Harry P.

Like I said... as long as the rules are clear and understood before entry, whether you agree with them or not is irrelevant. At least you know that THAT contest is going to be run under THAT set of rules... and that's fair to all.

If I ran a contest, I'd have a list of specific rules drawn up for each class, describing what exactly is expected of a model in each class, and I would make sure all entrants received a copy of those rules BEFORE they entered their model in the class of their choice. And I would make sure the judges had a complete understanding of those rules as well. Then I would leave it up to the contestants to enter their model in the correct category, and leave it up to the judges to disqualify any models entered in the wrong class. As long as the rules are made clear to both entrants and judges up front, there can be no crying if anyone's model gets disqualified for being entered in the wrong class. To me, a big part of the problem regarding the whole idea of what should be considered what, what should be entered where, etc., is due to sloppiness on the contest promoter's part.

Pretty creepy but pretty nicely done!

Don't be so sure. Judges don't always know what they're looking at.

No. I just wanted to give guys a very basic overview as to how PS works in regards to actually creating an illustration from scratch. As far as the photo editing side of PS, there are a MILLION things I could go into, above and beyond that basic "PS 101" topic. But if anyone really wants to learn that side of PS, they're probably better off buying a book on the subject, or checking out all the various online tutorials already out there.

Yes.

Still there where it always was... pinned in the "Auto Art" section.

Not too shabby!

That's exactly what it looks like!

But whenever a car is driven, it's subject to weathering. They're interconnected.

Again, in my world, "custom" denotes body mods first and foremost. Sure, custom paint would almost always be a part of it, but to me a "stock" car painted in a wild paint scheme is not a "custom."

Nah. It takes a lot to get me exasperated!

Exactly. The ground rules change from contest to contest, but as long as everyone knows them up front, it's all good.

Great discussion, guys. Now this is how a forum should operate!

Obviously there's no one good, solid answer here. I would define classes my way, another guy would define classes his way. There's no one correct answer. And rules vary from contest to contest, and judges (and their knowledge and ability) vary from contest to contest. In the end it's all about what each particular contest organizer decides it will be.

It's not a matter of getting the judge's attention, it's a matter of setting up classes that make sense logically. If you want to get the judge's attention, fine... but your model has to be entered in the correct class... and in my opinion, box stock is box stock, regardless of subject. I hear you!

Sorry Chuck, but I have to disagree. Any kit built straight out of the box, simply assembled from the parts found in the kit, regardless of subject matter, belongs in Box Stock. I mean, that's the definition of Box Stock! Built from the parts in the box, no modifications (aside from the generally accepted cleanup, foiling, painting, etc.) If I build a Raider's Coach straight out of the box, I have no business entering that model in the "Custom" category... because I didn't do any customizing to it! At least in my world that's how it would work...

Ah, the magic of Photoshop!

It all boils down to how the individual contest sponsors want to define things. In any contest that I sponsored, a model entered in the "custom" class would have to display some obvious customization by the builder from the original kit, and any kit built straight out of the box, regardless of whether the subject matter is a custom car or not, belongs in the "Box Stock" category. "Box Stock" means "Box Stock." Built from the parts in the box, regardless of subject. After all, the whole point of a model contest is to judge the builder's skill and the work that he has put into his model and how successful he (or she) has been in the creation of the final product. To allow box-stock builds of "custom" subject matter to compete head-to-head with actual customized models doesn't seem fair to me.

Exactly! To me a "custom" is a model that has been customized by the builder... not a box-stock build of a "custom" subject. I think a box-stock build of a Monkeemobile or Batmobile or Pie Wagon or whatever doesn't belong in competition with models that the builders actually customized.

Is that an announcement from the Department of Redundancy Department?

Absolutely. "Box Stock" means exactly that: building the model from the parts in the box. When the kit is built straight from the box, it's a box-stock build of a "custom" subject. But the builder didn't do the customization, the manufacturer did! If I build a box-stock "Monkeemobile" or "Road Agent," I haven't done any customization at all... I just assembled the parts in the box, and the model should not be entered in the "custom" class, IMO.

Good catch, Mike. Also, good lighting is essential. It doesn't have to be fancy or expensive, just effective. I just got a combination desk lamp/magnifier that uses LEDs instead of typical incandescent or fluorescent light bulbs. It puts out clean, bright, daylight-type light (not the typical yellowish of incandescents or the bluish tint of typical fluorescents), and puts out ZERO heat. Also the estimated life of the LEDs (there are 94 of them arranged in concentric circles) is estimated at 20 years! Even if they last only half that long, it was a good investment. Also, another side benefit: LEDs use just a tiny fraction of the electricity that a typical light bulb eats up.

Whoa........ heavy, dude......

So what's the story there? The National Guard is pulling over a guy for stealing a fridge?