Painter's block

[Babelfish]

Suffering badly at the moment!

Can't seem to get focussed on anything (several projects on the go) and when I do have a bash at something it's all going pear-shaped.

Hopefully just a temporary state of affairs! Suspect it's partly down to a current lack of decent blending brushes and trying to muddle by with what I've got.

- Steve

 

[swralph]

Hi Steve.
I can understand where you are coming from.
I know I'm the wrong person to say this, but think positive and concentrate all your brain power on finishing 1 kit.
And as Bob Ross say's "we don't make mistakes we have happy accident's".
I reckon you could do with some of my happy pill's,but they'll knock you senseless and then you'll get nowt done.
And as Paula say's "when your ready you'll do something".
Good luck.
And all the best.
Ralph.

 

[DEL]

Suffering badly at the moment!
Can't seem to get focussed on anything (several projects on the go) Hopefully just a temporary state of affairs!
- Steve

Pretty much in the same situation. I usually have a dip about now.
Have decided to shelf a few projects and concentrate on completely finishing 2 over the next 3 weeks.

 

[ChaosCossack]

My own lack of posts is evidence that I too am... Blocked.
Tis the season?
I've been wrestling with Ellie's Zouave pair for the last few weeks but I'm not sure how I feel about the current results. Very frustrating indeed!
Prepped another fig last night... Maybe a change will get the juices flowing?

I don't know... If you figure out how to get past a block, let us know... Please!!!

Colin

 

[DaddyO]

I've always been a bit of a butterfly so usually have a few things on the go at once.

At the moment I've got 3 primed ready to start (although perhaps that should be 2 re-primed after aborted starts) I've got one almost finished and a second about halfway done and I'm alternating between these two at the moment. Then I've got two part assembled and two stripped that were originally painted sometime in the 80's which I'm revamping with some putty, so plenty to choose from.

What I always find odd is how you can have several projects going along and then suddenly one grabs you and says ME, ME, ME! and you're off and running. Sometimes it's an article or book that kicks it off, occasionally seeing someone else's version or technique, or it's just one good painting session that brings a section of a figure 'out' and that's it you're off . . .

Reading an article the other day about getting bogged down with stuff and it suggested that choosing a simple task that could be completed was the best thing to do. Apparently this simple thing causes the release of endorphins in teh brain that makes you fell good about stuff and helps you get going when really what you want to do is go ARRRRRRRRGH!

Paul

 

[Eludia]

Build something different, like a spitfire

Pick up a cheap Airfix kit and build it like we did when we were kids.....in an afternoon. Dont worry about the finish (or anything really), get stringy glue everywhere and paint it in the brightest colours you have. Just have fun then when you're done and you have a nice smile on your face you can chuck it in the bin....mojo restored

Well, this works for me anyway. Its well worth the fiver (or whatever it is now) for a kit.

 

[Blind Pew]

My heart goes out to you. This can be soul destroying if not nipped in the bud quickly.

My advice - ditch what you've been doing. Stick it away and certainly out of sight. It will all be there when you go back to it.
A change is as good as a rest. Like Eludia suggests, do some different modeling, some sci-fi spaceship or a tank or something. Try a flat, or sculpting something.

Do you reckon you've sank a bit down to be being disappointed with recent results, or things not being as good as you wanted them to be? I ask as that's what happens to me.

 

[cinimod]

This is going to sound like a therapy session statement and I make no apologies for it.
Thank God I'm not the only one whose having problems. I sympathise with you Steve as I haven't touched a project for not far short of a year.
The last one I bought was a bust from Kevin that is still not complete and I have several unfinished in the cabinet that I bought prior to that.
I have just got another bust off of Tommi that I hope will rekindle something.
I always used to joke about having to be in "the zone" to paint and I think it's true that you have to connect with a model to help paint it successfully.
I think sometimes life does just get in the way as I didn't paint anything for years after we were first married and when the kids were younger, but when they grew up and things got a bit more financially easy it was like lighting the blue touch paper.
I even dug out a load of MM mags and the Euro editions and have delved into the uniform books to read over the next few weeks for a bit of inspiration.

Billy, I think your idea is a cracking one as that is how many of us started in the first place so perhaps it is time to right back to the beginning. I can see my red and orange spitfire already................

Anyway, to those of us having a mental block I'm sure that our collective mojo will come to the fore and over the next few weeks there'll be a plethora activity.............dom

 

[Mark S]

I find I suffer from this affliction on a regular basis......I've not been able to complete a single piece for the past twelve months now.
I reckon I could mark it out on a graph as a natural bell curve.
And yet these episodes of little or no production seem to be interrupted by periods of voracious and boundless creativity.
Perhaps what I'm describing is what some call a bi polar situation...maybe that's right.
Damn it, I've just realised what I should have been doing for the past year.......claiming figure painters block disability allowance from social services.

