how would you rate your models/modeling skills

I really don't care. To quote from a favorite movie:

"If he is the best, with a knife or a gun, with whom does he compete?"

"With himself." —The Magnificent Seven

How do I rate myself and my model? Better than the last one.

My modeling Kung Fu?

I cannot judge my own work, only rate mine in this format:

The Good,

Scratch building becomes faster with practice & learned techniques.

The Bad,

Time it takes to finish projects as said scratch building slows down the process.

& the Ugly,

The kitchen table right now, actually this is tidied up! Far as skills the fact I still rely on spray cans, NO airbrush yet...

I am better than I was... and intend to get better as I go. I think my biggest indicator is the feedback I get from fellow local modelers who see my work in person is generally very positive. I dont think I will ever get anywhere near Mr Paine's level though.

Better than I was yesterday worse than I will be tomorrow. Seriously one thing I did do after i built up a stash of abt 40 kits, was take kit purchasing out of the equation. I'm down to 25 and I can really see a difference.

I'll go with your 4.5 for me too.

SuppressionFire

My modeling Kung Fu?

I cannot judge my own work, only rate mine in this format:

The Good,

Scratch building becomes faster with practice & learned techniques.

The Bad,

Time it takes to finish projects as said scratch building slows down the process.

& the Ugly,

The kitchen table right now, actually this is tidied up! Far as skills the fact I still rely on spray cans, NO airbrush yet...

Well, you seem to have a good set-up right now. The funny thing about spray-cans and an airbrush is, you'll more than likely use spray-cans for almost everything, even though you have an airbrush.

To me, it's cheeper to get 44 oz. of compressed air and paint for $5.00, ready to go with a few shakes than to go and buy a $15.00 airbrush (on sale), a $60.00 air-compressor, $20.00 worth of parts for the gague (which won't tell you what you needed to know), $5.00 for 1.5-4.5 oz of paint, and $1.25 for about 5 oz of thinner.

[ If added up, that's about $5.00(more or less) for an easier-to-use product V.S. $101.25 worth of who knows how many bits and pieces needed just to blow air (before paint even flies)]

I will give the airbrush credit, it's not as bad with spewing out paint and loosing detail, and it saves on masking tape, since you have more control.

With all honesty, Yes, I don't like using an airbrush (I probably use mine 12 times / year in a good year)

I'd rate myself in the middle somewhere as well.  Not poor, not great.

Every once in a while, I'll surprise myself and think something came out great, usually by accident!!!! But hey, even a blind squirrel can find a nut now and then!!!

I think the most basic for a modeller to be consider good is its build, painting and weathering skill to bring out a presentable and good looking model.

Last time I almost give up modelling after ruining so many model kits(luckily, its all cheap model kits).

I don't think you can consider someone a good modeller if he is fantastic at scratchbuild,rescribing and building but lousy at painting with monotonous finish. The final product will still be bad.

IMHO, paint job is very important.

I feel at least I qualify for the basic.

I would say for me below average. I'm not an average modeler as most on this forum, but strive to get better as I try and find new ways to make my models cleaner and more detailed than the one before. Sometimes as fermis said I surprise myself in what comes out. I just hope that I'll get better w/ an airbrush and become a more advanced modeler.

I'd rate myself midline as well. Since joining here I have experimented with alot of new techniques one or twice as oppossed to getting well versed in a few things.The only thing that hasnt improved is my brush painting skill since getting an airbrush its slipped bad.

Andrew

I wouldn't rate myself at all, but one thing's for sure, thanks to a few years on this forum, my limited skills are most certainly better than they were!

Railfan 233

 

The funny thing about spray-cans and an airbrush is, you'll more than likely use spray-cans for almost everything, even though you have an airbrush.

Railfan hi,

Very interesting indeed!

I used spray cans for the first few models and now considering to buy airbrush. But your words make me think again. Based on your experience; do you think it is possible to achieve similar effects with cans? I mean, I have a few techniques in mind but never tried just yet.

Cem.

