When is it time to enter a contest?

i will enter a contest when the place i am going to when i die freezes over

but all kidding aside i don't enter them  because i don't have enough talent

unfortunatly i have seen some contest entrants that have more nerve than talent

Those IPMS rules strike me as eminently reasonable and sensible.  The problem, as other participants have noted above, is that nothing can force judges to obey the rules.

This is a really interesting discussion.  The bottom line for me personally, though, is the same as it was in the beginning.  I, personally, don't like model contests.  I enjoy looking at other people's models, talking about them, and gaining instruction and inspiration from them.  In the past 49 years I've attended more competitions and exhibitions than I can count, and I think I've learned something from every one of them.  But I don't see why getting somebody to pass judgment on whether one model is "better" than another has to be part of the experience. 

Maybe this is age talking.  (I turned 55 a few weeks ago and, though Alzheimer's hasn't struck yet, my wife thinks I have a mild case of Halfzeimer's.)  I know some people describe themselves as "naturally competitive," and I respect and accept that.  But at this point I don't feel like I need to prove anything to anybody about anything, and I think I'm capable of figuring out for myself where my models fit in the grand scheme of the universe. 

I suppose if somebody staged a contest with a brand new Mercedes as the grand prize, and brand new Corvettes for all the Honorable Mentions, I'd be tempted to enter.  Otherwise, no more model contests for me.

If the contests were judged on quality of work, and detail levels, and not, "oh, thats the wrong shade of gray" type thing, it would be cool, but when Hitler and the Joyless Model Nazis take over with shades of gray, I don't like it. I guess I feel if you are being judged on your ability to make something just like everybody else, and to me, that just completely goes against what this hobby is about. Am I right or am I wrong, or am I just crazy?

Directly from the IPMS competition handbook, the criteria for judging aircraft. Pleas note the bolded #7.

Aircraft

Basic Construction

1. Flash, mold seams, sink marks, copyright marks, ejector-pin marks, and similar molding flaws eliminated.
   
   
2. Seams filled if not present on the actual aircraft.
   
   
3. Contour errors corrected.
   
   
4. Any detailing removed while correcting errors, filling seams, etc. restored to a level consistent with the rest of the model.
   
   
5. Alignment
   
   
   1. Wings/tailplanes: same dihedral or anhedral on both sides.
      
      
   2. Plan view: wings and stabilizers aligned correctly with, and identically on both sides of, centerline.
      
      
   3. Multiple fins/rudders: fin-to-stabilizer angles correct; aligned with each other in front and side views where appropriate.
      
      
   4. Engine nacelles/cowlings: lined up correctly in front, side, and plan views.
      
      
   5. Landing gear: components properly aligned with airframe and with each other in front, side, and plan views.
      
      
   6. Ordnance items (bombs, rockets, pylons, etc.) aligned correctly with aircraft and with each other.
      
      
6. Canopies and other clear areas:
   
   
   1. Clear and free of crazing caused by adhesives or finishing coats.
      
      
   2. Gaps between windscreen, canopy, or other clear parts eliminated where applicable.
      
      
   3. All clear areas scratch-, blemish-, and paint-free.
      
      
7. Decals must look painted on if depicting painted markings (conforming to surface contours, no silvering or bubbling, no decal film apparent).
   

Details

1. Thick parts should be thinned to scale or replaced; e.g., wing trailing edges and similar surfaces, ordnance fins, landing gear doors, edges of open panels, etc.
   
   
2. Wheel wells, intakes, scoops, etc. should be blocked off to prevent a "see-through" effect.
   
   
3. Gun barrels, exhaust stacks, intakes, vents, and similar openings should be opened.
   
   
4. Details added to the model should be in scale or as close to scale as possible.
   
   
5. External stores should be built to the same level of quality as the model to which they are attached. Stores/weapons combinations on a model should represent only those combinations actually carried by the real aircraft.
   
   
6. Aftermarket parts (photo-etched, white metal, resin, etc.) should integrate well with the basic model. Photo-etched parts that require forming should be precisely shaped and any surfaces that require building up to a thicker cross-section should be smooth and uniform.
   

Painting and Finishing

1. The model's surface, once painted, should show no signs of the construction process (glue, file, or sanding marks; fingerprints; obvious discontinuities between kit plastic and filler materials; etc.).
   
   
2. Finish should be even and smooth. If irregularities in the actual aircraft's finish are being duplicated, documentation of such irregularities is required.
   
