Don't take this the wrong way...but I am glad to see your hardships. As a newbie to mini painting (heck to art in general), I am still working on brush control and I have depth perception problems on my best days. So seeing someone who I consider a pro have problems...makes me feel just a little bit better about my cycle of mistakes, and fixing those mistakes, that is my process. You often make it look so easy. But sometimes, it is better to escape to fight another day. Good content, very relatable. Thanks.

@Tremadog102

Жыл бұрын

A very interesting comment. I have to agree that it is interesting to see behind the scenes and the thought process behind this painting project. At points I was wondering what was even happening (the greenish metal midtone initially really confused me and I couldn't see where it was going). The explanation that you opted to start for the midtone and work from there made a great deal of sense. I find I have to start from the darkest parts and work upwards in layers, partially because I struggle to visualise the finished result. This sometimes means I don't leave myself the space on the model to really push the highlights. I think I've said before I have a very different painting style and it's fascinating to see another way to paint. I have noticed a great deal of painters on KZread have started to use magenta on their models, quite often as a shadow colour. I would be interested to see round 2 with this miniature when you feel ready to continue with it, particularly that really interesting silver NMM using the greenish tone. I think this has the makings of a great project once you are able to invest more time into it without such a tight deadline.

@brianhall4182

Жыл бұрын

These is exceedingly important. Most painting KZreadrs edit together their videos and make it appear like they're perfect. It's no fault of theirs. They're not doing it on purpose to try and make it seem like they're painting gods. The purpose of their videos is simply "Watch me paint this." or "I'll teach you this technique" where keeping in the mistakes is detrimental to the video so they just edit them out. But what it does is give the viewer a false impression of what painting can be like. Actually seeing someone at a high level of skill screw up and go "Aw f^@*!" or have a tough time in general is just as important as seeing them do amazing work.

@GreenBlueWalkthrough

Жыл бұрын

Yeah I just stripped y first/only TT model I painted because while it's good it's not how I want it to be. So It's good to see someone go though simula hardships after paintings for years.

@TheBeautyandtheBrush

Жыл бұрын

I agree, seeing you go through the thought process and the real struggles we all deal with with mini painting was amazing. I think we get this unrealistic view that if we struggle we’re bad at it and seeing someone we admire have those real moments and doing the stepping away and coming back to it really resonated with me. Thanks for putting this out there ❤

@olafolafsson2755

Жыл бұрын

I actually think miniature painting is not as hard as many seem to believe. It is an achievable hard, which means anyone can actually get very close in skill to these content creators. So don't set the bar for yourself too low when you compare yourself to them. So of course they do those mistakes aswell. It is a different hard when you compare miniature painting vs something like real painting or pro football player(Any pro sports) or real musicians vs an amateur. Painting miniatures to a decent level just takes time but the required skill is way less. So you can achieve that aswell rather quickly. I still dont want to smack any pro miniature painter - I want to encourage regular people to actually set their own bar higher. It is not a skill which requires you to practise, train and learn hardcore for decades!

"art is never finished, only abandoned." Know when to walk away... coming back later is always an option. love the mini by the way. :)

@khanoclast

Жыл бұрын

I love that Da Vinci quote. He also said, "Blue is the color of distance" -- I wonder what hot pink is the color of...

The ending of this video really cinched it for me. Absolutely the sentiment to share and I, for whatever little my opinion amounts to agree with your choice!

That tip for how to strip one particular part of a model is gold. I’ve come a long way in my painting over the last 4-5 months, but accidentally building texture, especially on skin, is currently my nightmare scenario because it’s so hard to come back from without stripping the whole thing. If you only strip half the face, how do you make sure there’s no visible tear/seam between the already painted side and the new side? Also, sorry to hear it didn’t go well, but modeling the importance of prioritizing mental health is great.

@christopherlwilli

Жыл бұрын

If you strip it carefully, (slowly) you should wind up with a gentle gradient, not a harsh line. For a beginner, strip a clearly defined area, as she wound up doing later.

