sometimes you just can't do things other peoples' way

[RKic]

One of my New Year resolutions for this year was that I would take more time with my modeling, and be more aware of keeping things tidy. I don't think I'm a particularly bad modeler, but I really wanted to achieve that crisp, neat and tidy look that some folks achieve. I'm looking at you Mike Grant.

Anyhow, my attempts at it keep failing. I'm trying to strip paint from three models right now, and I'm getting very anxious about the decals on a fourth.

I think it all comes down to the fact that I'm finding this style of building stressful. My cobble it together, improvise and cover-up style may not look as pretty, but its effective for me.

I think it also reflects my personality, and approach to most things in life.

I'm not sure what the point of sharing this is; maybe it can elicit some discussion. This is after all, a discussion board.

[T0M4ever]

If I tried to acheive what some of the people around here manage I'd never finish or be happy with anything.

I just try to make the next one better then the one before, and if I stumble across a method of doing something better then I give it a whirl and see what happens.

It is meant to be fun after all :)

[robtmelvin]

Guys, this comes back to something I have preached on another forum for ship modelers for some time. Now I'll bring my heresy here. This is, for the majority of us, something we do for fun and our own satisfaction. The great majority of us will never achieve the level of sophistication and near perfection we see in the builds that are produced by the top modelers. And, that's alright. If we have fun at our benches and we look at the models we build and say "that's not bad at all", then we have done what we set out to do. I suspect that the vast majority of us have limited time to spend at our modeling. Jobs, school, families, and life its own self in general limit the amount of time we have to spend at our benches and we'd rather spend that limited time building than researching or reading about different techniques. The main thing is that we have fun doing this. It is, after all, a hobby.

Bob

[A-4Silverfox]

If you try to satisfy everyone, you'll satisfy no one, least of all yourself. Ignore them and build/model for yourself.

[Flyboyf18]

:)

As you can see this has been said many different ways but don't try to build to the standards you see elsewhere. At least not right away, modelling is like a fine wine it takes time to mature. It can drive you crazy!! Build a model look at it from several different angles see what you like and don't like, take some digital pictures those are guaranteed to show up any flaws, then put it on the shelf, DON'T trash it!! It is a learning step.

Take what you liked from this kit and expand on it, look at what you didn't like and try to find other ways to do them. Go to model contests and look at the models there and if you can find the builder ask how they accomplished different techniques, most if not all will be happy to pass on their tips.

Most of all keep building don't give up you will learn from repetition, you will find ways to improve what you are doing and eventually you create models other s will be impressed with.

I have been building for many, many years and I am still learning from some of the younger members of our club, it's a constant process this learning thing.

To conclude don't give up keep on modelling and most of all HAVE FUN!!!!

[Joe Hegedus]

The main thing is that we have fun doing this. It is, after all, a hobby.

Bob

What Bob said.

[cksh]

I try to find that balance between making it perfect (and sometimes stressing over something that should be enjoyable), and just getting it done, but with some flaws. Most of my completed models have flaws, but from a foot away it is hard to tell, and they still look better sitting on a shelf than parked away in a box unfinished

I am trying to improve little by little, instead of going for that perfect build. I notice it is the little things I do, wrong or right, that make or break a build. Not being careful cutting parts off sprues and I end up reparing parts. Not enough dry fitting enough and it adds to the amount of sanding and filling I do.

Just getting a flawed model off my bench feels better than stressing over it for another month. I won't ever be in a show, but someday maybe I will have show quality builds.

[IrishGreek]

I would like to echo what everyone else has said. I am not that good. I post some pictures of things in process from time to time to see what is said. Most are positive (helps you know you are getting better), but I also see things I am not happy with. Sometimes stretching your skillset is fun, sometimes not so much. Depends how it works out, right. But it is all about enjoying yourself.

I am trying to finish at least one little kit that I will enter in a contest across the border from me down in Ohio next month. I am doing it just to do it (I KNOW I wont win anything and that is not the point anyhow). I heard someone on a thread say support the contests or they may not be around. So I am going to do that. Plus it is an excellent excuse to go!

I am having fun and hopefully you will too.

John

[Steve N]

I try to take inspiration and advice from other modelers, but like you I've found that when I try to build to someone else's standards I just end up frustrated.

The late, great Al Superczynski said it best: "Build what YOU want, the way YOU want to, and above all, HAVE FUN!"

