Well its happened, its tried to raise its head in the past but its finally happened 'painters block'. :'( :-\
In the past its sometimes been a bit slow to get going but now I just look a the unpainted lead and think how, why, when. I've loads of lovely shiny new 10mm Pendraken goodies to paint but I just cant engage head to paint. A full Late Roman army and I cant even think how I want it to look. I have lost the painting mojo, I cant even compose how I want my command base's modelled which is the thing I do first and foremost as it gives me the feel I want the rest of the army to look. I've lost my painting, gaming and slightly geeky muse. I couldn't have summed it up better than this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5OfviJJTHo
Just thought id share. Help me!! I need an Apothecary!:'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'(
Jason.
Nope. What you need is a browse on the interwebs and find THAT one thing that interests you. BUY it and anticipation of delivery WILL get you into painting.
Thats how I do it...
Don't worry it will come back. I've had precious little time or motivation of late to do any painting, so I'm simply doing other things until it returns. So are gaming related, some are not. And as for my lead mountain, I'd rather not thing about it!
Dont worry I havnt painted anything in a month..jusr couldnt be bothered at the mo
Don't worry, it happens to everybody. I'm going though a minor block at the moment, I can see the figures from where I am writing on the next desk, I know what I want to do...just can't muster much enthusiasm to do it. My excuse is that 99.99999% of the time if I were to have a game it would be a solo affair so I haven't got any deadlines to paint to; unfortunately this is both a blessing and a curse. Since the end of February I have painted -I now have an Excel file for painting- the grand total of 14 10mm Polish Medieval cavalry...but not the bases yet.
The thing is I've been painting and wargaming since 1971 and of course I get can't be ar*ed periods -sometimes lasting for several months at a time, it's just human nature to take time out of somethinig so that when you return you are re-vitalised and raring to go again...until the next one of course. I just do something else until it comes back like do some writing or read a few books and forget about painting the little chaps. Then, just when you weren't expecting it, BANG! you have a St Paul's moment and off you go again.
I've found popping up a painting thread and people asking to see stuff has really helped! Gives me a bit of a boot in the arse and a point instead of "I'll get round to them when I need to use them, whenever"...
I think everyone goes through this phase, I myself had a drought of about 2 months there where I just rearranged my painting area and wrote shopping lists, but now I've found my motivation again I've been frighteningly prolific! It's peaks and troughs!
Or maybe you need to change hobbies?
I have the opposite problem - a raft of ideas on things to paint and nowhere to do it :(
To be fair, it's because I've just had a new kitchen fitted and everything is heaped all over the place. Can't really complain though, the new kitchen is great. Especially given I've spent 6 years with a kitchen with plaster missing off the walls, cracks in the ceiling and bare plywood on the floor!
Quote from: FierceKitty on 11 May 2014, 02:17:07 AM
Or maybe you need to change hobbies?
A change is as good as a rest (I believe ;))
I'm going through a phase where I'm 'bored' listening to the talking books.....So I'm listening to some music CDs for a while.....I'll be back to the books in no time, I'm sure.
Don't worry Jason.....Your enthusiasm will soon come back.
Cheers - Phil
Opera - wonderful to paint to.
Don't think I've ever Beethovened to opera.
Actually, I'm not much of an opera buff, much of it post Mozart is unlistenable - all that Italian rubbish.
If you're coming along to Phalanx then a glance at all the shiny goodies on show might be enough to resurrect that mojo?!
:D
It will be no surprise to FK to find out that I tend to paint to the likes of Rihanna, Pitbull, Timbaland or Katy Perry - stuff I could dance to.
Most classical stuff has me closing my eyes to blot out distractions before gently dozing off. Not ideal if painting. So difficult to explain why the tip of one's nose is Field Grey :)
I well remember the 'losing the mojo' phase. fortunately it does pass as nowadays I am painting like a thing possessed.
Quote from: fsn on 11 May 2014, 03:13:51 PM
Don't think I've ever Beethovened to opera.
Actually, I'm not much of an opera buff, much of it post Mozart is unlistenable - all that Italian rubbish.
I'd agree with you on the fact that Italian opera is not the finest achievement of western civilisation, but if I did a Babylonian army I'd have to play
Nabucco while painting.
Remember that post-Mozart includes Wagner; not to everyone's taste, but certainly not rubbish.
I find a deadline concentrates the mind wonderfully. A deadline of the "you want it when?" variety.
