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Walk, then Run


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... if we're gonna get better at this.

And that's a very personal issue. Seems some new builders get easily discouraged when they discover that first-rate, shiny models don't quite fall together. So either they walk away from a hobby that does require some effort (what some of us call "fun") to produce good results, or they coast along gluing things together with a minimum of "difficulty", and they don't get any better. That's OK. It's all about choices.

Choices. Some guys stay at it and develop outstanding skills necessary to build box-stock models that are almost indistinguishable from the real thing in photos. Some guys go spinning off into making wild and fanciful (and also very much fun) creations that could never exist in reality...as we currently know it, anyway. And everything in between.

But like in any artistic and creative endeavor, it really IS necessary to master (or at least get a good grasp of) the several important skills that, when combined, will ultimately allow a modeler to create a satisfying 3-dimensional expression of his vision, whatever that vision might happen to be.

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Well , if you're going to get better at it , you need to educate yourself . First off , realize that the internet doesn't have all the answers even though it is all " free " . Secondly , back check on the individuals that are giving you the "free " advice . Many of those that are giving said advice couldn't glue two engine block halves together without glueing themselves to their workbench in the process ....

Modeling is exactly like athletics , you have to work at it , to make yourself better . You need a strong foundation to start out with . Spend your money in the beginning on tools , books , DVDs , etc , not kits . This will ensure a mastery of the basic skills that are needed to produce a quality build . Again you have to work at this , no instant gratification here .... Patience and focus are of the utmost importance . These cannot be taught , they have to be developed by the individual .

Cheap always comes back to bite you in the posterior end . Buy quality products and tools , learn to use them and take care of them and they will hold you in good stead for many years to come .

The education is out there and yours , should you be willing to pay for it . As of late , it is far cheaper than the cost of one kit . Sadly enough , it seems that most would rather flail around blindly depending on 20 different answers / opinions rather then go with one proven method . The end result is generally a frustrated modeler with a subpar build .

Donn Yost

Line Wolf Custom Painting

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  • 3 years later...

Agreed.   After years of trying to improve and visiting here a LOT and posting a little, I have become inspired by some of the better modelers here to approach each part in a build as it's own finished model.  And guess what?  I am much happier with my builds.   And I still finish kits.   Remove parting lines and seams.  This gets me on some of the otherwise beautiful builds.  Glue the seat fronts and backs together,  Then clean up the parting lines and seams where it was glued.   File, scrape, fill, sand, whatever it takes to get rid of everything that makes it look like pieces glued together.  I can get that in a  Welly or Motormax from a yard sale.   I want to see craftsmanship when I look at the stuff emerging from the minds on here.  

I am approaching 40 years of modeling.  And I still have areas to improve.  And there are no real shortcuts to making each part beautiful.  Once you've smelled the plastic on a newly opened kit, then you have to start cleaning up parts.  Nothing ruins the illusion more than parting lines or glue seams.  We are trying to give the illusion of real, right?  Ok, I may be stepping out of line there - modeling is an individual thing, so maybe it's some other part of the process that is the reward for you.  I guess that I should back up or stop right there.   I'm projecting my hobby.  

But I do like to see a well-finished build, whether it is straight out of the box or highly modified.  

Just keep building folks...

 

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Nobody likes criticism. Most people want a little reward for their efforts. Yet, it's those critiques that clang around in your head and dog you when you know they're right. On the next project, when you reach that same weak step, that criticism arises like a zombie and makes you think people are watching over your shoulder, even if you never present your project publicly.

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47 minutes ago, randyc said:

Ok, I may be stepping out of line there - modeling is an individual thing, so maybe it's some other part of the process that is the reward for you.  I guess that I should back up or stop right there.   I'm projecting my hobby.  

But I do like to see a well-finished build, whether it is straight out of the box or highly modified.  

Just keep building folks...

 

This thread IS the place for this discussion. Keep on. And I agree completely. Nothing ruins the illusion like molds seams and excess glue. 

20 minutes ago, Lunajammer said:

Nobody likes criticism. Most people want a little reward for their efforts. Yet, it's those critiques that clang around in your head and dog you when you know they're right. On the next project, when you reach that same weak step, that criticism arises like a zombie and makes you think people are watching over your shoulder, even if you never present your project publicly.

True. But the thing is, modeling isn't rocket surgery. It's just not that hard to build cleanly. It just takes the will to do so and some rudementry and inexpensive tools. If no one points out these things and continues with the ataboys, they don't learn. That was the point of this whole thread. To speak to the new builder and say, "This is why you aren't getting much attention here, your work could be improved if you do X, Y and Z." 

Mike, you are an excellent builder. I'm positive you didn't get that way with no one telling you ways to improve.

