Knowing When It's Best to Quit 

The worst enemy of good is better.

I always have to remind myself "The enemy of good, is better". I've ruined so many projects trying to make something perfect, it goes from good to awful.

You should have ended this video at 5:45, just abruptly, as a point :P

You just saved what I was working on while listening to you. Thanks!

So, I wouldn't say that I've ever really had this issue... but I do appreciate the idea and I think it is applicable in a bigger setting from the beginning for some players: "Decide how much time / what level of painting / what you want to focus on / or something else / BEFORE you start and then be comfortable calling the model done (for now) when you hit that point"... So you (as Adam alluded to) might have 20 other models to paint... so decide that you aren't doing more than basecoat, highlight, and wash... and just do that.. or do less... whatever... with the "Quick Dip" technique you can get away with JUST a base coat of each color (as long as it's neatly done) and no highlight or shading and still get good results with the polyurethane varnish and a matt sealer... and then, as you get to those character or centerpiece models, I see this possibility of over-painting to be more likely.. actually, as i think about this.. I maybe am guilty of this in my beginning of the hobby.. I remember I wasn't a very good painter.. but i would try to make "each model different" and I was painting Skaven... so EACH skaven had a different colored fur with different highlights and different pattern of face and "hair" and hands and feet and tail... and i clearly didn't paint them quickly... so yeah.. recognizing the symptoms of overpainting and setting more realistic and simple goals to start is probably good advice for newer painters.. and then avoiding the over-painting and perfectionist issues are things to monitor yourself for as you get better at the painting part of the hobby. Thanks again!

I usually now know that I need to stop adding, right after the primer is on.

Hey! Just wanted to say after finding you channel and the new Warhammer tv channel iv gotten back into 40k, thank you for all you do

I think it sums up to that sometimes less is more. You expressed in a great way a struggle many of as face. Recently I got some piece of mind when I stopped working on a wraithknight I was adding paint for ages and used him to a game.

Graphic designer myself, so I can relate. Also, you have a really nice soothing voice. I'll stick around to watch more videos.

Kinda on the side of the point of the video: I have recently "devolved" my painting style. For a long time I kept trying out new techniques and spent loads of time on models. This came about because I had started entering in local painting competitions, and placed fairly well with some of my work. But really I enjoy painting more to "get shit done" and I prefer playing with painted models (although I don't mind playing unpainted at all) My mantra is "Painting is all about cheating", if you have a technique that is "good enough" and is faster than "high end technique": Just use the fast one!

I have no interest in wargames but I really like listening to this guy's voice. I'd happily listen to him reading the telephone directory.

Okay, Adam, I got it - that's what I call the right video at the right time! Just finished my Archmage, I posted on facebook a few days ago. ;-)

That's deep, how many other things in life are also an "additive process"? Kinda makes you wonder. "You are adding too much paint man", that could be a very niche way of speaking during non-paint related situations.

You are One of my favourite youtubers, You Teach good Tips, Thank You for making me a better painter and builder

Thanks for the advice. With a demi-company of Blood Angels terminators to paint I will have to remember this.

Hey, just wanted to tell you that you have a great voice. Very pleasing to listen to. And what you're saying is also very helpful. I have trouble finishing up my models. Whenever I get to the point where the model is looking sufficiently good even though the last touch ups are missing (as in the last 2-5% of the whole paint job) I get super bored and move on to the next project. It's weird. Same with correcting mistakes. I do finish them at some point later because at some point it starts to annoy me that I have a bunch of almost finished models lying around but then its not much fun anymore. You got any tips how to keep up the motivation towards the end? Also, I used to only paint for paintings sake. But I recently started to build a real army because I want to start playing the game. Unfortunately my painting is thus very slow. Any tips on how to generally speed up the painting withoug losing too much of the quality? Cheers for the videos! Keep up the great work :)

PLEASE tell me you wore a barret during that art class !!!!

