Why Don't You Just Start? 

i love my tv and video games but still find time for wargamming! just got rid of that rubbish hobby called sleep.

This video reminded me of one of the greatest moments I've seen in a gaming store. Not quite the exact line used in this video, but similar, happened in the Games Workshop store I used to visit. The store had a "no unpainted minis" policy on their gaming tables, and a guy showed up with some models he'd only just bought and assembled the day before. His line was "I haven't had time yet", which is a little better than the usual complaint quoted here. The store manager, who happened to be working on his own army (which he also planned to use as display models in the store window), called out from one of the store's pair of painting table. "You have time now, right? You can use my paints, and I'll help you out if you have questions" what he *didn't* mention was that he had pictures of some of his own minis in at least one codex and the latest 2 issues of the White Dwarf magazine that were sitting on the shelf behind him. I had been working on my second WH40K army on the other painting table at the time, and the advice that came up was directly relevant to the models I was painting, so I joined them too. From there we ended up with everyone crowding around and talking about painting techniques and forgetting they had been about to start actually playing...

"No such thing as spare time. No such thing as free time. No such thing as down time. All you got is life time" -Henry Rollins

Its funny....I actually enjoy the "work" part of it more than playing the game sometimes.

A solitary hobbyist faces this problem alone. It can help to take a page from quilters and crocheters, and get together and paint with a small group of people. If you make the time to get together and share supplies and ideas, you might find that it's easier to get started. You can share pointers, advice, feedback, encouragement, and just good company. It's a lot easier than when it's just you facing those pots and brushes. =^[.]^=

TBH ..thats the most mild mannered Rant I've ever saw!!! lol Please narrate an audio book your voice is like good whiskey.

Uncle Atom, I must say that after about fifteen years of looking at miniature painting videos, pirating D&D book pdf files for no real reason and stuff. After I've found your channel I got the 5e books, a 3d printer, an airbrush and some paints and a few D&D nerds. You and Sam got me off my couch and into a chair painting minis and DMing my first homebrew campaign. Thanks for the motivation and inspiration! Big fan!

Having to pack everything away each time I wanted to paint nearly had me at the give up and sell it off point. However, I finally managed to create a permanent hobby space last summer and since then, I've made a commitment to paint/build for a minimum of 30 minutes a day, often more but never less. I don't get a great deal done in half an hour but I do get something done. The wet palate has also proved to be a real eye-opener, not just for keeping the paint wet but for giving me the confidence to try blending a little more (so thanks for that video as well :) )

This applies to everything in life. Working on cars, becoming a RU-vidr, a politician, a motivational speaker, a terrain maker, an athlete Solid advice man

That wasn't a rant Uncle Atom, they were the well articulated sentiments of an impassioned individual. Keep up the good work!

my problem is usually keeping momentum... something comes in (getting sick, other stuff needs doing) and then I can't find the energy to start again...

Gotta admit, high-level videos have derailed me for months. My standards got so high that I couldn't quite get there and that was holding me back. I'm gonna just start up again and just do it my way. Thanks for this video!

One advice I have for people, that lack motivation, is to start painting the larger surfaces first and then slowly work down to smaller and smaller surfaces and details. Might seem trivial at first but if you have a hard time getting started it can be very satisfying to see such a large improvement over a short time if you start with the larger surfaces first, then the details.

Your videos raised my painting productivity greatly! Since I've started listening I went through 40 skeletons that were sitting there for almost two months. Thank you!

My biggest issue is staying power. I paint a bunch of minis, and if for some reason I have to stop for more than an hour or two, I find it challenging to get back to it a day or a week later.

