Transcript Breakthrough Modeling Overcoming barriers to great model

Breakthrough Modeling
Overcoming Barriers to Modeling
Martin Sagara IPMS 44668
Rob Wolf Chapter, Denver, CO
June 4, 2008
Breakthrough Modeling
Understanding perceived barriers that block
productivity
Methods of becoming more productive
Practical tips to increasing your productivity
The points presented may or may not be useful
for your particular situation – your mileage may
vary
This presentation is partly based on Art & Fear:
Observations On The Peril (and Rewards) of
Artmaking by David Boyles & Ted Orland (ISBN
0961454733) All of the quotes in this presentation are paraphrased from this book.
Getting Started
Frequently, the hardest part of a task is
just starting it
Just thinking about an unpleasant, tedious,
or difficult task generates a reluctance to
doing it
The fear of “messing up” can also cause
avoidance of the task
So what do you do?
Getting Started
JUST START!!!
1) Don’t think
2) Walk to your work area
3) Start with the next task that needs to be done
STARTING - IS THE HARDEST PART
OF THE JOB
Once started, a momentum builds up that
usually sustains the work on the task
Use this method during any stage of assembly,
not just the beginning. It’s intended to help get
your work session started.
Vision
Starting a task can be hard because of
lack of vision - the goal is obscured, the
reason for working on this model is
dubious, can’t figure out how to do a task
Example: Driving down an interstate
highway at 75mph is almost effortless on a
clear day when you can see the road
ahead for a long distance along with all of
the cars and obstacles around you
Vision
BUT… It’s hard to drive the speed limit on an
interstate highway in a dense fog. The way isn’t
clear and there are hidden dangers so you
(hopefully) slow down
When you can’t see a clear path to the
completion of a model, the natural reaction is to
slow down or stop
The solution – figure out what is obscuring your
vision – find out how to do a task that seems
difficult, get the right tool, find the reference
photo that shows the color you need, etc.
In other words, identify and remove
what is obscuring your vision
Perfection: Concept vs. Reality
Perfection does not exist
Excellence does exist
“Lesson for the day: vision is always ahead of
execution – and it should be.”
Most modelers start with a mental picture of what
the perfect finished model will look like.
The problem usually starts when the model under
construction (reality) starts to deviate from the
(ideal) mental concept (this usually happens with
the first brushstroke of paint).
Perfection: Concept vs. Reality
Building the perfectly imagined model is tough
because we can imagine perfection but rarely can
attain it.
Do not start with the mindset of building a perfect
model, instead concentrate on applying your skills
in the best way.
Modelers tend to stop working on a kit at the first
mistake or less than perfect result.
Press on with construction – make a note of the
mistake, figure out how to correct or avoid it, learn
from the mistake.
Mistakes are the best teachers because the
lessons tend to be remembered.
Perfection: Concept vs. Reality
“The development of an imagined model
into an actual model is a progression of
decreasing possibilities, as each step in
execution reduces future options by
converting one – and only one – possibility
into reality. Finally, at some point or
another, the piece could not be other than it
is, and it is done”
Perfection: Concept vs. Reality
“You make good models by making lots of
models that aren’t very good, and gradually
weeding out the parts that aren’t good”
“The seed for your next model lies
embedded in the imperfections of your
current model. Such imperfections, or
mistakes, are you guides – valuable,
reliable, objective, non-judgmental guides –
to matters you need to reconsider or
develop further.”
Work
“The undeniable fact is that your model is not
some residue left when you subtract all the
things you haven’t done – it is the full payoff for
all of the things you have done”
“When you watch your work unfold day by day,
piece by piece, there’s no escaping cause and
effect. Simply put, what you did got you here,
and if you apply the same methods again you
will likely get the same results again”
The Work At Hand
“Your imagination is free to race a hundred
works ahead, conceiving models you could
and perhaps should and maybe one day will
build – but not today, not in the model at
hand. All you can work on today is directly
in front of you.”
You are working on the model you are
working on. Focus on it and give it your
best effort.
Learning
“Model making involves skills that can be
learned”
“Models are made by ordinary people”
“To all viewers but yourself, what matters is the
product: the finished model. To you, and you
alone, what matters is the process: the
experience of shaping that work”
“Modelers get better by sharpening their skills or
by acquiring new ones; they get better by
learning to work, and by learning from their
work”
Practice
Practice makes excellence
Practice provides the real-world test of the
perfect ideas you’ve had running around in
your head.
Practice provides the unbiased feedback
that you need to know your real skill level
More practice  More feedback 
More improvement = Better Modeler
Practice: Pots
A ceramics teacher announced that the
class would be divided into two groups.
– Group A would be graded solely on the
quantity of their work – 50 lbs for an “A”, 40
lbs for a “B”, etc.
– Group B would be graded solely on the
quality of their work – One perfect pot.
Which group produced the highest quality
work?
Practice: Pots
Group A, the quantity grading, produced the
highest quality work.
Why? Work  Feedback  Improvement
Group B, the quality grading, exhibited Paralysis by
Analysis. They spent most of their time theorizing
about the perfect pot and in the end, most failed to
produce a single pot but provided a lot of written
speculation about the subject of the perfect pot.
The Moral: Build… Anything!
Your Work Is Your Work
“Model making can be a rather lonely, thankless
affair. Virtually all modelers spend some of their
time producing work that no one else much
cares about”
“The point is that you learn how to make your
work by making your work, and the great many
of the models you make along the way will never
stand out as finished art. The best you can do is
to make models you care about – and lots of
them!”
