Welcome to On Point HQ, my own little world of painting, modelling and all other types of gaming goodness. I focus mainly on Bolt Action and Turnip28 but also dabble in O Group, Warlords of Erehwon and a few other gaming systems.
The purpose of the channel is to keep me focused on projects rather than being distracted by new shiny things, plastic kits and sticking tufts onto every miniature I can lay my hands on......
I was made redundant last year and so decided to take early retirement well slightly early i am in my sixty's, so got stuck into my pile of potential but found that started to loose the drive, so i took a break , just stepped back away from it, but this break did me good i realised i don't have to paint, build, game i just thought just relax and i am now back in production mode but i don't beat myself up if i don't get any hobby done for weeks. And yes my profile pic was my Job when i was a younger man, so maybe that old discipline helped..lol
I've found that the burnout can happen at any time and I'm under no illusions that it'll happen to me again. Stepping back, having a break from everything before returning is something I would always recommend. The hobby will always be there, nothing bad is going to happen if you don't pick up a paintbrush for a week and it's actually pretty healthy to spend time on other hobbies, nothing to be gained by forcing it 😃👍
4:16 Man I have to build an MMG that look like that! I will paint also a Winter German Tank! Loved the DAK too! Thank you for the Color Guide in the BACK! Making some Winter German Infatry soon!
Cheers Dario! My winter Germans have had a bit of an overhaul recently with so some updated basing added to make a more realistic snow effect that I'm happy with. Hoping to get an updated showcase video completed soon 😃👍
I found finishing a unit at a time works wonders. Jumping back and forth between different painting projects keeps my painting mojo going. Mike Schubert - South Africa
Cheers Mike, definitely agree about jumping back and forth between projects. I normally have 3-4 things on my desk of different scales, periods and systems etc. It really does help keep things fresh 😃👍
I did yes, I'm not a fan of metal miniatures as they don't seem to scale well against the plastic kits. So I went rummaging through my bits boxes and found quite a few old Imperial Guard bits and pieces. So I used the tanks, some green stuff and a Thompson SMG that I cut down to make the firing hose. I also did this for my Winter Germans. For my Polish Airborne, I used an old Forge World Imperial Guard part as the tank. Can't go wrong with a bit of kitbashing 😃👍
I'd be interested to know if your burn out extended to playing games and researching games too. My personal Venn diagram of wargaming is centred much more on these two aspects and less on the painting/modelling aspect so when I can no longer look at a paint brush let alone pick one up (which happens quite often), it's the gaming and the research that sustains me in the hobby.
Hey Simon, it was both the painting/modelling and gaming aspects of it. Usually I'd solo play a few games of Space Weirdos or something buy I just had no motivation to do so. On the research side, I was still reading a lot of history books like normal. Quite the bizarre experience 😀
@@OnPointHQ Definitely an odd one to have the gaming and the painting both go on you simultaneously. So very pleased that you're now happy and back in the hobby again though.
Around 12 years ago, I really went through hobby burn out and sold quite a bit of my collection. I threw myself back into medieval reenacting,from there like you I went back to one of my early loves modelling aircraft. Then large scale models, from which I won gold much to my surprise in a EU event. I do think it is healthy to take a break and recharge your batteries, change it up and do a single miniature rather than a army, Since then I have moved countries and started a wargames business focusing on actually walking the battlfields in western France. My collection now is almost three times as big but more focused on the sixty battles and battlefields around me, still modelling aircraft every now and then as I enjoy it so much. Cheers Matt French Wargame Holidays
Definitely agree with the taking a break from the hobby Matt. Early on, I tried to force myself to paint something but there was absolutely no enthusiasm. Having that break to do other things was what I needed and then focusing on something that I had enjoyed in the past just seemed to click. After the two tanks, I tried some individual figures rather than units or squads until I felt that I was able to paint Landsknechts again 😀👍
Thank you! I've had burnout in the past but that last episode was particularly bad. I'm just glad to share the experience and hopefully it will help others 😀
Cheers Steve, much appreciated. Project burnout is definitely a thing I've experienced. Painting Epic ACW is a good example, I have to balance out painting these as its very easy to become burnt out with them 😀👍
There is definitely a dopamine hit when you finish a project or build. I can get rather sidetracked by video games at times, and yes they can give you a buzz, but once I've turned it off I have nothing to show for it. The cool thing about a hobby where you make and create is that there is a physical thing at the end. Thanks for the video 🙂
Definitely agree with that. Having something tangible at the end of a project is a motivation to complete it. I always enjoy the feeling of having something fully finished in front of me, makes the entire hobby worthwhile 😀👍
Great video Ste, thanks for putting this together. I'll be adding some of products and hints to my own methods. Lovely selection of miniatures as well! Vallejo Earth Textures work well for 6mm too 👍
Cheers Andy, much appreciated! Hopefully you'll be able to make use of some if the techniques I've used. I'm always interested in knowing what other people do with their own basing 😀👍
I had hobby burnout for about 3 after I spray varnished some figures I had spent a lot of time and effort on and they went foggy as all hell. Looked like they had volcanic ash all over them. Took away all of my motivation to do anything miniatures related. At then time, I couldn’t find anything online to reverse it short of stripping them down and starting again and I wasn’t about to do that. Didn’t start painting again until the beginning of this year and found a solution to my “foggy” models along the way. Appreciate the video, Ste. When creators let their audiences know that life and themselves sometimes get in the way of hobbying, it lets us all know we’re not alone.
