Do You Like What You See?

Yes, I am happy with my efforts. Of course there's always something I could've done differently (maybe getting better results, maybe not) with each miniature, but then again I could keep polishing each figure till the big clock runs out and still might not be any happier with them.
I've learned that aiming for perfection is the best way to kill any enthusiasm for painting, so at some point miniature just needs to be called finished and be done with it. Further attempts to improve can continue with the next mini if I so choose.

I do like keeping things fresh and challenging myself by trying out doing something differently every now and then (with most miniatures).
It doesn't need to be anything grand, just using colour I rarely use can make the difference.
 
Tricky.. often very much not happy with my output. quite often I can see how I've improved but sometimes when I want some effect or something which I can't do but I try, I get annoyed how it's failed.. I keep trying cheques/squares and keep failing to do as well as I want.. and most guides I see are really bad (draw a grid. paint each square.. erm.. yes.. but that doesn't deal with any problems ¬_¬)
 
I don't like painting tbh, I'm not the greatest (basecoat, Ink, highlight and done) and I never like what I do. Same with music, I can't stand my own tunes. Might be a self esteem issue. I only paint because I owe it to my opponents to not use grey plastic.
 
ManicMan said:
Tricky.. often very much not happy with my output. quite often I can see how I've improved but sometimes when I want some effect or something which I can't do but I try, I get annoyed how it's failed.. I keep trying cheques/squares and keep failing to do as well as I want.. and most guides I see are really bad (draw a grid. paint each square.. erm.. yes.. but that doesn't deal with any problems ¬_¬)
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We should both paint something with squares on, break out of our comfort zone etc.
 
Tend to get a little put off by the slow and “ugly phase” of painting (i.e. base painting), just need to trust the process and not be impatient…
Think I enjoy collecting, building and converting my minis more, but the satisfaction of a painted mini is great!
 
Slave to Darkness said:
We should both paint something with squares on, break out of our comfort zone etc.
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wonder what I got which it might work on... might have a clan rat in my current unit (I'm kinda waiting for this unit to be finished before I show photos and it is going pretty well) But I'll need to look to see if any can have squares..
 
I'm usually happy 2/3rds of the way through, frustrated and keen to finish by the end, then happy with the result. Then I look again 6 months after and am dissatisfied and want to try again. Then I paint something else and come back to them a couple of years later and think they're better than whatever my current output is!
 
I'm . . . mostly happy with my output? I've been busy, so I haven't had much lately. Too many other draws on my time right now. But honestly, even there, I have enough painted miniatures and they're well enough painted that I don't really feel a whole lot of cause to complain. More is better, and better is better, but I feel fairly satisfied. I have enough and good enough, even if it's not the most or best. I can play the games I want to play, and they look the way I want them to look, more or less. It's not a bad place to be.
 
Sometimes. But I have so much to do for the campaign that I can't be choosy. I need to churn stuff out, and I'm always looking for shortcuts. I feel more proud of conversions and scratch builds, than my painting.
 
twisted moon said:
mostly pretty happy. i don't feel the need to strive over my hobby.
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I don't remember where exactly but I've read a post online somewhere that complains about the fact that somehow humans have turned basic, natural, almost instinctive human activities like singning, dancing, drawing, painting - in short, creative output - into a skill and craft to be learned, taught and improved on and consequently into a form of competition.
That post's author obviously failed to realize that just like creative expression, competition is also an ingrained and genuinely 'human' behaviour.

That said, I do try and not turn my hobby into a competition - I might, though, if I felt confident enough and were any better at it.
It's a good thing I don't actually have to be 'good' to be happy with the results of my painting.
Otherwise, I'd concur with everything @Geroak II said above.
 
Ti Pouchon said:
I don't remember where exactly but I've read a post online somewhere that complains about the fact that somehow humans have turned basic, natural, almost instinctive human activities like singning, dancing, drawing, painting - in short, creative output - into a skill and craft to be learned, taught and improved on and consequently into a form of competition.
That post's author obviously failed to realize that just like creative expression, competition is also an ingrained and genuinely 'human' behaviour.
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People have and will always compare themselves to others. Making fun of someone's nonexistent drawing skills, for example, is not exactly a new thing. I do understand that social media might make it seem like we have somehow changed for the worse but I don't really see it like that.
I also find it much more interesting how social media has affected to our basic needs of being seen and validated by others to such extent that we go to a fancy restaurant and post pics of our fancy dish. If you cook, bake or whatever yourself there's at least some effort put into that pic, but a restaurant dish that is served to you...

I'd guess it has always been socially more acceptable to sing or dance publicly if you're good at it. For us who are bad at both there's karaoke bars and night clubs to comfortably absolutely and 100% let loose express ourself. And since those places always have liquid courage available, you can save the shame and other consequences for the next day. Handy.
People must also in general be more conscious about themselves in public these days. Social media and everyone carrying a video camera around 24/7 can make you go viral instantaneously, whether you're just going about living your life, fooling around or simply lying on the ground dying after a road crash. The 15 minutes of fame we were promised, mayhaps?

Our competitiveness is a factory setting for sure and some feel it stronger than others, but there's a huge difference with garnering inspiration to improve and doing our best but still feeling inferiority. Setting the bar at a level that pushes us to improve but is still realistically achievable is the key.
It's also worth to rememer, that more often than not, we are our own harshest critic and tend to see smallest of mistakes we've done, usually them being something others don't pay any attention to.
I'd dare to wager if one asked painters who've done well in painting competitions if there's anything they would change in their entry, there would be some 'yes' answers. It seems those painters often lament running out of time with their entries.

So, what's the point of this ramble? The lamest, most obvious thing ever: Be happy with your painting and if that doesn't work, figure out how to change that around and learn ways to improve BUT always be kind to yourself and have fun with your hobby? Yeah, let's go with that. :)
 
MichaelStockin said:
When you look at your own painted models?
Are you happy with your output, are you trying to improve anything?
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For the most part I think so. I'm better now at deciding when to call it a day on models and accept that they look perfectly acceptable when viewed from a couple of feet away. I do sometimes wonder if I should be striving to improve my painting, but I don't deliberately push myself. What little time I find to paint I want to enjoy! That said I should be more confident to paint my weapons more funky colours rather than gunmetal! I do think seeing other people's painting in person helps a lot - photography is both boon and bane to minis and nothing beat actually seeing other work (no matter how good).
 
I love to start models, building, basing and baecoating, but then I ted to lose motivation for the final push to actually finish the model. I have dozens (or more) of models that have one small bit to finish that I put off regularly. I'm generally happy with the finished model but t takes ages to actually get there. :cry:
 
The Fat Git said:
I love to start models, building, basing and baecoating, but then I ted to lose motivation for the final push to actually finish the model. I have dozens (or more) of models that have one small bit to finish that I put off regularly. I'm generally happy with the finished model but t takes ages to actually get there. :cry:
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I can empathise with that. My poor Night Haunts have sat on my desk now probably for the last year or more waiting to be finished!
 
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