Small Steps, Finished Models
A couple of weeks ago I wrote about how progress doesn't always look like progress. At the time, I was trying to show that even short painting sessions were worthwhile, despite feeling like I wasn't getting much done.
If you haven't read that post, it explains why I decided to stop waiting for long hobby sessions and instead embrace whatever time I had available. This post is really the result of that time spent.
Looking back now, those small sessions added up far more than I expected.
Three Down, One to Go
Over the last two weeks, I managed to finish the three goblins on foot.
They're now completely painted and ready for the table, leaving just the Squig-mounted goblin to finish before I can call this little project complete.
When I think back over the last fortnight, it's funny because I never felt like I was making huge amounts of progress. Most evenings, I only painted for twenty or thirty minutes before packing everything away again. No single session felt particularly productive, but together they were enough to take these models from half-finished to complete.
It's a nice reminder that progress isn't always measured by what you finish in one sitting. Sometimes it's simply the result of showing up consistently.
Building the Habit
One thing I noticed during these two weeks was that the hardest part wasn't actually painting, it was starting.
There were plenty of evenings when I looked at the clock and thought, I've only got twenty minutes, it's probably not worth getting everything out. This block I fixed quickly by leaving everything I needed together in a small spot on my desk that I could get to easily without having to think about what I needed. I could just sit down, grab my paints and tools and start within 30 seconds.
I'm beginning to realise that building the habit of painting regularly is probably more valuable than waiting for the perfect evening when I have hours free. Those shorter sessions keep the project fresh in my mind, keep my equipment easily accessible, and cut down the preparation time, making it much easier to pick up where I left off the following day.
It's another reminder that consistency usually beats intensity when it comes to making progress.
Happy... But Not Perfect
Overall, I'm really pleased with how these goblins turned out.
The skin has plenty of character, the colour scheme ties the unit together nicely, and seeing the three of them standing side by side makes all those short sessions feel worthwhile.
That said, there are a couple of areas that I'm less happy with.
The biggest one is the non-metallic metal (NMM) on the weapons. It doesn't completely sell the illusion of polished steel in the way I was hoping, and compared to the rest of the models it's definitely the weakest part of the paint job.
I'm also not thrilled with how the crystals turned out. Looking at them now, I think they need a bit more time spent glazing the different colours together to create a smoother transition. Unlike the NMM, though, this is probably the only thing I'll actually go back and revisit. I don't think they'll need much work, just a little extra time to bring them up to the standard of the rest of the miniature.
A couple of years ago I probably would have kept repainting everything that bothered me, trying to perfect every detail before calling the models finished. More often than not, that would have led to frustration and delayed moving on to the next project.
This time I decided to leave most of it as it is.
These models represent where my skills are today, and that's perfectly okay. They taught me something, and I'd rather carry those lessons into the next project than endlessly chase perfection on this one.
It's a mindset I've been trying to embrace more recently, and it's similar to how I am going to approach painting my Balrog after putting it off for years. Waiting until you feel "good enough" often just means you never start.
The Next Challenge
Rather than trying to fix the goblins, I've decided to focus on improving the technique itself.
I've got a handful of test miniatures cleaned up and ready for primer, and the plan is to use them purely for practising non-metallic metal.
One thing I've realised is that there's a big difference between painting miniatures and practising painting.
When I'm working on a project, my goal is usually to finish it. I might improve along the way, but completion is still the objective, and I never get consistent practice at one technique. These test models are different. If I repaint the same sword five times on a different model before I'm happy, that's not wasted time; that's exactly what they're there for.
It's the same approach that helped me improve my Object Source Lighting on my Chaos Dwarfs. Sometimes the fastest way to improve isn't by rushing into another project, but by slowing down and deliberately working on a single skill.
Hopefully, by the time I come back to another unit that needs NMM, I'll have a much better understanding of how light behaves and how to push the look further.
Looking Ahead
The three goblins on foot are finished, the Squig rider is still waiting on the painting desk, and I've got a new skill to work on before diving into the next project.
A couple of weeks ago, it genuinely felt like I wasn't getting anywhere because all I could see were unfinished miniatures and no time for my hobby.
Today, I have three finished goblins sitting on the shelf because of those same twenty-minute painting sessions.
Sometimes progress doesn't look like progress while you're in the middle of it.
You only recognise it once you stop, look back, and realise how far you've actually come.
Continue Reading
If you've enjoyed following this little journey, you might also like these posts:
Progress Doesn't Always Look Like Progress – where this experiment with shorter painting sessions began.
The Miniature That Measured My Progress – reflecting on how older models can reveal just how much you've improved.
How Miniature Painting Changed the Way I Think About Progress – overcoming the fear of being inadequate to complete a task.
Chaos Dwarfs – Finished, Finally – lessons learned from pushing my Object Source Lighting further than ever before.
