It’s New Year - so pledge now what you promise to complete in 2020 and buy into some peer pressure! Don’t care if you pledge in figures or armies - do what works for you! It is by pledging that you will find the inspiration to get on with it! Try it yourselves!
I’m just a sad insomniac with no life and a job that means I’m away from home lots and so I paint to keep me out the pub! Plus it helps to have evolved a fast painting style! So that explains my 1,000+ but if you can’t do that then pledge 100! I find that it is the pledge, the next PAWS event, that army I’ve always wanted, those unpainted figs from 20 years ago or prepping a good matched pair for Alton that keeps the painting ticking over.
Here is some top tips for painting in quantity:
Box up figures, brushes, paints, scalpels, glues and pallet so you can set up to paint in minutes and pack up in minutes.
If you’ve done that now 30 slack minutes = 20 productive painting minutes - so use them!
Batch paint!
Spray black undercoat all figures and then dry brush white (posh term zenithal highlighting - but we are talking 15mm) Then start painting - highlights only.
Reduce the number of colours on your figures. Colours = time. Taking this further - pick armies that can be painted with few colours. Norman’s = metal, brown, flesh plus a shield which also does the surcoat colour. Easy! Gauls with multi-coloured checked tunics and trousers. Hard! Use Gaesati instead!
Use shield decals, paper flags, dry brushing, washes, inks, dips and any other shortcut you can think of as nobody cares if they look good. If in doubt - cheat!
Stop at good enough!
Paint the figures you hate painting first and then reward yourself with the ones you like painting. For me cavalry an LH are a slog, foot OK but knights and artillery are my reward!
Finally - the hardest piece of advice - don’t butterfly! Complete your project before starting a new one! No honestly - finish what you started! Sure you can plan and buy new armies but finish the one on your painting table before starting the new one. One finished army is better than 4 false starts. Now if you already own 4 partially completed armies - you need to pick you favourite. Pledge to finish it and reward yourself by buying a new army ONLY when it is finished.