You'll find a little of everything here. Genres covered in this blog include (so far) prehistorics, fantasy, old west, swashbucklers, pulp, Blood Bowl, Ghostbusters, gladiators, nautical, science fiction and samurai in 6mm, 15mm, 28mm, 40mm, 42mm and 54mm sizes. You'll also find terrain, scenery, basing, gaming, modeling, tutorials, repaints, conversions, art and thoughts in general about the hobby.


Monday, November 29, 2010

When should the project end?

Once I finish a project, I move on. Many times, I have just one or two more things I wanted to do with the project, and sometimes I get back to it. Sometimes not.

A few examples: I still have that mammoth sitting on the shelf for my 54mm cavemen; I wanted to purchase (but haven't, yet?) the 40mm scale stagecoach model from Sash and Saber for use with my 40mm cowboys (which I haven't touched in a year and a half); I had intended to build a teahouse for my 42mm samurai to fight around- I drew up plans- just haven't built it.

I guess my plans are getting bigger than my table, and some stuff is falling off the sides. I end up wanting to do too much, and what I have on the table suffers from what I want to be on the table next.
I'm going to try to start applying the philosophy I use with art to that of my minis projects: When I look at a drawing or painting I've done and feel the notion that, "It's almost there, just one more line ought to finish it," I stop, and I don't draw that last line. Usually, that last line is the one that messes up a piece of art for me.

So I think I won't build that teahouse now, nor will I purchase that stagecoach. Though, the mammoth will eventually get finished- that one I've already committed enough resources and time to. It's a mental challenge to just know when to stop, but once I can get there, my lead mountain will stop growing- I doubt it will erode, but at least it won't grow.

Sometimes, you have to introduce a physical mechanic to help your mental challenge when you end a project: For my ghostbusters, I purchased a Chessex figure box, the one that holds 40 large figures. As of now, I have enough figures (not yet all painted), ghosts, and one diecast car in transit to fill that box. I think that will be a good stopping point. Now, there is no pressure to see what else I can add to my ghostbusters collection, because there is no more space in the figure box.

Though, there is that perfect-for-my-project 12" plastic Stay Puff Marshmallow man (piggy bank.) All I have to do is purchase it- no painting or building needed. But is that the last line?

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