This has happened to me in past. If I have been working on something that I'm not happy with, I've found that can affect my motivation. Working on something that you don't find enjoyable is noy hobbying, it's more of a chore and painting should never be like that. If you're not happy, put it to one side and paint something you know you'll enjoy 😀👍
The heat here is oppressive and it is only possible to paint between 5 and 7 in the morning before it's impossible. Losing one's mojo is unfortunately part of the hobby and it tends to happen when external stresses creep into the sub conscious and then just make everything shitty. At least in my case. I find it's always good to just hit the stash and pick something out randomly to get yourself going again.
Living in the UK, thankfully the weather doesn't tend to affect hobbying. I agree with you about external stresses also having an impact on the hobby and in itself can lead to burnout. The random stash item has certainly helped me in the past, painting for the just the enjoyment of painting definitely helps 😀👍
Great listening to someone else's view on burnout,yes it can be a struggle at times but agree wen you see a finished item you paint it's the achievement your comment on doing something you havnt done before or for awhile,I can be mentally draining but I like to as you said take a break sit back,but once I got back to my table the inspiration started to come back I looked at what I have achieved and felt proud looked at some of my comments from my channel postings and the positive people from the hobby and felt maybe I am good enough to do what I do ,and my partner was always encouraging me and supportive,I dont game much but really enjoy painting and creating something for someone who will enjoy and be proud to field it on the table yes I do some of my own armies and figures which I find helps pull me back from hobby block well your quick words were good to hear we in this hobby need to pull from each others experience and its great hobby full of great people always there to help share pick us up wen were in the hobby block well I'm off to my paint table to get some therapy and some sense of achievement hope i made sense and always a great watch your a very talented painter(artist) your work is top in my books Steve anyway have a lovely weekend and take care till next time mate
That's awesome, thanks Darrin! I think we all take something from the hobby, but when burnout occurs I think we all have different ways of getting over this. For me, it was just doing something that I had previously enjoyed that got me through it. You're right in that seeing something finished and completed when you've struggled with motivation or enthusiasm is inspiring 😀👍
That's definitely how I felt! Looking through the stash, other people's projects and videos.....nothing. Best advice I can give is a break is good, trying to paint or build when you feel you have to never helps. Choose something you know you'll enjoy, no matter how small or even if it's for ten minutes. Working on that Churchill was for a short while each night but seeing it finished changed everything. Hope you get the enthusiasm back soon dude 😀👍
Thanks Justin, I think we all go through ebbs and flows when it comes to the hobby. Even now I can still go a few days doing other things rather than painting. After the last burnout, I'm a lot more comfortable with this 😀👍
I had the same, bought the new Warlord Rangers, loved building and painting them. Then I built an M8 Scott today, yes they’re utterly crap, but what a cool looking vehicle. I’m already for V3 Bolt Action.
I think finding a kit or miniatures that get you back to painting and hobbying is always great. Having seen your work on your US Rangers, it's clear to see you've been enjoying working on them 😀👍
Cheers Rich, I think when it comes to basing miniatures, I always enjoy finding new bits and pieces to use. You'd need to ask Dom about the moistness, he's the expert 😅
I think having a community around you can help a lot. It gives purpose and a measure of accountability. Thanks for sharing and I'm glad you got your 'mojo' back. Rich
Cheers Rich, I've really enjoyed my painting and hobbying since getting over the burnout. Being part of the community definitely helped, people providing advice and support was helpful 😀👍
I think sometimes a little- or even a long- break from the hobby (any hobby) can be a good thing. We can come back refreshed and maybe even with a slightly different perspective- possibly slightly less obsessional in my case.
Definitely agree with this Martin. I think the break from the hobby has worked out really well for me, it's given me a different perspective and focus on what I've been painting since then 😀👍
Great video Ste. I've used the mixed herbs in the past, but need to get some more ready for a Nam'68 project. Cork really is the basing material of the gods isn't it.
Cheers buddy! I think I'll be joining you with some Nam68 when it's out. This is precisely the reason my Rubicon USMC are back on the painting desk again. Cork really is the GOAT of basing materials in my humble opinion 😀👍
@@OnPointHQwhen you mentioned Nam'68 on the PCP I've been interested and been looking at some 3D printed US and VC. This video for basing brought it back into focus and has encouraged me to pull the trigger on the project going forward.