I watched (listened) to this video while I started working on a new piece of scenery. For several weeks, which turned into a few months after moving, I kept telling myself that once I had the major move stuff organized that I would clean off my designated painting area and get down to business with painting, modeling, scenery creation. It just wasn't happening and I kept putting it off. About a week ago, I cleaned all the stuff that had accumulated on my painting desk off of it. The next day, I put up my lights, found the box with my paints/brushes, then dug out some miniatures that I had previously assembled. Sometimes just getting started is a motivation to keep making progress. I have an acquaintance whom I painted with years ago. One time he was asked when he was going to get a few squad of Space Marines painted. His response was that he was going to paint them after he got better at painting! He was a decent tabletop level painter then, but I've always wondered how he thought he would improve his painting skills without painting more models, especially the basic troops types.

Relevant for any hobby or creative pursuit. I'm an illustrator and when people ask me how to become an illustrator, they're usually disappointed when I answer "just draw". I'm also set on learning guitar, but it's taken me 3 months of overthinking to actually go and buy one...

It took me 26 years to start building and painting Warhammer (that’s 26 years from first being aware of Warhammer!). Although I bought the odd miniature or two along the way, i only started dedicating time to the hobby last year. I didn’t have the concentration span as a kid, and only occasionally remembered miniatures existed, let alone having the focus to buy and paint them. I loved the concept but i never moved past being a spectator watching the hobby from a safe distance. But finally after a few years of watching your videos I started buying miniatures. I still haven’t ever played any tabletop war games, but I have started dedicating time to buying, building and priming models. I even started painting the models (not just priming them). My nostalgia is for the 90’s metal Warhammer models, but I have also started collecting modem minis as well.

I like to play movies in the background that I've already seen a zillion times. Then I listen most of the time and occasionally watch my favourite parts of the movie. It's always worked well.

Great rant. This was me up until literally a few days ago. I had boxes of grey plastic models that I haven't played with as didn't want to play without paint on them... but could never 'find the time' (just procrastinate and make excuses instead) to paint. So I just made myself sit down with a unit of clanrats and about 5 paints and base coated them whilst watching Duncan guide me through it. I found the process hugely enjoyable with a touch of frustration thrown in for good measure. But the result is a unit that just need a wash and I would be happy to put them on the table top to play and I am eager to get on with the rest of the army!

I was painting my first mini (Commander Dante) while watching this. Thanks for the video!

I think alot of people get discouraged cause they don't get that doing it well requires time and practice. You watch all the awesome miniatures online and you get this vision in your head, where you buy bunch of paints and will instantly be an awesome painter. Then, once you're done with your first models and it turns out that you are just not so great, you realise that you actualy have to LEARN it, just like anything else. It can get overwhelming for some people, the concept of how much time you need to put into learning how to paint. It's also the times we have now, we want instant effects, we want everything fast. People need to realise that the process of learning, exploring new techniques, can also be pleasant and satisfying as hell. Every once in awhile you'll reach a new "skill level" and it is basicly like leveling up in a game, suddenly you just become better and better. Get interested in progressing, see what you can do, that should be your goal, not instatly becoming a pro.

I am so happy I watched this now. You've revamped my drive to paint. I've been in and out of 'starting,' yes, just starting the painting. You're rant was exactly what I needed to hear! Thanks!

11:44 Thanks for including that! I laughed so hard. The quality of your vids is very well balanced. The effort you put into your channel as well as the hobby is greatly appreciated by my son and I. We're just getting started and we enjoy your content!

Interestingly, I paint while watching TV, and that's one of my motivators - paint and watch a show. Thing is, I end up being very busy with other stuff - board game night, RPG game night, messing around with 3D printers, try to exercise a couple of times a week... really only leaves one or two nights a week to paint.

I listen to you while I'm painting/sculpting. Have learned more about my hobby in a few days than I've learned from the years of collecting miniatures. You've really sparked the light in my hobby again. I feel the urge to go out and play =D

"smile and the world will smile with you, cry and you will cry alone"

I was actually basecoating some old models and this video made my day. I want to say that is great that you want to get more people into the hobby. Your videos have been great for my motivation, as I got back to wargames less than a year ago, so I won't ever grow tired about videos for begginers hahaha. Thanks, Atom!