   
   1. No brush marks, lint, brush hairs, etc.
      
      
   2. No "orange-peel" or "eggshell" effect; no "powdering" in areas such as fillets or wing roots.
      
      
   3. No random differences in sheen of finish caused by misapplication of final clear coats.
      
      
3. Paint edges that are supposed to be sharp should be sharp (no ragged edges caused by poor masking). Edges that are supposed to be soft or feathered should be in scale and without overspray.
   
4. Framing on clear parts should have crisp, uniform edges.
   
   
5. Weathering, if present, should show concern for scale (e.g., size of chipped areas), be in accordance with the conditions in which the real aircraft was operating, and be consistent throughout the model (a factory-fresh interior would be unlikely on a 100-mission aircraft).
   
   
6. Decals:
   
   
   1. Aligned properly. (If the real aircraft had a markings anomaly; e.g., an inverted U.S. insignia, the model builder should provide documentation to show that he is deliberately duplicating someone else's error, not inadvertently making one of his own.)
      
      
   2. Some modern aircraft use decals rather than paint for standard markings. If the real aircraft suffers from problems with decal application, such anomalies should be documented if duplicated on the model.
      
      
7. Colors. Paint colors, even from the same manufacturer and mixed to the same specs, can vary from batch to batch. Different operating environments can change colors in different ways. All paints fade from the effects of weather and sunlight, and viewing distance alone can change the look of virtually any color. Poor initial application and subsequent maintenance compound these problems. Therefore, aside from gross inaccuracies such as a light green "Red Arrows" aircraft, color shades should not be used to determine a model's accuracy or lack thereof. Again, models with unusual colors should be supported by confirming documentation.
   

 

When you have something built that's when it's time to go to a contest! No matter what skill level you 'think' you are at, enter the next local contest! Leave your expectations at the door and go in with an attitude of ' what can I learn today'! Look at the models that 'impress' or have that 'gotcha' factor. Find out who built them and walk up and compliment them on their model...then ask then how they did it! If there's specific technique you like and may want to emulate then ask the builder how they did it! In 10 years of entering contest I've neven had anyone not be willing to share how and what they did! I take that back, I had one car builder that didn't want to tell me about this one technique he used to simulate leather. Then 20 minutes later he came back and told me! If you use contests as a way of 'learning' from other modelers I don't think that entering one will ever be a waste of time or money.

I know the first contest I entered I was blown away but the level of quality of my competition. Instead of being intmidated I decided I wanted to build to their skill level, and started asking questions at every contest I subsequently entered. I learned an awful lot, thanks to fellow modelers sharing their knowledge! Not to be too bold, but on the wall of my model room are a number of plaques for 'best of show' or 'best of'. They wouldn't of been possible without me attending contests and joining a local model club. So I heartily endorse both!

So when is it time to enter a contest? When's your next local contest being held? What are you waiting for?

 

Glenn

qmiester wrote:

I don't A. Belong to a club. B. Haven't entered a contest in 30 years. Reasons? Well, the only club I'm currently aware of is a 2 1/2 hour drive (one way) and they meet the second Wed of each month. Current cost of gas sort of put the kabosh on that. And at the last contest I entered (just a club contest) two of the members had to be physically seperated after they got into an argument over whether the paint on the model of a FW-190 was the proper shade - and they were the judges (a surgeon and an airline pilot). On top of the other nit-picking, bi... er complaining and groaning, I just figured it wasn't for me. I'll build my models for my own satisfaction, show them off and even display them occassionally in a hobby shop. But I'll pass on the contests, thank you.

Your mention of color shade sounds about right to me. On Scaleauto forums, there was a topic of why people model cars and not aircraft, and most of the reasons were that people were to eager to tear you apart if your gray was the wrong shade or your prop didn't have the stripe in the right place! I know that doesn't happen that often on here, but I am sure that it does happen! I paint my planes whatever color I like, for instance, my first jet in almost 10 years I have been building on, I painted it Navy aggresor gray, its a dark gray, and no where near the correct shade for that plane, BUT, I like the look of it, and I think its going to look really good once the decals are on it! That is why I wouldn't enter a contest, because the whole idea of conforming to what its "supposed" to be drives me nuts. I feel it takes the individiulality out of it. If the contests were judged on quality of work, and detail levels, and not, "oh, thats the wrong shade of gray" type thing, it would be cool, but when Hitler and the Joyless Model Nazis take over with shades of gray, I don't like it. I guess I feel if you are being judged on your ability to make something just like everybody else, and to me, that just completely goes against what this hobby is about. Am I right or am I wrong, or am I just crazy?

