Becoming a better model builder

COol vid Mike. The idea of having a standard is very valid...and I do fail at this for sure. Sometimes I just rush and could do better.

The bottom line is that anyone who puts in the time 'doing' modeling will improve.
 
Never thought about it in that way. You are on to something there. Now I have to find My standard to start with, and grow from there.
 
I want to add that another way to grow is to get a few kits and experiment. I have done this and it has grown my skills quite a bit.

Another way to grow is to get an awful kit and challenge yourself to build it up at your standards. I have also done this and I can tell you that my seam filling skills have improved dramatically......
 
Nice vid, I know that some of my models I look at and think 'wish I hadn't rushed that part..' or 'I can really see that bad seem..' etc but also when I look at some I'm really proud of myself and there's my standard. I now I can do a decent model if I pay attention and don't rush. I'm a very impatient person and that makes problems in my whole life not just modelling lol! But thanks for the vid, tomorrow when I get spare time to do a bit of modelling I'm going to try and relax and just concentrate. :)
 
Wise words. I really enjoyed this video. Thanks to all my fellow modellers on SMA for sharing their work, ideas and tips. SMA has defintely raised my personal standard. Once again, great vid.
 
You get good at model building the same way you get to Carnegie Hall - practice, man, practice.
 
My standard is simply to build as cleanly and accurate as I can .
meaning no gaps , filled seams,good fit, no exposed glue..ect..
I think of it as a core requirement

I have a long way to go before I am at the level of ,lots of aftermarket ,photo-etch,heavy scratchbuilding.weathering
I figure If I concentrate on the basics than those advances will come over time.

No amount of bells and whistles matters much if the end result is sub par
I have heard of clean precise box stock builds taking trophys over highly aftermarket builds.
so for me it's simple,,nail down the basics, and gradually go from there
 
Totally true Andy. A clean stock build is a must....and this coming from a guy who ignores seams sometimes...

But the fundamentals are key. No doubt.
 
I’m actually not going to agree with you on this one.

Yes, it’s important to always challenge yourself, working to maintain a decent standard, and hopefully, in time, to improve.

However, considering the difference in time between, for example, a Golden Daemon single figure entry and the hundred-and-first rank’n’file trooper, I can certainly understand why the standard might slip a bit. After all, you’ll never get that horde-army finished if you have to spend 50+ hours on each and every model...

Also, sometimes I, for one, simply cannot be bothered to go to that level. My current build – the Corsair, for example, won’t see me going way deep into details. Yes, I could buy aftermarket parts, model a full harness for the pilot, extend the fuselage with a few millimetres to get it into scale, grind down all those ejectormarks that will, hopefully, not be visible once everything is assembled anyway, and so on...

But I won’t...

In short, this is just a strictly-for-fun-and-relaxation project. Yes, perhaps I really should be challenging my own standards rather than letting them slip. But sometimes, like right now, I simply cannot muster the energy to do so.

So very often have I stalled halfway through a project, simply because I didn’t feel it was turning out quite the way I wanted it to be. So, do I want to finish this build to a decent standard or will I go for a great standard but never finish?

One of the things that this year’s contest taught me was that the most important thing was to just build and have fun. Yeas, I really would like to dissemble my Jagdpanzer E 100 and start all over again, correcting all the small mistakes that I made. But, in the end, I doubt I would have much fun doing so. Sometimes I really worry way too much about tiny details. Much better then, to let my standard slip and just get cracking, than constantly worrying about getting it just right...
 
f2k. Finsihing a build is a great standard...one that I hope to achieve. Having fun everytime is a great standard too.

It's not all about reaching 'magazine cover shot' level. We all set our own standards..for some it could be 'finish' others could be 'fun' others could be ' no visible seams' and on and on.

If you goal is to achieve magazine cover shot levels, then of course it requires that level of work, and experience. But this hobby aint all about that...that is just an option...to pursue that 'level'.
 
Scott Girvan said:
f2k. Finsihing a build is a great standard...one that I hope to achieve. Having fun everytime is a great standard too.