This is very encouraging. Seriously love all of your videos. Just ordered a paint set earlier this week to finally take the plunge and paint my minis.

I’ve just done a 1.30hr bjj lesson and I’m still keen to bust that edge highlighting on my roboute guilliman

I don't watch tv. I watch RU-vid tutorials. Not sure I should stop that, I get a lot of inspiration .

7:36 "Shit or get off the lawn!" Preach, uncle Atom, preach! :-)

I watched a lot of your videos and they played a huge part in getting me started. I finally got the AoS starter kit after wanting to start wargaming for 10+ years. Thanks man!

Preach! I have been playing table top games for 28 years now and it took me a very long time to learn this!! Where were you to get my as painting 20 years ago! Great video.

I come back to this video like every six months and rewatch it because it's legitimately some of the best life advice I've ever gotten.

Thanks for doing this video, parts of it really resonated with me. I've been putting off doing my hobby for years now due to life and health reasons (which eventually became just excuses). After watching this, I just went for it. Have gotten more done in the past month than in the past 4 years. Thanks for helping bring me back into the fold, Atom.

This video reminded me of that Shia Lebouef video where he shouts "JUST DO IT!"

Uncle Atom: I find your videos VERY motivational. Today is a special day for me, for I completed a painting project that was quite important to me. There were times when I thought "I can't paint today!" -- but then I heard your voice reverberating from a previous video saying "Just finish!". Now it's done and the games await! Thank you, and best wishes from Australia -- Brett.

Your channel motivates me to keep on doing my mini painting, it also encouraged me to start my own channel, it is not the greatest production but at least i talk more now and then, you have great content, remember that your hobby and passion motivates some of us, keep doing this great and excellent work

Love this I'm literally painting as I'm watching your videos. Keep up the videos man you really motivate me to stay in the hobby.

The longest journey begins with a single step, is what this made me think of. Cheap minis that you aren't emotionally invested in, like a Reaper Bones kickstarter pile of plastic minis, are great starting points to make mistakes with.

I love audiobooks while modeling i find it very therapeutic.

Id just like to say; Thanks! I dont play tabletop gaming. I actually found your channel for inspirtion and ideas for painting - i scratch build and kit bash kits for model railways of all things. However, this vid, and a few of your previous ones, almost 'shamed' me into just....just doing it. Just crack on and do it. I queue some videos up on you tube, and let them run in the background whilst im doing it. Dont stop, stay awesome!

Just started last week. Got the dark imperium starter set and loved every moment of solitude while gluing the parts together with a small pair of fabric scissors and a nail file while listening to some audiobooks. My local hobby shop has beginner painting sessions every sunday where they make use of all those Easy to Build primaris marines as practice painting palets. Your vids and those of many others have been a godsend to getting me off my duff and starting on something that i may find a bit more fulfilling-or at the very least different- from my usual PC gaming. Thank you for your years of service!

I've been watching your content for the last week or so and it has been very important for me... I started my Mini-war gaming journey when I was 8 years old during visits to the mall with my parents, I would beg to be left in the Gamesworkshop just to look at the incredible miniatures other people were putting together. I collected piecemeal units and characters (painted terribly) throughout my childhood but going into HS stopped collecting because I got into other things. Since graduating HS I've moved a few times and each time unearthed my old carrying cases and would spend some time remembering the joy these models brought me at some point. The other day, with the support of my significant other and your wise words I visited my local game store (the same manager was there, some 15 years later) and invested in a paint collection and my army Codex (For Russ and the Allfather!). Spent the last two days building my Space Wolf beginner box, purchased years ago, and am currently painting my first Blood Claw unit whilst watching more of your content! People like you are the lifeblood of this hobby and truly rekindled my love of this hobby.

