Balancing act …

I’m slow.

In so many ways – make of that what you will, but I’m slow.

It’s probably a cheap excuse when you’re a model painter, but model painters are – I believe – not production machines. We have our own styles, prices, times … It’s part of what draws people to commission them. They may like the style a certain painter paints, or how quickly they can finish a batch. I’m loathed to class myself as professional; Not from any selflessness, I certainly don’t see myself as the worst painter in the world, but I’d be lying if I didn’t feel a little twinge at fellow artists who have any number of model-painting levels (gaming, display, museum)! Me … I just paint to, what I see as, a good gaming standard.

I know that, for a shorty post, this may seem meaningless, but in the past, I would fall behind on a commission or even a self-set limit to get some figure done for the shop, and end up rushing, only to look at the final figures and thinking: shit; THAT coat could use some more highlights … or Wish I’d done those boots in black …

This culminated for me when, a few years back, I was rushing a set of models and thought – or not, as it turned out – that it would be a good idea to give the models a quick coat of matt spray varnish. Not a major problem usually, but quickly became one when I went into the porch and opened the door a little so as not to asphyxiate myself, but failed to take not that it was raining … Yeah, you know … you know. I’d managed to coat two or so figures before they started to look more like snowmen than the Foundry bad guys they were supposed to be! Not good. Wasn’t happy. It was a dumb move on my part.

In short, what I found out is that I’d rather take a little more time and be happy with the painted models – and face the inevitable wrath of the customer/financial hit of having to discount – than send off minis that I wasn’t happy with. So, in other words, I’m still slow, but slow with a reasoned purpose.