 

[Richie]

Hi Steve,
I fall into this trap a few times a year. I would also suggest a good tidy up, clear the bench and box up the current projects and put them out of site. That way you are not thinking about them. I also agree with the above do something different, I'm currently sculpting something a million miles away from 1879. Talking to the lads at the modelling club tends to pick up my enthusiasm or watching them do a demo.
cheers
Richie
Soon to be bashing out loads of 1879 pieces

 

[Mark S]

I forgot to mention another aspect of the common painters block or creativity hiccup if you like is.............Sometimes a permanent immobilisation.
There is no avoiding the fact that our hobby seems to have a cut off point as far as age goes.
Many of us here who are in our fifties or sixties but few that I can recall paint beyond the pension age......besides the very talented Brian of course.
I would love to find evidence of productive elders consistently creating figures beyond the age of some of the ancients.

 

[billyturnip]

Pack a bag, travel to Aberdeen and get on a ship for a month, by the time you get back at the beginning of January you'll be raring to go again..... works for me.
Oh and I've got a 1/35 APC to build while I'm here so following Billy's advice.

 

[Blind Pew]

I must admit as well, to starting a figure fine - and then hitting a catastrophic loss in enthusiasm for it....

 

[DEL]

I forgot to mention another aspect of the common painters block or creativity hiccup if you like is.............Sometimes a permanent immobilisation.
There is no avoiding the fact that our hobby seems to have a cut off point as far as age goes.
Many of us here who are in our fifties or sixties but few that I can recall paint beyond the pension age......besides the very talented Brian of course.
I would love to find evidence of productive elders consistently creating figures beyond the age of some of the ancients.

I don't know why people don't believe me...Brian is a corporate enterprise .......not an individual

 

[samson]

I can only add that this has happened to me when I was building plastic kits . Had way to many going on at once . Learned to put everything down . Put everything back and picked one that would hold my interest . Seemed to work . Now I'm at the other end of the wheel fighting my depression and since I have stopped painting . Have been looking a Facebook and reading a few how 2 books lookin at the one bust I did start and almost finish can see how bad it really is . Almost done cleaning up my painting room and think I gonna have a had time taking the plunge again Lol . It will all come back around for you.

 

[DEL]

Almost done cleaning up my painting room .

That's a good way to make a comeback. I've just spent the past few hours doing the same. Everything is boxed away except for 2 projects and I'll be taking them through to completion between now and christmas.

There is no avoiding the fact that our hobby seems to have a cut off point as far as age goes.
I would love to find evidence of productive elders consistently creating figures beyond the age of some of the ancients.

I think you make a reasonable point but I also think that there are loads of us in our 60's still painting but for one reason or another not posting.
I've got a definite plan for productively continuing in the hobby when the eyes and hands fail. Basically I intend to model things rather than people using basic materials .

 

[peedee]

Suffering badly at the moment!.....edit.....I Suspect it's partly down to a current lack of decent blending brushes and trying to muddle by with what I've got. ..Steve

Steve, a browse round your local art shop could be inspiration to some degree......and the new brushes will be there....but with the amount you bought at Euro, you will wanna 'crack on'.
What I do is a bit of distraction painting, that is when there's a few on the bench, paint say, all the red bits, or all the black or brass bits.
No longer am I then concentrationg on any one item, and the 'Block' goes away.

Paul

 

[kagemusha]

From a personal perspective....one of the most positive ways to release a 'block'....is what we are doing now....sharing our thoughts/ideas and solutions with other members....
I find that talking through ideas with members helps me avoid the obstacles before they become a blocking agent....
Just recognising the possible choke points....and working them out with another person....helps to keep my enthusiasm high and constant....
We are lucky to have such a deep well of talent and like minded people to draw on.....
So to all of you I say a big thank you

Ron

 

[brian]

I don't know why people don't believe me...Brian is a corporate enterprise .......not an individual
View attachment 218769

My secret is out,but i pay them at least the minimum wage.

 

[Babelfish]

Nice to see this subject has generated some discussion and some good suggestions!

I'm liking the idea of packing away the Shelf of Shame (out of sight = out of mind) and seeking inspiration elsewhere, and am hopeful that a visit to the White Rose Xmas bash next week will serve as a source of inspiration because there are always some great models on display there.

I can see where the "do something different" suggestions are coming from, but as my Shelf of Shame also includes 4 aircraft and 2 tanks, there's not much else I can do, as ships and all that sci-fi stuff hold no interest for me.

One of the aircraft is a "commission" build (no deadline thankfully!) so I might try and press on with that simply because I "have to".

I also think that part of the problem is that I have so much stuff on the go that I don't know where to start - so end up doing nowt! A kind of "paralysis by analysis".

- Steve