That part starting from 10:45 was nice to hear. I already knew this stuff, but hearing it while I'm doing my thing (currently 54 mm sculpture, very rookie and struggling to go through and finish a first piece) it's nice to hear that my first piece is going to be imperfect and that I'll have to improve. I was (kind of still am) in a mindset like "will it look the way I want? I want it to be perfect". I just figured out it better not, or else i'll never be done. I already spent too much time on it, and it's about time I finish it in the rough to see where I'm okay and where I have ways to go. I was so focused on perfection that I kept going back and re-doing every step, but I might as well finish a bad piece that I'll reflect on rather than take a lifetime to (never) complete a masterpiece. Thanks for the pep talk, it changed my take on things and might help me finish something and start learning from my unavoidable mistakes.

I have so much love for this video. I've recently just got back into the hobby after 15 years away. I spent a good month just watching your videos Adam among others ( Warhammer TV, Striking Scorpion ) and I could not wait to paint my first models. I was nervous but I followed alot of the basic tips ( Wet palette, thinning paint, pacing yourself in the amount of models ) and it's worked a treat. I've just finished my first 15 cadians with a heavy Bolter team and yesterday I was just so happy with how they looked and came out. I was nervous about the camo on my snipers but worst comes to the worst i can order more.... but they turned our perfect. I also found that pacing yourself and the idea of rewarding yourself with new models once you've completed others is perfect for me.I finished my first unit of cadian shock trooper .. and treated myself with a heavy weapons team, Once completed, i treated myself to 2 snipers and 1 melta gunner and 1 plasma gunner and now they have been done I am moving on. I've also found watching streams ( yours and warhammer Tv) while I paint is a great side with actually painting and i cannot wait for your live streams, just so i can get 2 hours or so under my belt and start or finish up models. Listening to people talk about the hobby while your doing it shows passion and commitment on both ends. It can be daunting, but it's the self will that you will get better at painting. You will get better at prep work or building them. You learn from every model you finish, how you should approach the next one better. I know my 5th or 6th cadian platoon is going to look so much better than my first and yet right now, I'd be happy to chuck my first 15 guys on a table and go hammer and anvil on come chaos or alien models. Thank You adam and please more live streams .... I have a Cadian sentinel coming this weekend and i need to relax while I build it haha !

Brilliant rant, I had hobby block for about 7-8 years but I am pleased to say I am back at it modelling painting and playing! Cheers unc for the pearls of wisdom.

Thank you for reinforcing the idea that we can all make time to do things we love and enjoy. Perspective is a powerful thing. I've attempted to show and tell the same idea.. albeit, in my own simplistic way. Thanks again.

first video I've seen from you and an instant subscription! I love your vibe

This video is great, all true. It played beautifully over the lo-fi hip hop I was listening to.

You have a great platform here and this was a great video. You're speaking on the same level as some of my favourite role models but your doing it with relations to a relatively manageable topic. People can take this advice and apply it to this relatively small aspect of their life and then go onto apply it to everything they do. There is no point in fearing failure and success is addictive. As soon as you have success you want more. So as long as you are willing to make that first step, and push for success, you will get it and then you'll never want anything else! Great video and a great message, thank you.

I knew two guys that used to play 40k but hated having to assemble and paint everything. They were all about the playing of the game but wanted nothing to do with the building and painting hobby part of 40k. They played only Necrons. No modding anything, no altering poses or magnetizing anything. If they wanted different options for different lists they preferred to just buy multiples because it was easier to just quickly glue up a second or even third model with different options than it is to modify a model. A quick two coats of Leadbelcher followed by one quick swipe of Nuln Oil and a quick spray of clear poly and done. In fact that was all they ever owned of paints. Their entire kit consisted of one or two of the bottles of gelled super glue in the hard plastic bottle with the side patches you squeeze to get the glue out, a pot or two of Leadbelcher, a pot or two of Nuln Oil and one of those cheap model brushes with the hard black plastic bristles that don't come to a point you can a dozen of for a buck at the dollar store. I have often thought that game companies were leaving money on the table and players out of the game by not offering fully assembled and painted minis for a higher price to bring in players that want to play but have no interest in the hobby portion.

