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Modeling for Competition

Pretty excited about this actually,just found out our National IMPS event is on the 9th to 11th October...............and only 200km down the road............and I have those days off work :dude
I'm heading down to see what all this competition shenanigans is all about and enter a few of my personal bests, for the sake of feedback B)
Guess that gives me about a 432 day deadline to build something a bit special for next years event :pilot
 
Thanks Terry I must get caught Up ... My Nemeses took the Bait last night ... so the Tools may start staying on the Bench .... This thing was a big one ... :fencing :facepalm :smack :good:
 
One thing I have found useful over the years is either judge of ask if you can shadow a judging team at a show. This way you get to see up close and first hand what the judges see, and what they are looking for. Also, at the judges meeting before judging begins the head judge will give (usually) a lot of pointers on what to look for and information on any specifics to consider ( like how closely related the subjects are in the collections category, for example), as well as general info like making sure the models in the category you are judging belong there.
I also use the adage "any given day" when I enter a contest, any given day depending of the other models on the table etc. I could walk away a winner or looser, it is the nature of what it is, and everybody is in the same boat. At the last show I went to this past spring, I saw one of the best known armor modelers in the hobby get shut out in a category (though he did win in another category), but you would think he would have been a slam dunk winner, and that is not always the case!
Ernie
 
I have never entered anything ... but I'm looking forward to the experience ... Like I say been away for a long time ... but I'm Back ... one thing I see that is a good thing is the digital camera ... I think it can see better than any judge ... I always find things in my photos that just weren't there before the picture was taken ... so that being said look closely at your photos and it doesn't hurt to use the Zoom feature when looking on the computer ... Technology has not only advanced to this point but has also helped our art ... :woohoo: :ro: :dude
 
Swordsman said:
so that being said look closely at your photos and it doesn't hurt to use the Zoom feature when looking on the computer
Click to expand...

I use it with sculpting too. Just when I think something looks good, I take a closeup and realize how much more needs to be done.

The human eye is amazing, but between it and the brain, they make a lot of stuff up. :D
 
An artist's technique is to look at the piece in a mirror. After working on a piece for awhile your eyes become used to any mistakes. Seeing it in the mirror changes the view and gives you a fresh look bringing mistakes to the surface.

Cheers,
Rich
 
Well, I'm sure there are plenty of folks that don't want to build a gazillion pieces of crap and would like to get better at modeling.

Or we can just call it good...

:coolio
 
Bringing this back to the top. Amid the discussions of contests and shows, the specter of how models are judged recurs. How should classes be arranged? Who should be allowed to enter a class? When is someone too good to enter with the gen pop? What about the no sweeps rules?
Let's hear it, what are your thoughts? :hmmm
 
Well concerning my recent experience at Armorcon, and some of the grumblings from other entrants at least in the AMPS system, maybe anyone who wins a best-of is elevated to Masters Level?

In the AMPS system if you can start at any level, but it is recommended that you start at the beginner level. If you earn a Gold at that level you advance to intermediate (at a national show, regional advancement is optional and maybe it shouldn't be?). Earn a gold in intermediate advance to Advanced. And that is it unless you win a BOS at the nationals, then you move to Masters and only compete from then on in the Master's class. They are still eligible to win best-ofs, but not BOS at the nationals.

I see a couple of problems here.

1. Advancement is only mandatory at the Nats. This can leave a good modeler in a group they shouldn't be in. Now in AMPS you really don't compete with others in your class, you compete against a theoretical perfect model. How you do, has no bearing on how others do, so everyone in the class can win Gold, or no one can. So maybe this is a mute point. In the AMPS system the only time you compete against others is for BEST OFs. Here the skill level of the modeler doesn't matter, only the overall score. Perfect is 30.5, if you don't have that, you are out of the running.

2. Generally what happens is people who win BOS at the Nats - never compete again. They may attend the shows, but they rarely enter. While this only "knocks out" one a year, we are an old group, and really do we want to do this? Maybe a modeler who wins a Best of or BOS at any show, regional or national is advanced to Master. This would create a larger pool, and maybe we would see less attrition. As masters only compete in the masters class - ie no DIO no Vignettes, not open top halftracks etc, what they bring goes into the master's class. This allows others to win Best of and prevents sweeps. Masters could win Best of Masters and still would be eligible for BOS.

This is what comes to mind right now, I am sure I will think up others. As for IMPS - I'm sorry, I see no way to fix that cluster. The last IPMS show I attended these fools were measuring the height from wing to table - there is no hope for them.
 
I agree, AMPS seems to have the best arrangement of contests. Having the skill levels and point system helps keep the peace, beginners are not pitted against masters and if you happen to get ten above average models in a category, they would all get awards, rather than being limited to first, second and third. Their requirements that judges be certified keeps the process more accurate, rather than pulling people from the club to fill the position. I especially like the feedback left on the scorecards from the judges.
I tend not to "hover" around my models, people that do that really bother me. I understand wanting to hear what others think of the model, but some pontificate about the build, to the point that one can't even get a good photo angle.
The mess that is IPMS is just that, so I avoid those. Damn the penlights and magnifiers, part of a good build is how it looks and if you have to use a crutch to find a defect, you're looking too hard. This is supposed to be fun.
 
Well I've heard plenty of whining at AMPS shows. Don't kid yourself the local clubs know who's models are who's and personal preferences are still front and center.

And heh I use a pen light because I want to see the cool stuff. :rotf

And if some judges use a wing chart while judging are mental cases. :blink

:laugh:
 
Using a penlight to see details is one thing, using the critical light to spot defects is bad form.

There's always going to be whining at shows, just saying the AMPS idea works better for me.
 
JSteinman said:
Well concerning my recent experience at Armorcon, and some of the grumblings from other entrants at least in the AMPS system, maybe anyone who wins a best-of is elevated to Masters Level?

In the AMPS system if you can start at any level, but it is recommended that you start at the beginner level. If you earn a Gold at that level you advance to intermediate (at a national show, regional advancement is optional and maybe it shouldn't be?). Earn a gold in intermediate advance to Advanced. And that is it unless you win a BOS at the nationals, then you move to Masters and only compete from then on in the Master's class. They are still eligible to win best-ofs, but not BOS at the nationals.

I see a couple of problems here.

1. Advancement is only mandatory at the Nats. This can leave a good modeler in a group they shouldn't be in. Now in AMPS you really don't compete with others in your class, you compete against a theoretical perfect model. How you do, has no bearing on how others do, so everyone in the class can win Gold, or no one can. So maybe this is a mute point. In the AMPS system the only time you compete against others is for BEST OFs. Here the skill level of the modeler doesn't matter, only the overall score. Perfect is 30.5, if you don't have that, you are out of the running.

2. Generally what happens is people who win BOS at the Nats - never compete again. They may attend the shows, but they rarely enter. While this only "knocks out" one a year, we are an old group, and really do we want to do this? Maybe a modeler who wins a Best of or BOS at any show, regional or national is advanced to Master. This would create a larger pool, and maybe we would see less attrition. As masters only compete in the masters class - ie no DIO no Vignettes, not open top halftracks etc, what they bring goes into the master's class. This allows others to win Best of and prevents sweeps. Masters could win Best of Masters and still would be eligible for BOS.

This is what comes to mind right now, I am sure I will think up others. As for IMPS - I'm sorry, I see no way to fix that cluster. The last IPMS show I attended these fools were measuring the height from wing to table - there is no hope for them.
Click to expand...



In my humble opinion , your motto at the bottom of the page describes IPMS. pretty good
 
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