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The basic
premise of the Open System used by AMFS judges is to recognize great
modelers and to encourage the promising ones. No deserving exhibitor
should go home unrewarded. Anything done to further this goal is a good idea, and
anything that impedes it is a bad one.
The AMFS system is intended to counter the weaknesses we've seen in other
shows, particularly those which use category
systems, with first, second, and third place awards in each category. The
problem is that the competition is always stiffer in some classes than others, and the
fourth place loser in a crowded category is often much better than the first
place winner in another. Thu, a first-rate piece goes home empty-handed
while a mediocre work gets recognition it
may not deserve.
The Open System reduces the categories to a minimum and eliminates the
fixed number of awards, allowing the level of work on display to
determine the number and type of awards given.
Perhaps the most interesting feature of this system is that it is not
a directly competitive one. Because the number of awards is expandable, no piece wins an award at the expense of
another. Each exhibitor's work is evaluated on its own merit, and he or she receives
the level of award the judges feel that the work has earned. Exhibitors can
thus judge the progress of their work from show to show, without worrying
about what other modelers may bring.
The standard against which the exhibits are judged is set by awarded pieces
in previous years and an overall quality level of the work at the current
show. An experienced judge can look at a piece and say "That is as
good as the pieces that won Silver Medals last year," and score it
accordingly. Judges have, of course, somewhat different opinions, which is
why we use three of them per judging team.
One really has to see this system in operation to appreciate some of its
more subtle aspects. Nonetheless, we hope this detailed explanation of its
mechanics will help those interested in learning how it works.
ELIGIBILITY
Any exhibit which includes a figure, however large or small,
is eligible for the Main Exhibition. Within the bounds of good taste, there
is no restriction on subject matter. Any piece on display at the show
deemed inappropriate by the Show Committee may be removed from public view
at the sole discretion of the Show Committee. All exhibits are eligible for
the "The Derek Holmes Trophy" which is our "Best of Show"
award. "The Atlanta
Cup" is awarded to the Grand Master whose work is
deserving. This award is voted upon by the Grand Masters in
attendance at the show.
Individual
exhibit pieces which have won awards at previous AMFS shows are ineligible
for awards again. These pieces may be exhibited but should be removed from
competition.
THE MAIN EXHIBITION
The Main Exhibition is divided into three levels of ability: Junior,
Basic, and Advanced. Different display areas are set aside and labeled for
each group. Exhibitors are free to enter their work at whichever level they
choose, but all
exhibits must be entered at the same level. Exhibitors are free to move up
or down a level from one year to the next, regardless of the
awards they may have won at previous AMFS shows.
As the AMFS show is a 3 day event, we allow exhibits to
be entered into competition starting Friday night and continuing to a fixed
time on Saturday afternoon. Most exhibits are typically entered and set up
on Friday evening when most judging teams work. As a separate judging team has been
assigned to judge those exhibits entered on Saturday, it is imperative that
Saturday entries follow the rules of entry for their exhibits and set up in
the specified "Saturday Only" tables or labeled area of the
exhibit hall. The AMFS cannot be held responsible for exhibits not being
judged that are entered on Saturday and are placed in the wrong area of the
exhibit hall. Exhibitors that have any questions about where to set up
their exhibits may seek the assistance of any Show Committee member or the
Judging Chairman or face being overlooked by the Saturday Judges. The AMFS
reserves the right to photograph any show entries or displays. Said photographs
may be used on our web site or club publications to encourage the hobby.
Entries may be moved by the staff after public show hours for photographic
purposes and then returned to the exhibitor's display.
THE JUNIOR
LEVEL
The Junior level is for modelers
aged 15 and younger.
THE BASIC LEVEL
The basic level is intended for
painters of modest ability who have been awarded
no more than three medals in Basic and none in the Advanced divisions in
past competitions.
The Judge(s) make their decisions by consensus, and may give as many or as few awards as they feel the exhibits merit.
THE ADVANCED LEVEL
The Advanced
level is geared to modelers of proven ability who have won awards at this
and similar exhibitions in the past. Exhibits at this level are entered in one of three
divisions: Open, Painters, or Ordnance. Gold, Silver,
and Bronze Medals and Certificates of Merit are awarded
in each division. Modelers exhibiting at the Advanced level are free to
enter their work in all three divisions. At the discretion of
the Judges and Judging Chairman, an exhibit or entire display may be
"moved" to a different division if such a movement would result
in the exhibitor receiving a higher award than if not moved. As divisional criterion are sometimes confusing, the Judging teams
will always act to place a display in the division where the opportunity
for award is highest for each exhibitor.
In the Painters Division, judging is based entirely upon painting
skill. Although scratch built and converted figures are not excluded, they are judged as if they were stock,
commercial castings. Unless finished to such a low quality as to be
distracting from the overall finished piece, the groundwork or setting is
not considered. The Open Division, on the other hand, is intended primarily for scratch
built and majorly converted figures, vignettes, and dioramas. Exhibits are
judged on equal measures of creativity, skill, composition and execution. All aspects
of the exhibit are considered in determining the judge's final score with
painting being only one consideration. The Ordnance Division is for
models without figures. Figures may be included, but they will not count in
the judging.