Great video Uncle! Your advice to be honest with ourselves about what our personal take on the hobby is, and how much time we're willing or able to commit to it, is crucial in deciding how far to take our individual involvement. When I came through from the Fighting Fantasy books, Hero Quest, Subbuteo and saw things like Atmosfear, historical armies and GW I was looking for deeper, more immersive and challenging games. I really bought into the fluff, I loved the detailed models and scenery, and I wanted a part of that. Although I was naturally talented at drawing, I never counted on having to build and paint pretty much the entire game before getting to play, and to be fair I've never put much effort into learning and mastering the rules, and I wasted years not committing the time to preparation in either regard while setting unrealistically high targets and trying to keep up with friends who managed these issues better. That situation's barely changed in over 20 years, but I've gotten better. I have more specific goals, and although I have many more games to prepare and enjoy than when I started, I now have a (more) defined end outcome: to complete what I have so I can use it, then enjoy polishing off the pet projects, while avoiding the new cool stuff as much as possible, starting today I promise! In light of other projects coming up in the next few months including study for work, I also have a time limit on my hobby commitment: basically I need to put the bigger projects to bed by the end of summer so I can shift my focus. I'm now far more willing to pay for materials that help me achieve my goals faster. The new Shadow War terrain is a perfect example, it practically builds itself, although my enthusiasm for it makes working with it enjoyable. I also bought my first coloured spray, Retributor Armour, for my Scourge Dropfleet and my only regret is having hand painted my Dropzone army! I literally painted my army in an evening. I'm also more prepared to pay for commission work, a very talented young lady has knocked out some Fleshtearer Sanguinary Guard and Space Wolf Blood Claws for me at a price I'm happy with, delivering quality I couldn't deliver without trying extremely hard in time that I'm unwilling to afford, within a time frame that I just couldn't match. This affords me time to work on models I want to work on myself, such as my Nomads on clear Perspex bases. I've redefined my expectations and reined in that drive for completion and perfection. Part of me yearns to return to that MB approach to the models: coloured plastic, monopose, generic models. I have a horde of Orcs recently returned to me, plus my old Heroquest models, and although I collect Undead and some Empire the Greenskins and Ogres will see little love from me; I'm reducing my expectations accordingly: . Do I want to rebase them to match my Fantasy stuff? Probably yes. . Do I need to fully paint them, if at all? I like the single colour thing and it's very easy, so no. I'll buy the GW coloured base coats, maybe give them a wash, then see if I care to take them any further. . Do I need to take so much time cleaning the models? I've tried so hard to remove sprue lines and fill gaps on my other collections and although it costs time in its own right, my aversion to committing to this in the first place really slows me down, often for weeks. I look forward to seeing those imperfections in my finished models, knowing I chose to leave them there and enjoying that nostalgia even if some fellow hobbyists may disapprove. More generally I've spent a lot of time judging the relative value of my hobby compared with other pursuits and life in general: . Work's taken off well over the past year and I need to push for bigger things while the opportunities are available . I have a fiancée and young son who I need to spend more time with . I also practise and teach karate, an area where my ambitions far outreach my commitment in time or money, moreso than with wargames. . I've loved playing and listening to music for a long time. This was the third major pursuit I allowed to wither after Scouting and religion, which I quit entirely. The lessons I learned from these pastimes stay with me; it makes me sad to reflect on or dabble in some knowing I could have tried harder or done more with them, while I regretted wasting my time on others I felt obliged to see through. I firmly believe that we ultimately commit to what we're drawn to, and if we fight that instinct we end up fighting ourselves, and that's not a fun or healthy way to live.

