GW Grognard: You Can’t Just Call Your Stuff “Pro Painted”

Hey everyone! Adam, from TFG Radio, here to to once again talk about one of my (not)favorite thing about the hobby!

For about as long as there has been competitive 40K, there has been those that profit from it by providing a service that a lot of people use. It has been well documented that I dislike painting.  I hate having to paint my models and dread doing it. I love building the models and playing the game, but that middle part where I have to put paint to the model just irks me. One of the original reasons I played in tournaments was because it was the only thing motivating me to paint the models. Today there are plenty of places that either offer to paint figures for you, or they offer figures that have already been painted. There is nothing wrong with because if you have the money to pay for it, but not the time to do it yourself, then more power to you. What I have been seeing more lately, in about the last few years, is the rise, and devaluation, of the phrase “Pro Painted” or calling oneself a “professional painter”.

We’ve all seen it. A new listing for that model you are looking for, only to see a very badly painted model at an over inflated price. This is something that you see all the time. Almost always with the claim that it is “pro painted”. Now what defines “pro painted”? Quite simply, it is someone that gets paid for painting models. Using this simplistic term, everyone can essentially become a “pro” painter. I could even call myself one, since I have sold models that have been painted. I mean I did win a Best Painted award at an RTT*. I wouldn’t call my stuff as being “pro painted” because it doesn’t fit my definition of what one is.  My definition of what counts as “pro painted” is quite simple. It is someone that makes a living painting models for money, and/or making money while painting a model live on stream. People can make extra money by selling their models or painting their friend’s models, but that doesn’t make you a professional painter.

I know that in this market, if people are willing to buy, then why not let them sell?  I’m not saying you can sell your painted models. What I am saying is be truthful about it. Don’t tell me that it is a professionally painted model if the model looks like someone sneezed on it while having a mouth full of crayons. Don’t show me a clearly plainly painted model and tell me this is the same standard as a Golden Daemon winner.  Don’t try to sell me a model that only has 2 colors by saying the 3rd color is under the other 2. Try to get an honest appraisal of your work so that you can get a better gauge of where your work truly lies. Some of the bigger tournaments may even help with this as the painting contest, with it’s large pool of contestants, can help you get a better idea of your talent on a larger scale. hopefully these will help you get better at painting to a point where you can actually make a living.

That’s all for this week, I hope you enjoyed the read. Let me know your thoughts, and your best “pro painted” stories, in the comments section. Don’t forget to visit our Facebook, Twitch, and Patreon pages to stay up to date on what we’re up to and when episodes drop!

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*I’m not going to mention that I won Best Painted because the actual Best Painted army had already won overall