More sagely advice from the great hobby philosopher Uncle Atom. I'm planning to do some big painting projects this year so for me this is as timely as it is pertinent. Thanks!

I quit bread on Monday.

I thought you were going to talk about sticking with GW lol.

This was one of the most important videos you have made especially for myself. Amazing job and nothing wrong with a bit of personal storytelling 👍

"The enemy of Good is Better". It seems to apply in this context as well. Great vid!

on the very off chance that it has not been pointed out already, this advice can be used for other aspects of life as well! great video!

thanks for the video

Just sent a unit of Satyxis Raiders into a simple green jacuzzi for this exact reason. Sound advice.

...like over polishing a diamond...eventually you will wear down those sharp edge cuts that make it sparkle so beautifully. Thanks for sharing! Very inspirational. It's all about keeping things in proper perspective.

Exactly what I'm fighting this week. Thank you very much for the reminder. :)

Your talk about knowing when to quit was also a metaphor for life and not just miniatures. Deep, man! :-)

Yeah, I realized I needed to find a stopping point when I agreed to paint three 1000 point Bolt Action Armies (Army, Soviet, German). Like you said find your level for what your painting. If it's tabletop then don't spend all day:) - except maybe on the command units.

I was talking to my wife about this a few months ago. it was a conversation about how it's easier for me to paint things for other people, since I don't hold myself to as high of a standard as I do when I paint my own things. knowing when "it's good enough" comes a lot easier when doing it for someone else, especially if you keep in mind they'll probably look at it and (hopefully) think it turned out great! i worked on a christmas gift for some dear friends of ours we're trying to get into AoS (the gateway drug) so I painted a malignants box (easy white with heavy green wash) and Greenskins box. the greenskins took me about a full day (I had a majority of the box left xmas eve YIKES!) and it got to a point where I lowered my standard enough that they still turned out great, and I didn't feel so sleezy about cutting some corners (they don't need highlights right?)

I early started to relate to that. My first few Space Marines I came back over and over again, adding new stuff, trying to improve. They look so much worse than somewhere down the road. So now I keep in mind what steps I want to do, do them, apply some corrections and then call it done. DONE! I don't apply stuff anymore. The only way to get better is to try again from scratch over and over again.

I feel how you mean. I paint tyranids, so I can't spend a lot of time on the gants cause I'll go nuts (I have 40 and am aiming for 60), so I found I actually tend to put more detail in them then others do. It's how I like it cause they are how I like, and the extra details take a few more minutes a model, so I then just load a podcast up and slow paint like for display. I don't do THAT much but I paint for both reasons

Great words! I, myself, got trapped during painting a model. I should've ended earlier. Sometimes less is more.

This is an important lesson I learned, especially as someone who primarily paints to game but still likes to have an army that looks pleasing. Whenever I feel like I want to add something I put it down and stand a few feet away, if I don't think it would matter I don't do it.

My tip to know if a model is done, always consider if you will actually see a detail when its over an armlength away, if its not visible than i dont bother putting it on. (for those who paint models to play). Thats why i never go to far with painting.

something to think about. I'm about to start thanqoul and boneripper. hopefully i don't go overboard

Greetings from Germany! Like your channel.

I'm interested to know how many mini painters out there, love to paint Warhammer 40k but don't play the game. I collect heaps, paint heaps. Have no intention of playing the game though.

literally had a conversation with someone on your facebook group a couple of days ago where i had pretty much the same experience at college haha!

thank u so much for the help. it's been driving me insane, well almost lol, but knowing when to stop will help.

This is some great advice as I'm too much of a perfectionist when I paint. My models are far from perfect but I have a hard time transitioning away until I have tried my utmost. Also, good plug for liberal education. I loved my concentration but you learn a lot from the supplementary coursework.