New to the hobby, came across your videos/channel - all I can say is thank you! Very helpful and funny. 🙂

Time management? This is something I think allot of people need to apply to not just their war gaming but other areas of their life as well. Over the last year ive gone from wanting to play warhammer and watching your vids to building and painting a 2000 pt. army and actually playing occasionally. On top of this working ffull time and building up my career in my own time. I feel the biggest piece of the puzzle is time management and dedication. Thank you atom wise words, it's great to have this kind of content for the hobby.

While painting I set a portable DVD player at the corner of my painting desk and play my favorite shows / movies, or listen to podcasts on my mp3 player. Sometimes I'll take my latest painting project to the hobby shop and sit and have conversation while painting. I nearly finished up 5 Aeldari grav tanks yesterday at the shop! They should be done by the end of next week; basing, decals, and the main gun on the Fire Prism are all that's left. Do whatever will get you painting. Try different methods. When you finish a Unit you WILL get a sense of accomplishment!

great video, really puts hobbies/hobbying into perspective

Oof, you hit a home run with this. Got into board gaming a year ago via KS and the 1st minis are just now coming in. Bought a ton of supplies to ready myself and now all I do is watch videos, like yours, to learn and buy more supplies thinking I will need that before I start. I dont watch TV much but I do read a paper for an hour when I get home. Thanks for the kick, time to start throwing paint! Keep those starter vids coming!

Social media and a few friends who are also in the hobby - even if they live thousands of miles away - can also be a great motivator. Seeing those silly Thumbs Up! 👍 emojis under every pic of an in progress paint job is a very nice treat.

This is one of Uncle Atom's best videos to date! There was a time when I would sit and look at pictures of amazingly painted miniatures and terrain, and then sigh and go, "OH how do they do that, I wish I could but I can't." Then finally one day I said I had had enough. I wanted to BE one of those wargamers who could paint stuff to a degree that other people would say that about my stuff. I realized that I just needed to stop saying I wanted to and just f'n start! It wasn't because of narcissim or needing to get attention. I wanted for my own satisfaction to be one of those mini. painters where I could look at my OWN work and go "wow"! My first drybrushing and shading attempts at miniatures were awkward and clunky. But I had to go through that phase before I got better. THAT was when I realized it was happening! I knew that with some hobbies in life, you cannot "go around" or "take shortcuts". You simply have to take the time to actually build things and paint them. That's the realization of the hobby that transforms it into a reality for you.

The thing that helped me most was your video that taught me how to strip models.

Man.. we love your videos. We really do.

What helped me fit my painting around my day job was simple - take my models to work! Just bringing 10 guys and one paint, then doing all the bits that need to be that colour in my lunchbreak, and either taking them home or leaving them in my desk drawer to finish tomorrow gets through models very quickly. Sure it's the most boring part of the painting process, but it beats sitting and scrolling Twitter on your phone, and your co-workers think you're a wizard for being able to paint at all no matter how bad you are at it!

Great video as always! I don't have much of a free time but I try to put some hobby work now and then. Also, listening to your videos really helps! Inspiration and motivation at the same time!

I was actually building my miniatures while listening to this video.

I've really gotten off my ass this past year; since May last year I've thrown myself back into the hobby and done more building, painting, and playing in the past 12 months than I have done in the past 5 years, and your channel really helped me do that!

He's right, you know. I was just trimming mold lines off a dragon, as I listened to this rant! It was the first thing I was doing after I got up. There are things to make actually doing a hobby like this easier. Have a dedicated workspace and keep it clean, so when the opportunity strikes, you can sit down immediately and start. Have a dedicated daily time slot for working on the hobby. Not everyone has time or space to spare, but removing the little obstacles in the way of your hobby makes it easier to keep up on it, and makes you happier.

Thank you so VERY much for recommending that people think about dropping the "boob tube" as my parents used to call it. I let my satellite subscription lapse, and it was the best thing I ever did. I now DO something when I'm not at work, whether is painting, fishing, playing with the dogs, etc. Your videos and others have helped that happen, so many many thanks!

