Introduction
I've been a bit quiet on the blogging front recently. No excuses; I'm just hoping that at least someone noticed. Anyway, onwards and upwards...
Here's a problem: I have too many models. That's a bit broad and not something which I either can or wish to tackle all in one go. Let's narrow it down a bit: I have too many part-completed models - items that I have started to assemble, but which I haven't completed and packed away. The number of undercoated or part-painted models has risen to the point where they are clogging up my workbench and making it really difficult to make progress on anything much.
This is my answer: the pledge. I hereby state that I will only permit myself one new model to be taken out of its packaging, assembled &c for every two already-started items which I complete.
Obviously this cannot go on indefinitely as I would eventually run out of already-started models and therefore not allow myself to initiate any further new builds. Equally, there may come a point where a painting competition, a blog challenge or a special scenario at the games club requires one or more fresh models to be built in a limited time. My pledge is not to be applied rigidly and may be broken temporarily if such an event should require, but otherwise I do intend to honour it.
I made this commitment about 2 weeks ago. Since then, I believe that I have completed 19 models and started 1. By my own rules, I am therefore allowed to start another 8.5 figures whenever I wish. It's nice to be in credit already!
Here are some of the recently-finished models, just to show that I'm not cheating 🙂:
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| 1st Corps flock of sheep and shepherd |
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| 4Ground wagon, North Star oxen and scratch-built carrots! |
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| Antediluvian Miniatures adventurers, cavewoman and priestess |
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| Warlord Games samurai and bandits |
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| Gripping Beast Saracen ghulams |
Very nice new entries. You deserve to start a lot more new stuff, I think. ;)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Skully. I'm going to stick to this and only start new models that I have "earned". At least for now :-) ...
DeleteI should probably make a very similar pledge. Thanks for the encouragement to do so. Anyone else?
ReplyDeleteStephen
Feel free to join in! Who knows - maybe we can start a movement here :-) ?
DeleteYep I would think most of us are in the same boat C6, I was just thinking the other day that if I didn't buy anything new next year its most likely l wouldn't get everything I have done, I know that's a bit different from what your post is about but I should add that I also have lots of stuff half done :(
ReplyDeleteI think you're right, Frank: all of us who have been in this business for any length of time have too many half-completed models. This is my way of trying to address my problem...
DeleteGood pledge. I would need one similar as well.
ReplyDeleteIf it works for you, Cedric, then go ahead!
DeleteI'm very impressed by those sheep.
ReplyDeleteYou simply can't get that sort of huddle with individually based minis.
As for scratchbuilt carrots, I feel there's the potential for a whole blog post there.
The sheep are a marvelous model, aren't they :-) ? Must to be hard to cast, though. I did ask if there was any possibility of other herds being made - perhaps cattle - but I don't think the sculptor is going to do anything else any time soon...
DeleteI wish I had the necessity to complete models, I do work a lot more when under pressure.
ReplyDeleteYou're off to a flying start with your pledge though, so keep going C6 !
Thanks, Joe. Yes, I have a very great need to complete models - there are so many grey-undercoated figures lying around in piles of boxes on (or near) my desk. It's just not good enough, so I've decided to take action :-) !
DeleteThese all look fab! I have been doing this as well its good to get some stuff finished and no longer cluttering the place up.
ReplyDeleteThis is the first time that I've made a conscious effort to work my way through (at least some of) my pile of started-but-not-completed models. In the past I've had small bursts of enthusiasm for some projects, but not always enough to carry me over the finish line.
DeleteIt’s good to have a clear out of part done .. keep it up!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Dave! I will need to "keep it up" for a very long time to work my way through all of my part-built projects. Still, it'll never happen if I don't start doing something about them...
DeleteToo many models is a "curse" that afflicts nearly all modellers/miniature painters. It's a good pledge and I hope it means you get more painted in the end. I need a pledge of my own as more model kits are being added than painted that most will likely never get painted :(
ReplyDeleteWell, the way I see it is this: completed models can be used for gaming. Unstarted kits can be sold/traded/given away. But those in between (i.e. part-built/painted models) are just clutter...
DeleteThere's an element of "Just in time" about this too.
DeleteJIT reduces warehousing costs by keeping the supply "on the road" and using it soon after delivery.
Our problem isn't usually stock, indeed there are solid arguments for buy now to paint later: Lines going out of production, instability of material and exchange rate prices, delivery lead times.
We are more affected by the "In progress unfinished" stuff.
It generally can't be stored in a compact manner, there are losses associated with packing away and getting back out, and picking up where you left off.
To borrow from Agile terminology, figure prep can be approached as a series of sprints. Depending on scale, a few figures, a unit, or a group of units seen through from basecoat to battle-ready in a few painting sessions.
I think bloat and non-completion plagues many hobbies.
ReplyDeleteCyclists chasing their N+1 bike and box after box of barely used maintenance tools.
Ladies with tens of boxes of unopened footwear ...
The Pledge represents the first step to recovery.
Your use of the term "recovery" makes it sound like I'm in an undesirable state :-) . Not so; I could fix this any time I want, any time at all. Not today, though. Or tomorrow...
DeleteI prefer to think of it as a "Bring balance to the force".
DeleteAn entertaining passtime, that becomes a chore on account of entropy.
Restored to its full joybringing majesty by a little housekeeping.
Tangent warning:
The one type of hobby that I could never quite grasp is the class that involves buying stuff, and nothing else.
Most hobbies include a purchase followed by assembly, customisation, use, display and sometimes classification.
To me its that activities that make the hobby.
But there are those that involve buying the stuff and sticking it in storage. That strikes me as odd and a particularly joyless approach to hobbying.
I recognise a danger of crossing over into that realm, if we buy, but don't paint, display or play.
The book Achtung Schweinhund (An excellent read) contained a few accounts of hobbyists who had clearly crossed that line.
Wow, that was long, almost into "Get your own blog" territory.
DeleteOn those lines, I really don't get the people who collect mint-in-box kits, Airfix or similar being quite common collector's items, I think. After all, construction kits are meant to be, well, *constructed*.
DeleteIt's one thing to buy these with the intention of building them, but never quite getting round to it. That's just careless/shortsighted/greedy/unfortunate. It's quite another to buy kits with the express purpose of keeping them in the packaging, as pristine as the day they were made. I just don't get it at all...