(Sort of ) new back into the Hobby

[stretch]

*RANT BEGIN*

I'm amazed.
When I first started building, a decent paint job was good enough to elevate you to the top of the leaderboard.
Nowadays, its a good build, an extraordinary paint job/weathering/shading etc/(I don't even know what else), lighting, etc to get you anywhere near the lofty heights.
I've been floating around theses forums for a year or so now and I'm continually amazed at what I see almost every day.
I know its not about winning applause from people. I get that. Its about enjoying the hobby. But the level of skill displayed on this forum alone is absolutely beyond me. After a substantial hiatus from model building, seeing what I'm seeing now is so extremely encouraging , it says to me that this hobby is far from dying. its flourishing.
The imagination shown in builds ( I'm picking one person out as an example... Nylon Gag...although most definitely not the only one here) is stunning.

At this point, any builds I have on the go have been shelved. I'm so, so happy to watch and see what's being built and imagined. Its become a part of my evening ritual. ( I have other hobbies on the go, so don't be upset to any degree).

When they used actually tangible models ( not CG ) in film, most of you guys would be in full time employment.

Well done all posters of this forum.

*RANT OVER*

 

[The Nylon Gag]

Stretch Buddy,


WOW, What a compliment mate thank you so much.

Some of the stuff being built is just beyond me as well.

The talent we have at SMA is just staggering.

Most important is to have fun

Take care mate

Gag

 

[Junkie]

Stretch, great to hear you come 'out of the shadows'. We all play a different part in the hobby, cool that you enjoy it too.

...ps: feel free to crack open the glue and sprue and get involved. It's fun.

 

[Quaralane]

Definitely crack open a kit and go at it.
Watching is fun.
Building is creative, and fun

 

[Papermodder]

Hi Stretch.
We all come from different backgrounds and carry into this hobby with varying skill sets and from different
genres. We all start out with that crappy build, one would like to forget about. You know what, the more you build, experiment and pay attention to what others are doing, your builds get better and better. Some here have been at this game for quite a while, others not so. Every build is a learning experience and not always a success.
We all get that build that you would rather put under the hammer than keep or proceed with. Take pride in everything you build and don't be ashamed to show it off, even the bad ones and ask questions. We are all here to learn and to help. So keep building and lets see what you got.

Jim

 

[arohk]

hello Stretch although I haven't really shown any of my work due to the fact most is still in storage, very long story behind it. I am no where near as good with all the weathering etc as most guys here, but also like everyone else here I do my models for the build it's just a great way to relax and have fun

 

[adampolo13]

stretch, one of our sayings around here is "The goal is completion rather than perfection." We've all started somewhere and yes some of us have actually smashed our models with a hammer... But it's all about having fun and improving our skills. If you do decide to build something please do not hesitate to post pictures and ask questions!

 

[cargoman5126]

I agree. I've only been back into modeling for a few months after a 25+year absence and some of the work is not a hobby but artworks. But that is biproduct of the nature of the hobby itself. This is a form of self expression and some are technically perfect, others are works of art, others should be in museums but all are the expressions of those creating them. This is a hobby, and to some the more difficult gives them more enjoyment and that's one of the things that I love about this hobby. It can be whatever you want it to be!! As simple or as complex as you wish..

thanx

 

[hilld]

For me it is about revisiting my youth and thinking of all those builds with streaky paint jobs and fogged canopies that I somehow loved and hung by thread over my bed. Now I have the means and patience to do a better job of my models. I enjoy adding to my stash, researching the builds and the stress -free (usually) relaxation I experience at the bench. I am encouraged when I see what others are doing and it makes me want to improve my skills. Add to that the incredible support, ideas and camaraderie of this Forum and all of the other resources available (including my local club that I joined a year ago) and I can honestly say I enjoy building as much or even more than I did all those years ago.

Build on, my friend, build on!

 

[stretch]

Cheers for all the replies guys. I didn't actually think there'd be any replies to this thread, I was just commenting that the people who build and post their work here should be very proud of what they're doing. Like I said, before CGI, most of you guys would be gainfully employed, with your favourite pastime becoming your means of employment.

yes some of us have actually smashed our models with a hammer...

I guess I'm guilty of that. I recently 'deconstructed' my 1946 alternative WW II diorama :.

Stretch, great to hear you come 'out of the shadows'. We all play a different part in the hobby, cool that you enjoy it too.

...ps: feel free to crack open the glue and sprue and get involved. It's fun.

Thanks Scott. Oh, by the way, the one I'm really watching is your 'Heavily Modified YT-1300' build.... hint hint

 

[WebbyNZ]

I agree that some of the builds here are truly amazing and can be enough to take the wind out of ya sails but on the other hand, seeing how people get these greats results can only make us all better builders and remember what a wise man once said "completion over perfection"

 

[noname]

If I can add something here,....Stretch, you mentioned that the level of skill on this forum is beyond you. I would say no,... no it's not. Some people may have more of an aptitude for doing certain things weather it's playing guitar, math or building models. But I firmly believe that a person can improve upon just about any skill through practice and working hard. You can learn an awful lot by studying other people's builds that you enjoy. Luckily, many people have given demos and how to articles on forums, Youtube and print.

If you are not happy with something, I say do it over. Most paint can be stripped and models are basically just a bunch of plastic glued together. So you can even alter the build itself if you wish. I've done it myself several times. And I'm glad I did. I still have a few builds hanging around that I thought was okay when I completed them but now am not happy with. I will hopefully get around to redoing some of them.

So if you are envious of someone else's build, study them and by all means ask questions. None of us are super hero's from another planet. I admit that there is an amount of intuition involved by times, but most of this is learning the tricks of the trade. And...there are so many products on the market now to make certain effects even easier. Piece of cake. Or pie if you like. Maybe a blueberry muffin. MMM my wife makes good blueberry muffins.