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 Camkierhi wrote:

Just popping on really to say I officially give up on Dakka Gallery. Dwarf has to be IMHO one of my best works, really tried to nail the NMM, tried hard on the other basics, such as skin tones etc. And please do not get me wrong I do not think it rates any where near a 10, Nothing I currently do does. Admittedly it only has 2 votes, but I thought it slightly better than a 6. Don't really know why I do it to myself. Put it out there and think "wahoo! I got a vote!" and then boom down you go. So no more. Forgetting the whole "be a better painter" kick. Simply not worth it. I accept it, I say it enough. I am not a painter, not bad at scratching things together and that is where I will stay.

This is not some plea, or whining sad muppet, it is me genuinely accepting and giving up. Spent too much time wasted on it.

Don't worry, or maybe do worry, those few of you who do come around here, I will be back soon with more nonsense, just not trying to improve my painting any more. Now how do I dip a tank?

Please kFWIW, I have 894 images in my gallery, none of which have enough votes to actually show a ranking. I get my feedback from the half-dozen Dakkites who post in my p-blog, and that feel much more personal and valuable than some number ranking. Keep posting your painted models here and I (and others) will continue to admire them.

Yeah dude, don't worry about the Dakka gallery ranking system. It doesnt mean anything. Your problem is you stopped having fun painting. When that happens, it's cool, don't EVER stress about it. Just do something else fun in the meantime. I can ALMOST turn out a pro-level tank paintjob, but my figure painting is abhorrent. It's no big deal, every time you paint, you'll lean new techniques, and improve. If you are looking for return on investment, either monetary or results per hour spent....then you're in the wrong hobby. The -=]_,=- Votes you 10 rivets.

Trench looks great! Suitably mucky.

Don't give up on the gallery. Just disable the voting. I always found it amusing that I would be asked to vote in the painting of a WIP of some sort.

And almost finished with your LoER entry? Geez, I just found a possible idea. Too fast, Cam. This hobby is not a sprint. Slow down and enjoy. (But not so much that you are as slow as I. )

lol, one of my best ratings is on a WIP pic. Wet paint even. It makes no sense.

Thanks

I will be posting my paint jobs still, and though I will be disabling voting on my pics from now on, I will still vote in the gallery.

It's a childish thing I am not very proud of. Your feedback here has way more meaning, but I have been trying to get my painting "up there" for nearly 2 years, since I entered a comp for fun I thought after, "I can do that so much better" and have tried repeatedly. I have had successes, but mostly, a glass ceiling I cant get past. It is frustrating. Unfortunately one of the few ways of measurement on my work is the gallery or competitions. Both are very popularity based, which is against me. I realise I am being childish and that irritates me even more. I do not do this for gain. In any form. I do it because I enjoy it. And Dave you hit the spot, it stops being fun, if you have to do it. I do all this to escape a crappy real life, and I guess the feeling that I might inspire someone to do great things. And this is where I get a kick. But I get so silly and childish when that bloody gallery messes with you, or as recently entered a comp, which turned out to be a popularity contest and little to do with the work on display. It is not that I expect to win, or even be in with a chance, but after 2 years I appear to have shown no improvement.

So, I will continue with my modelling and I will paint the best I can, but I am giving up on the "must improve." The system is too harsh, and too bias.

A genuine thank you to you guys, you mean an awful lot in a sad little world that I live in. Please keep coming, and please forgive my childishness.

Excellent work on the dwarf, his war paint looks really cool.

EDC

Don't let the man get you down. You have an awesome base of regular readers to your blog so you get a lot of quality feedback. It's more of an achievement I think to keep a group of strangers entertained and continuously returning for more. That's something I think I really struggle with. Keeping the readers entertained so they keep posting.

If voting on the Dakka Gallery (42,001 times) has taught me one thing its this:

Paint critics are... everywhere and there is a large proportion who really don't understand the finer details of what techniques have been applied and how much work the painter has put into it.

I have some of my pictures set to be voted on, however I care not for the actual ranking, the best feed back is from the blog stick with it

You can't "give up" on an abstract concept such as "getting better". You will improve with time. Trying or not.

You need to not care about the gallery. Or popularity. These are constructs that you can "give up on" or just choose not to use.

Hey Cam dont be so hard on yourself about your painting skills, I took a look thru some of your work and can definitely see improvement. In my opinion you have some mad modelling skills, your trench is grand! If you were closer to me and Gitz I would want you to build and paint up a bunch of buildings and terrain. Most of my home made terrain stuff is old styro foam painted to look like "something" ;-). Your dwarf is a great piece of work, you should be proud of it! Keep painting it only gets better with age, plus its a fun past time.

I've said most of what I need to through PM, but I've got more...

This is a hobby for the majority of us here.
Hobbies are meant to be fun.
Those that partake in an activity as a hobby are not professionals.

If you like what you are doing, and are proud of what you have achieved. That is all that is important.
A scoring system, however good (or bad as the gallery is), is no substitute for that.

As to progress;
You have been progressing. It's not easy to see up close as we all are to our own work, but it's there.
Also, the more you improve the smaller the increments are in that improvement.

Like you, I've not felt like I've improved much in the past year or two. But it is there, if you really look for it; little things.

And as evidence I present you and your (really quite good) attempt at nmm. Would you really have thought about attempting that a year, 2 years, more, ago?
Trying a difficult technique is a clear sign that you have progressed.

Don't do it for accolades (oh, and how many contests have you won? I rest my case.), do it for fun.

I think Dr H nailed it Cam, and I echo his sentiments. Don't paint for us, paint for yourself. Let it be your selfish little outlet for your creativity. The rest pales in comparison.

Thank you all for the comments, I have got over my hissy fit, appreciate all the thoughts and sentiment behind the comments. I am kinda sticking to what I said though. No more gallery nonsense for me.

For now I have been working on several things, LoER comp entry which is progressing over on my Orkishness blog. Also been mucking about with some mould making. Actually aiming to send these to Grimdork if he wants them, he was looking into dungeon walls, so I played about a bit....

Master


Mould


Cast


Painted



Did another one cus Grim said it might be a bit too clean.


Got another one on its way which is more stone wall style, pics later.

Thanks for looking in.

My Gawd! Those are awesome!

Whoa. Brick wall looks perfect. As in scale model perfect.

Casts look like they came out well.

Walls look great and very real.

Damn cam you are a machine those walls are beautiful.

And that dwarf is amazing. Feck capricious galley votes, that dude is top of the line. Decide to do something new and nail it like that? You deserve to be a smug sob at the moment. Awesome work lately.

Man. Those walls are just want some for Gotham city! And screw the masses, dude, what do they know?

Nice moulds, like the graff.

Great walls of fire!

I really like those brick walls.

Those walls look awesome, top work dude!

EDC

Those walls are cracking! Especially the old worn wall with bricks missing and whatr not. great stuff

Thank you all for your very kind words, very much appreciated.

Another variation, also going to expand on this one, stone wall...


Thanks for looking in.

Certainly a strong foundation to build upon...

Fancy!

Thanks guys, been away distracted on Ork blog, but trying to muster up some enthusiasm here. Did a little GS work on a Sedition Wars figure....





Still a little work to do, but started on a little scene for her....




And last but by no means least, my daughter sat down with some cheap modelling clay I got....



Really hoping I can cast it, but will have to trial the material with silicone first. she is amazing.

Well as always thoughts appreciated, see you soon I hope.

Minis looking cool!

Your daughter is a sculptor with skillz!

that is amazing! Talent is NOT in short supply in your family!