Isolation Hobbying

There's no denying that these are strange and scary times, but luckily us hobbyists have a secret weapon to stave off the isolation; our hobby of course! Today I have a couple of tips on hobbying whilst stuck at home.

While all of our gaming events themselves may be cancelled and you definitely should not be meeting up with even close friends for games, there's still plenty of hobbying to be had at home. If you've been in the hobby for any amount of time you probably have at least somewhat of a stockpile of unfinished kits, I know I certainly do. This is great as it means, even if you're stuck at home and can't leave you'll have plenty of stuff to work on if you want. There are a few things to consider though.

The number one most important thing is do you have all of the paint you'll need. It would be terribly disappointing if you want to go start on your new project only to realize that the paint you thought you had is either empty or maybe missing entirely. In my area I am still able to go out and the stores are still open, but who knows when that may end? Even having paints delivered to you may end at some point, so it's best just to be prepared. Last week I did a quick inventory of my paints and decided which ones I thought I might need. I actually used the Citadel Color App to make a checklist of them so I wouldn't forget when I got to the hobby store. Now I (hopefully) have all of the colors I would need for awhile.

The same goes for primer. Check your current stock and also look through any projects you're thinking of doing. Do you have everything you need? Do you think you might need a certain color of primer for an upcoming project that you don't have yet? If you're still able too, now would be the time to get what paints you need. If it's unsafe in your area please DO NOT go out to get paint, your health is more important. As of writing this in the U.S. you can still place online orders as well, so that's probably the safest option of getting the colors you need.

Part of my pile of shame. This is just the stuff in boxes.

Same goes for model kits. If you really don't have enough, or there's something you've been wanting, I would say now is the time to get it. At the moment I'm working on some more Nurgle stuff (yes, I understand that's a little odd considering), but this is also a great time to work on an entirely new project! After I finish what I'm working on I might see if I can use this time to bust out my Contrast Eternals army. While I don't think I have every model I'd want for it, I certainly have a lot of Stormcast to work on. Between both of the starter sets as well as a few false starts on a Stormcast army I definitely have enough models to fill my time.

Social media is an amazing tool in our community during normal times, now even more so. With face to face social interaction severely limited, being engaged online with other members of our community is a great way to spread the hobby love. If you're working on stuff please share it online. WIPS, finished projects, all of it! Share list ideas, story ideas, background ideas, and if you're lucky enough to be living with someone who also plays, why not battle reports! I think a lot of us will start feeling the effects of social distancing in the weeks to come, so lets keep the online hobby community going strong! On Twitter, Jes Bickham of GW has started a hashtag of #IsolationArmy for whatever you're working on during this time, let's all try and use it and share our work! This would also be a good time to practice pushing your painting a bit if you want. Darren Latham's YouTube channel has a fantastically detailed guide to a masterclass paint job on a Lord of Blights, and the one and only Duncan Rhodes has just started getting his new painting channel off the ground as well!

One last thing I thought of just the other day was my book supply. I know most of us have some sort of streaming service for tv and movies, but I personally love reading as well. Last night as I was reading I realized that I only had two full novels and a novella left in my "To Read" pile. With eBooks and such this is less of a big deal, but I'm more of a fan of physical books so I put in an order so I run less of a risk of running out of reading material. If I end up finishing all of my unread books I'll probably either go to eBooks or just re-read some of my favorites. I think it's about time for my re-read of Storm of Iron by Graham McNeil. I hit up that classic every few years. It's pretty much evergreen.

Hopefully this was helpful. While isolation and social distancing can be hard it's the responsible thing to do. Limit the number of times you have to go out, so if you are planning on making one last paint/primer/model/book run, plan ahead, make a list, and do it all in one go, or order them online. That being said, now is a great time to support local stores, whether that's independent gaming stores, or your local GW, as they'll definitely be feeling the effects of reduced shoppers. Basically, asses your own personal situation, as well as what's going on in your local area, and make the safest choice. Remember, even if you personally aren't at a high risk from the Coronavirus, you could still act as a carrier and spread it to someone who is. We've been preparing for this for years without even knowing it with our larger stockpiles of models, so let's get our hobby on and please, stay safe and healthy during these difficult times.

Until next time,

Tyler M.