Is modeling worth doing if you dont take it to the next level

[Guest]

I am just looking at getting back into modeling but wonder if it worth it if i don't want to take it to the next level such as weathering.I look at all you pictures of the work you do and have looked at how to books on weathering and it just seems a bit over whelming.I would like to do amour diorama but can they be done without weathering , I know they look better with weathering the work i see hear is just out standing. How many here do modeling without going as far as weathering. well just like to put this out there to see what you people think .:thinking:

[Guest]

Hi AussieSloth, I wouldn't worry too much about it. We all develop our modelling skills and techniques as we go along and I think the great attraction is that we always want to do things that bit better every time. Trying out new ideas is what makes modelling so interesting but we can progress at a pace that suits us. You can make a model and be very satisfied with the results but you will always just wonder what it would look like if you just did a bit of dry brushing here and there or how effective it would be if you applied a wash.

Sometimes you will be successful and sometimes you won't be but striving for that almost impposible to achieve goal of perfect realism is what makes us carry on doing it. We all remember our first attempt, ending up with glue everywhere, horrible joints and blobs of paint everywhere when you immediately decided how you can do the next one just that bit better.

I wouldn't categorise weathering into such a clearly defined subject as you are doing. Take all the seperate aspects of it and perhaps one day just have a go at a wash. Next model try a bit of dry brushing as well then perhaps introduce some paint chip effects.

For the first steps in the direction you may do nothing more than apply a bit of soot around an exhaust pipe and realise how easy it was to make the model that bit more realistic. From then on you will find yourself always adding a soot effect around exhaust pipes.

Take it easy step by step, I'm still trying out new things with every model I make and I've been doing it for over fourty years now.

[Centurion3RTR]

Bunkerbarge is spot on in his post, i never weatherd my models until i had a go, i started off small at first now i'm making camnets, diorama and allsorts of stuff. Start off doing a bit of dry brushing, trust me you'll love it, it's like painting a picture only in 3D, and if you get stuck there's always someone on here to help you out, they have helped me in the past.

You're in the right place for modeling.

[Guest]

Thanks guys i see where you are coming from i will take your advice on board and just take it one step at a time and yes this seems to be the place to turn to for help and advice.Thanks again

[stona]

Just like to add to the replies above - couldn't agree more. Give things a go when you are comfortable. My only tip would be to practice something new on something that doesn't matter! I use old models (well mainly wings that don't take up much space). I still try new things ,some work for me,some don't but it's not worth ruining a good model with a failed experiment.

The most important thing is to enjoy the hobby -no point in doing it otherwise. That's not to say it's not frustrating sometimes. I recently built an extremely ill fitting kit which I found quite difficult. In the end it was certainly no show stopper but I was happy with the result and that's what matters.

Happy modelling

Steve

[Guest]

Thanks Steve i have decided to carry on i got a US medium tank WW2 that is going to be my first project. I have done so much reading and reserch from these forums and other sites and i think i will take my time and just experiment with different technics .So once again thanks for your advice.

[Guest]

I have just started experimenting with some dry brushing , only done a couple of pilots so far but the results are far better than just painting them in one flat colour . Next step weathering , been looking through the net trying to find tutorials and tips ( that's how I came across this forum ) . As for some thing to experiment on I got a couple of started 1/35 kits off ebay for a couple of quid each , so if I make a mess of them it dont matter I aint spent a fortune .