Lyla ,as a "old" Golden Demon 3 times lucky winner in France ..just not rush this very hard competition. Be thinking one year or 6-8 months to have paint,look CGI image style or toons of illustrations as solid reference for your subject character design sso more easy to see where you 're going and avoiding multiples layers making textures.. Choose kolinsky sable brushes Raphael and for anothers tricks and tips watch for exemple another mini painter woman Jennifer Haley.. I'm sure you will win a GD trophy because of your passion and determination .. Few Cats ,a witch , a forest base will make a nice warhammer fantasy character ..

@LylaMev

Жыл бұрын

I will next year! I started in february (which was already cutting it close), but I had a family emergency that caused me to push everything back. I was hoping I could still make it, but obviously I did not.

Thank you for sharing "The one that didn't work out as expected". Still a lot better than most mere mortals could achieve but if it's not what you want, walk away for another day. Or just paint it pink 😆

@khanoclast

Жыл бұрын

As Field Marshall von Moltke said, "No battle plan survives first contact with the enemy." In this case, no plan for a model's finish survives contact between brush and model. I've got a couple kits on my Shelf of Doom that didn't survive my initial plan, just waiting for me to forget that plan and finish them already...

As someone just starting down this road and who will never participate in tournaments and such, it was amazing to see you just accept that sometimes, a hobby needs to be just that. If you need to put undue stress on yourself for something that should be enjoyable, then you are doing it wrong. I'm a perfectionist but also partially colourblind, so you can see how frustration is the name of the game for me, and seein someone with your experience and talent be honest about your work and limitations is amazing. Better luck next year, I really loved how you kitbashedyour characters (kitbashing is actually the one thing I love doing most, no colours needed!).

This is, unironically, the best Golden Demon video I've ever watched. The honesty and humility of it is brilliant.

@LylaMev

Жыл бұрын

Thank you! It means a lot!

As a newbie aged 62 I love your honesty and I'm defo learning, so thank you so much x

I'm glad to see that I'm not to only one who has struggled with this. This video really resonated with me, and I like that you decided to prioritize your mental health instead of pushing trough it and suffering just to get it done. Its good to see that not every paint job turns out as planned and that its ok to step away from a project if its too much, even from people who seem to make the process seem easy. I had a very similar experience when I was painting for the fall r/minipainting competition. So many things went wrong on this project (did not help that it was my first time converting a model and attempting nmm). Things like the conversion process taking to long, layers of paint coming off (probably a primer issue since I was using vallejo airbrush primer), paint texture, and having to figure out how to do the reflections on the model's claw (model was Mozrog Skragbad). This was all so frustrating to me and I sadly did not manage to finish because I did not make enough progress to call the model done and set aside the project the last day before the deadline. I wish I would have stopped sooner because the experience really burnt me out for a while and really did a number on my mental health.

@LylaMev

Жыл бұрын

I'm so glad!

Possibly the most relatable hobby video I’ve ever watched. Felt the frustration along with you!

I've played with those Golden pinks and magentas. You aren't alone in them behaving... problematically. Glad you chose the route of less stress, keeping sane is hard enough without beating ourselves up over paint.

This reminds me of pulling an all nighter to finish a model for a local contest at a gaming shop. One that I thought would be judged by the staff. They made it into a public vote contest the day of the deadline to turn it in. As I knew nobody that hung out at that shop these days, the popular kids won. No matter how much work I did I never stood a chance. Good times. I've sonce decided that I'll probably not enter any contests again and just paint for myself and at my own pace.

Great choice, Lyla. Follow the joy. When your hobby becomes stress and frustration, that's a problem. Cheering you on!

Thank you for sharing your journey with us. I think it’s incredibly brave to share your frustrations along with your successes and lessons learned. I really appreciate it. I’m glad you chose your mental health over a self-imposed deadline. Can’t wait to see your future work! Thank you.

It's refreshing to see people posting their failures, as well as their successes. Thank you so much. A wonderful video. I wish you the best of luck for your next attempt. ❤

So so many times I can't leave well enough alone and keep working at it. Have definitely done the "too many layers from overworking." I love this tip about cleaning though.

