What I like about modelling

[JMac]

There are a lot of things to like about modelling, like an appreciation for history, a chance to build something with your own hands. Maybe a chance to grow a skill, or a quiet time in an otherwise busy life. Maybe it's a social element, a connection to people who enjoy similar interests. These are all reasons I enjoy modelling, but they are not the number one thing I like about modelling. Some back ground first;

As some of you may know I'm currently building few small kits as test beds for new techniques, or practice kits. I'm trying out what's for me new paints, new seam filling techniques, new scribing techniques, even cutting out and re-creating windows. One of these kits is a 1:144 scale Minicraft Lancaster Mk .1 bomber. I've painted this kit to very near completion - twice. Each time my low tack mask has pulled off the base coat of Vallejo tan brown. Frustrating, you bet. I'm just starting to strip the kit for the second time in about a week. I'm not really looking for help on this (I already phoned Scott at ECH - and he has given me a few ideas to try). I just wanted to share what I like most about modelling; and that is it's pretty rare that something (model wise) is so screwed up that you can not go back and with a little patience fix it.

When things go sideways, I wish the rest of life offered up mulligans so readily.

Until then, I'm going to get this Lancaster fixed up and painted up again (properly). Third times the charm they say.

JMac

 

[ScarredKustoms]

I hear what your saying Jmac... I actually think I had more patience when I was younger or maybe I didn't care as much. But learning from our mistakes and actually being able to fix them is a great feeling.

 

[Grendels]

I have always enjoyed building things. It doesn't matter if it is Lego, models, or working with wood. I just like building things.

But this is more than just getting something to build. Lego was my model substitute for a few years, but it just didn't give me the same feeling of accomplishment that a model does. I just get a happy feeling when I get one done. I can stand back and say to myself: "Look what I have done"

It is also helping me with my curious nature. I like to ask questions and explore things. I am also doing the same thing as JMac, building up three models that are mainly experiments. Unfortunately for me, I am a little bit on the anal side, so I have to try my best and them and not treat them as a whole out experiment. Hence my work on that thing called loosely I might add a 747.

But along with these experiments has come a lot of learning. And that was the goal, to improve myself as a modeler. If I had completely screwed one of them up, I probably would have started on a new one. But I have not done so yet. Sure I have had setbacks, the space shuttle was completely repainted once, and really should have been done again, but I think I can hide some of that with weathering.

But I digress....

This community has helped too. Many helpful people on this site, even if I don't hang out on some of the specialty threads, like armor. I will jump on one or two of those threads eventually, because I have learned that building different types of models is far more fun than just one type.

And the last thing I am going to share, I have learned that I like doing dioramas and ground work. I have only done it once, but I have plans to repeat that a few more times.

 

[elend]

A couple of years ago my hobby was gaming. Videogames like those on the Super Nintendo, Sega Saturn, Playstation, you name it. But I got more and more bored by those. With scale modeling I accidentally found a new hobby, which gives me more moments of success and joy. Quite similiar to photography, where you "have something in your hands" after a weekend, whereas with gaming I just had frustration (I was very bad at games) and nothing more.

What's also incredibly great at scale modeling - especially scratch building - is, that you literally can build anything you want. You are like super duper liberated from CEO's and their sometimes weird sales tacticts and mass market appeal. You want it, you build it.