THE JUDGING PROCESS
Judging is done by
two or more teams, each consisting of three judges and an assistant who
judge both the Painters and Open Divisions in their part of the hall. If
exhibiting and competing at the show, Judges display their own work on the
table they are not judging. The Ordnance Division has its own panels of
judges.
The judging procedure is as follows:
The judges go through their judging area twice, once to select the piece(s)
in a display to be judged, and the second to assign a score. The first pass
is made as a group. The judges discuss each exhibitor's exhibits in turn,
selecting for judgment the piece or combination of pieces most likely to
give the exhibitor the highest possible award. In rare cases, an exhibitor's
entire display may be selected. At least one piece or group of pieces is
selected for each exhibitor, even if the Judges feel the work is not likely
to win an award. As the selections are made, each Judge enters the title
and exhibitor name on his judging sheet. The Judges then separate and make
the second pass independently to assign a score for the pre-selected
piece(s).
Each judge awards each piece(s) from I
to 4 points: I for a Certificate of Merit, 2 for a Bronze Medal, 3 for a
Silver, and 4 for a Gold. These sheets are turned in to the awards
committee who then add up all the scores from all Judges and make the
awards according to the total number of points.
· 11-12 points is awarded a Gold Medal
· 8-10 points is awarded a Silver Medal
· 5-7 points is awarded a Bronze Medal
· 1-4 points is awarded a Certificate of Merit
The judging is supervised by the Judging Chairman. His role is essentially
to keep the judges headed in the
same general direction. Experience with the system and detachment from the
actual judging process
gives the Chairman an overall view of the work on exhibition and the
judging process. From that perspective, he or she can check
periodically with the judges on the floor, answering questions and making
suggestions, occasionally nudging a judge who has strayed
to far from the rest of the flock back into the fold. But, his comments are
only suggestions. The final scoring is always up to the individual judges.
Perhaps the most unusual aspect of this system is that since the judges are
not present during the tally, they have no idea what awards have been given
until the Awards Ceremony, when they learn the results along with everyone
else.
THE DEREK HOLMES TROPHY or The
BEST OF SHOW
The Best of Show Award is the Derek
Holmes Trophy in honor of the late sculptor and artist who contributed
selflessly to this Show and the figure modeling community. This award is
presented to the figure or figures deemed by the judges to be the most
outstanding in the show. This award is sponsored by the Atlanta Military Figure Society.
The Best
of Show Award is chosen by combined vote of the Judges. The exhibit
selected may be drawn from any Advanced Level division.
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AMFS AWARDS
Below are listed the awards
presented at the 2006 Show. As some awards are sponsored by individuals
or manufacturers, the list below should be representative but not
necessarily the actual awards that will be presented at future shows.
- In
the Toy Soldier division, one Gold Medal and one Silver
Medal will be awarded in each category.
- A
Youth Award will be presented for the best Toy Soldier
display by an exhibitor aged 18 or under.
- The
Old Toy Soldier in Historical Context Award will be given to
the display that evaluates the antiquity and rarity of its figures
while demonstrating their historical significance in the production
of toy soldiers.
- A
Junior Painter Award will be presented for the best figure or
figures by a painter aged 15 or under.
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MEMORIAL AWARDS
Numerous commemorative,
specialty, manufacturers, and model awards will be presented for
exemplary displays at the Show:
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Robert C. Knee, Jr Memorial Award
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Best figure(s) representing the United States
Marine Corps, any period. Sponsored by AMFS.
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Charlene Prince Memorial Award
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Best
figure(s) representing the spirit of Hope, Courage and Joy.
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Patrick Cleburne Award
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Best
American Civil War figure(s). Sponsored by AMFS.
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Howard Goshorn
Memorial Award
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Best figure(s)
representing the Napoleonic era, 1800-1815. Sponsored by Earl Levitt and
AMFS.
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Leon Kestenbaum Memorial Award
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Best
figure(s) representing a Native American. Sponsored by AMFS.
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Henri
Lion Memorial Award
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Best
mounted figure(s). Sponsored by AMFS.
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Charles
Morton Memorial Award
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Best
figure(s) representing the spirit of the American fighting man. Sponsored
by Joe Singletary.
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William Imrie and Clyde A. Risely Memorial
Award
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Best American
Revolutionary War figure(s), excluding Native Americans. Sponsored by Lou
Coroso.
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John Roberts Memorial Award
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Best British
Empire figure(s). Sponsored by Ron Werhman,
Mark McGinnis and Chris Fontenot.
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SPECIALTY
AWARDS
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Best of the West Award
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Best
figure(s) representing the American West, 1830-1880. Sponsored by Denise
and Terry Martin.
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First and Bravest Award
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Best Zouave figure(s), any nation or era. Sponsored by Terry
Martin and David Oswalt.
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Napoleon's
Eagle Award
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Best
French Napoleonic figure(s). Sponsored by Terry Martin and Grant Black.