It was great seeing the whole behind-the-scenes process. Thank you for sharing that!

Nice to hear about an issue that I've experienced personally. (It was probably 35 years ago that I first put brush to mini, and it was a very sporadic endeavor for me over the next 15 years. Probably 20 years ago, I started a particular model, and had another stall out... one that lasted until 3 years ago. When I decided to put consistent time into painting, I picked that same model back up... got it finished and on the game table. Honestly, finished it's just as horrible as the base work on it from years ago, but I got it off the table. Some more (but much shorter) drop-outs over that next year and a half, and I'm finally more consistent in my painting schedule, and I've seen some growth spurts in my painting abilities... but I still have that long-hiatus model as a reminder of where I've come from. And I have a duplicate of it that I'll one day use to make a prettier figure.)

You always inspire me to never give up and have fun. Thanks Lyla!

I like the different camera angles you had when you talked into the camera for this video. I appreciate how your body language was very natural, which made the video very authentic and not just a tutorial.

Kudos to you, I would never have touched the mini again if I had had to strip it twice. Thank you for sharing!

My first video of yours and I was surprised how it ended. I just started looking into this hobby and I'm so used to the whole big reveal at the end that it caught me off guard. I'm happy you put your mental health first. I'm happy to subscribe after seeing that. Good luck on the push to 100k!

@LylaMev

Жыл бұрын

It was not how I expected it to end either!

Well done, choosing mental health is always (ALWAYS) the correct path. Having suffered from a mental breakdown at work a few weeks ago, I totally understand.

Fantastic video. Nice to see you wanting to compete and not just making up numbers and also great to know when the step away and call it a day. Looking forward to the next video. Keep up the good work.

My heart goes out to you for that moment where you just snapped and said f*ck it. It's so refreshing to know that I'm not alone 😅😅😅

YES to choosing your mental health over the project! If you aren't enjoying the art, what is even the point? And it will show in the paint if you're stressed out. And thanks for sharing! There are too many times when we might burn ourselves out over something that just doesn't deserve it, and it's important to have examples of people choosing to step away from that process. Nobody died today; nobody lost their mind today. Knowledge was gained, and next time will have all new challenges. Let's keep it fun!

That was hard for me to watch. I got home from Adepticon yesterday having put 4 pieces into the Golden Demon case. Not one of them got past the pre judging. 3/4s of the minis did. I spent 116 hours on one of the entries. It was the second best thing I have ever painted. And that level of frustration that you had feels like looking on Friday and Saturday and not seeing that little green sticker

Great video, love the positive spin at the end! Can be easy for us to get so caught up in making everything perfect in this hobby we forget we’re supposed to be doing it for fun

That kitbash looks so sick, I need to start attempting kitbashes of my own. It looks so fun!

A video like this shows great resolve and clarity of vision. Other creators may well have muscled through with a process that defeated the objective of this hobby, which is that it IS a hobby, but you stepped back and evaluated why the hobby means what it does to you, then had the strength to share that with us all. I’m every bit as satisfied with this outcome as any completed miniature, and the demonstrated skill and technique still taught me a lot. Thanks 🙏

Hola Lyla, you are such an inspiration in every angle of this amazing hobby of ours.

Amen to that! Fantastic work though, a very honest video and the paint job is looking insanely good.

This was very helpful in many ways!

Sometimes, the real prize is the relief that comes with stepping away. Evaluating the situation and choosing to prioritise your mental health & keep the fun in your hobby, is such an important message. Thank you. ❤ You've inspired me to try something new, as your colour scheme ROCKED. Being bold!

This is a awesome vid, to show how stressful GD can be & why so many people are still painting up until last hours. It’s also good to see when things go wrong & how to rescue & correct them. I’d wholeheartedly recommend you talk to Vince Venturella, Ninjon or Sam Lentz as they’ve entered GD so many times (check out Vince’s pre GD last year & his thoughts). I’m sure they’d give you plenty of advice. Good luck Layla.

THANK YOU! Watching a proffessional have mistakes takes away the pression. Sometimes we forgoth we are supposed to enjoy the process A big hug Lyla, you are an inspiration, and I learn a lot from your channel. You put the art back into painting.

