IS MODEL-MAKING BECOMING TOO EASY..?

[PanzerWomble]

An interesting and thought provoking little article I came across.

 

For me personally  I tend to veer towards newer kits as it is the painting and afterwards that fascinates rather than the construction....although I've also done some awful kits as nostalgia builds from my youth ....see tricksy problem ! 

Enjoy or not 

 

IS MODEL-MAKING BECOMING TOO EASY..?

[DocRob]

To my eye, this discussion is a bit superfluous, as every modeler has the choice to take the easy path or not.
I chose my subjects by attraction or fascination for the subject mostly, the kit's quality is not the determining factor of choice. Many aspects of the article are true though, but also obviously. 
I like to challenge myself with builds and there are some projects, I made, where, like mentioned, the build was more or less super easy. One example for that might be my Tamiya 1/12 Ducati Panigale-S, a near perfect kit, but the main goal was to replicate the various types of used metals, needed for the construction of a modern bike. That wouldn't have been possible with the same quality, 40 years ago and still is challenging. 
Our hobby changed a lot and will do in the future as well. I'm not among the solo brush painting on vintage kit people, maybe, because the time gap between modeling as a kid and reentering the hobby, maybe 15 years ago was too big.
I take what's needed to fulfill the picture I have in my mind of a subject, be it kit-, technique-, skill- or aftermarket- wise.

Every hobby has it's time frame and there will be always be products, that will make life easier. Color printed PE, followed by Acrylic 3D interior decals and next, possibly colored 3D print? It's the modeler himself, who defines his hobby and the level of difficulty within.

Cheers Rob

[Bomber_County]

2 hours ago, DocRob said:

It's the modeller himself, who defines his hobby and the level of difficulty within.

Rob, totally agree. Your last statement sums it up……..we can all drive and have done for years what we cannot do is drive like an F1 driver, it’s down to a persons own skill level…….

[Clunkmeister]

An interesting discussion, this. 
I think choice is nice. You can choose to fight an unruly, inaccurate kit, or shake the box and out pops a new Corsair, F-16, P-51, Spitfire, or 109.  

Like y’all, I generally build subjects I like. The hobby sure has changed since the 70s and 80s.  As I age, my eyesight ain’t what it once was, that’s for sure. 
I see 3D printed panels as a bit of a cheat, a shortcut, absolutely, but I absolutely love them and have started to use them late last year for the first time. They certainly make quick work of the cockpit instrumentation, etc. Then again, more often than not, I use AirScale decals and build my own panels. 
Other 3D items such as Archer rivets take a whole lot more skill and finesse, and absolutely add to the finished product.

I think I’m different than many here, because if there are two kits of the same subject; one a fancy new über kit and the other a short run kit of the same subject, I’ll often build the short run, as it gives me more room to cut it all up and kitbash the crap out of it.  The last Tamiya kit I’ve started, a Corsair, still sits, half finished. It literally bored the snot out of me. I’m not the biggest Corsair fan, although they’re certainly famous and am important machine.

That all being said, this year, after multiple months of slogging away on the Infinity/HPH Helldiver, I did the new GWH P-40 literally in a few weeks and thoroughly enjoyed myself.  There. Is something to be said about precise fit. 
I look at the amazing builds coming out of the new Kotare Spitfire, and it appears you could almost stick one together in a weekend. A few more weekends if you want to actually create an ac irate representation of the real thing.

I LOVE where the hobby is going!  I see large scale only becoming more popular as builders age. Not that the smaller scale will die, but the big stuff is more popular than ever. 

[Peterpools]

I'm old school and enjoy building models. Well engineered kits with excellent instructions, detailed parts and precise part fit are said to be 'shake and bake' kits. Kits that are poorly engineered, badly molded, poor part fit and bad instructions are said to be a challenge and the builder derives the greatest satisfaction upon completion. For me, nothing could be further from the truth. Build what you like and how you like. The satisfaction from building any kit, is seeing it cross the finish line and basking in the display case. 

Build what is rewarding, enjoyable and keeps you coming back for more. We each see the hobby differently and as long as what we build keeps us at the bench, happy, satisfied and fulfilled, that's all that counts. 

 

[JohnB]

2 hours ago, Peterpools said:

Build what you like and how you like. The satisfaction from building any kit, is seeing it cross the finish line and basking in the display case. 

Very well said Peter! My feelings exactly.

[npb748r]

2 hours ago, Peterpools said:

The satisfaction from building any kit, is seeing it cross the finish line and basking in the display case.

even this is an individual thing. I have many kits half built on shelves or back in the box and get pleasure out of taking them to the partial built stage and moving to something else. I always have at least 5 kits on the go at any one time. My big satisfaction is starting something new, I really don't care if I finish it or not as the lure of starting something else calls me all too quickly to jump to another kit. The vast majority of my unbuilt kits are completed at some point in time but not necessarily in the same year that they are started. And once built, if I need space, they ultimately end up in the bin, I get no satisfaction in having them on display and rarely look at them, my only pleasure is in the build, once done, I very quickly move on. The harder the build, the quicker I get bored and move to something else, the easier the build, the more likely I am to finish in one go (hence no modern Tamiya or ZM 1/32 kits built by me yet and I only added one to the stash this year).  Every aspect of modelling is personal I think. 

[GazzaS]

Is it getting too easy? 

I wouldn't say that.  it's great to have choice.  And it's great to have good kits instead of kits you have to wrestle into submission.  It's good that your only choices aren't those three standard bearers of mediocrity:  Revell, Italeri, and Airfix, like when I was a kid.  I started modelling when I was 12, but didn't get my first Tamiya kit until I was 18

I can live with bad, but fixable fit.  What I can't condone is a shape that is obviously wrong and would require re-sculpting beyond the limits of the plastic.  Shake and bake is great...   Really, who wants to sand and scribe?  Masochists?

It's good to see companies making less-modelled subjects. 

 

[ScottsGT]

You’re supposed to build these things?  I thought they were just to fill up shelf space in the garage. 

[Clunkmeister]

Another thing that I’ve been noticing more with me, at least, is that it all depends on my mood.  If I’m uptight at the world and all stressed out, a quick build is just the ticket. If I’m feeling great and am looking for a challenge, out comes a kit with, to use JohnB’s words, a high cuss factor. 
Either way, I’ve had a few changes lately. I’m now concentrating on finishing my builds, rather than just starting them.  Maybe a product of old age creeping in?

[ScottsGT]

22 hours ago, Clunkmeister said:

Either way, I’ve had a few changes lately. I’m now concentrating on finishing my builds, rather than just starting them.  Maybe a product of old age creeping in?

I think so. It hit me as well when I set up my build area last year.  I’m proud to say that I have not added to my SOD, but sadly have not even finished the one I pulled out to complete.  Maybe soon.   
Maybe it’s a sign of getting our affairs in order before the day comes?