I love the hobby side of table top gaming...my problem is finding the time to actually play games. I can give myself an hour a day to hobby but I can't fit in 3+ hours to game. This is even more the case when I have to work around GamesWorkshop store hours (11a-7p) and my FLGS is a 30min drive away so then getting there and home takes an hour out of gaming time. Also I'm glad you hit the hobby from these points of discussion rather than just army construction and painting techniques. I feel like you take an outside looking in approach to the hobby and it's pretty refreshing to hear something different once and a while.

Hey Atom, watched all your vids, 1st comment; have to say this was your best and most impassioned vid yet. Great news that you'll be doing more vids from 0 to "something", your vids got me back into the hobby and IMO were the best place to start for the new guy/girl, I really think TM is the perfect place for new starters and re-visitors, keep up the great work.

Love it. Thanks again. Will get to it tomorrow.

Hah, That blooper at the end and your reaction was spot on! Another motivating video.. Thanks Atom

JUST what I needed to hear. Tough love!

I love your videos and I am just starting to paint. Thanks for everything and I hope your channel grows and you keep doing zactly what you are doing.

I'm painting as I watch this

I've randomly come across your channel tonight, and while I know this video is almost a year old, it resonates with me a lot as of late. While my creative hobbies are primarily more Gunpla, I do thoroughly enjoy miniatures too and kitbashing the whole array of them all! Now... Unfortunately work and life has been kickin' my butt lately however, the few videos that I've caught from you tonight has done wonders to get my drive going. So, sincerely, thank you.

Your videos really gave me the final push to pull the trigger and jump back into 40k after being gone for 4 editions. Im so glad i did i have the fincial means to play the army i always wanted to play (imperial gaurd) and ive met a lot of cool new friends from playing at my local store.

I LOVE my hobby and get up early everyday to get my 2 hour daily fix before the family rises and work. Weekends is craft and playing with family. I love the week prep to play new models at the weekend 👍🏻 Currently finishing some Vikings and Saxons for Saga, then onto the Pelannor Fields set for Middle Earth... Great video! You’re one of my multitasked channels during hobby :)

When I got back into mini wargaming from about a 10 year stint I really changed my perspective on it. When I was younger all I cared about was playing the game, I hardly painted anything because I wanted to spend all my time playing. I got back into it recently and watched a ton of tutorial videos, and now I feel like I'm a pretty good painter. No one, when I was younger, really taught me how to paint outside of dry brushing. Now I've only played one game of AoS since I got back into it (admittedly I'm still waiting for an ebay lot, but my friend didn't mind me proxying a couple things while I wait), and I've spent almost every single day painting, and I'm really enjoying it. Just getting to sit back at a finished model and show it to someone and say "I did that, me, alone. I didn't pay anyone to put it together, I didn't pay anyone to paint it. That's all me." Feels good.

Cheers from New Zealand

Preach!! Also, can we add people that buy a whole bunch of boxes to take a picture of them and post them on Reddit? $1000 says none of those models get built, let alone painted.

You didnt get me into the hobby, but your videos kept me from giving up. That wet palette video was a god send. You also got me into AoS

ussualy i don't have enough time to model and paint all the miniatures that i have, but i'll try to do it at mine own pace, wish i could have more time to paint, but it is a great thing when you dedicate some time to paint some minis and when you experience the joy of complete done painting a miniature then go you saying... next time i'm gonna do it faster and better. I love this hobby.

This video is absolute pure gold. Totally changed my world. Thanks Atom! Also what I have figured out that "setting up principles" is also just lying to yourself because you will give them up in a second. "I'm not buying a new mini until I finish painting yada yada"

If your local shop has a hobby table like mine then go there and work on your minis. Getting out of your house and going somewhere to work helps a lot. The people at the shop will also probably complement your paint job as well, adding that extra bit of motivation.

