Lost Mojo

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Davidf

Davidf

PlanetFigure Supporter
Joined
Jul 5, 2017
Messages
36
Location
Canberra
Good Morning from Canberra (Australia)

As the title says I'm struggling for motivation at the moment and with recent painting results I'm on the verge of giving up. Over the last two years I haven't been very productive due to family dramas but late last year I decided to try to ramp up my skills by watching lots of YouTube and reading a lot of books. I started with an old ICM figure as an experiment then for my "masterpiece" I painted the Art Girona Nero figure. To say I was disappointed is putting it mildly. No contrast, the Vallejo royal purple either was too thick or once thinned was way too shiny. I've watched tons of YouTube videos (mostly Angel Giraldez) but I can't seem to ever get the dilution rates correct. This is now making me dread painting figures and I don't know what to do.

Rant over....

David
 
Hi David

Believe me your not alone , we all have this happen at times , you might find this interesting to read https://www.planetfigure.com/threads/a-serious-case-of-lost-mojo.129015/

My suggestion is pick something with not much intricate detail , perhaps a fantasy bust that way your not restricted to a uniform

You don't have to paint for hours , just as long as you enjoy the time

Share your benchtime

Just relax , enjoy and have fun

Nap.
 
You can watch all the YouTube videos and read all the books in the world but there's no substitute for practice, practice & more practice.

Vids and books have their place for sure, but a lot of it's about trial and error, learning for yourself what works and what doesn't. Most of us have at some point been where you are now, just keep going and the improvements WILL come.

- Steve
 
Davidf said:
Good Morning from Canberra (Australia)

As the title says I'm struggling for motivation at the moment and with recent painting results I'm on the verge of giving up. Over the last two years I haven't been very productive due to family dramas but late last year I decided to try to ramp up my skills by watching lots of YouTube and reading a lot of books. I started with an old ICM figure as an experiment then for my "masterpiece" I painted the Art Girona Nero figure. To say I was disappointed is putting it mildly. No contrast, the Vallejo royal purple either was too thick or once thinned was way too shiny. I've watched tons of YouTube videos (mostly Angel Giraldez) but I can't seem to ever get the dilution rates correct. This is now making me dread painting figures and I don't know what to do.

Rant over....

David
Click to expand...

David,

Don’t be too hard on yourself.

I’ve built four involved conversions of Historex figures over the past three months.

One was unpaintable due to a construction error. The second version of this figure, and another on which I was working, were eaten by my dog (he jumped up on the chair and then onto the desk, ripped them from the vices that held them and then chewed them to pieces… all in a span of less than five minutes while I was out of the room), and the fourth was nearly complete when I made a “fatal” error on some lacing and scrapped it.

Three months; nothing to show for hundreds of hours of work. Nothing.

Plus, I get to the final stages and begin to dread painting. I love building figures. I hate painting figures. Why? Because I stink as a painter. All my good work as a builder is lost when I apply paint.

See? We all have our issues.

Keep trying. That’s all you can do. Forgive yourself for the errors and resolve to try again.
 
Indeed. The struggle is part of it.
Sometimes I wonder why I call it a hobby. It is not all relaxation at all. The buying and planning part is, but delivering the result as imagined in the mind is hard work. And often impossible.
But then.....there’s the next model to apply lessons and do better!

Cheers
Adrian
 
Omg this is my experience too. I love the making process but I really struggle with the painting. I have to psych myself up to do the painting .I have to agree that practice makes it a little bit easier every time.
I also try to remember that the only person I have to satisfy is myself, so who cares if it's not as good as I wish it was. I just move on to the next one,or do something else until I feel like it again.
Good luck with whatever you decide to do
 
Hi David,
Chin up son, remember the artists we watch in the videos and in the books are usually at the top of the tree.. Me personally I sit much lower down and enjoy what the masters paint, but also take stock at where I am and why I do this hobby... For me, Im a collector, hoarder and love doing that.. I am never happy with the results of my work, but that's ok..
I try again on the next figure and I try not to get to up tight with how things go..
Like many I have to deal with the black dog. And this great hobby of ours is for me, a great way to relax. Perhaps when you have time, go for a wonder around the Canberra War museum, and then see where your motivation leads you...

All the best

Smithy.
 
Hello mate. The link that Nap posted above is spot on. I stand by what I said then, about four years ago. What have I learned since? Well, actually, there was something you said that really struck a chord with me, and I'm sure others, too.
Davidf said:
an experiment then for my "masterpiece" I painted
Click to expand...

It's that very thing. I say to myself, "Yep, this is the figure they'll remember me by..." I too put pressure on myself to create modelling's answer to the Sistine Chapel. It takes the fun out and any mistakes seem amplified. I've learned the following, have time away. Tidy up the workbench and use that time to do those little jobs that you've been promising yourself but never do. I don't know your set up, but I have been making some figure bases in the garage. Not as good as the 'pro' ones, but good enough. It takes the mind off. No pressure.

I've also learned to do the figure you're really passionate about. Don't waste time & effort on figures for it's own sake.

All the best and do keep us posted. You're not alone!
 