SN

[thegoodsgt]

Hi RKic,

This discussion really isn't about how we derive enjoyment from the hobby. But I will say that for me, the "fun" of the hobby is producing a model that looks really good, better than average. I don't always achieve it, but that's my intent when I start every new model. For me the pleasure comes from both the process of building/painting AND the end product. RKic, you are perfectly justified to look to other (better) modeler's models and work toward those standards.

I'll offer a few practical suggestions:

You mentioned stripping paint from three models. STOP THAT! If you don't like the way the paint turned out, just keep going and finish the model. Stripping the paint off a model is incredibly depressing and, at least from my experience, reduces my enthusiasm for a project. I'm better off just tossing it and starting something new that gets me jazzed.

Realizing that you will make mistakes with every model, keep a log or journal of sorts for each model you build and make a note of things you did wrong. For example, on a recent model I built I found some overspray inside the canopy, which I thought I had adequately masked. I made a note to myself for my next project to mask my canopy better and to stuff a little tissue inside the canopy to catch any errant overspray. The result? The canopy on my current model is my best yet!

Finally, don't fix the mistakes you make on a model (to a point). For example, if you're applying the clear coat on a model and notice a seam that you missed, leave it alone. Don't backtrack to sand, repaint, etc. Leave the seam there. It will remind you every time you look at it in the future to be more diligent!

None of these tips will lead to winning contests and all the fame, glory, and women they bring, but you will get better over time.

[Fishwelding]

One of my New Year resolutions for this year was that I would take more time with my modeling, and be more aware of keeping things tidy. I don't think I'm a particularly bad modeler, but I really wanted to achieve that crisp, neat and tidy look that some folks achieve. I'm looking at you Mike Grant.

It is interesting, different peoples' styles. I did some meticulous building in the past (rescribing, adding all kinds of detail, correcting small innacuracies), but lately I just don't have the time to be too frenetic about details. My biggest consistent weakness, which I doubt I'll ever overcome, is bouncing between unfinished projects. This results in lost model parts. Then again, over the years I've finished lots of models, so sooner or later I get most done. Whenever I get annoyed with how many unfinished kits I see haphazardly piled in my stash, I eventually shrug and realize it's unimportant. Better to spend one's energy being diligent on stuff that matters.

[peebeep]

I'm finding this style of building stressful.

Time to stop. I've always taken the attitude that my next project will (hopefully) turn out better than the last. If at any stage a project starts to become stressful then it's bish, bash, bosh, job done. Improvement tends to be incremental in any case - at least it is for me - so if you keep working on things without it becoming a chore or stressful you may well end up getting the results you want over a period of time.

peebeep

[Grant in West Oz]

Guys, this comes back to something I have preached on another forum for ship modelers for some time. Now I'll bring my heresy here. This is, for the majority of us, something we do for fun and our own satisfaction. The great majority of us will never achieve the level of sophistication and near perfection we see in the builds that are produced by the top modelers. And, that's alright. If we have fun at our benches and we look at the models we build and say "that's not bad at all", then we have done what we set out to do. I suspect that the vast majority of us have limited time to spend at our modeling. Jobs, school, families, and life its own self in general limit the amount of time we have to spend at our benches and we'd rather spend that limited time building than researching or reading about different techniques. The main thing is that we have fun doing this. It is, after all, a hobby.

Bob

Though, every now and then we strike the bell right. :)

G

[Quailane]

I think because we see a lot of models on here done to an amazing standard, we forget that most of us on here can't do that. Add that to the fact that we know all the imperfections on our own models that we might miss on others we didn't build, and it is easy to feel like you are no good. But either way it feels really good to finish a model, look at the things that I did do perfectly, step a few feet back, and say "hot damn, that is one fine looking little aircraft!"

[JasonW]

My biggest consistent weakness, which I doubt I'll ever overcome, is bouncing between unfinished projects.

This is my biggest problem as well. I still haven't found a way to get around it. I have tried over the years a few different approaches, but I'm foiled very time. I feel like I've got modelers ADD or something.

I response to trying to build things to a higher standard, I personally have given up on trying to impress anyone. I've realized my limitations and the fact I'll never be one of the master craftsmen we see in Fine Scale magazine or winning prizes in shows and contests. That said, I am always trying to improve my skills, but I have finally realized that if I am happy with the build, that is all that matters. I try to get as detailed as I can, as accurate as I can and that is good enough for me. I do most of my builds OOB, with the occasional resin cockpit or conversion or aftermarket decals but I'm not spending more on detail stuff than the kit costs because for me it is a recipe for NEVER getting a kit done. I work best when I am making good progress through a kit and see an end in sight.