I love playing and I love painting, but I have to compromise. Last project was my eldar army and I took a long time (about 2 weeks for 10 Models, If I had a lot of free time). At the end november I started a passion project: My orks. I wanted to make a good looking army which each and every one converted and painted. Well, I need about 8-10h for a single miniature, characters like nobz take up nearly double that time and I planning for my Waaaghboss (conversion of the Orruk Megaboss) a whole month of painting. I want to try new techniques of painting. Im going to need at least 6 month to get in the 1500 points area. To paint orks (far more difficult than eldar, where you can mostly use an airbrush) and to think Im going to have a ork army with that kind of standard in half a year, brings me immense joy. Try to find fun in painting stuff, but like you said: Dont overdo things. If theres a highlight not up to point on the left knee that nobody will see: Just ignore it, if you already have dumped a few hours in that miniature...unless its a character ;D

There's a saying in French that literally says "the best is the enemy of the good" (le mieux est l'ennemi du bien). It means that many times, trying to improve on something that is already pretty good, will just screw up everything.

Once again, so spot on. SO many times lately I've looked at the model I'm working on and said "ok, its done, i suppose,.....but it needs....something". YES! It needs me to STOP and leave it alone!

Nice video ! I am a slow painter, because i mainly paint for display ( altough I still play AoS and 40k ) and I think that less is more in these kinds of situations. When I paint HQ units I usualy set a palette ( with the less is more in mind ) and work from there. It also helps if you inspect the model closely, before you put any paint on, and make up your mind what you should paint by each individual colour.

I've been soaking my toe in the hobby for a few years and I just started getting very seriously into it in 2016 with Age of Sigmar. I stumbled upon this channel a couple weeks ago and the video about the price of perfection has been a great help as I have trouble bringing my models to play games if they're not finished and perfect in my eyes, which they never will be.

I just learned this with airbrushing. I've stripped a couple models after saying to myself "should have just stopped there" lol Definitely a great bit of information, harder for it to sink in I think lol.

"normally when you ask if you're done, you're done." *Shakes head in agreement* "fuck warhammers just helped me deal with an issue if been struggling with for years"

I really like this video and agree with you! I have a rule personally "When it's done, it's done." which basically is not to go back and keep touching up a model. Eventually you got to let it go so another model can be painted.

Thank you for another great video. Every video of yours I've watched resonates with me! I am really glad you keep posting this great content.

Amongst the best, down to earth and healthy tips on miniature painting right there. Great video. I can't help but failing these advices sometimes, but you learn by pushing to far once in a while as well ;)

Sir, you have expressed quite well the Painter's Dilemma: How do I know when to say "Good enough"?

as an ex-art student (I did a Fine Art degree) too, I totally agree - the biggest lesson is knowing when to step back from a painting and leave it. Paintings are never finished, they are just left.

Hey I'm going to college for photography as well! 😀

THIS is probably the most important video you´ve ever made. Might be my problem all along, thanks!

I don't actually play any tabletop wargaming, i come here for the philosophy. Great video! :)

I'm a complete victim of this. nearly every model I paint I end up wishing the last few layers never happened. only time I didn't was when I took part in an event at my local store; over the course of 4 months a few of us built an army, but kept all the models in store. this meant they more or less only got painted in store, and at the end of the day I had to decide if he was "done" and ready to go in the display cabinet

I'm having this issue at the moment, but with the modelling aspect. I keep trying to improve the finish of the base models of a unit I'm doing at the moment, and I'm just getting frustrated with them. It may be time to leave them be, lol.

"The thing you don't want, is your model to look like it's got paint on it." -Uncle Atom Miniature painter's words to live by!

I had a moment like this while painting my Balrog a couple years back. The first stage is blending the red and yellow over the white base coat, and it looks extremely messy. I had very little confidence that it would turn out well, but after seeing it through over a couple of days he turned out very well. I learned from the experience to think of ahead but paint one layer at a time. As soon as I start to get iffy about something I'm painting, I stop for that day and come back to it later. My models have seen a drastic improvement since then

By far the best show on RU-vid! Love what you do man. Kepp on rocking, Uncle Atom!

