10 TERRIBLE Beginner Habits that RUIN Your Hobby

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It seems like 90% of the blossoming painters I talk to have difficulty comprehending the idea that it is possible to paint without buying a specific set of citadel paints and following a formula that GW has bottled and sold to them. I can't count how many times I've had to explain that mentality holds you back. Once you've got the basics down, you should stop trying to treat painting like baking; instead of thinking about recipe, think about theory and technique. There are great videos out there on theory behind highlighting and color composition. Moreover, GW isn't even the best paint brand. There are so many other great ones out there for a fraction of the price (pro acryl, vallejo, AK interactive 3rd gen acrylics).

Perfection is the enemy of good. Thanks to you and Vincie V I've learnt to be comfortable with my noob skillset and limitations rather than getting frustrated with my inability to paint really well. At this point all projects are learning exercises! 👍😁

I joined a painting competition at my LGS because I loved the mini. Oh man, was that first model horrible! Every model I've submitted has come in last so far but I am happy I'm seeing improvement with each one. I was also recognized as being the most improved painter last year which was a real boost!

The best possible advice I can give is related to nr 3: "Finish more miniatures." At some point, say "This is good enough" and actually finish your project, and feel proud of what you did.

I'm one of the people that's avoided the hobby for years because of a lack of confidence in my skills, but recently I've fallen in deep with Blood Bowl and have finally dived in. Going to try painting my first minis soon. I really hope I find it fun even if I am sure my efforts are going to be pretty amateurish.

for gear: reaper paint starter set - $40. Has the basic paints you need and a few minis to get you started. Includes brushes and a guide. some random plastic box, paper towel, and some parchment paper (wet pallete) - maybe 5 bucks total. Brush soap - 10 bucks. Good natural hair brush - only buy one size 1 or 2 brush and use it for normal paints. Never use it for metallics or effect paints or oils (use the synthetic brushes you got in the reaper starter set). This set up is all you really need to get started. Any other gear, just get over time as you get better. Think of it as leveling up and getting new skills. You've mastered base coating and coloring within the lines - that's a level up. You can now buy a wash (or make your own) and try to master layering and shading. Once you master that you can try NMM or OSL and buy gear that would help you with those effects.

The part about „their vision doesn’t match up to their skill level“ is one of the hardest thing to overcome, at least for me. It’s not really about perfectionism really, I‘d put it into a different category. It’s the most frustrating part of any hobby when you know exactly how you want something to look when it’s finished but your competency is nowhere near to achieving that end result and you don’t know when - if ever - you’ll get to where you can actually create the thing that is already in your mind. Letting go of that and stepping back to where you can enjoy your hobby again can be really hard

Engaging, entertaining, AND informative. What a combination! Better than 90% of what's streaming on Netflix.

i have begun painting 3 years ago, and being myself the most problematic part for me was point 8. the perfectionist part. i can spend hours over single mini tweaking a single stroke here or there, but still the result was underwhelming. eventually, over few dozen miniatures i have learnt to stop myself saying "its fine, you can be done with it, its satisfying result, go to the next bro"

Fantastic video Simon, some great tips in here! And some good reminders too, I'm guilty of not progressing due to perfectionism 😅

I used to win prizes for my citadel orcs... Way back in the 80s. Even won a trip to the GW in Nottingham! Having spent most of this afternoon watching these videos... I might take up the hobby again, especially now there are so many experienced painters on YT.

One of the most important things that let me improve is that I don't need to paint my minis to look like the ones in the books or on the boxes. I can paint them so that I enjoy painting them and then enjoy the way they look.

Fantastic video!! Great job helping others learn from the mistakes you have already made so we dont have to experience the same hobby heartache you already have!! Thank you Z!!

Worked through one or two of these problems recently, I had used a burgundy over white and it was to bright, I was going reprime and start over but I tried a more redish burgundy then used a dark watered-down red over that and it gave me a nice burnt red color that I became very happy with. It wasn't what I wanted in the beginning but I'm happy I stuck with it and tried a different idea instead of starting over.

i did not undertand the point against the yolo colour scheme, it''s fun to try to remeber the color you mixed on that previous unit i painted last year :D

I have a question I hope someone can answer. I'm a super newbie by the way. :) Yesterday I painted a model with a lot of black on it, and this morning I realised that a lot of dust particles had stuck to the black paint. It was probably extra noticeable when contrasting with the black, but even so, very disheartening. People with experience painting; do you do anything to mitigate dust on the models? Do you put them inside a container to dry or anything like that? It could just be that my workspace was too dusty, and I've cleaned it thoroughly today, but ahead of trying again I'd love some tips if this is a known concern when painting. Thanks beforehand! And thanks for this video! It really never ceases to amaze me how readily info is available when starting a new hobby, and the miniature painting community seems absolutely wonderful. ❤

Hey man I am new here but I have seen in several of your videos you complaining about sweaty hands. I have the same problem I started talking a medicine call Oxybutynin and it really changed my life. No more sweating. Thanks for making these videos the have really helped me.

Has an older person getting back into the hobby one tool I can't live without is a large magnifier on a stand. Even with my bifocals small mini's can be hard to see with tired eyes and is your painting is giving you a headache it might be eye strain. I would recommend a higher quality one from a sewing shop as the cheaper Amazon ones have poor focal areas.

I've been paining minis since September 2019, and have been building model aircraft and A.F.V.s since 2008. I'm still using my same Revell sprue side cutters, knife and tweezers from the basic cheap set I bought back then, for a princely £7. Now, I have an incomplete Wargames Atlantic skeleton set on my workbench that I ditched in favour of a quick build aircraft kit project that I'm just done with, so don't listen to ME...but, great advice here. I'd add: 1) Get cheap tools to start off with. I still use Emery (Nail) boards as files, cocktail sticks and cheap makeup brushes for weathering. 2) Do you need an airbrush? I don't own one. I use rattle cans from Halfords (car and bike maintenance chain here in the U.K.) for primer (grey, white or matt black) and Zendhari Dust for base coating bone, but that's it. I made a spraying booth out of an old cardboard packing case and keep it in the shed. That's the extent of my spraying, but it does the trick. 3) Do some fairly simple schemes to start. My first ever mini's were the old cheap 5-figure skeleton box from G.W., followed by the Nighthaunt Glaive Wraith push fit beginner's box. I find that 5 is the usual limit for my batch painting, but you may be able to do more. After that I tackled one of the Gripping Beast Viking sets, one sprue at a time. Built my confidence up no end, although they look...basic now. 4) Take your time, have fun, push yourself, but always have an established favourite to go back to, in order to get your mojo back. Skeletons for me. 5) Lastly, get a few washes and use them. Nuln Oil is talent in a bottle. I'm not a master, but I'm improving. Have fun, and do it for yourself, not others. Cheers, all!