For me, it is all about recognizing your own limitations and realizing what your abilities and skills are. I don't try to build like (insert master modeler here) any longer because I'm NOT any of those guys. I'm one of the average model makers, and now I'm okay with that.

[RKic]

You mentioned stripping paint from three models. STOP THAT! If you don't like the way the paint turned out, just keep going and finish the model. Stripping the paint off a model is incredibly depressing and, at least from my experience, reduces my enthusiasm for a project. I'm better off just tossing it and starting something new that gets me jazzed.

Realizing that you will make mistakes with every model, keep a log or journal of sorts for each model you build and make a note of things you did wrong. For example, on a recent model I built I found some overspray inside the canopy, which I thought I had adequately masked. I made a note to myself for my next project to mask my canopy better and to stuff a little tissue inside the canopy to catch any errant overspray. The result? The canopy on my current model is my best yet!

Finally, don't fix the mistakes you make on a model (to a point). For example, if you're applying the clear coat on a model and notice a seam that you missed, leave it alone. Don't backtrack to sand, repaint, etc. Leave the seam there. It will remind you every time you look at it in the future to be more diligent!

I've tossed so many models in the past, that I'm becoming quite expert at it. Frankly I don't want to do that anymore. Stripping paint is depressing, but if I put a kit away, and then pull it out again a few weeks or months later, taking the paint off doesn't hurt as much.

As for the third bit of advice, leaving obvious mistakes and then having to see them each time I pick up a model drives me CRAZY! Thats usually what gets a model binned

[thegoodsgt]

If you're tossing out (or stripping) a lot of models because you're unhappy with the finish, can you generalize what it is that you don't like? Is it the color, the amount of paint, etc.? I think if you can identify a specific weakness or challenge, we can help you address it via some feedback here on ARC.

As for mistakes, everyone (and I mean everyone) makes them, so you have to find a way to live with them and learn from them. Believe me, I've judged some outstanding models at contests over the last 20 years and models that look absolutely outstanding (and win!) often have little issues that probably drive their own builders nutso.

[TaiidanTomcat]

Hi RKic,

This discussion really isn't about how we derive enjoyment from the hobby. But I will say that for me, the "fun" of the hobby is producing a model that looks really good, better than average. I don't always achieve it, but that's my intent when I start every new model. For me the pleasure comes from both the process of building/painting AND the end product. RKic, you are perfectly justified to look to other (better) modeler's models and work toward those standards.

I'll offer a few practical suggestions:

You mentioned stripping paint from three models. STOP THAT! If you don't like the way the paint turned out, just keep going and finish the model. Stripping the paint off a model is incredibly depressing and, at least from my experience, reduces my enthusiasm for a project. I'm better off just tossing it and starting something new that gets me jazzed.

Realizing that you will make mistakes with every model, keep a log or journal of sorts for each model you build and make a note of things you did wrong. For example, on a recent model I built I found some overspray inside the canopy, which I thought I had adequately masked. I made a note to myself for my next project to mask my canopy better and to stuff a little tissue inside the canopy to catch any errant overspray. The result? The canopy on my current model is my best yet!

Finally, don't fix the mistakes you make on a model (to a point). For example, if you're applying the clear coat on a model and notice a seam that you missed, leave it alone. Don't backtrack to sand, repaint, etc. Leave the seam there. It will remind you every time you look at it in the future to be more diligent!

None of these tips will lead to winning contests and all the fame, glory, and women they bring, but you will get better over time.

These are incredibly good points. I always wanted my builds perfect so i tried planning them and thinking them out... you can imagine how useless this was. In the end it was getting my fingers cut up and covered with paint and actually finished that got me to improve.

What finally changed my mind was to think of modeling as a work out-- do you train for a marathon by reading a book about running? or buying some shoes and actually running? Of course you make mistakes along the way, you don't walk out there and bang out 26.2 miles the first day. you work and you improve and you rebound from setbacks-- eventually you look back at all your work and go "wow! look how far I have come!" and both your victories and defeats become badges of honor.

I got models built and done and started improving when I realized that I would look at my modeling shelf and in retrospect and see all kinds of errors and mistakes-- but I would still love those builds. and I as I look at them all set next to each I can see myself improving.

The X factor in this though is fun. you will not persist in an unpleasant work out overtime just as you will not persist in an unhappy hobby. If you are building better but not enjoying it, soon you will not be building at all.