Hey! My paint roller is only 3" and I'm barely over 200 lbs.

Ron Smith wrote:

IPMS also tends to favor the more faddish aircraft weathering methods except on airshow birds, airliners and WWI planes. 20 years ago over done airbrushed exhaust and gun stains ruled, then it was the "sugar frosted" drybrush method, now it's extreme panel popping washes and preshading. All those methods can look fantastic, IF and ONLY IF done with extreme subtlety....unfortunately they're usually done by a 600 pound gorilla with poor color vision, wearing WWII German arctic mittens with a 9" paint roller...... .

That was to funny! I personally don't like to wheather my aircraft. If its because I'm not good at it or because I feel that everything was new at one time, I don't know (more than likly I'm not good at it) Some wheathering looks good, and some looks awesome, I think it depends on who does it, but I have seen some that made you think "Jeez, would the pilot really want to fly that piece of crap?" I guess its all just opinion, and opinions are like... anyhoo...

enter whenever you want. Even if you don't win, so what? You'll still most likely have a great time talking to other modelers and looking at the models. And of course it is another chance to come home with an empty wallet and a large bad of purchases

JoeRugby,
Lots of good response to this for you. Enter the contest. Keep a few things in mind and you'll do fine. (1) leave ego at home and consider yourself a member of the model hobby collective - since your gonna be on public display, put a good face forward for the hobby in general. (2) Volunteer to help - talk to the organizer they always need help. help moving tables. putting up signs, entries, whatever. Get in touch BEFORE the showdate if you can. At this point it's no longer about you and your model it's about the bigger picture. (3) Start up conversations - with us modelers it doesn't take much at all. (4) Volunteer to judge if they ask - you sometimes get free pizza and you will see what makes a contest caliber model. The experience WILL open your eyes.

Personally I like contests. I am a competitive person but it's more than that. It's a chance for like minds to get together. Your model IS good enough. When you bring a model it adds to the show and more than likely adds to SOMEONE ELSE'S enjoyment of the show. After all the show is all about looking at the models right. Winning an award feels great but it's just icing on the cake.

I like Philp's response.

QUOTE: Originally posted by philp I have been entering contests for almost 30 years, IPMS, local, regional, national and non-IPMS. Why do I enter? OK, it is fun when you win but I like to enter to support the club putting on the show. It takes a lot of man hours and $$$ to put on a decent show and it is nice to be able to go someplace and see a lot of plastic on the tables, get a chance to talk to some modelers who may have a new technique, oh, and there is usually the vendors.

Joe,
Some good answers coming your way. And sounds like some bad experiences.
Yep, sounds like a contest.
I have been entering contests for almost 30 years, IPMS, local, regional, national and non-IPMS. Why do I enter? OK, it is fun when you win but I like to enter to support the club putting on the show. It takes a lot of man hours and $$$ to put on a decent show and it is nice to be able to go someplace and see a lot of plastic on the tables, get a chance to talk to some modelers who may have a new technique, oh, and there is usually the vendors.
My best experience at a contest was at the first Nationals I went to. I entered a vignette in the Humor category. I won an Honorable Mention which was pretty cool but what was better was while I was looking at models on the next table, I noticed a guy looking at the Humor entries. He looked at mine, and laughed. That made my day that someone else got the joke I was trying to show.
As for Judging. As said before, different judges, different results. The basics are usually what is judged. This is especially true at an IPMS contest. Of course, judges are also going to go with what they like (after the basics). It is fun to listen to judges as they look at other models. Too artsy, too dark, etc but that is why we use judging teams. If helps to keep some of the bias out of the judging. Also, most contests I have been to will ask for volunteers to help judge. This also helps take care of the "home cooking" scenerio. If you attend a contest, volunteer to help judge. If you haven't judged before, let the team know and they will show the things that are looked at.
Again, enter if you want. If you win, great, if you lose, so what. Talk to some others and have a great time.

