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…
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.
Define “bad mouthing.”[:D]
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.
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.
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.
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.
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[:D][B)]
[(-D] 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[:D]) 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…
Hey! My paint roller is only 3" and I’m barely over 200 lbs. [:o)]
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?
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
Directly from the IPMS competition handbook, the criteria for judging aircraft. Pleas note the bolded #7.
Aircraft
Basic Construction
Flash, mold seams, sink marks, copyright marks, ejector-pin marks, and similar molding flaws eliminated.
Seams filled if not present on the actual aircraft.
Contour errors corrected.
Any detailing removed while correcting errors, filling seams, etc. restored to a level consistent with the rest of the model.
Alignment
Wings/tailplanes: same dihedral or anhedral on both sides.
Plan view: wings and stabilizers aligned correctly with, and identically on both sides of, centerline.
Multiple fins/rudders: fin-to-stabilizer angles correct; aligned with each other in front and side views where appropriate.
Engine nacelles/cowlings: lined up correctly in front, side, and plan views.
Landing gear: components properly aligned with airframe and with each other in front, side, and plan views.
Ordnance items (bombs, rockets, pylons, etc.) aligned correctly with aircraft and with each other.
Canopies and other clear areas:
Clear and free of crazing caused by adhesives or finishing coats.
Gaps between windscreen, canopy, or other clear parts eliminated where applicable.
All clear areas scratch-, blemish-, and paint-free.
Decals must look painted on if depicting painted markings (conforming to surface contours, no silvering or bubbling, no decal film apparent).
Details
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.
Wheel wells, intakes, scoops, etc. should be blocked off to prevent a “see-through” effect.
Gun barrels, exhaust stacks, intakes, vents, and similar openings should be opened.
Details added to the model should be in scale or as close to scale as possible.
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.
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
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.).
Finish should be even and smooth. If irregularities in the actual aircraft’s finish are being duplicated, documentation of such irregularities is required.
No brush marks, lint, brush hairs, etc.
No “orange-peel” or “eggshell” effect; no “powdering” in areas such as fillets or wing roots.
No random differences in sheen of finish caused by misapplication of final clear coats.
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.
Framing on clear parts should have crisp, uniform edges.
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).
Decals:
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.)
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.
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.
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.
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[yuck]