LIke most people, I started with brushes, than went onto spray cans - which gives a much smoother finish than I could accomplish with brush. Then I got an airbrush, for a while, I used some of each, but as my airbrush skills improved -  I use the airbrush almost exclusively except for the primer. It does make a difference, it gives you much finer control.

Anyone want to buy a dozen new Testor spray cans? :)

11...

Manstein's revenge

11...

Eric neglected to mention that he counts in base 3…

He's really quite modest…no really…

plasticaddict

I used spray cans for the first few models and now considering to buy airbrush. But your words make me think again. Based on your experience; do you think it is possible to achieve similar effects with cans? I mean, I have a few techniques in mind but never tried just yet.

Cem. 

The primary advantages of an airbrush are:

1) You'll get far greater control then you will with a spray can, allowing you to paint a far greater range of patterns and details

2) With a paint can you are completely limited to the colors that are available in a paint can.  Using an airbrush, you can mix your own colors to suit your needs

3) To go along with #1, the ability to vary the amount of air pressure with an airbrush means you can paint a far wider array of things than you can blast with an spray can.

Agreed again. My take on spray can painting:

The Good,

Quick, affordable, done outdoors (no fumes or paint booth required) Easy clean up. With wet sanding, light layers and practice top quality finishes can be achieved.

The bad,

Limited selection of colors. Krylon please make a full line of RLM WWII Luftwaffe paint!

& the Ugly,

Heaps of masking, no fine line control, occasional bad batch or can, blobs, runs, heavy coats can fill seams & details.

Some more of my opinions

 Now, the way I see it, other than what was mentioned, I like spray-cans better because they are easier (for me, at least) to control when I have to do a large area (almost every time I paint) and rarely do I need custom colors, and the paint offered is normally exactly what I need or is close enough to where the differance is negligible.

 The only real use my (almost new) Central Neumatic dual-action airbrush is for wethering, where I find spray-cans to be an epic and spectacular failure. (Even then, I don't use it that much, because most of the wethering I do is dry-brushing and some washes)

That's my closing argument on why spray-cans are best-suited for me.

[Never fear, I'm going to use my airbrush with some acryllic paint for the body of a model of a 49 Mercury in disrepair, which I'll try to start in the next week or two]

Hi all,

Thanks very much for your valuable insight on painting ... very helpful indeed.

Cem.

Actually. I can't rate Mr. Paine at 11... Not if you check his B-25H diorama out closely...

But he's firmly entrenched at 10..

That gives me a solid 5.56, IMNSHO...

 a -7 or so.  Maybe as high as a -5, if everything is going my way.

-Fred

I don't know how I would rate myself, but I would say much better than I was when I first started. I would say a 4 or 5.

Of course it's quite subjective, but I'd say a 5 compared to most others work. Not the best, not the worst. That being said, again, it's strictly subjective. My 5 could mean errors, or faulty weathering. Again, this is my interpretation. That being said, as long as I like it, then I suppose that's what really matters.

I will give this one a shot.I don,t really know. To rate oneself is very difficult as there are folks who would feel you,re bragging or whatever.I will say this,when a customer got down on his knees and studied the model I delivered and was wiping away tears of joy as he "discovered" each and every detail in his gift that he admitted ,he didn,t think could be miniaturized ,that is my self rating. 9 in museums,three restorations and 24 newbuilds.All word of mouth! That,s it ! I refuse to comment further ,except to say I like many others(only I don,t get paid for it in cash)Is passing on my skills to the many very worthy builders and builders to be out there.There,nuff said.      Tankerbuilder

I've spent a couple hundred bucks, have 3 kits in my stash, & learning as I go...

The Spit. MkVb I'm working on will look better than the previous build.

Hopefully, the next (Me-110, B-25, or a B-17) will look better than the Spit.

I have an A/B, use it occasionally, but find it necessary for certain tasks.

Bottom Line, I rate myself a solid 6

I rate myself a 4.

I don't yet have an airbrush, but I am fairly good with the cans and I can keep myself from getting embarrassed with a brush. I spray a whole lot and at this point I think the airbrush would actually save me money in a few kits.

I don't enter contests, nor do I plan to. I don't really show off my work, though the woman loves to show off my museum.