I don't

A. Belong to a club.

B. Haven't entered a contest in 30 years.

Reasons? Well, the only club I'm currently aware of is a 2 1/2 hour drive (one way) and they meet the second Wed of each month. Current cost of gas sort of put the kabosh on that. And at the last contest I entered (just a club contest) two of the members had to be physically seperated after they got into an argument over whether the paint on the model of a FW-190 was the proper shade - and they were the judges (a surgeon and an airline pilot). On top of the other nit-picking, bi... er complaining and groaning, I just figured it wasn't for me. I'll build my models for my own satisfaction, show them off and even display them occassionally in a hobby shop. But I'll pass on the contests, thank you.

QUOTE: Anyways this post is making me thinking twice before trying to enter that AMPS DevilCon in NJ this upcoming November. I don't see any point now why I am rushing out a T55 and my first diorama with a kubelwagon just so I can enter them... Heck I think I am gonna take my sweet time on them and make them look awesome, . [rolls eyes]

I never try to finish anything for a contest. Too many chances to mess up. And I don't build for a theme, and rearely enter the theme part unless by coincidence I have something that fits. If you don't have anything finished, go anyway. You'll meet a lot of interesting people and see a lot of models and (hopefully) be inspired. Ask questions of the builders. We love to talk about our stuff.

QUOTE: and then share them with this community where no one bad-mouths anyone else

Define "bad mouthing."
That's not necessarily a good thing. Consider how many weak models get "oohs" and "ahs" when a bit of constructive criticism would go a long way in improving people's skills. AMPS typically has feedback on the judgiong sheets availalble after the show so you oget an idea of where the judges thought you need to improve. There's a builder here who posts regularly stuff that he builds for himself (can you say "Oxymoron?" Sure you can.). Pretty nice stuff but when another poster and I made some well meaning suggestions to improve composition, he took offense. I look now, but will not comment.

QUOTE: Originally posted by wayne baker I want to pick which counts I want. Joe In team sports, you can always say I did my best. Someone else caused us to loose. In a model contest, it will be only you. You say you are competitive. If you loose a contest, will it ruin modeling for you? If you win, will you be unbearable?

Wayne,

Excellent question...depends who you ask...my wife says I am unbearable win or loose (LOL ) I know it will not ruin it for me, as long as I can say I gave it my best but more importantly to pick up a new skill or method and apply it next time...then again the judge just could be a jackass...This may sound trite but I have won alot and have never felt the need to stuff someone up with it...winning is nice but it feels better to push to the next level...

As for IPMS rules, they try to focus on the basics (seam lines, proper alligment, smooth painting etc.) to make copmetitions more objective.
They also judge to model on it's own merits, not in comparison to other models.
These two rules should raise the objectivity of the judging.

As for entering models, try it, it's fun even if you don't win. As a matter of fact, I don't know if it is fun if you do win, because I never won anything at a modelling contest except in the tombola.

I say show them when you feel ready.
I think IPMS has a list of absolute no-nos (things like visible seam lines) you can look at on their site but other than that remember that the judges opinion is just that and may be based on wrong/inaccurate/incopmplete knowledge of the particular subject (Unless the subject is a Panther and he worked at MAN in 1944).

BTW: I'll sell posts too. :)

Ron - that's the funniest damn thing I've ever heard of. Congratulations to you for coming up with a completely civil way to disarm an idiot.

For me - I go to the competitions because I like to hang out with folks who build models and I like to look at other people's work. My schedule doesn't allow me to commit to club meetings at a specific date and time, so when i find myself with a free weekend, I grab something off my shelf that won't make the judges vomit, pay my five bucks and spend the day making new friends.

It's the same reason I "play" golf. I don't do it because I'm any good. I do it because, for some reason, if you schlep thirteen clubs on your back and periodically smack the crap out of defenseless plastic ball, you're allowed to spend half the day walking around a beautiful park on a sunny day and drink a cold beer without having answer a phone or read an email and people don't consider you "a lazy bum".

The "competition" is just an excuse for me to get out of the house and meet old friends and make new ones.

QUOTE: Originally posted by trowlfazz Brian-I apologise for my poor grammar-but your are the POST GOD!

Do it for your spelling as well!! BURNED~ LOL. Just kidding dude.

Anyways this post is making me thinking twice before trying to enter that AMPS DevilCon in NJ this upcoming November. I don't see any point now why I am rushing out a T55 and my first diorama with a kubelwagon just so I can enter them... Heck I think I am gonna take my sweet time on them and make them look awesome, and then share them with this community where no one bad-mouths anyone else. [rolls eyes]

Brian-I apologise for my poor grammar-but your are the POST GOD!