Great video - very human, for lack of a better word. I think we (all painters) actually benefit quite a bit from seeing that even really great painters can face difficulties sometimes (and how they handle it). Really cool of you to share this.

Knowing the end before I started watching (because we talked about it at Con) both made it funnier and sadder. Feel for you, you were doing so well. But like we talked about, choosing our mental health is much more important than pressing on for competition purposes. It's good to see that this happens to everyone. It was an absolute delight to hang out with you at the Con. And I look forward to seeing you guys next year.

Great video, very relatable. To me, it shows that art is a journey that never ends. There is always something new to learn or experience. And while that can be frustrating and mentally taxing, it's how we grow and expand our knowledge.

I related to this so much. Thank you for this one.

Amazing video! I found myself in that exact same situation 2 weeks ago when trying to attend to a local painting competition, but I made the mistake of pulling those all nighters and ended up as a very tired and miserable competitor, no fun and never again. Thanks again for the amazing content! 🤘🏻🔥❤️💪🏻💥

Thanks for this - you just helped me decide to take a break from a project 😀

I loved it the best advice ever... And I know what you mean I've been on the miniature wagon on and off that I have lost some skills but I have gained new ones. And I'm also getting on a bit with airbrushing. Hope to see how the mini looks onece finished

regardless, this vid proved that the professionals like you have days like us. Bravo for not throwing in the towel and showing the champion you are with the realisation of the result may not have been wanted.... BUT may, in fact, be what you needed.

lets count they brush slips as bloopers. The issue with acrylics drying is why I switched to using oils and mixing colours

Hi Lyla ! Once again, thanks for your work and videos ! Always refreshing to see things that are normally not showcased in this hobby (aka doubts, errors, etc). Our hobby is one of patience, endurance and infinite knowledge. No one can say they've mastered every aspect of it. So it's good to keep sometimes reminders of what it is to be a minipainter : lots of trials and errors, moments of pure joy or bitter sadness and disappointment. But always keeping in mind that it is just a hobby, meant to help us go over our stuggles and learn from each other :) So rest assured : you're doing great, no matter the result you're growing stronger and better ;)

Your willingness to choose mental health over grinding for several days to take an “ok” model to golden demon shows a healthy choice. Hope to see her next year. Maybe start a couple of weeks/months earlier?

The creature caster elemental is a very nice model and that paint job looks amazing!

I’m glad you prioritized yourself💚

Lyla: "How do I make my model...different?" Me: "How do I make my model...not suck?"

I love this. I always appreciate when you meet hardship-- that came out wrong. :S. I have such respect for your work and sometimes watching you casually do something I struggle to even attempt fills me with despair. And then I watch you allow one issue to cause you anguish. I am reminded you are merely a very talented and driven human being and not some brush wielding artist-goddess. You give me so much hope for my own improvement. Thank you for having the bravery and integrity to show this process.

Awesome model, Lyla! I could never bring myself to do Golden Demon because the idea of spending 100+ hours painting a model to flawlessness sounds terrible for my mental health (since Golden Demon primarily grades on flawlessness, not composition). As for texture, one trick that Vince Venturella showed me that was a total game-changer is, when working with very light colors (like white), mix in a little gloss medium or gloss varnish. I know this may not have been the exact problem you encountered, but it's very helpful. The gloss medium eliminates the chalkiness and allows you to glaze white. I always matt varnish my models anyways to make all the finish consistent anyways.

@LylaMev

Жыл бұрын

Thank you!

Morals! Don't stress. Got it... *stares at pile of shame* Someday.

If you're going to enter the project next year for Golden Demon, try finishing this one up and another in oils. I'm pretty new to oils, but the long drying times really give you lots of wiggle room to tease colors around. There is no brushstroke that will ruin a paint job, because if all else fails, you have a makeup sponge.

