So to start with I build millitary, just about everything, but focus on ww 2.
I look at my building as the Andy Worehall of Model building. It’s never traditional, it’s at times pretty loud, and a use of a lot of my left side of my brain, lol.i have a lot of medical issues that keep me from exceeding my abiltys( but I still strive to get better everyday) so I have instead gone the other way. I build to my ability and add a lot of my non traditional creative juices.
Not this last nationals, but more 2018, I walkamong the .models and thought wow they all look a lot alike?, and really nail down my love of putting my own ideas into my build, and letting my mistakes go with the model. I was wondering could we have a category for creativity?
Or just change how we look at builds and put in there effort and creativity?. It seems we look just for perfection, to look like it roll off the battle field or assemble plant.
Now I don’t want to re-invent the wheel just add a twist to looking at models?. If not that’s ok, I love the way I build, it’s the only way I know, if I can remember what I learn. I might get better today lol.
I think what your saying is the same as realistic v artistic modelling. I see plenty of both but artistic does seem to be the most common style these days. So your not as alone as you might think.
Im not quite sure that I understand what you mean by creativity. Everybody puts some degree of effort into their builds. Now as far a creativity goes, there are minimalists who go straight out of box, and folks at the opposite end of the spectrum who add so much to a kit that it is hardly recognizable compared to the original kit. Finishes? Those run the gamut from pristine, to severely used. And again, varying levels of creativity are used to achieve any of those looks.
I am consistently amazed with new techniques invented by folks far more creative than I in this Hobby. Especially those who use outside the box improvised materials.
I suggest a better term might be “broaden”, than “change”.
Contest rules are contest rules, I don’t model for them, mostly because I don’t like to travel to them. But to me a “scale model” is pretty much just that.
The left brain thinker is considered to be more methodical and analytical, the right brain creative and artistic.
Billmc are you thinking along the lines of kit-bashing; taking different pieces of different models and creating something totally different? Or maybe something more wild like the salvadore dali rendition in a plastic model?
There’s some really new stuff out there. Like you, I don’t think it’s main stream now but it’s there and i love looking at the cool things people create. There’s some examples of that taking off, like the wedge style in dioramas i think.
Your right there is always great new ways to build and expand there, adding different things that are not out there on the open market. I am pointing to more that Sherman tank for example, I find that more then not, everyone will build them to replicate the actual tank, and very little of there own creativity, now this is from my view. I just think if we could add something into the judging more people would do more of that.
No not kit bashing as changing it intieraly, but I guess from my perspective, I guess judging would consider it kit bashing. No I just was thinking along the lines of having a border look at the mofels.
There are often hypothetical categories at model shows. This would be models not in normal paint schemes or made up livery. For instance, if a Harrier jet is in Blue Angels markings or some of those Girls und Panzers in the pink colors.
A few years back there was a guy in the local IPMS club who was ‘creative’. He adorned his models with found items and hunks of sprue (not stretched sprue, cut-offs of sprue). He brought a frame of sprue with the parts cut out. The airplane form was interesting, but … His stuff wasn’t well thought out like a Borg cube, it was just thrown together
His creations were crudely assembled with glue marks showing. When he painted, it was by hand with many brush marks and or fingerprints…
He never did well in any competition because the others in the cateories were better done, craftsmanship, assembly, painting, etc. He never listened to our critiques on how he could improve his work. He was happy with what he was doing
If you desire to play in the IPMS arena, or almost any other organization’s competition you have to understand the rules and agree to play by them. If you can’t play with them, then choose not to play or work to change the rules.
I have no problem with a red-painted tank or a chartruse aircraft, or a polka-dot Arizona (at the height of the color controversy), as long as the craftsmanship of the assembly is there. Seams addressed, alignment correct, paint has no runs, no drips, no errors (to quote Johnny Bench and the Krylon commercial. That is the gospel that IPMS has been preaching for more than 50 years. (And its always better if you have photo documentation of that red tank ;>)
I would say do this. Build to your heart and mind’s desire. There is a Category at I.P.M.S. shows called " What-If’s" . Think, though, They still ask that it be well thought out. Carefully assembled and Documented IF possible.
There has to be a certain amount of stability so that’s what the rules are for . Not really for you personally. They are there to give organisational stability to a venue that could turn into a free for all of really dis-jointed creations.
I used to do some weird stuff when I was younger. I always entered it in OOPS-OOB. Never got kicked out, Didn’t win a prize,but had fun anyway. T.B.
