NaMoPaiMo 2020: Lessons Learned

As many of you know, this was my first NaMoPaiMo, and I'm thrilled with the result! Meet my newest herd addition, LabRat! He's a bay Morgan stallion in 1:12th scale, painted in pastels and acrylics. Although this isn't a progress post, I'll certainly put one up here in a bit!

LabRat (I mean, that's basically what he was, right?)

1. Prep, and Prep, and Prep... Prime, and Prime, and Prime!
Although I prepped well, it was still not as adequate as it could've been. That being said, something is better than nothing! I think  my piece definitely suffered, at least a tad, from subpar priming and prepping; oh well, it's something to keep in mind and improve upon! 

2. Patience is Key 

Admittedly, pastelling layer upon layer upon layer is not only tedious, but also time-consuming. It's especially discouraging when only minimal progress appears visually. However, I've learned that despite the lack of perceived progress, I'm still progressing.  

3. Mistakes are Okay; Fix Them and Move on 

Probably my biggest downfall was my sense of urgency, which I'll cover momentarily. On numerous occasions, I accidentally flawed LabRat, whether it be touching the DullCote before it's dry or accidentally scratching the pastel with a fingernail. Mistakes were made, setbacks happened. Such is the point of NaMoPaiMo. I believe that NaMoPaiMo encompasses everything the hobby should be: encouraging, uplifting, and helpful. I experienced just that. 

4. Don't be Afraid to Ask for Help 

Whether it be from my mentors, responses to a post, or tutorials posted to not only the FaceBook group, but others' blogs and sites as well, I found support and help to tackle any question I came across. Also, in the process, I made some amazing friends and met some incredible people. It was reassuring to see how others fixed their similar issues, and it was also a bonding point. First-timers, such as myself, bonded over mistakes made and triumphs achieved, while ogling at the professionals' pieces. My absolute favorite part, though, was that the professionals didn't hold some "greater-then-thou" attitude; they were willing to help anyone with their painting/customizing troubles. 

Uh oh, I scratched the finish! 

5. You'll Never Know Until You Try 

For a few years now, I have been watching NaMoPaiMo from afar. Of course, I assumed that it was more of an exclusive, top-notch event, and beginners such as myself would have no place in such a, what I thought was a, competition. This year, I pushed through that and decided to take NaMoPaiMo head-on. With horse in-hand and literally nothing else, I began my customizing journey. I mean it when I said I didn't have anything else to use. First of all, I didn't know what medium to work with (for awhile, it was airbrushing, but then I decided on pastels), what color to do, or how to do it. This is where my incredible mentors and the rest of the NaMoPaiMo community came into play. With their help, I decided on a medium, color, and what supplies to use. Before I knew it, I was sanding, priming, and then pastelling away! So, to anyone who's scared to give NaMoPaiMo a try: go for it! This isn't just an event for the pros; it's for everyone. Heck, that's why it exists! Trust me, you won't regret it. 

So, in conclusion, my NaMoPaiMo was filled with a plethora of up's and down's, but it was so worth it. In the end, I even finished my first actual project, a bay Morgan stallion, LabRat: 

My NaMoPaiMo 2020 Project, LabRat!

How was your NaMoPaiMo? What did you learn? I can't wait to see what y'all got out of it too!