Edited by Jantrix
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Yeah, I'm definitely guilty of keeping quiet rather than ruffling feathers. It's the path of least resistance. It's so much different face to face where there's room for an engaging discussion, especially since we're mostly talking about young and/or novice builders. Online, it's a little more delicate.

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One of the absolute bottom-lines that seems to be frequently forgotten here and in just about every other field of human endeavor is that there are many different personality types, and people have many different motives for doing things, and just as many different ways of dealing with criticism, constructive or otherwise.

A strong personality that is interested in mastering any activity or skill can take constructive criticism in the spirit in which it's offered...a sincere willingness to HELP. A strong personality can also deal with rudeness or cruel criticism without imploding or running to a mommy figure for protection.

The other extreme is someone who posts primarily to get the social-media affirmation-attaboy dopamine hit, and who's not particularly (if at all) interested in skill-building...which requires the pursuit of objective truth and brutal honesty with oneself concerning skills and shortcomings.

You can't please everybody, and it's senseless to try.

You CAN be respectful and kind to everybody, however; stating objective truth is NOT unkind, though the world we now inhabit often seems to interpret it as such. How anyone responds to respectful, truly constructive criticism is THEIR decision.

There's another point I think bears repeating that seems to be overlooked often. There are many different levels of talent. Contrary to what has become a mainstream rallying cry, we are NOT all created equal, and how much innate TALENT we each possess determines in large part how much SKILL we may each develop in a particular field. For example, I simply do NOT have sufficient talent to be a concert pianist, no matter HOW MUCH I PRACTICE. BUT...there are certain talents i DO possess that allow certain skills to continue to improve with practice. EVERYONE has things they will ultimately be able to master with effort, if they so desire, and EVERYONE has things they're just never really going to excel at.

Doing the best you can with your God-given talent at whatever your current skill level is is FAR more important (as far as having a genuinely satisfying life goes) than seeking meaningless accolades for just showing up.

 

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27 minutes ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

One of the absolute bottom-lines that seems to be frequently forgotten here and in just about every other field of human endeavor is that there are many different personality types, and people have many different motives for doing things, and just as many different ways of dealing with criticism, constructive or otherwise.

A strong personality that is interested in mastering any activity or skill can take constructive criticism in the spirit in which it's offered...a sincere willingness to HELP. A strong personality can also deal with rudeness or cruel criticism without imploding or running to a mommy figure for protection.

The other extreme is someone who posts primarily to get the social-media affirmation-attaboy dopamine hit, and who's not particularly (if at all) interested in skill-building...which requires the pursuit of objective truth and brutal honesty with oneself concerning skills and shortcomings.

You can't please everybody, and it's senseless to try.

You CAN be respectful and kind to everybody, however; stating objective truth is NOT unkind, though the world we now inhabit often seems to interpret it as such. How anyone responds to respectful, truly constructive criticism is THEIR decision.

There's another point I think bears repeating that seems to be overlooked often. There are many different levels of talent. Contrary to what has become a mainstream rallying cry, we are NOT all created equal, and how much innate TALENT we each possess determines in large part how much SKILL we may each develop in a particular field. For example, I simply do NOT have sufficient talent to be a concert pianist, no matter HOW MUCH I PRACTICE. BUT...there are certain talents i DO possess that allow certain skills to continue to improve with practice. EVERYONE has things they will ultimately be able to master with effort, if they so desire, and EVERYONE has things they're just never really going to excel at.

Doing the best you can with your God-given talent at whatever your current skill level is is FAR more important (as far as having a genuinely satisfying life goes) than seeking meaningless accolades for just showing up.

 

Well put Bill. We all have different talents wether we realize them or not. If you can recognize those try to put them to the best possible use. If you're a model builder then build what you like as you prefer to see it built. If you like to sing,join a choir. If you simply love children, be a volunteer mentor at a local school. I do all three and certainly enjoy all three.

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I'd like to point out that, though at some point this turned into a "criticism" debate, that's not what I indended it to be. I intended it to point out that to be a good, great or expert builder, one must first learn the basics of clean model building. And the best way to do that is to practice without too much in the way of modifications, and then add mods as your skills improve. If you have different goals for you building and don't care to improve, or about the overall quality of your work, then carry on. Enjoy. Just don't wonder why no one is commenting on your work. But if you would like to improve, please check out the original post and the responses from others that followed.

Edited by Jantrix
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Maybe the moderators should put a sticky in the introduce yourself section that tells newcomers to ASK for feedback in their posts if they are interested in advancing their skills and talents. Most of the members here are very willing and capable of offering constructive help in a non-threatening way if asked.

Edited by NOBLNG
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