Hi everyone, apologies for the delay between posts but once again its been a busy time at work. To make amends i've got lots to show you in this post.
Due to terrible weather here in the UK I've had a fair bit of painting time this weekend and managed to make some progress on Mubaris' Pulp Gangsters. Five more completed and five more primed, based and started. Hopefully i'll have the remainder finished soon so I can start painting some fantasy miniatures. I guess I just miss chain mail!
One of the challenges when painting these gangsters is all the reference material is in black & white. Colour photos from the period don't exist so I had to look for inspiration from film and television.
Luckily, Boardwalk Empire, The Untouchables, Once Upon a Time in America and Public Enemies provide great visual inspiration and their researchers did a great job on keeping the look authentic. Google has lots of great stills from these movies and tv shows and I keep these open next to me on my computer while I paint.
One of my friends has just started painting and mentioned that he finds it hard to focus (mentally) on painting and asked if I had any suggestions. I gave him the only answer that works for me, others may have different answers but mine is this. 
Miniatures that you like are easier to paint than those you don't, if you enjoy what your doing you'll focus naturally so pick models that interest you. Also listen to music if it helps you, I listen to Movie scores like Gladiator, Braveheart and 300 while i'm doing fantasy miniatures, and Big Band Jazz while painting these gangsters, I find it gets me in the mood and helps me focus on what i'm doing.
Now I want to paint some Star Wars miniatures so I can listen to the theme again!
What do you do to help you focus when you paint?
Hi Rich:
ReplyDeleteI haven't visited your blog in a while, just looked at all your gangster posts and am very impressed. I especially like the guy in pinstripes. You pulled that off well.
In answer to your question I listen to radio over the Internet while I paint. I can't paint and watch tv or movies as some folks do, that doesn't work for me. Usually I listen to ambient/synth or classical, sometimes info radio from US National Public Radio.
Cheers,
Mike
Welcome back Michael. If i'm honest I can't watch TV while i'm painting either, or at least I can't keep my attention on it well enough to follow the plot. With music I don't really pay a great deal of attention to it I just kind of let it distract me.
ReplyDeleteI'll try ambient/synth though, that sounds interesting.