Kits take me anywhere from 2 weeks to 6 months. However, I ALWAYS finish them, even if I am not completely happy with the results. I feel I can gain more personally by finishing a less than perfect kit than stressing myself.

I am on the fence about weathering. Sometimes, I like the results. But having grown up going to the National Museum of the USAF I am kind of in the mindset airplanes on display have to be pristine... Then again they can also fit two B-17s, a gaggle of Migs, an HH-3, an XC-99, and a bunch of other "kits" in pieces in their workshop... I'm still only using half the dining room table when the woman lets me.

Hmm.

I'm by no means anywhere near the top of the heap here and I'm only on my second kit since coming back to the hobby, but the amount my skills have grown since signing on here and scouring the rest of the wonder interwebs is staggering.

Back when I was modeling as a kid/teenager, I'd say a 2.5, maybe breaking into the 3's and reaching for 4 toward the end there (my 1/350 Enterprise was pretty awesome).

Now? Somewhere in the 4's seems about right. Some things are starting to really click. Others still need practice.

paintsniffer

I am on the fence about weathering. Sometimes, I like the results. But having grown up going to the National Museum of the USAF I am kind of in the mindset airplanes on display have to be pristine... Then again they can also fit two B-17s, a gaggle of Migs, an HH-3, an XC-99, and a bunch of other "kits" in pieces in their workshop... I'm still only using half the dining room table when the woman lets me.

The way I see it, an aircraft restored and prepped for museum display is like a soldier in dress uniform. Still what it is, but highly polished and far removed from the front lines. Planes, especially aerodynamic fighters like the Mustang, got cleaned up pretty regularly since a clean, slick surface could mean so many more miles of range. But on forward deployment, or flying ground support, or wherever there was way more going on and the ground crews were fortunate to keep the planes airworthy, they could get pretty filthy and beat up.

Railfan 233

 

SuppressionFire:

 

My modeling Kung Fu?

I cannot judge my own work, only rate mine in this format:

The Good,

Scratch building becomes faster with practice & learned techniques.

The Bad,

Time it takes to finish projects as said scratch building slows down the process.

& the Ugly,

The kitchen table right now, actually this is tidied up! Far as skills the fact I still rely on spray cans, NO airbrush yet...

 

 

 

Well, you seem to have a good set-up right now. The funny thing about spray-cans and an airbrush is, you'll more than likely use spray-cans for almost everything, even though you have an airbrush.

To me, it's cheeper to get 44 oz. of compressed air and paint for $5.00, ready to go with a few shakes than to go and buy a $15.00 airbrush (on sale), a $60.00 air-compressor, $20.00 worth of parts for the gague (which won't tell you what you needed to know), $5.00 for 1.5-4.5 oz of paint, and $1.25 for about 5 oz of thinner.

[ If added up, that's about $5.00(more or less) for an easier-to-use product V.S. $101.25 worth of who knows how many bits and pieces needed just to blow air (before paint even flies)]

I will give the airbrush credit, it's not as bad with spewing out paint and loosing detail, and it saves on masking tape, since you have more control.

With all honesty, Yes, I don't like using an airbrush (I probably use mine 12 times / year in a good year)

Honestly, $100 for an airbrush + compressor setup is dirt cheap. A good quality airbrush, that is versatile and can do all sorts of work would begin at somewhere around that price point, just for the airbrush alone.

Even though you may not like it, the results of a paint spray can can never, never compare to the control, finesse, and quality of finish you will get from an airbrush. If all you want to do is slather your model with paint, sure its overkill, but if you wish to start improving your skills as a modeler, then it is essential that you pick up that airbrush and start practicing.

Myself, I'd rate my skills at around a 4-5 out of 10. Figure painting, probably a 2-3 out of 10, at best. But I'm on the verge now of really starting to take my time with builds, trying to concentrate on the fit and finish, the overall presentation, and the final quality of product.

Good enough to put my builds on the club table, & make (constructive) comments on others  work, if asked for.

'Umble enough to learn from others & their comments.

Slow enough to be overtaken by glaciers.... (one of the guys in my club averages 3 1/48th a/c a month, I average 3 models a year!)