in my humble opinion.

In the last couple years, I've sold off a fair amount of unpainted stuff. I now have unpainted figures from my two favorite eras, AWI and FRW/early Napoleoinics (not counting a few 10mm ACW Confederates, etc.) I plan to keep my collections modest in size and usable within a relatively small playing area.

Having said all that, I haven't given up painting yet. But I'm not proud to say that my collection probably isn't going to grow fast any time soon.

NO but I don't spend even a 10th of the time painting or building minis I used to.

So many other things that need to be done with a 2 1/2 year old running around the house. :)

Yes, I definitely still paint… usually 300 – 500 28mm figures a year.

Paint more than game. Friends still paint as well.

I can no longer paint armies of hundred over castings, but I still enjoy and do paint units of several figures.

My 10mm FPW and 15mm Napoleonic armies were all bought from painting services, but I still paint 28mm these days.

For those TMPers sufferng from poor eyesight, do try a pair of reading glasses – I got a pair last year and can paint as close as 6" in front of my eyes now.

I cannot foresee ever giving up painting miniatures unless it is due to vision problems. Thankfully my eyes are ageing normally and today I do require wearing glasses to be able to do the finer details. Now among our group there was a time when everyone painted but that was back in days when we were avid 40K and Warhammer Fantasy players. Each person had to get the armies painted and for the most part we all did eventually. However, as we branched out into historical gaming and other genres the painting tended to regress to a small group that does most of the painting.

I think this is because of the different nature of those kind of war games. With games like Warhammer Fantasy, 40K, Warmachine, et. all., a person focuses on their particular force. With a period such as the ACW you have one or two, maybe three people that help collect and paint up all the figures to then run scenarios instead of throw down games. That is more of the situation we currently have with our gaming group. While we still have a good amount of participation from everyone, and of course with time some folks interests have waned while others have grown, the lion share of the collecting and painting has fallen to a few.

Now one observation my friend Nazrat made is that games like Bolt Action bring back some of that element we used to see with 40K. Suddenly we are seeing members of our group wanting to collect "X" WW II army to paint and play. Which is kind of nice and we have a plethora of terrain to make sure when someone does have an urge to play it is a matter of moments to set up a game.

Now here is another observation, I have curtailed my collecting of miniatures in order to focus on what I have. Part of this is just trying to manage time. The other is the dawning realization I will never finish all that I have within my lifetime. Therefore, I have begun to take serious stock of what I enjoy the most and seek to complete that. I also used to like to make my own terrain. But now I am more prone to spend my miniature money on finished terrain pieces or things I only have to do a small amount of work on such as cast resin. That way I have more time to work on painting the miniatures.

Painting takes up more of my time than gaming, by a long shot. If I play a game a month, I am happy but if I go a few days without painting, I suffer withdrawal symptoms. I really enjoy painting figures certainly a lot more than I do basing them.

I still paint but am too slow so have taken to buying painted figures online.

That said, I consider most of my armies as done, so at this point it's more terrain and such. Tho I do need to finish basing my 6mm SYW figs…

I think I painted 10 minis last year… only played D&D. I am teying to make the time to paint up some minis and do some wargaming with my buddy, but I am pretty obsessed with my 1/48 airplane models right now. And planning up a 1st edition AD&D game.

I will paint an army when the mood strikes me, but my eyes aint what they used to be and I am enjoying the gaming time more and more these days.

painting, no, but gaming with those figure, sadly mostly yes.

I've seen in my own area that games like Command & Colors, X-Wing, etc., are actually convincing gamers that you DON'T need to paint anything to play something that approaches a miniatures game. Most gamers in our area buy painted figs, play games with pre-painted miniatures, or buy a ton of unpainted stuff and watch it accumulate in their homes. Whenever someone does bring in painted figs there's almost a universal joy throughout the gaming area!

Still paint but my production is low and I still have many periods I want to expand on and game in. s a result Fernando gets a lot of business from me until I either get my projects done, paint them myself, or die.

I paint commission so I always have something to paint.
I haven't been able to squeeze my own figures in. It bothers me because I have collected a lot of stuff from Kickstarter that I would love to paint. I actually have so many figs that I don't know where to start.

I dont game at all anymore. I would like to but getting my commissions done seems to take up all my miniature time.