This is why I find it much, much easier to get a commission out the door. Except when the customer is generous and says "naaaaah, just get them done whenever, there's no rush!" No, no, that means bottom of the pile!
I found a sh*tload of stuff on Spotify the other day so...
This week I have been mostly listening to the Goons!
I have trouble listening to anything that has a strong beat to it because my foot tapping tends to judder my paintng hand...if you know what I mean. So heavy metal is out and don't start me on modern club/house/shed/garage/privvy/dance or whatever else is 'in' at the moment, it's all bo**ocks.
I have found over the years that it's easier to paint if there is music on in the background. I'd like to think that because of listening to Tubular Bells at the same time I didn't notice that I had painted 15 figures.
I'm not short of projects at the moment--two very nearly complete and two just starting--so there's plenty of variety there, and I, too, have hit a brick wall with the painting. Listening to martial music in the hope that the mojo will be found some time soon.
My Iberians are coming along well, and the Liby-Phoenecian contingent are calling for an undercoat. I say this in the hope of ameliorating the prevalent gloom and despondency.
There are several coats of oil on the solid wood worktops and I'm gradually removing the dust, grout and protective foils from the new cabinets.
Somehow, working on the kitchen is not as much fun as painting figures :(
Tho' working in the kitchen can be a welcome break. I've just finished my Burmese pork and mango curry. :)
Quote from: Subedai on 12 May 2014, 09:18:38 AM
This week I have been mostly listening to the Goons!
Yes, I do that too. If I'm wearing the Optivisor I can't watch the box, so it's over to Neddy, Bloodnok, Eccles, Bluebottle and co. ;D ;D ;D
You rotten swine, you!
Quote from: FierceKitty on 13 May 2014, 08:52:46 AM
You rotten swine, you!
Bluenbottens has not been dedded this week.... argh!
Quote from: Hertsblue on 13 May 2014, 08:27:31 AM
Yes, I do that too. If I'm wearing the Optivisor I can't watch the box, so it's over to Neddy, Bloodnok, Eccles, Bluebottle and co. ;D ;D ;D
My youngest son bought me one of those optivsor thinggys as a Crimble prezzie about 5 years ago; got built in torch, various magnifications settings etc. Basically, it's the dogs in those kind of things. Been out of the box twice. The first time was to have a look at it and the second I tried it, forgot I had it on and nearly went a pi**er through the loft opening. Stuck to my painting glasses ever since -I had the prescription made especially after I told them what I did. Now I paint in the cellar I might give it another go.
Timeless comedy as far as I am concerned.
Painting this evening--finishing Danish 1848-50 jaegers, starting 1520s Scots front rank pikemen. All thanks to Herbert von Karajan and the Berlin Phil: double CD of marches including Unter dem Doppeladler, Hoch und Deutschmeister Marsch, Der Hohenfriedberger Marsch and Preussens Gloria. And looking forward to my 6mm clash of empires Ottoman and Polish/HRE. Whew.
I haven't painted for months now, except for 3 28mm figures. i just do other stuff then, like papercraft terrain and stuff like that. It's a change, but still productive towards my gaming needs.
Quote from: Subedai on 13 May 2014, 09:14:50 AM
Now I paint in the cellar I might give it another go.
Have you been banished to the dungeon, Subedai?
Not so much a dungeon as a place of calm relaxation and solitude in todays hustle and bustle lifestyle...but...on reflection...yeah, pretty much.
Stockholm syndrome, they call it.
Quote from: FierceKitty on 15 May 2014, 09:03:02 AM
Stockholm syndrome, they call it.
Had to Google that one. Heard the phrase before but never knew what it meant.
Actually I left my cellar and reclaimed my space in the living room for painting purposes! I mean; I pay the rent, why sould I be in the cellar?!?
(To be honest; my cellar is filled up to the ceiling with all kinds of new goodies, kits, boxes and books so there wasn't thet much room left to paint either...)
Cheers,
Rob
Luxury! Our house sits on a solid block of concrete.
My Man cave/Narnia (coz you have to go through the coats to get here...good eh?)/cellar is about 4 metres by 3 1/2 metres with a bit of a storage area behind a wall. I have a computer desk, a painting desk, 4 under-desk filing cabinets, 3 chests of draws and loads of unpacked boxes full of 'stuff' -mostly books. Consequently, I haven't got much room either but at least it's mine! (Queue maniacal laughter.) Hopefully before the summer I can get it carpeted and organised a bit better. When I do I'll post some before /after pics (if it works out ok).