Ahoy Mates!

Our new MSW Opinion Poll asks quite simply, "Do YOU compete in Modeling Contests?"

Please take a moment and voice YOUR opinion!

Link to Item

If you have further comments or questions please post them here.

Thanks!
~Gunny

I would have to say "Aye." When I have something to enter.

This may sound crazy, but I mainly enter my ships to give the host club something to have on the table. If it places, good. If not, at least it helped boost the model count. Most of the time, I'm busy working my vendors table that I forget that I have an entry.

Gator

My first contest ever was on "MSW". I will enter my first contest in person later this year at the "Air ZOO" here in michigan......My gato will be on disply.

by and large I don't enter modelling contests. It just doesn't suit my temperment. I have a couple times here on armorama though.

I doubt I'll ever be good enough

On a different note, I was glad to read Rui's impressions and comments on his recent competition/show. Nothing but cordial and fruitfull interactions. Very different from what I saw in the one show I have attended, where 2 judges went at each other with their version of "my haze grey is more accurate than yours". Reminds me of some of the Science Fairs I have judged.... cheers!

When judges do that it is a sign of being a poor judge. And it can make a person get discouraged about entering rather quickly. I haven’t had a change to enter any since I’ve been back in, but I would like to. It can be a good way to get your work critiqued. I was shooting to have the Scott ready to take down to a show in Atlanta in June, but that won’t happen.

But, I will enter something some day, win, loose, or draw, it doesn’t matter. I am in this for fun. If it wasn’t fun it would be work.

I do on occasion I've had 2 1/28 Fokker Dr1's win I think because they haven't seen a WW1 plane built before lol.

No such thing as not good enough. On any given day, yours could be a contender in class, using the typical 1-2-3 award system




By IPMS standards, this discussion should have never taken place. Only if the two aircraft were absolutely tied for position (very unlilkely) might the shade of paint come into question. In just about all situations, the builder is given benefit of doubt whwen it comes to colors. It's also possible those two bone heads were not even judging, especially if they were talking ownership of the models in question, Contests are a microcosm of life. Put a hundred people in a room and there's a good likelihood of there being a couple bone heads present.

[quote]
I HAVE ENTERED A LOT OF MODEL CONTESTS IN MY AREA (NY/NJ/CT/MA/PA) AND A FEW REGIONAL SHOWS. THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE JUDGES (I MYSELF HAVE BEEN A JUDGE ON MANY OCCASIONS) TRY TO BE FAIR AND IMPARTIAL. THERE HAVE ONLY BEEN ONE OR TWO TIMES WHEN I HAVE QUESTIONED THE RESULTS OF THE JUDGING AT A SHOW. TO REALLY ENJOY A CONTEST YOU HAVE TO BE AWARE THAT THERE ARE BETTER MODELERS THAN YOURSELF AND THAT EVERYONE CAN'T BE A WINNER. I HAVE RUN INTO PEOPLE WHO CAN'T SEEM TO GRASP THESE TWO FACTS AND BECAME BITTER OVER THE RESULTS OF JUDGING. ALSO, JUDGES ARE HUMAN AND THEY CAN BE BIASED AND MAKE MISTAKES LIKE ANYBODY ELSE.THESE PEOPLE ARE IN THE MINORITY. ONE LAST THING, I HAVE KNOWN MANY COMPETENT MODELERS WHO FEEL THAT "I AM NOT GOOD ENOUGH". YOU WON'T KNOW UNLESS YOU TRY. YOU MAY NOT BE IN THE MASTER CLASS OF BUILDER BUT FEW OF US ARE. THE MOST PLEASANT ASPECT OF ENTERING A SHOW TO ME IS HAVING A FELLOW MODELER TELL ME HE LIKED WHAT I'VE DONE. DON'T BE DISCOURAGED MODELERS LIKE FINE WINE IMPROVE WITH AGE AND EXPERIENCE. GOOD LUCK AND HAPPY MODELING.