I tend "go too far" when painting the first batch of troops I a new army. I don't paint them until they don't look good, but I paint them to a higher standard than i Can be bothered to repeat on another 30+ models.

This is good stuff. The perfektion video changed the way I paint and made the hobby fun again. This undelines the same theme.

This channel has been by far the most helpful for a new warhammer hobbyist, trying to paint both 2500 points of sylvaneth and 2500 points of necrons, this channel has given me a lot of advice to make the models look better and get done faster. Love it

This is actually exactly what I was thinking about yesterday. I have a tendency to continue painting when the model already looks nice, and more often than not I make it worse.

Great vid as always. I would like to talk in future on realistic painting vs designer painting. I explain better: the w40k models schemes are often planned to be shown on battlefield, illustrations, book and so on, but not always are realistic. Sometimes I prefer a more realistic approach and only some splash of designer colors Examples of realistic: Catachans, many Orks, maybe also Grey Knight .... Designer colors: many Tyranid schemes very bright, Usually Eldars, demons in general (not always...). What you think?

I saw the title and I was afraid you were dropping the channel. Glad that I was wrong!

Lol, that intro sounded like a sarcastic dig. 'You can't paint, you need to quit' good vid nevertheless

I have a question for the Tabletop Minions community, as i need some assistance with colour selection for an army I wish to paint. My technique is adequate but i have always struggled with colour selection when deviating from the recommended palette for a model. I have been out of the game for a long while and want to get back into Warhammer with the Age of Sigmar sets, specifically the Death faction. In looking at the starter sets I have decided to start off with the Skeletons starter box, which includes the Mortrachs models. In looking at the suggested paint schemes I really like the look of the skulls/souls that are encased in the rib-cage of Mannfred's mount. Rather that paint my skeleton units in the standard bone scheme I think i want to try mimicking the skulls/souls from Mannfred's mount and make a smoldering skeleton army, but i want to ensure that they still look like bones that are on fire and not flames in the shape of a skeleton. In short, i want that charred look, combined with a still-burning core, within the skeleton. My big problem here is what colours to use to create that effect. Do i work outwards from the burning interior and have the outer shell of bone be a charred black/dark brown? What colours can i use to create this effect without going ridiculously overboard when buying paints. I have no paints at all currently so everything will have to be purchased and i would like to control costs. Any and all advice is welcome, as are links to any examples. So far my searches have not turned up anything useful for what i am looking for. I just really want to avoid a bunch of boring bone-coloured units, if possible. Ultimately, as my army grows I would like to have each Mortarch have at least one associated unit of skeletons that have colour-schemes matching the Mortarch itself. Neferata may end up with a skeleton horde that resembles spirits, for example. No clue what to do with Arkhan's units yet, but regardless i want to try tackling Mannfred first.

That model looked very cool, even though I'm a chaos player I was still very impressed

Irony - As I watch this adding 'Just a few more highlights' :-S

I think this idea can be extended further to being satisfied painting something to a 'tabletop standard' so it can be used in games and left that way indefinitely but at the same time being OK with it being unfinished so you can move on to another project.

Sound advice. I've ruined many a miniature by not stopping when i should have done.

I prefer to paint into tabletop standard and then add more on characters after i finish a playable 2000pt army. - Usually follow the tips of Duncan to avoid too much paint on the models. I feel it's easier to notice what you want to add after looking at the entire army from a distance. Do I want one more colour to "pop" or not? Usually I prefer keeping the amount of paints at a low count and instead add more varieties of shades, technical colours etc.

Great advice! In my studio when I teach some of our Novices I always use the term "Sometimes less is more!" Becuz painting is an additive process ppl tend to always try and do that one more thing and it ends up with them frustrated.