Nap said:
Hi David

My suggestion is pick something with not much intricate detail , perhaps a fantasy bust that way your not restricted to a uniform

You don't have to paint for hours , just as long as you enjoy the time

Nap.
Click to expand...
Nap's suggestion of a fantasy figure is a very good one. You don't have to worry about replicating anything or color. Just use your imagination and have fun.
Rick
 
Paint a WWI figure. All different shades of brown, no complex uniforms and if it doesn't look great you can cover it in mud! Lots of good Australian subjects as well......;)

More seriously, one of the issues is reading books and watching YouTube videos. The quality of many of them is so high that mere mortals aren't going to get close, so it is a bit dispiriting when you watch a load of videos but can't replicate what they do. Also, I don't find books very helpful, even though I have bought many of them! Most of them don't have detailed SBS or really explain how they achieve their results. The one exception to that IMO is Mike Butler's book on painting WWI Allied Figures, but that has a very focused appeal.

So books and videos are good for inspiration but like Steve said earlier, there is no substitute for practice. I've been making efforts to improve my standard of painting and I have scrapped several pieces along the way that just weren't working. But I have made progress.

And don't be afraid to post your efforts on here or ask questions. I have found people on here to be very helpful and very considerate.
 
Wow, this resonates with me. It took me a long time to appreciate that much of what I see on the net and in books is the work of professional artists, or at least people with the skills of professional artists. I have neither the time nor patience (nor steadiness of hand) to become a professional artist. However, I am passionate about my hobby of researching and painting Napoleonic-era 54mm miniatures. I get as much enjoyment out of the research as the actual painting. Some of my results are better than others, but rather than judge my miniatures against the "pros", I compare them to the last miniature I painted. I strive to get better with each project, and if sometimes I don't, well, life goes on. Then I realize that nobody other than me will ever see my miniatures (other than members of my family in passing) so am only doing this to challenge and please myself. I'm not sure I will ever get the eyes "right". Painting fine lace on hussar uniforms continues to be a challenge. But it's still fun, and more fun once I realized not to be so hard on myself. My latest project is learning how to paint horses. This opens up an entire range of miniatures I have been reluctant to attempt. But it's still fun, and a great way to spend a few hours (and $$$) on a wet afternoon. Best of luck, and thanks to PF for all the hints and guidance they have provided over the years.
 
If I may offer a slightly different perspective for you to consider David...
Whilst we have all experienced what you are suffering now...there are a couple more options to consider.
Rather then watch countless videos...which by the way are heavily edited to only show the successful end result!...and reading endless texts which...through manipulation of lighting/contrast/sharpness and colour...again only show you perfect results...try and not overthink what you want to achieve before you even start prepping a piece.
I myself was forced to give up painting figures a couple of years back...not from frustration...but from shaky hands and poor old eyes.
But during my almost 50 years painting figures I learned to accept my limits and work within them...rather than constantly chasing the results I wasn't yet ready to achieve.
As has been mentioned...there is no substitute for practice...however...the saying "Practice makes perfect" is somewhat misleading...a more accurate saying would be"It's all in the approach"
Put simply...relax and enjoy the aspects you are most at ease with...then slowly expand your horizons...time/patience and attitude will get you where you seek to go.

Remember...we are our own worst enemies when it comes to criticising our work and results.

As an aside...I am trying out meds for my hands...and waiting to have the cataracts that are causing my eye problems dealt with.
Who knows...I may yet return to the fold!

Ron
 
kagemusha said:
If I may offer a slightly different perspective for you to consider David...
Whilst we have all experienced what you are suffering now...there are a couple more options to consider.
Rather then watch countless videos...which by the way are heavily edited to only show the successful end result!...and reading endless texts which...through manipulation of lighting/contrast/sharpness and colour...again only show you perfect results...try and not overthink what you want to achieve before you even start prepping a piece.
Put simply...relax and enjoy the aspects you are most at ease with...then slowly expand your horizons...time/patience and attitude will get you where you seek to go.
Remember...we are our own worst enemies when it comes to criticising our work and results.
Ron
Click to expand...


The wise words of KageMiyagi;).......Yoda be daft to ignore them.....May the 4th be with you :D
D.
 
The dreaded dilution problem. Test it on your hand. The way it flows and the transparency can be checked instantly. Although I am worried about the equally dreaded hand cancer! As far as shiny paint I really recommend Ak Interactive Ultra Matte Varnish. It’s a varnish but works really well when you just add it to your base color. It’s also really forgiving when it comes to the amount you add.
 
sir: in 2015 I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s and it has been a rough battle.It has been tough keeping my skills:but I plug away because I love the hobby,you have to believe in yourself,and try to finds style that will give you confidence you’ll need,you’ll get it back
 
Been on this merry-go-round for more than half a century until twelve months ago
when some serious and age related eye problems forced me to hang up the brushes.
There was a time when I thought the game was up and I'd painted my last figure.
A prolonged series of treatment however has improved one eye miraculously,
and corrective surgery on the other - performed only yesterday - has done the
same. The change in my vision is remarkable, and I shall be able to start
painting again soon.....provided of course I can remember which way up the
brushes go.

Never give up....soldier on....eh?

Mike
 

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