Only a couple? You have a lot more faith in mankind than I do. I would guess 60-40...
Shaun

Being a returnee to modeling I know I am far from the best. I know I have a good deal to learn. I am far from the best builder around.

So that being said, I have a short side story to make a point. My wife makes and sells pottery. We attend some fairly large art shows. At each one the exhibitors are judged and prizes are awarded. She has won a couple best “potter” awards at these shows. When she has not won she has taken a look at the winners and learned from it.

Part of the mission of our modeling community here at MSW and Kitmaker in general is to pass along knowledge and help people improve their skills. So, enter a contest but do not go there expecting to win, go knowing you will learn.

Just like at Armorama if you enter the DMOM and do not win look at those who got more votes and ask questions from them.

Don't normally ...exceptions were on here and local shows ----where I have had arm lock put on
Had a few places in past 2 years nothing startling as my beasties are so wierd that no one really looks at them






A few 'in-club' wins and a few certificates ...but not that bothered really
aye
BARV
(GOSMG)

The issue of feedback is also important, IMHO. I judge at High Scool science fairs (USA), regional and national levels are VERY competitive (heck, the winner gets 100,000 USD scholarship!). The most important part of our judging is spending time with the kids and giving them feedback. I spend hours (even after declaring our winner) walking the floor giving ideas and feedback to students. Many of them, its the only time they are able to get PhD scientists to review and critique their work in a constructive manner. Good to know that model contests are on the "fair/nice" side of the spectrum. Great topic~!

Upcoming shows always give me a target date to finish a model, or two if I'm lucky.

There's nothing like having a model on the table and being able to talk about ship models with another ship modeler (one WILL come out of the woodwork) to get the creative juices flowing, so I go home and have more inspiration to build.

Whether the show is at a local hobby shop, an IPMS-sponsored show within 100 miles, or the IPMS Nationals when it is on the West Coast, I don't want to miss an opportunity. If my wife lets me.

Not good enough? Probably not, and I can let the judges worry about that.

Matter of fact, the IPMS Seattle Spring Show is coming up this Saturday, 19 April. If you're in the area, please drop by!
http://www.ipms-seattle.org/Springshow/

I agree. You never know what else is going to be on the tables. If you are doing it for fun, it shouldn't matter, as long as you enjoy the day.

I enter contests all time. If I win, great, if not, that's okay too - as long as I have fun.

Well, I was the third person to vote, and now I have the time to do some writing...

Yes, I have entered Model Competitions, from small LHS contests, to National contests, to international contests like ScaleModelWorld in Telford, and... have judged.

Several very good points have already been posted in this discussion and it's never boring or tedious to point them again:
- No one was born a master modeler! So it's only natural that ALL your skills improve with practice and time.
- Don't be afraid to enter competitions. There is ALWAYS something to learn, something that will be shared, and most of all, and from my own experience, it is FUN! You'll have a chance to talk with other modelers with your interests, and particularly, the ship model community is very friendly.
- If you have any kind of doubts about anything (including results) talk to the persons in charge. It is not the first and certainly it will not be the last time, that I ask or been asked about some particular point, that after the explanation makes you (or the other modeler if you are answering the questions) a better modeler and paying attention to some details that you overlook.
- If you don't win, don't give up! This means that you still have to learn and practice more - and take time to look properly at those guys that won. You could learn a lot JUST BY LOOKING.
- If you don't win... remember: this is JUST A HOBBY!!!!! You will not be injured, suffer from famine or have a major disease because of that particular result!
- Contest entrants and contest judges are... human! So, if I think, than I could make a mistake

I know it's good for our EGO to get something (first, second, third or even a commendation) but, the main point is to never give up improving your skills, making things better and innovative - I know that the best way of learning is to copy, but try to make your model unique and put something yours into it - imagine a contest where all the entrants would be unfortunate to remember to copy a particular model that they have seen online or in another model contest? Weird, hey??

So, yes, I will continue to enter (ship) model competitions and contests. IT IS FUN

Rui