I want to pick which counts I want.

Joe
In team sports, you can always say I did my best. Someone else caused us to loose. In a model contest, it will be only you. You say you are competitive. If you loose a contest, will it ruin modeling for you? If you win, will you be unbearable?

QUOTE: Originally posted by trowlfazz Hey Ron-sounds the people on this site who argue about post counts-which I've offered to sell. Oh-oh-probably caused a snit with this post! ;-)

You want some of mine?
I'll let you have a couple grand...cheap!

Hey Ron-sounds the people on this site who argue about post counts-which I've offered to sell. Oh-oh-probably caused a snit with this post! ;-)

Originally posted by jtilley Secondly, model contests have a way of bringing out the worst in people. Some of the most ludicrous exhibitions of infantile, bratty behavior I've ever seen have been put on by alleged adults who didn't like the outcomes of model contests. (On more than one occasion I've been guilty of saying some stupid, regretable things myself at contests. That's another reason I don't enter them any more.)

Reminds of the time one guy...for the third year in a row....threw a fit during the awards at a local show. Seems "Mr. Car Guy" kept losing out and he'd throw a screaming hissy fit every year in the middle of the awards about "set up", "bribes", "local club bias", "they know whose models are whose and give awards to their buddies".....so I walked over mid-fit and presented the 5 plaques I had won that day saying, "Since it means sooo much to you pick one and shut the hell up!" He turned beet red, shut up, threw his models in a box and stalked out, he hasn't been seen since. I didn't tell him I'd been one of the car judges and had absolutely no clue who built what. It being IPMS I simply judged on what seemed built and finished best, I know squat about car models but I can look at one and see how well it's built.

Interesting topic. I'll take the liberty of jumping in with two observations, the second of which may bring some interesting responses. One - if you, personally want to enter a contest, the time to do it is now. Two - in my own, personal opinion, the time to enter a contest is - never.

I've been building models for 49 years, and I've taken part in quite a few contests - local IPMS ones (dating back to the late sixties, when the IPMS was a new organization), regional events, and international ones. I've also served as a judge quite a few times - including the 1990 International Scale Ship Model Competition at the Mariners' Museum, where I used to work. On the basis of that experience I'm convinced that model contests do at least as much harm as they do good.

In the first place, winning an award in a contest, by definition, merely establishes that in the opinion of the judges your model was superior to whatever other models happened to show up. The above post from Mr. Smith is a good indication of how the personal opinions of judges, frequently influenced by some odd sort of "group think," can influence the outcome. In my own favorite field, ship modeling, there's an influential European organization that goes even farther than Mr. Smith's examples: it bans weathering. In my opinion that sort of behavior doesn't encourage better modeling; it stifles individuality and creativity. At my age I have better things to do than build a model according to somebody else's standards, just for the sake of winning a ribbon or a trophy. I don't need somebody to tell me whether my model is better than somebody else's; I'm perfectly capable of figuring that out for myself. And if I think Model A is better than Model B, and somebody else thinks the opposite is the case - well, does that really make any difference?

Secondly, model contests have a way of bringing out the worst in people. Some of the most ludicrous exhibitions of infantile, bratty behavior I've ever seen have been put on by alleged adults who didn't like the outcomes of model contests. (On more than one occasion I've been guilty of saying some stupid, regretable things myself at contests. That's another reason I don't enter them any more.) I've known people to drop out of model clubs because of contest results, and though I've never actually seen a pair of modelers lay into each other with their fists, I've heard that it's happened. One of the losers in that 1990 Mariners' Museum competition spent several months afterward bombarding the organizers with sour-grapes letters, eventually threatening to report the judges to the authorities. (His balloon got popped when he discovered that there are no such authorities.)

Some years ago Mystic Seaport Maritime Museum staged a "juried exhibition" that I liked. The modelers brought their models to the museum, and the judges identified all the ones that came up to a certain (pretty high) standard. All those models were put on public exhibition at the museum for several months. None of them was labeled "best" or "second best"; all of them were simply identified as excellent models. In my opinion that's as competitive as modeling needs to be.

