For some reason nothing I have done on the modelling front seems to have gone right today. To use the current vernacular, I seem to have 'lost my mojo'.
I think that this is something that afflicts every wargamer and modeller at some time. You are making steady progress with a project ... and then something seems to take the wind out of your sails and you come to a standstill. That is what has happened to me today. It has been minor things like discovering that a plank of wood I was going to use was slightly warped or that the nozzle of the glue applicator has bunged up. Nothing major ... but things like this have been enough to put me off your stride.
So what to do?
In these circumstances my wife's advice is to walk away and leave things as they are until the feeling that everything is going wrong has passed. This makes a lot of sense. I am under no time pressure to finish this particular project. If I decide to do something completely different for a few days or even a week, it will make no difference, as the project will still be there for me to come back to.
So, to use a marketing slogan, I'm going to 'take a break' for a day or two ... and then see if my mojo returns.
I think that this is something that afflicts every wargamer and modeller at some time. You are making steady progress with a project ... and then something seems to take the wind out of your sails and you come to a standstill. That is what has happened to me today. It has been minor things like discovering that a plank of wood I was going to use was slightly warped or that the nozzle of the glue applicator has bunged up. Nothing major ... but things like this have been enough to put me off your stride.
So what to do?
In these circumstances my wife's advice is to walk away and leave things as they are until the feeling that everything is going wrong has passed. This makes a lot of sense. I am under no time pressure to finish this particular project. If I decide to do something completely different for a few days or even a week, it will make no difference, as the project will still be there for me to come back to.
So, to use a marketing slogan, I'm going to 'take a break' for a day or two ... and then see if my mojo returns.
Your wife is right. When I am painting figures and start making a lot of mistakes, I have to put the brush down and do something else, because it never seems to get better if I try to continue.
ReplyDeleteI was looking at website about pre-dreadnaughts, and wondering how you could do the tumblehome on the French ships.
http://www.cityofart.net/bship/predread.html
Its a pretty nice site when you get into it. It has a separate section for each country and lots of pictures.
Bill,
ReplyDeleteI don't ever like giving up on anything whilst it is unfinished, but sometimes one has to accept that it is better to stop rather than for things to get worse ... as the inevitably would have done had I carried on regardless.
Thanks for the link. I have seen the website before, but quite a lot of stuff has been added since my last visit.
The tumblehome sides on French – and some Russian – battleships is almost impossible to reproduce using my usual modelling techniques, and I have yet to find an alternative. In and when I do, I will write a blog entry about it.
All the best,
Bob
Hi Bob
ReplyDeleteI made some ships a good while ago for a cotton wool ball game.
I chose to model them on the Tsushima fleets.
The ships hulls were made of several layers of cork tile, each one a slightly different profile from the one above or below where there was either sheer or tumblehome.
I smoothed over the stepped shape with polyfilla and then painted them.
They were rough and ready but quite adequate for the battle.
I know the feeling. I find that, if I make three mistakes over a short time it is time to call it a day on that job and put the kettle on.
ReplyDeleteJim Duncan,
ReplyDeleteThat is an excellent way to reproduce the tumblehome side of French-style ships! Thanks for sharing it with everyone.
All the best,
Bob
Joppy,
ReplyDeleteYou are more persistent than me! I usually give up after two things go wrong ... and go a have a glass of Diet Coke.
All the best,
Bob
Generally my mistakes come out in the warm-up phase, so after the headlight/gun/head/backpack hunt in the carpet it's back to work for me.
ReplyDeleteI'm terrible at getting started, so once I do I need to keep the momentum on regardless of setbacks. My own major project has been slow of late due to distractions all over the shop, and blog updates nonexistant.
Arquinsiel,
ReplyDeleteI don't like stopping a project when I have started ... but I have learned over the years that when things start to go wrong, persistence and carrying on does not always pay off. As the quote says '2Never reinforce failure. Failure reinforces itself.'
All the best (and good luck with your own project),
Bob
The scar and the ambulance bill prove that very well indeed. Sadly the old "models that taste blood roll better" maxim hasn't held true for that particular mech....
ReplyDeleteArquinsiel,
ReplyDeleteOuch! That sounds painful!
I must admit that - until now - I have given up before that has happened to me.
All the best,
Bob