Tuesday, November 08, 2011

Creative Horizon

Creative mind needs to discharge itself for time to time. If it doesn't, it will get anguished and depressed. That's one of the "curses" of being creative.

The way you empty your can of inspiration doesn't really matter, just as long as it's something you really enjoy doing and what motivates you; write, draw, paint, build, discuss, read, improve your skill, live, learn and enjoy.

Discharging your fully loaded creativity can sometimes be really hard in today's pressing society. It's because of the lack of time, or more properly put, lack of courage to make the time - and I'm a bit of a coward in this case, to tell you to truth...

But when you're short of time you start to appreciate it more. I, for instance, have really started focusing on what I want to do with my precious hobbytime. I'd like to have an inspirational working space where I'd enjoy every drop of creativity I have damed in my packed mind, something similar that Migsula is currently working with.

This is something I'd like to call as a creative horizon. When you've reached certain step in your hobby, you start to think how'd it feel like to stay on that spot for a bit longer and widen your point of view a bit more horizontal, look for new ways to take the most out of that stage.

For example, you're enjoying the way you paint and convert your miniatures, but you'd like to get more out of 'em than just paint and finish the work. You start to write background stories about your heroes, tell their tales and give them more than meets the eye. Another way is to create some side projects such as character cards, parchaments for spells and tarot cards that your painted character might use in his/her universe. This can be very fascinating way to add more value for your hobbytime and create more depth for your creative project. Tears of Envy's =][=MVNDA project is kind of something I'm aiming at with this ramble...

For me it's the little things that make my creative horizon more wanderous. I've started widening my perspective and look for new ways to improve the quality time I've in my hands for my hobby. I've thought about starting my own little Inquisitor/Necromunda posse project, building it up from figures that I'd really love to paint, this meaning that I'd have to do some serious conversion and kitbashing work to get to that point. I'd then widen the project by adding some detailed papers, drawings and background stories for 'em, giving life to them in their own universe. That'd be neat.

I'm also currently trying to "decorate" my hobby surroundings with little things that matter to me, images, music, books and such. There's just something when you raise your head from your project for some neck strecthes, your nose catches some pleasant scent from the old booklets full of beautiful images, laid open for some bursts of inspirations while eardrums are bouncing in the beat of the relaxing thrash metal from the late 80's and the early 90's. That makes it for me at the moment, though it's too bad that it's impossible to paint in the light of the candles... *sigh*

My nest of comfy chaos, creative horizon wide and open for wandering.

So, how do you spend your pools of creativity? Do you widen your creative horizon from the point where you're currently staying at and how? The word is free.

- izeColt

8 comments:

  1. Hello,

    at first, your Blog is really nice. But i have a question about your Banner.
    Which font would used for it?

    My big thank's for a reply ;)

    Best Regards
    Kaaleb

    ReplyDelete
  2. Let me see... The logo is a mix of couple of fonts, Hacjiuza and Indoctrine.

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  3. Hi,

    I really like your blog! I already wrote you on CMON, but I hope you can answer my question here too-even if it doesnt fit this topic at all ;)

    I really fescinated by the bases on your Orcs especially and I'd like to know how you do them (materials and paints used)? That would really be great!

    Cheers :)

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  4. Wise words...
    I like to listen more atmospheric music when sculpting... so Ambient Electronics for me...

    My work space is more practical than moody but I always keep some important "Artefacts" close at hand=)

    In the future I think that Im too moving more into that direction to create my work space more inspiring place to work...

    How about that tattoo idea that I suggested you last weekend?...that would definately widen the horizon don't you think;)

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  5. Inspireing thoughts. I am myself in similar state of mind. The idea of getting more from the minis and hobby time than the finished model. Themed hobby workplace is one thing, another thing is themed photography.

    Another thing is sharing the value of the models. A few years back I did a couple of conversions inspired my Migsula's Jade Vessel activities (an =I=munda campaign). So when I had finished the models and the final showdown for the campaign was approaching I asked if they wanted to used the characters for NPCs in the game and consequently sent the model away for Migsula to use. So the models inspired by a project actually ended up taking part of the initial project.

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  6. Gunslinger: Thank you and welcome onboard. Sorry, haven't visited CMON for ages ('til now) and missed your message!

    Anyways, here's the story behind the orc bases... Brogbladd's base is build from pinetree's bark & some rough sand. Champs base is just pure sand including some small stones, same goes with Harboth's bottom layer.

    All of their bases have been first painted with the Catachan Green, highlighted mixing some Bleached Bone in the CG, washed with the mixture of CG, Scorched Brown and lots of water and finally re-doing some highlighting. Brogbladd's pinetree rock was made with the same way except adding some grays to make it more rocky.

    In Harboth's case I added some static grass, mushrooms, birch seeds and copper ferns, all tinted to fit the overall feeling.

    Hope this helped you!

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  7. JRN: Great to have you in the blogsphere! I've been a huge fan of your work for quite some time and got lots of inspiration from your projects...

    Putting more thought, perspective and layout dialogue in to your miniature photoshooting is indeed a great way to widen your creative horizon. I haven't thought this before and will definately try it when I'll get my hands on my next miniature project.

    Somewhere the tea's getting cold blog's miniature photoshooting technique kind of reminds me of this philosophy - Settings, backdrops and sometimes short narratives give nice touch to their paintings...

    ReplyDelete