Learning to accept that perfection isn't always the goal!
I Actually Completed Something!
Well, this is a nice change, I'm able to report the completion of a project. A bit of a rarity for me!
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| Above: My first 'junk' scratch build made from random pieces of plastic from our recycling, spare parts from old kits and some pound store finds! |
The job in question is - of curse - my Dinotonk model. This being the challenge build for the Bill Making Stuff YouTube Channel (specifically for his Patreon members, of which I am one).
Anyway, the deadline is tomorrow and I managed to get my submission photos for my model up on his Discord group this evening. So I'm cutting it a bit fine. 😉
By The Skin of My Teeth
Now, while I'm over the moon to finish a project, I did only manage to complete the Dinotonk by really pulling out the stops and rushing it a bit.
Several things suffered due to pushing myself along on this one. Basically, I had to cut some corners and fudge some of the techniques that I would have used to take a good amount of time to get right (or at least to my satisfaction). But, I guess if you work to a deadline this is the sort of thing that can happen.
Having said that, I am actually quite pleased that I have been firm with myself about making some difficult decisions and chose to prioritise getting the project done over my normal pernickertiness. 😄
Making Hard Choices
When I started this model I did have an idea in my head about how it would look and what techniques I would use to achieve the final project. In fact, my final model does not look like this as I had to skip some of the things I wanted to include.
Essentially, it was the painting rather than the actual build that suffered the most. This was main due to my lack of experience with making a model to a set deadline. I was too slow with my construction and that left me with less time to do the painting job that I wanted to do.
So, what you see in the completed model I have made is something like 85% of the job that I really wanted to do. And that missing 15% is all paint work.
Conclusion
So, what do I think? Well, I'm still pleased. If you think about it I was fully successful in two parts that made up the making of the model; the construction and meeting the deadline. As for the painting, I was really rather pleased with what amount that I did get done, so that's quite a lot of 'wins'.
Despite being a somewhat unfinished design I still think it looks quite neat, just not quite as neat as it could have been.
As I hinted at, this exercise has all been quite good in that it has got me understanding that you sometimes have to be forgiving of yourself as a modeller when you have to make some sacrifices. I'm not used to that kind of building, I normally take all the time I need...But then, typically, take far too long or sometimes never complete the project at all!
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| Above: Nearly, but not quite. A night before the deadline and I had to accept that I couldn't add the extra layers of flaky paint and effects that I wanted. |
So, this has taught me to be more easily satisfied, not every job has to be 'perfect'. Sometime perfection comes not through obsessively concentrating on getting everything right every time, but rather building up your ability to get things right by trying to make each subsequent model a bit better!
Maybe I'm becoming a bit more laid back with age! 😂
Link to Bill Making Stuff on YouTube: @BillMakingStuff
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