Good video Ste. Agree that Vallejo products are excellent for our hobby. I have never used the water effect stuff though so it will be something for me to try going forwards; it looks good. you have also proved that you can use almost anything when basing. Thanks mate. 😀
Thanks Pat, much appreciated! The water effect is an excellent product and works really well with the mud, definitely recommended. Finding new materials to make bases with is always interesting 😀👍
Thanks Ian, glad you liked the video and I hope it gave you some starters and ideas for your own basing! As I said in the video, I always try and keep my basing simple as much as I can but it's always good to try new products and ways of working with them. Good luck with the basing! 😀👍
Excellent run through of your different techniques and how you achieve an awesome finish to bases must try some at some stage and enjoyed seeing your excellent looking figures you have painted
Thanks Darrin, much appreciated! I would definitely recommend trying out some new basing products and techniques. I'vw always found that experimenting with different materials etc is a great way of coming up with some unique and often surprising looking bases 😀👍
Cheers Jimbo, glad you liked the video! With the cork bases, when I add the weathering pigment, I don't use any fixing medium and rely on the pigments 'staining' the paint. It also leaves the dusty effect that I like. The same applies to vehicles where I just want that dusty look. Where I want the pigments to apply a more dried mud look, I use airbrush thinner as a fixing medium. Varying the amount of thinner produces a thinner or thicker mud effect. I usually use this when I'm weathering tanks or vehicles and it works well on tracks etc. Hope that helps dude 😀👍
@@OnPointHQ I've been using streaking grime to muddy up my figures, but it always dries a bit too dark for my taste. This seems like a perfect solution . Can't wait to try it out, thanks Ste👍
Bases and Faces.... Vallejo Sand is really good to use on FDM 3d terrain, grey cork with a Vallejo ice yellow dry brush is my concrete look, Fantasy I quite like cobblestone wall paper and for my latest bolt action Soviets I mixed coffee grounds sand and some flocks to make a big pot I can just dunk em in. Oh and last one for Heresy I made a big gunky paste with bits box stuff in and mixed orange paint and dry brushed it for a mars type planet
I think bases and faces definitely sums it up! Some really good ideas here thank you, the Mars/alien world sounds like a top idea and one that I'll be checking out! I've used tea in the past as a basing material but never coffee, this is going on the list too 😀👍
Thank you! I've never pinned them no, a small dab of superglue to the feet creates a really strong bond between the plastic and the cork. I can't remember a single miniature ever snapping off a cork base 😀👍
Cheers Rich! Effective is what I always aim for, especially over the course of an entire project, a Bolt Action army for example. Simple but effective always works for me 😀👍
Cheers Don, hope that you find the video helpful! It's amazing what a splash of mud and some clump foliage can do to a miniature. And cork. Definitely the cork 😀👍
Great video love what you can do with different things should have some dried herbs from when my daughter got her first home I can use it when I can do my Pacific troops 🤠🤠🤠
Thank you! The dried herbs are absolutely ideal for jungle based armies from the Pacific. I've based my Australian and USMC projects with mixed herbs and really enjoy the end result 😀👍
Cheers Justin, I'm glad you liked the video! With mine I always try and keep the basing as simple as I can and that's why I like combining different products, seeing what can be achieved 😀👍
Great overview! I agree that bases completely covered with grass don’t need any prior texture. I just paint those bases mottled green and brown then glue down the grass/flock/tufts. For Frostgrave terrain when I needed a lot of snow I mixed baking soda with PVA and thick white craft glue. It looks a bit more like a wet snow slush but is less likely to turn yellow.
That's awesome, thank you! I may have to experiment with the craft glue as I don't think that I've tried that before. I'm always on the look out for new techniques so I'm going to give that a try 😀👍
The WWII Transfers are perfect..... for the period these models covered, particually the first half, the rules of heraldry had not been fully established - most heraldry was geometric shapes, such as diamonds, triangles and stars, along with bands and quartering of the background. Have just got myself a set of these, will be doing a review and paint video soon.
Thanks for the confirmation about the shields, that's really very helpful. It's not a period I've ever gamed/painted before but I did remember seeing shapes and patterns on shields so thought they make work. Glad I tried them anyway! Awesome, I'll be sure to check it out 😀👍
Thanks Jonathan, much appreciated! I know a few people that play Baron's War and they've all recommended it too, so it's definitely something I'll be looking into. Plus it means painting more of this series of miniatures which is always good 😀👍
It's a fantastic kit, probably my favourite of the year, really enjoyable to work with. I wasn't convinced the Bolt Action transfers were going to work but surprisingly they don't look too out of place 😀👍
Your video was put together really well and your figures look great; do you plan out ahead of time which shield design (paint + decal) matches each figure or do you match them afterwards?
Thank you, that's very kind! No, the shields are the last thing I work on when I've been painting these. The shape of the shield and the size of the decal are the biggest factors. I want to try some freehand shield patterns on the next batch of knights that I paint 😀👍
Definitely a recommended kit Rich and suitable for both historical and fantasy. I'm going to paint mine so they can be used in Baron's War and Warlords of Erehwon 😀👍
Thanks Phil! All very new to me painting for this period but really very enjoyable. I'm glad the weathering turned out to be effective and didn't ruin the miniatures 😀👍
