The Little World

Those of you who are married will find it a familiar feeling…

But making mistakes in scale modelling is slightly different from the errors experienced during marital bliss. For one, they are quieter…

And less permanent. You can paint something wrong, or badly, and realise it…and never do it again…without having to hear about it every second week. You can bury your mistakes without having them claw their way to the surface.

When you are wrong – wrong choice, wrong judgement, wrong technique – recognise it as soon as you can. Delaying tactics will make it worse. Admit to yourself that you have gone astray and stop there. If you’re in a hole, stop digging.

Then see why it is a mistake. Often this is the most valuable thing that can happen to you all week. If you have tried something new that is the shits, or just done what you’ve always done and found it inadequate – admit it to yourself. You need not beat your breast and go on Facebook and cry to the heavens. Just realise that it is no good.

Then find out what is better. YouTube can help – as well as hinder. Club mates can be a fount of knowledge as well as a fount of bullshit. Printed magazines are fairly safe as a source of advice – they have committed themselves on paper. Be wary of strange advice from strangers in hobby shops – they might be as clueless as yourself.

Then do the good thing. Be prepared to do it badly for awhile, but persevere until you do it well.