I would love a video on fluorescent paints as like you mentioned they can be super gummy or have weird consistency

While continuing to stress over it could make a compelling video I'm glad you did the healthy thing and walked away. I spend way too long on things and still end up walking away and then never go back. Maybe if I just took a break I would get back to it and see it is ok? Dunno. Love to see you overcome the struggles but very refreshing to see someone do the smart thing and walk away when they hit their limit. Love you. How are the kitties? Cuddles to both.

I wish you good luck with that competition and I am so glad, that it's not me competing, 120h is half a year for me

I am glad when anyone has the sense of self to know when they need to step away for mental health. Great job so far on the miniature, your fails and successes both inspire me to continue with my miniatures when work and family allow.

I think this is one of the most important messages in miniature painting. Have fun! Why soldier through when afterwards you'll might have painters block for weeks or months.

@LylaMev

Жыл бұрын

Thank you!

Hi, thank you for sharing your way with us.... Yeah, it's better to leave something unfinished behind instead of being very sick after finishing the project. Actually I have 2 minis unfinished. Finishing them would be great, but every time I put them on the table to start something inside says "no! Don't do it. It wasn't good the last times you tried".... I like you videos, like what you do with those miniatures. And I like your hints, so maybe I will be better in a few years😊.

"This is supposed to be fun" --- best advice in the whole video :) Also, I noticed a clear lack of cats :(

Thanks so much for sharing this. I feel like I have been to this party so many times. One of these days I will paint a perfect NMM Myrmidesh Painbringer. But it won't be any of the first six attempts. LOL

I unfortunately wont make it to Adepticon this year, sadly... I'm kinda bummed about it, but I do know that it gives me a whole other year to work on a project to maybe enter Golden Demon... so yeah, that's my plan! I hope you have a good time at the Con! Love your videos btw!

@LylaMev

Жыл бұрын

I'm going to start in october this time!

Keep on keeping on 🖖🏽

I totally agree with you, I have a few miniatures that I just can’t seem to finish cuz I’m just not feeling how they look. And I’m glad you realise that you’re health comes first to the miniature. And I also need to say you have inspired me to try for next year’s golden demon. I probably won’t win but f**k it, it will be a fun ride. 🤘 much metal love

Keep being amazing. I hope I can get good enough to enter golden daemon one day, but need to put in so much work to do so. Which of course means, it won’t be any time soon. But I do hope to get to Adeptacon next year at least.

I find fluorescents to be a bugger to blend as well, I painted an Escher gang recently, and it was a massive pain in the posterior getting the hair to look right (to be honest I'll probably be tweaking them for some time). Battling through the difficulties is where you learn though, it's disheartening and upsetting when things don't go to plan, but now you have knowledge embedded in your unconscious mind that will make doing similar projects easier. As Alfred said to Batman "why do we fall Master Bruce?... So we can learn to pick ourselves back up"

This was my first trip to Adepticon, and I took a bunch of classes. What was most valuable was watching Banshee work in the mixing and faces sessions. He's constantly mixing and blending color to slight gradients and then sketching up shapes and fades on the piece. It makes me wonder if using something like Golden Retarder on each color then blending directly on the model might help with situations like yours wherein the paint dries to quickly. Avoid water like the plague and stick with inks to get a nice flow. I have a LOT of practice to do this year.

I think you made the better call of choosing your own personal mental wellbeing over stressing over the mini. I love painting minis, but I've pushed myself to finish things, and it's driven me to stop many times. My most recent was painting Marvel Crisis Protocol minis for a friend. I was enjoying it, but the press of minis got to a point where I wasn't feeling the love anymore. I stepped away from painting those for a time, and went back to just painting stuff I've had for a while. I'll get back to the MCP minis eventually, but the break from them was needed.

For blending i usually use some drops of retarder medium mixed in my cup of water, in order to avoid fast drying or texture. Have you tried this? maybe could help

Great stuff friend 👏 👍

i always use my paints mixed about 50/50 paint to retarder on the wet palette stops it drying out and boosts your working time massively

@LylaMev

Жыл бұрын

I haven't liked retarder in the past, but perhaps i should give it another try!