Your Work Is Your Work
“The viewers’ concerns are not your concerns…
Your job is to learn to work on your work”
“Fears about model making fall into two families:
fears about yourself, and fears about your
reception by others. In a general way, fears
about yourself prevent you from doing your best
work, while fears about reception by others
prevent you from doing your own work”
Your Work Is Your Work
Build for yourself.
Your hobby must satisfy your wants and
needs – not anybody else’s.
But if the approval of others is important to
you, then recognize that as part of what
makes you happy and adjust your work
accordingly.
Contests & Competition
Competing in a contest is only a relative measure
of your work against your competitors’ work
The mindset for building a competition model will
probably differ from building a “regular” model for
yourself
The IPMS contest handbook indicates what should
be judged. Focus on satisfying these criteria first
A winning model need not be fancy or extremely
detailed. However, it must be well-built and this
is well within the skills of mere mortal modelers
Flow
Flow* is a state-of-mind where work becomes
effortless due to focus & energy.
Flow offers a highly productive mental state.
Getting into a state of flow requires time on task.
One must begin and work on a task for a period
of time before flow kicks in.
Once in a flow state-of-mind, press on with the
work.
* Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
(ISBN 0060920432)
Energy
Events can trigger a flood of modeling
energy. Seeing a movie with a cool
vehicle, seeing an exotic car on the road,
or seeing a fascinating relic at a museum.
This “excitement energy” is a terrific
motivator.
Go with the energy when it strikes, don’t
hesitate, act as soon as possible (or at
least start the research on the subject).
Inspiration and The Muse
Waiting for The Muse to strike can kill
productivity… there’s never a Muse
around when you need one.
Implement the “Just Start” rule instead.
BUT… Sometimes The Muse does strike
and you must act on the impulse!
The Muse can be the source for incredible
productivity, and enjoyment.
15 Minutes
Commit to working on your craft for 15
minutes a day.
A lot can be accomplished in 15 minutes.
The intention to work just 15 minutes may
put you in a position where, once you start
working, you will end up working much
longer than 15 minutes.
You should be able to devote 15 minutes a
day to something you truly love doing.
Trade Studies
Most projects consist of three key elements:
– 1) Time
– 2) Labor, work, effort
– 3) Cost
It is possible and recommended to trade these elements
depending on the situation.
Example: Pre-painted photoetch sets cost more than
regular sets but eliminate painting time and possibly skill.
In this case, elimination of painting time and getting a
better appearance is traded for the additional cost
Example: Fast setting super glue can be used instead of
slower setting plastic cements if time is a factor
Look for ways to trade on these three criteria if the
situation requires it
Mini Models
Let’s face it – some modeling tasks are
tedious and boring (e.g. painting road
wheels for tanks)
To overcome this boredom, take on the
attitude of building mini-models where the
individual parts or assemblies become an
exercise in building a model of
subcomponent of the overall model.
Remember – a completed model is the
sum of it’s components.
Organize Your Workspace
Organizing your workspace reduces the time
and frustration of looking for a needed item.
Keep items you regularly use within close
reach.
Use a rotating multi-tier bin (lazy susan) to
organize & store a number of items within
easy reach.
Use bins or trays to hold related items.
Remove items that are not needed or not
frequently used.
Make Instruction Notes
Plan your assembly work.
Determine where deviations from the
instructions will be necessary but note
steps that need to be performed as stated.
Note additional painting instructions.
Write down reminders - such as adding
nose weight to aircraft.
Tools
“The model you produce tomorrow will be shaped,
purely and simply, by the tools you hold in your hand
today”
“Simply put, certain tools make certain results possible”
“Your tools do more than just influence the appearance
of the resulting model – they basically set limits upon
what you can accurately model”
Tools enable the things we can accomplish
Bad tools prevent us from achieving our goals
Good tools enable us to get superior results
Search for the right tools for the job at hand
Invest in good tools
Multitasking – Part 1
There is always idle time during the
assembly of a model – time that you
have to wait – for glue to set, for paint to
dry
Plan so that you can alternate the work
on different assemblies of the same
model
Example: Work on the landing gear while
the cockpit paint is drying
Multitasking – Part 2
Work on two or more models
simultaneously
While waiting for paint to dry or glue to
set on one model, work on another
model.
Multitasking – Part 3
Work on two or more kits simultaneously
that will have the same color scheme
This allows you to maximize the use of
paint and airbrush preparation
Example: Simultaneously assemble two
cars that will be painted the same color
and paint both car bodies during the
same airbrushing session
Try It!
Some skills seem beyond our reach
But… these limits usually exist only in our
mind
Try a new technique or technology
Do your research and then give it a try on
a model that, you know in your mind, is an
experimental subject (i.e. inexpensive,
expendable)
You will probably find that the technique is
not as difficult as you originally thought
Explore New Territory
Building different types of models or models of
different subjects can be refreshing and
illuminating.
Different types of models require different
techniques and different mind-sets.
Start with an inexpensive kit, such as an auction
kit.
Start with a simple kit – a complex kit could set
you up for failure.
Don’t worry about messing up – this a relaxed
learning experience.
Conclusion
Give some thought to your modeling habits,
find those that don’t work for you, and
replace them with a new approach
Identify things that hold you back and find
ways to overcome them
Don’t be afraid to try something new – a
different type of technique, tool, model, etc.
Do what you really enjoy – this is after all
supposed to be an enjoyable hobby – not
work