I greatly enjoy looking at, talking about, and learning from other people's models, but there are ways to do that without holding contests. I'm a big believer in non-competitive exhibitions. The club I currently belong to, the Carolina Maritime Modelers' Society (meetings at the North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort the last Saturday of every month at 2:00; new members and visitors always welcome) holds such an event every May, in conjunction with the museum's annual Wooden Boat Show. The club members bring in their models (the subjects of which range from RC sailboats to clipper ships to Japanese battleships) and display them in the museum auditorium. Before the show starts we set the models up in front of a plain background under photographic lights and I take pictures of them; I make the set of photos into CDs and pass them out at the next meeting. On the day of the Wooden Boat Show thousands of visitors look at the models and talk to the modelers. We operate a booth in which kids are invited, for $2.00 apiece, to build models of fishing trawlers from pre-shaped wood parts made in the museum's boat shop. (Most enthusiastic customers: Girl Scout troops. Average construction time: 15 minutes. Typical reaction to the experience: ecstasy.) Everybody has a great time, everybody learns something, and nobody argues with anybody about anything. I've been in that club for about ten years, during which I've never heard an uncivil word spoken by anybody. Maybe that's at least partly because we don't have contests.

All the above is, of course, highly personal opinion. I know lots of folks get a great deal of enjoyment out of model competitions, and that's entirely their business and their choice. But give me a non-competitive exhibition any day of the week.

Although I've never competed in modeling shows-my graphic design work has won regional and national awards. The problem is: I've won for what I thought was my best work and worst work (no-I never entered anything myself). I think you'll put yourself at the mercy of judges and not get a true measure of your craft. My feeling is-enjoy the hobby-don't make it a contest. The ideal of showing your work sounds fun-but why does is have to be competitive?

I never thought I built good enough to compete. One of my club members remembered a kit I brought in to a meeting. He asked me if I was going to enter it in an upcoming show. Of course, my response was, "I don't build good enough to compete."

He talked me into bringing that kit, and it placed 2nd. The next show I brought several more kits and they won awards as well. While not every kit I bring wins awards, I've always won something from a show that I've entered, local and regional.

I still don't think I build good enough to compete, but I keep bring kits.

The bottom line is that if no one brought any kits to the show, there'd be no show.

And everyone builds good enough to compete.

When you want to is the best time but......

Personally I don't build for contests with the rare exception of a "theme" entry. I build for me or in some cases large amounts of money can induce me to build for someone else. If I enter and win, it's just icing on an already complete cake for me. So long as modellers in the same genre show interest and make nice noises I'm happy.

There are two basic types of competition: the IPMS 1st, 2nd, 3rd everything else loses or the AMPS type where there are classes based on your skill then gold, silver, bronze based on how many points your model accumulates against set criteria.

AMPS rewards accuracy, level of difficulty, originality and artistry, IPMS is "supposed" to be straight technique. That said IPMS has it's collective head up and locked tight where armor goes....they tend to regard dirt and mud as ways to hide defects and they like all vehicles to have dark washes in recesses....even desert vehicles where if anything you'd have light colored dust in the recesses. Just for giggles I've entered models that won gold at AMPS and entered them in IPMS regional contests....the most common comments overheard were "too much dirt and mud, he's trying to hide a defect" and "too much stowage on the vehicle, either he's hiding something or he just slapped stuff on".....in the latter case the stowage was if anything a little on the light side based on photos of the vehicle modelled, at least it wasn't the typical "Verlinden magnetic gear" with no visible means to keep it in place.

IPMS also tends to favor the more faddish aircraft weathering methods except on airshow birds, airliners and WWI planes. 20 years ago over done airbrushed exhaust and gun stains ruled, then it was the "sugar frosted" drybrush method, now it's extreme panel popping washes and preshading. All those methods can look fantastic, IF and ONLY IF done with extreme subtlety....unfortunately they're usually done by a 600 pound gorilla with poor color vision, wearing WWII German arctic mittens with a 9" paint roller......

Now that I've ranted, it's your model, do it how you like but don't expect it to be to everyone's taste or to be competitive in every system.

Enter a contest when you feel like entering. IMO, if you are asking about when is the right time, you must be thinking about a contest. Go ahead and enter, at the very worst all you will lose is the entrance fee.

I disagree that competition will always enhance skills or sharpen talent. if bettering yourself or your skills can only be achieved through competition, well....nuff said about that.

As for when, man, just do it whenever you want to. You'll learn something from it I'm sure.

QUOTE: [ Why do you think you need to compete? Why...because I am human and it is totally natural. What are your expectations from a competition? No real preconceived ideas, just want to see what happens. Do you think competing will enhance your skills? Yes. Competition will always enhance skill or sharpen talent.