[huntermountain]

I've just restarted building last year, and my previous experience was over 30 years ago,and it involved lots of tube glue, and paint splashed on like there was no tomorrow. I started building some stuff, without any experience except the 30 years that had gone by, and I enjoyed it like crazy.

Then I started searching the Internet. I found lots of great tips, I accumulated a huge array of tools, paints and whatnot. But I also wanted to get the same results as what is seen on here, and immediately, the joy of building went away, and was replaced with frustration. I struggled on for a while, and then decided to go back to the original idea, build for relaxation. So all the stuff I have learned about, I try it. And if I don't like it, I don't try it again. As a result, I spend much more time building then I have over the previous months, the enjoyment and relaxation is back! I still know what can be done, but I've excepted that, at this time, it's not for me. I might quit next month, or I might go one to build stunning models, who knows. But whatever happens, I will have enjoyed it.

edited for an afterthought: I also always have multiple builds going, each with it's own storage box. If I'm tired of the current one, in it's box it goes, and another box is opened.

Edited January 27, 2011 by huntermountain

[rm20886]

I look at the work of many of you as inspiration to try and achieve similar results. Looking at many of the models posted on ARC and the many magazines I am impressed with the clean, realistic, and detailed work. I create a visual in my head of how the end result of the model I am working on should look and often become frustrated because I am not quite there.

As many of you have already said, modelling is a hobby and should be enjoyed. I certainly do enjoy the hobby as one can tell by looking at the several hundred kits in my stash. Maybe the hobby has several categories that we are drawn to.

Buying models

Collecting and hoarding mass amounts of kits

Researching

Admiring the work of others

Chatting about everything remotely related to the hobby

Oh, and building models

That being said, I enjoy every aspect of the hobby.

Sure, I would like to build a model, enter it into a contest, and take home first prize. Then again, I didn't make it to the NHL or win the Stanely cup either!

Edited January 27, 2011 by rm20886

[robtmelvin]

I second what huntermountain says just above, and his experience is pretty similar to my own. Like him, I came back to modeling a couple of years ago after over 30 years away. I dug in and started, and had a ball. Then I started hanging out on the internet and saw all these fantastic builds, all these great tools, and got it into my head that I needed to build up to that standard too. Spent a ton on tools, books, etc., none of which really made me a better modeler, or gave me more fun and pleasure modeling. When my builds didn't turn out, in my mind, to the standards I was seeing on the 'net, frustration began to set in. Then, as my wife says, I had a talk with myself. I remembered that I'm doing this for pleasure and to enhance my interest in and enjoyment of history. I went back to building as best I can, still trying new things, but doing it on cheapie older Revell kits that I don't really mind if I screw up trying something new that doesn't work out, and plodding along on one major build at a time which might take months for me to finish, doing the cheapie kits along the way as I do as experiments, or just to get a little instant satisfaction. I'd add that I display my better builds in my office and my clients often comment on them. I've never, never had anybody look at one of the models I've built and say "oh, you should have done this...." or "this little thing here isn't right" or "that's not the right configuration/paint scheme for that 'plane." More often I get "man, I wish I had the patience to do that!"

I think it's easy to be too hard on ourselves when we see these fantastic planes, ships or tanks on line and look at ours and feel they don't measure up. But I've come back around to realizing that I do this for pleasure and if I take it so seriously that I loose the fun in it, I've defeated my purpose in the first place.

Bob

[CorsairMan]

The owner of the LHS once told me: "Everyone has at least one great model in them... it might take a lifetime to get to it, but its there"

I think that applies to a lot of things.

[Shawn M]

The owner of the LHS once told me: "Everyone has at least one great model in them... it might take a lifetime to get to it, but its there"

I think that applies to a lot of things.

excellent point

[RKic]

I guess my own style, while not trim and tidy, does produce generally attractive results. I'll always be hyper-critical of my own work though. I'm like that with eveyrhting. If I ever have a child I'll probably criticize it for the way its nose or ears or whatever look.

[Fishwelding]

If I ever have a child I'll probably criticize it for the way its nose or ears or whatever look. :)

Really? Eh....parenting may not be for everyone. Consider maybe a pet dog, first.

( :P )

On the other hand, it usually works the other way around. Regardless of what you say now, if she or he is your kid, you'll be convinced the kid is perfect, and incapable of error, bad behavior, or any other fault. And when the School principal dares tell you otherwise....