It's not all about reaching 'magazine cover shot' level. We all set our own standards..for some it could be 'finish' others could be 'fun' others could be ' no visible seams' and on and on.

If you goal is to achieve magazine cover shot levels, then of course it requires that level of work, and experience. But this hobby aint all about that...that is just an option...to pursue that 'level'.
Click to expand...

Sure, no argument about that.

Was I was objecting to was the idea that you should never lower you standard (whatever that standard might be). Just because you can paint to Golden Daemon standard doesn’t mean that you shouldn't sometimes just sit down and relax with a much simpler paint-job.
 
Gotta agree with F2K. Lots of times if I am building something serious with lots of PE, or resin, or some scratchbuilding, or all 3, it is nice to just do the next build OOB with nothing extra just to relax and cleanse the pallet so to speak. Even nicer if it is a shake and bake kit.
 
I just want to share a thought that came to mind on today's bike ride.

I was thinking about this thread and watched a few drivers running stop signs. And then it occurred to me that one thing I was taught as a kid playing sports was to practice as I would perform. In other words, by practicing like every session was a championship game, the actual game became second nature. It becomes like just another practice session.

I am in no way knocking the easy build. But what I am saying is that practice should be like what you want to accomplish in your builds. This goes with Micheal's idea of standards. Build to a standard you can be proud of. And don't be afraid to tackle that tough kit. I don't worry about the difficulty of my builds. I build what I want to build. The difficulty is part of the fun! Am I up to the challenge to complete that kit?

It is a part of growing as a modeler. Like all things in life, the more challenges you face, the stronger you are when things go bad.
 
Generally why do we love modelling, simply to have fun and enjoy what we love. but some due to some level of competition, frustration sinks in... no one can jump from beginner to expert level.

The video tells and remind us, being a Modeler is to have fun, enjoy, achieving goals and to gain friends who share the same passion.

just my 2 cents.
 
Grendels said:
Build to a standard you can be proud of. And don't be afraid to tackle that tough kit. I don't worry about the difficulty of my builds. I build what I want to build. The difficulty is part of the fun! Am I up to the challenge to complete that kit?
Click to expand...

And if you feel you're not up to the challenge, don't use that "grail" kit for practice. Go to Big Lots or the Dollar Store and pick up some cheap kits to use as test fodder for painting or hacking into until you're more comfortable.
 
Eastrock said:
Generally why do we love modelling, simply to have fun and enjoy what we love. but some due to some level of competition, frustration sinks in... no one can jump from beginner to expert level.
Click to expand...

I think there’s some truth in this. To be honest, seeing what some of you guys can do is sometimes just so depressing... Realizing that it will be years before I get anywhere near that level... If I ever do...

Ziz said:
Grendels said:
Build to a standard you can be proud of. And don't be afraid to tackle that tough kit. I don't worry about the difficulty of my builds. I build what I want to build. The difficulty is part of the fun! Am I up to the challenge to complete that kit?
Click to expand...

And if you feel you're not up to the challenge, don't use that "grail" kit for practice. Go to Big Lots or the Dollar Store and pick up some cheap kits to use as test fodder for painting or hacking into until you're more comfortable.
Click to expand...

I think I’ll be looking a lot more at 1:72 scale kits from now on. Not only is the money very tight right now due to having to repay my student loan but I’ve also realized that I need a lot more practice to really get back in the game. I think I did an okay job on my Jagdpanzer E 100 conversion, but I'm a bit angry with myself for messing the paintjob up...

I’ve got some of the seriously big kits (bought back when I had a job and plenty of money) waiting as a sort of “carrot” – something that I might, one day, get to paint.

To be honest, I think I’m up to the task of assembling them. And I could probably paint them sorta ok’ish. But a big kit like that deserves nothing less than a top-level paintjob so I think I’ll wait until I’ve mastered my airbrush and some weathering techniques.

Until then I’ll just try to have fun and not feel too depressed whenever I see another top-notch job posted on the forum...
 

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