I remember when I was in my twenties and had a regular graphic design job. I would look forward to going home and painting my D&D figs furiously. Looking back those were the best of times although I wouldnt have said that at the time.

The irony is now we have every figure for everything that you could imagine but in this age of rushing around there is no time to paint them.

This rabbit still has the painting table going strong after almost 35 years without glasses. Should hit a milestone projection of personally painted 20,000 (not a typo) 25/28mm napoleonic era miniatures alone. Just 262 more to go per my detailed excel spreadsheet accounting. Some major power nationalities have three time periods of uniforms… French republic, early imperial and late imperial eras. Almost all the napoleonic minor states painted and a large 2000 plus size Ottoman(and Islamic states) army for fun and different gaming styles. Just finished up my 1790 era 25mm Sardinians and the Batavian republic army. Presently working on early 1805 northern Italian miniatures ( 6 line regiments) currently to finish up my early and late Northern Italian armies.

Then I can finish my inventory record keeping of my 25/28mm Ancient era WAB/COE armies. Looking at the storage boxes pile and count I expect to inventory another 15k plus miniatures easily , some I painted, other purchased pre-painted over the years.

WSS 25mm armies, ECW and ACW 15mm, WWII 20mm (35 years of) collection, modern navel 1/3000 scale….. it goes on.

I may not paint with all the shading and fine eye work seen on today's TMP posts…excellent paint jobs I must agree… but I enjoy my collection's painting effort. Good solid paintwork and black lining for the gaming table. Blog link below;

link

M aka WR

I still paint, but not as much as I used to. My book shelves are groaning and I don't have much space for new armies.

Painting like crazy. I've got a good 500+ 15mm troops and a like number of 6mm tanks to paint up this year.

Paint a lot but play seldom. Buy a lot of painted figs as well. Spend too much time rebasing. If only there was a universal base size. But researching, modeling, and organizing is my first love. Of about 20,000 almost all 15mm I personally painted 6-7000. I miss the early days of extensive scratch building. And old style paint schemes. Wargaming quality. I'm not up to the current artistic standards. And of course, as many have mentioned, after 40 years of painting the eyes are weak.

Love painting…can't imagine ever stopping.

In my effort to actually make time out of my schedule to even get back into gaming, it's all painting services for me these days.

Most recently painted some 25s for someone else – first time for that scale in 25+ years, best decision I made was to focus on one scale and for me that is 15 mm. Haven't been as prolific last few years but hope to get many more figures painted this year – already got about 600 primed and ready. Only have, let's see, 24,000 or so in the unprepped waiting line. 5000 or so painted, another 3000 or so primed and ready. Hard bit of reality? Some of those primed figures have been sitting primed for 15 plus years! As life is settling down a bit, I'm finding more time. Maybe with a new and dedicated gaming table taking shape that will help progress move forward. Any one in need of a painting fix without a supply of figures is welcome to swing by every day for a few weeks – or months!

Like others, I really need to refocus on a few key periods and finish. This year it is complete the French and Indian War. Only leaves a dozen other periods to work on after that.

Luckily, even though vision has changed it is distance vision, still pretty good for close up.

Last, for those feeling inadequate because you aren't up to "contemporary standards", don't be bothered by it. Those spectacular paint jobs we see in the hobby press are pretty rare talents, maybe one in gamer in 500 can achieve that level. I know a couple, one of whom has had figures he's painted on covers of the slicks. Very few of us can afford those kinds of paint jobs – in time or money. A 28 mm figure painted to that standard can set you back $18 USD-$30 USD (each!). And it can take many hours per figure. Sure, someone will come along and say they are faster than that or they know someone cheaper than that. Just saying. Reality for most of us is gamer standard isn't just adequate, it is the best we can do. Be happy with that. It is a hobby meant for relaxation and camaraderie – not impressing people. Hell, most people on this planet have no idea we exist or, if they do, wonder why we bother. They just don't get it. Besides, gaming standard to most people outside of the hobby is pretty danged impressive. So enjoy your own work. If it's painted and on the table that beats heck out of shiny and waiting to be painted. Trust me, I know.

I love painting. I do traditional painting (stuff on canvas/wood) as well, so it's kind of a continuum from the very small to the very large.

We all paint. Actually, my group usually spend a month or two talking about our painting for every day we spend actually playing.