The next level?

In a word: Time!  He (or she!) needs to take the time to do whatever is necessary to attain the level of detail that he is looking for.  He also needs to take the time to pay close attention to what he is doing so that he will see what needs to be done, see problem areas before they arise, and know what needs to be done to fix them.  He also needs to take the time research his subjct and make the model look as real as possible.  Taking the time to trim and sand every individual part, from the largest to the smallest, until they fit properly.  Getting out the airbrush to paint the one small part that needs to be a different color.  Taking the time to trim decals to eliminate the carrier film between them.  Taking the time to add small details that aren't included in the kit.  Anyone can throw one together in a couple of days, but taking the time to build a winner is a different story.  This is, to me, what separates a show winner from second place.

Hey Darren.
In my never humble opinion you are gaining the next level, you just adjust your level too high as you move up.
You're wanting to enter the marathon after competing in your first 5 K. ( I love metaphors!)
The fact that your friend sees progress you do not means, you are being very critical of your skills, which is not a bad thing, but look back at your accomplishments and you will see it.
Baby steps my friend. Pushing too hard finds you frustrated and ready to quit.

Don

Thanks for your thoughts fella's. I guess I am critical of myself, but also a little on the lazy side. Time is something I don't have enough of these days and I will often take a short cut here and there. Don't get me wrong, I still enjoy the hobby emmensely and I'm not looking to enter contests anytime soon. I just want to build something like I see on the competition tables.
One of my current builds is being built slowly, its now been 3 months since I started and it seems to be the case that patience is paying off, I guess I sometimes feel left behind when I compare my builds to those of my peers, who seem to produce flawless models. Am I jealous? You bet I am!

Darren.

TANGO 1 wrote:

However, my next level would be a model built to competition standard. In other words, a model that I would be happy enough to enter into a contest with no obvious flaws or mistakes. .

There really is no competition standard, at least not at any event that awards 1-2-3. Why? Because these awards go to the best on the table that day. I do a lot of judging and have had to give awards to some real dogs because they had the least bad errors in that class that day. The award doesn't come with an asterisk, (this was the only model in class; everything else was really a whole lot worse, trust me or that's what we get for adding a class for Bulgarian bi-planes of 1943).

To push yourself up a level as you're trying to do, what I'd suggest, if possible, is go to contests and offer to judge. You'll be teamed with experienced judges and get to hear what they look for. It's a great learning experience. If not that, try to find a mentor whose work you admire who can honestly help you grow. Lastly, post your work on-line and look for constructive criticism. Unfortunately, this site provides a minimum of that and plenty of attaboys which feel good but don't really helpo with your growth.

Darren, I feel with you...

I feel as though I'm stuck at a level where my models aren't getting any better. Granted, it's been years since I did them as a kid and have only done a few recently with my son. But I have the know-how now (at least I think I do) or at least enough and the patience. Why then is it my results aren't better? My wife looks at my first model and then the one I'm now working on and notices a difference, but I don't, I still see it as "not there yet".

I've had the same model on the bench now for 3 months, and it's only a 1/24th car model of which I've already built 2 versions of. Weeks go by (so much going on around here, no time) and I only spend a few minutes working on it before I pack it away. Hopefully with it taking so long I'll notice an improvement.

Ok, I sat hear thinking awhile during typing this. Yes, everyone gave wonderful advice and comments. I look upon my sons work, only a few models and very impatient. I can't remember any of my models ever looking like that, but who knows, maybe. Is there anything else in life that I can compare working on my modeling skills too? Sure plenty, I can remember my very first 1:1 body work project... let's not go there. We tend to set goals high for ourselves and seem to forget about the long slow journey up the tall ladder.

Forget about your final destination, enjoy the adventure there. 

I guess I am at the point now where it really does not bother me if I miss a seam here or a mold line there, at least not like it used to. There was a time when I would repaint an entire wing or fuselage if there was even the most minute flaw showing, which happens to coincide with the period I was entering contests. It has now been 5 years since I've entered anything in a show and I have no plans to do so anytime soon, and in a way it has made the hobby way more enjoyable than it ever has been, because I now find myself building for myself and not for a contest judge. I am quite happy with the way my current pieces turn out, and the only judge who determines whether or not they are good enough to be displayed is my wife.

Thanks for your replies fellas, there are some very useful insights here to think about. I like the idea of having a mentor, that would be great, maybe I need to join a model club?
I do post pics of finished kits online, and always ask for good or bad comments. There are some very thoughtful people here who do point out my little mistakes in a constuctive way. So I am learning from others on the forum.
I will also try to get involved in the judging side of things, it sounds like that would be a very good experience for me.

Thanks again for your thoughts,

Darren.

musiccity hit it on the head. I think, it's not about not making errors the first go on the model, but spending countless hours correcting every mistake, however small, that's been made on the model. The best builders make mistakes- they just spend the time to go back and correct them.

The more steps I take to build a model the way I want it, the more steps I see to take on the next build. Its a never-ending struggle.

TANGO 1 wrote:

Thanks for your replies fellas, there are some very useful insights here to think about. I like the idea of having a mentor, that would be great, maybe I need to join a model club? I do post pics of finished kits online, and always ask for good or bad comments. There are some very thoughtful people here who do point out my little mistakes in a constuctive way. So I am learning from others on the forum. I will also try to get involved in the judging side of things, it sounds like that would be a very good experience for me. Thanks again for your thoughts, Darren.

Joining a club really helps, espesically if there is a modeler who's work you really admire.  I have a lot of modelers who's techniques and style I copy.

Since the internet, I feel that the levels have risen by us being able to see, and get in contact with, many of the modelers who we have seen over the decades published.  This resource has been a major reason for me to go to my "next" level without fear or trial and error, which has been to scratchbuild and kitbask using brass and resin, and still maintain the level of craftmanship that I have learned from building models OOB.

I never see the little things such as really small seams, some out of alighment of PE, some potmarks in the putty that I could never get sanded out, and a few paint blemishes as mistakes, just stepping stones as I train my eye, and my skills, to fix these little things when I do the next build.

Scott