What do you use for sticking the model to the holder? Any links please

Yeah am in the middle of a platoon of panzer grenadiers. The ponchos those guys wore can be a PIA to paint. Had to kick back "throw some bones" i.e. play a game and talk some trash about how my oldest son's dice COMPLETELY betrayed him.😂😂😂 Then back to painting.

I'd say i'm a pretty good painter but this is something that absolutely gobsmacks me

A Mini-Witch video is always my favourite part of the week. Today I spent more time looking at my miniature than actually painting it, but I got some good progress in, I painted a smooth gradient inside a pair of concave wings (it’s Massive Darkness 2’s Beelzebub if you are interested in what I mean about the wings) and I’m pretty happy with that. #NotificationSquad

ah yes, my old enemy: the "one more detail" trap the perseverance is awesome!

I think you made the right decision. Thanks for sharing!

I know the feeling! Having nearly wrapped up 25ish hours on a Dreadblade Harrow for my collection it slipped off of the painting handle and landed face first onto my very live wet pallet 😳. Thankfully I was able to save the model but damn, this hobby can be stressful 😅

@LylaMev

Жыл бұрын

That is the WORST.

What goop did you use for masking the shoulders when you airbrushed the face the second time?

You did great! I'd like to (at least) paint as you paint. We defenetly enjoy our hobby, not feel bad or frustrated. You paint awsome!

You got um next year!

Thanks for the honest video

Failure is a great teacher, and you've set an excellent example by prioritizing your mental health.

I was wondering what I could use to redo the face of a mini I messed up, now that I look at it, i made the skin tone too dark and a bit too thick

Sorry this was stressful, but I feel like you made a good decision to wave off for this year. If I may ask something unrelated, how do you get those closeup POV shots of you painting? I deal with vision issues and want to start experimenting with cameras & screens to help. Thank you!

The amount of times I end up correcting the eyes to the point where there is only the shape of paint left...

Great stuff, glad I'm not the only one that slams brushes down with expletives 😅 Technical question, how do you get around the super glossiness of the high flows?

@LylaMev

Жыл бұрын

matte varnish!

@dannnn5451

Жыл бұрын

@@LylaMev mixed in or applying after?

@nekrataali

Жыл бұрын

@@dannnn5451 Either/or. Golden makes matte medium(s) you can mix into the high flow to thin it down (instead of water). I haven't tried mixing them with other brands, mostly because I really like Golden's additives.

Di you use a fluorescent pink on the eyes? Because the glow effect really works.

Some days you just can't win, wisdom is knowing when to take a deep breath, step back and accept it for what it is. Good on ya for doing what's best for you without beating yourself up over it :)

@LylaMev

Жыл бұрын

totally agree

Greatest intro ever! Gatos are teh besto!

At least you didn't fumble it into your wet palette! Had to completely strip a mini last week because of butterfingers.

@GeoffreyPeas

Жыл бұрын

I frequently accidently flick my brush across my desk due to being dyspraxic. Sometimes it's ok and sometimes it really is not 😂

Lol can't count how many times iv stared at a well painted mini wondering if I should attempt that one tiny spot that bothers me.. only to mess up and have to fix everything

This is one of my fave videos.

Keep going, Golden Demon 2024 is waiting ;-)

You may not be winning Golden Demon this year, but how many GD winners have the 97K subscribers that you have? You're still a winner to all of us.

@LylaMev

Жыл бұрын

That is very kind!

Hey, at least you will have a very nice mini in any case. I think it is always very interesting videos when content creators do a project and get critiqued by someone else. I think there is a lot to learn just from listening to somoene who is very experienced talking about different pros and cons of something. Maybe that´s an idea for a future video. It´s a way to get more content out of a project as well!

Jesus. 1. I’m a fan. 2. I feel for you. 3. I go through this everY TIME. 4. Keep going. I hope to shake your hand one day.

Real talk, how the heck do you just put paint into an airbrush and it not clog up right away?!?!?! Do you put flow improver in and just cut that part out? you make it look so easy... Great video, thank you!

@LylaMev

Жыл бұрын

The golden highflow is airbrush paint, so no thinning required! If you're having problems, try giving your gun a really good clean.