Good video as always - three things I have discovered ; 1.) 'A coat of paint covers a multitude of sins' (usually, you make a very good point about layer upon layer of paint) 2.) 'Know when to stop' - my maths teacher taught me that, about my art work, still relevant - and I apply this especially to watercolour painting (and no, I still can't do math) 3.) 'And finally, something Kenny taught me;, 'You've got to know how to hold 'em, Know when to prime them, Know when to walk away, Know when paintins' done, You never count your army, When you're sittin' at the table There'll be time enough for griping,, When the paintings done ...

I so relate to this. I never actually finished a miniature and I got a lot of compliments for my conversions and creativity... yeah. I still have some models tho. I changed hobby and became a musician - now I'm almost pro and I need to get back to another hobby so... :P Hopefully jazz teached me that perfection is a lot of shit. xD

that T shirt is so cool

This was actually really helpful, I've been putting off painting the rest of my army because of how picky I am over painting my models, they look the nuts but my last model, death company dreadnaught, I starting doing exactly what you described at got so frustrated it wasn't exactly perfect with highlighting edges and tiny little shading tones, gonna start cracking back at them now tho this weekend. Great video, thanks ✌🏻

I'm quitting this channel. thanks.

And here I thought you were going to be talking about quitting a hobby. :p

Not what I expected, super interesting video! Glad you popped up on my feed, gonna go watch that price of perfection video you linked!

I don't game anymore but I model and make terrain. When I started, I wanted to use ALL THE TECHNIQUES, resulting in some terribly overdone models. By model 3, I realized that each model deserves a game plan. I lightly pre-assemble and contemplate what I need to do to make my vision happen. Some models will look terrible with complex paint jobs (camo, marbled armor, etc). Some are going to need some lines scribed into them to really pop. Using ALL the weathering techniques usually (but not always) results in a junky looking product. So I make my plan and write it out step by step on a card that stays in my workspace, and I stick to the plan. I'm still not expert level, but my work is good and people are usually impressed. So that's my addition. Visualize, plan, and stick to the plan. When it's done, it's done. Sure, sometimes you want to experiment but experiments can go wrong more often than not.

Should have listening to this a week ago, still very good advice.

I batch paint so generally mine so I generally stop a paint layer or two too early ;) great stuff fella!

What a good video! Keep up the good work!

just decided to get into Warhammer Age Of Sigmar,and I have a question will 210 USD be enough to start a new army with paint and all that other jazz?if anyone can reply thanks!love your vids btw!

I love the fact that your channel is "just about minis", but the stuff you say really applies to just about any artistic endeavour. I've been recording and mixing my own music and for some time and I always faced the question: "am I done here? Or does this guitar need a little bit more compression and EQ?". I've heard a really cool quote one day (I have no idea who said it), but it went something like "The song is never finished, it's just abandoned". I guess same thing applies to minis. Fantastic channel, insta sub from me.

I take a figure drawing class. Sin number one is overworking your drawing. Often less is more, especially around eyes and such.

Great video this is something I have an issue with always one more coat

you're tips are the best, so so helpful

Your videos are super helpful, my Helbrute was starting to suffer from this, I've always been an over-worker with drawing and painting and so on. Although I thought it was going to be 'when to get out of the hobby'.

Really good points here.

Hey atom, not entirely on topic of the video but would you recommend, to someone new to painting, to go straight in and use a wet pallet or learn the basics first using a dry pallet?

"Were it not sinful then, striving to mend, To mar the subject that before was well?" - King Lear, Shakespeare

I always like your vids. You're not the stereotype annoying nerd that I encounter in this hobby. Your intros are basic and you always get right to the point without the bullshit intros. Helloooooooooo, fuck that guy. Keep the good vids coming!

I'm sure you've heard the quote, "Art is never finished. Only abandoned"? Came to my mind almost instantly. I don't remember if you said it in the video or not. Great topic!

Best time to quit when u're dead.

I keep coming back to this video and screaming as I drove ANOTHER model into the ground

I must admit that I have opposite problem. Generally I don't enjoy painting and I am lazy painter so I only paint because I have to so that I can use my models in game. To me painting is least favorite part of this hobby while I most enjoy building armies and using those in games.