Just when you think things go wrong with your model...

[Rockhound]

So yeah, there I was working on my VF-0S w/booster. I had the perfect paint job on it, a beautiful flat white primer with no blemishes. Then I spray the light gray (Camoflage gray that is) over it and it looks even better. I work on the booster, fast packs, armaments, rpiming it with flat black perfectly.

Then I hit it with the appropriate grays. Beautiful. I start to mask the areas for lighter grays on the booster. Fantastic. Then, I pull the tape away slowly, only to pull up a little paint, right down to the plastic actually. No worries, I mask off the offending area and re-do it. Noticable fix job, but not too shabby. Problem is, acrylic pulls up like very thin plastic. Little flakes here and there. I tell myself, Self. They'll flatten out once you hit it with the glosscoat."

Glosscoat on the VF-0, perfect. Or so I thought. Appaerently my airbrush is pushing a thin line of it out, instead of the usual spread. I fix it and continue on.

Then I wait till after the UFC fights to start the panel lining. I have never been good at lining, but I still try something new, although old news to you: Oil and mineral spirits. It's the one attempt I never did. So, I start the process and it look slike a mess. Damn near black and gray all over it. You would of thought it was a pile of ash. I knew it couldn't work. Looking at the model as it stood soaking in mineral spirits and oil I thought I might as well throw the thing out and buy a new one and start fresh.

But, I hesitate. I wait and wait and wait. I decide to play some Hot Shots Golf and wait some more. 3 hours later, I sit down in front of the model.

Do or die.

I'm not a gentle person, there is nothing soft about me wiping down the model. I grab a paper towel and put a little mineral spirits on it and go to town. Slowly, I wipe back the oil, leaving what looks like a bad mechanic was on the job. Then I wipe some more... looking better. Wipe some more, sweet zombie jesus. Is it looking better?

When it was all said and done, I felt relieved and satisfied. My first successful panel-lining. And that was what kept me building the models. It's always when you think you're doing a bad job that you just might be composing a fine piece of art.

What keeps you modelling?

And yes, this happened 20 minutes ago. haha

[MechTech]

Quote: "What keeps you modeling?"

It's the "light at the end of the tunnel" for me. I already have a good idea of what it will look like and hope it will come together - praying helps! I've been working on the Daedalus for over two years (mostly straight on). If I didn't have that vision, I'd have given up years ago (before commencing building).

Congrats on your kit coming out alright after all! You did a great job AND you learned something new - two for the price of one! - MT

[Dante74]

[Rockhound]

Sorry, Dante, this thread isn't meant to have pics. Just a general "What motivates you" kind of topic.

What keeps you modeling?

[misterryno]

What keeps you modeling?

It's prob. his huge breasts. Wait....sorry....I keep getting Dante confuse with Nanase.

[Excillon]

Hmmmm, what keeps me modeling, that's tough. It was a gradual process for me. I went from low end toys like TF's to Gundam FIZ/MSIA, to Macross. Then I realized how boring toy collecting is. I mean, what do you really do it? So, I sold off my toys, save for a few favorites, and bought all the Endless waltz HG kits. Built em, decided to try MG. Bought about 40 kits over a year, built them, detailed them, bought some PG's, and did the same. Then I got bored with Gundam's, realizing they were basically unassembled action figures (not to mention they're all almost the same damn robot) and I wanted to REALLY create something. So I started doing Macross kits. Maybe a valk's a valk, but I can do any scheme I want, customize it any way I want, I like the freedom. That and the fact I love learning other peoples techniques and seeing other's work. My biggest hurdle to overcome is my anal retentiveness. It totally stagnates my building. I'm a machinist for a living, and I'm used to tight tolerances, I just wish I could let go of that a little, because I carry it into my building. I guess the biggest part of why I keep going is learning from the masters here like HWR, Drunkenmaster, WM cheng (the god of valkyries), and others. Keep it up Rockhound, you're making your way up into their ranks pretty quickly.

Edited May 26, 2008 by Excillon

[Rockhound]

Well, what kept me modeling was the unexpected surprises that would happen as well as the end result. Earlier I mentioned what keeps me going, but now I found something that just knocks me down again. Important lesson: make sure you know how to use flat coats properly! I wound up making my beautiful paint job and all the black decals... gray. ugh.

But, like MechTech said: It's the light at the end of the tunnel. And I'm really excited about my next project which will include a WIP!

Keep modeling fellas! We can only get better! And remember, if you can't be naturally outstanding be aggressively average. (Quoted from some newspaper comic strip I read a long time ago.)