Friday 26 October 2018

Planning and loss of motivation

Hi folks,

I figured I would try to post a quick update on my recent goings on. To be honest, since getting back from my holiday three weeks ago, I've barely picked up a brush - which is pretty unusual for me. I keep looking at the mini's on my desk, but just not feeling any love. Until last night, when I forced myself into painting some bits on the 3 Kubelwagons, just to have some something. I'm hoping the malaise will pass, as the lead mountain is not getting smaller and what I have been doing over the last few weeks has been sorting through what mini's I do have, and putting together some painting charts.

That hasn't helped...

To give you some idea of the issue, here are the four lists I currently have planned for my Polish contingent:





Possibly not as bad as it looks, as the infantry company for my Poles will also substitute for a company of Jocks (giving me three 'British' companies and a planned 'Canadian' company which will give me the equivalent of a full Battalion at 15mm scale).

To just show the height of the lead mountain, mini's I don't currently own are in dark orange. Finished is Green. Some bits of units I haven't included - like 6pdr guns - as I will use my existing HD ones if needed (this may change as I get stuff painted at a decent rate).

I've planned out another 3 Canadian (2 Armoured, 1 Armoured Car - still infantry and mech infantry to work out), 1 British (armoured car) and 2 German (SS Panzergrenadier and Panzerjager) lists - here are the halftracks needed for one of the German lists:


And that's not including the other odds and ends I still need to finish up, as well as things like de-frocked priests, towed guns, engineering vehicles, etc.

So what started out as a useful admin exercise has put me off painting a bit as well, as the scale of the project has hit home a bit. Thankfully, most of the allied vehicles are easier to paint that the Germans. I think I need to figure out this whole airbrushing malarky to try and get things done in bulk. I should really get something organised and spray painted before the weather turns colder.

In the short term, I'll try and get the three Kubelwagons done, then see where I'm at!

15 comments:

  1. Hmmm? I don't envy you there James.

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    1. Hey, at least i don't keep declaring my Sudan project nearly finished ;)

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    2. Yeah but it a good morale boost! Getting it to to that point and deciding to do more ..

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  2. Yeah mate, I am with you. The sheer scale of having so many projects with so many miniatures is daunting. For allied vehicles, have you thought to try the Army Painter brand rattle can spray paints for your base coats? Might make the whole start of this mountain a LOT easier?

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    1. Cheers Dai, I've got some of the FoW Firefly Green spray which is useful. I figure that using my airbrush would be cheaper in the long run!

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  3. I'm not surprised you are feeling a little burned out James, that's a massive task you have set yourself there, never seen so many German half tracks, but I can picture them all painted and based in your excellent style. I'm sure the motivation will soon return, it always does I find :)

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    1. Cheers Lee - much the same thing happened when I returned from my last Holiday, so hopefully it will pass! I've already made some progress on the Kubelwagons...

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  4. That is a boat load. Luckily you are short of shermans

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    1. ... And have an itch to buy some Churchills....

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  5. That is quite a challenge James, we all find our motivation in different ways mine is slightly different and my projects are more open ended evolving with time, I would be far to scared to see the end point in black and white at the start of the journey. But echoing others get some spray cans ! 😀

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    1. Thanks Matt - this was always a rather nebulous project. The ambition of it seems less when it's theoretical...

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  6. I always find a po8nt if the year where it dips , I am in the same place at the moment , but it’s also real life related , not helping. I ai to pick things up when back from Belgium .. get ourselves on a chat and game planning will help

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    1. Yeah, I think so Dave. Got some short term plans once the last few Jerry tanks are off the desk, then back to painting green!

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  7. That's a lot of potential projects planned out James. I think that may be part of the problem - in detailing them, you feel committed but realise how much work will be involved. My suggestion would be to focus on either the Poles or Germans and hide the rest away (including the plans!). And maybe paint something completely different (just a small project) first.

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    1. Thanks Tamsin - I'm reassuring myself that the best way to eat an elephant is in small bites, so as you say I'm just going to focus on one thing at a time and get it done!

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