I definitely appreciate the comment on not looking at 'super-high level' stuff when it comes to starting out. I think part of what made things super daunting at first in buying GW stuff was the codexes and those super-gorgeous 'Eavy Metal masterfully painted kits, so it was a struggle for me to get going at first, and.. Then I looked around, and found other alternatives from GW themselves; the little paint splatter articles, the videos from Duncan, all of them really helped build my confidence, to the point I felt I'd actually made something fantastic when painting Nagash. But for me, it's.. Small steps. I rarely show my models off, and I think part of my hobby is doing it just because I like painting the kits, but I also did my first Armies on Parade last year - a basic AOS Death display with Nagash, Neferata and co atop the board with the big cogs - and got a lot of compliments for it. And I think in terms of getting stuff out there, that really helps. It strikes me that unless you're with the wrong crowd entirely, then you're always going to either get compliments or constructive criticism about how to improve or what looks good. So finding an entry level, and interacting even only a little has been a big deal for me.

Thanks man, I really needed to hear this, three years later.

Awesome video. It's been a while since I'm watching your show and I like it a lot. Thank you for the rant, sometimes it is needed. Cheers.

I just got back into the hobby after a 13-year break. I'm loving it. My wife couldn't be happier, as it gives us time to just sit, relax, and listen to audio books or watch old cartoons together. She even wants in on the next set that I order. The downside, though, is that I live in north China and it's hard to get a group going.

I definitely got more interested in painting thanks to videos from people like Ben Komets but the idea that you should probably not watch advanced videos if you want to get started painting minis to play with is definitely true. It can be inspiring but it can also be a lot more daunting than it needs to be. What I learned (and so many in the hobby know but rarely say) when I finally got going, after setting aside the fear of messing up, is that all those extreme highlights and shadows and details mean next to nothing on the tabletop. At one point I sat a mini I had base coated, washed, and applied one simple highlight next to one I'd gone through the trouble of extra detailing and black lining and yadda yadda yadda... and they looked virtually identical on the table top. Don't shoot for display quality! Don't even think about it! Get a couple thin base coats, wash to bring out some details and set it aside, and they can look amazing on the table! Great video Adam! Get going people! It doesn't have to be complicated and seeing even basic paints on the minis on the table is very rewarding!!!

Love your videos! 50k subscribers soon!

This video... Tru dat especially the bit about limited time. We only have so much and as someone said to me recently " tomorrow's not a promise". Keep the content coming I love it

Just found your videos and you did in fact get me addicted or at least start the hobby thanks for all the info in your videos

You are 100% correct !! After watching many vids of you and some of the others I started painting 😀 I'm in my 50s and painted my very first miniature ever a couple months ago, I started my 10th today 😉 Thanks !! Enjoy all of your vids !!

Cant express enough how much I appreciate your channel. Video Gaming has been the go to hobby forever but over the years has been drifting away with the direction the industry has gone. Plus iv missed past artistic activities i used to do. Felt lost a bit till my brother brought my interest to warhammer. now im so deep in the lore and painting tutorials I wish i had came to this years ago. Thankfully though im in a position in life where I can actually afford to get into it and have a wonderful fiance who is a art school graduate who can help teach me how the heck paint works lol. Cant wait to get started with kill team and putting the troops together while meeting new friends in the workshops, watching your vids each day helps throw coal in the fire too, keep up the great work =)!

6 months, $6000 dollars, and 12 weekends later - Atom, you've succeeded in getting back into this hobby and staying motivated to model and paint. Thank you!

Thanks so much for this direction... I've just started from "0" and have the time... but the idea of putting paint on a model has seemed daunting to me. I have one or two models under my belt, but still feel like I want to proceed cautiously. Looking forward to the videos!

I started seriously painting miniatures when I was 14, which was a LONG time ago (I'm a few years older than our host here). I didn't know enough then to be afraid of failure. I DID go back and repaint some of my first efforts a few years later.

Exactly the kind of talk I needed, Tks...