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Georgia History Award
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Best figure
or figure(s) representing a Georgian (born, lived, or died in Georgia) OR
a Georgia Historical Event. Sponsored by David Wiggins.
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Red Lancer Award
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Best
painted lancer, any nation, Napoleonic era or later. Sponsored by The Red
Lancer.
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Scotland Forever Award
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Best
figure(s) representing Scottish history. Sponsored by the
Scottish-American Military Association.
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Best Collection Award
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Best
collection of acquired figures; primarily an award for collectors.
Sponsored by AMFS.
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MANUFACTURERS AWARDS
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Historex Award
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Best use of Historex figures
and parts in a display showing both creativity and modeling
skill. Display can depict any period of history. Sponsored by Grant
Black.
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Michael Roberts, Ltd., Award
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A gift certificate for the best Michael Roberts, Ltd.,
figure(s). Sponsored by Michael Roberts, Ltd.
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JUDGING CRITERIA
The Atlanta Show
follows the International Judging Criteria. One of the hardest things for
newcomers to this system to understand is how dioramas,
vignettes, and single figures can be reasonably compared. The following
excerpt may help to allay these misgivings:
Try to judge each piece on its own merits. Judge a diorama primarily for
its success or failure as a diorama, and not so much in terms of how much more work it represents than,
say, a single foot figure. The difficulty of the job attempted should certainly be a
factor, but the sheer amount of work should not.
Grading the pieces on a scale of I - 100 or I - 10 might help. Ask yourself,
"what is the modeler trying to do, how difficult is it, and how well has he done it? What would I change
if it were mine?" If you score the entries on this basis, you will be
surprised how easy it is to compare even the most dissimilar subjects.
You cannot be expected to judge the accuracy of such a wide variety of
subjects, although a blatant error is bound to shade your judgment. Generally, however, give the
exhibitor the benefit of any doubt in such matters; he has done
more work on the figure than you have, and he just might be right. It is
better to let a few culprits go free than to penalize someone
unjustly for research of which you were not aware.
As a general rule of thumb, the best way to proceed is to go through your
judging area, and pick the pieces that impress you the most.
For judges, the gold medal figures and the Certificate of Merit figures are
generally easiest to select. Often the bronze and silver medal figures
require the most thought, discussion and consideration. Each judge is given
ample time to consider their scores very carefully. As always, the object
is to award the highest score possible for each exhibit.
SELECTION AND TRAINING OF JUDGES
However good an awards system might
be, its success is ultimately determined by the quality and experience of
the judges
who serve it. The AMFS devotes considerable care to the selection and
training of its judges. Judges at all levels are selected for their skills as modelers, familiarity
with commercial castings, and proven ability to judge objectively. Whenever possible,
judges serve at least one "apprenticeship" as an assistant before
they are allowed to judge on their
own.
The assistant judges are there to learn about the system and provide the
judges with a "sounding board" for their ideas. Some assistants are judges in training, while others
are officers from other societies or simply interested hobbyists who want to see
how the system works from the inside. We encourage assistants to voice
their views, but the final word always belongs to the
judges. Serving as an assistant can be fascinating, and no experience is
required. Persons wishing to participate are encouraged to contact the
AMFS Judging Chairman or Show Chairman.
International Judging Criteria
INTRODUCTION
This document
has been compiled with three goals in mind: first, to provide a uniform set
of criteria for judging figures; second, to form a sound basic text for the training of
judges in the future; and third, to give exhibitors specific information as to what
the judges will be looking for.
These are not rules. They are a set of artistic criteria, by which judges
can compare models uniformly and fairly. As such can be
effectively applied to virtually any exhibition regardless of the rules
under which it may be run. The key element
in fair judging is that the judges work to the same set of criteria in
assessing the entries. That said, the criteria presented here offer
few absolutes. Qualifiers like "sometimes," "often,"
and "can be" are frequent. This is both appropriate and inevitable. Judging is ultimately a
matter of personal opinion, and while that opinion can be guided, it cannot be dictated.
In the final analysis, these criteria should therefore be viewed more as a
guideline than a checklist.
We propose the following five criteria, not necessarily listed in
order of importance or consideration:
• DEGREE OF
DIFFICULTY
• CREATIVITY
• WORKMANSHIP
• PAINTING
SKILL
•
PRESENTATION & OVERALL EFFECT
• HISTORICAL
ACCURACY
• BALANCE OF
THE CRITERIA
We will discuss each of these criteria in turn,
pointing out as specifically as we can the manner in which each relates to the five types of
exhibits established above.
DEGREE OF DIFFICULTY
For stock
commercial figures, consideration starts with the casting itself. A
beautifully detailed and well proportioned figure is plainly
easier to cope with than one which must be extensively re-worked to bring
it up to standard. But the main area of attention for stock
figures is clearly the painting. Although intricately painted detail is
certainly impressive, judges should not
ignore the fact that the subtle shading of long flowing robes with no
detail at all can be equally challenging. Also worth bearing in mind is that dark colors
tend to be easier to shade than light ones. Moreover, experience has shown
that larger figures are harder to paint than smaller ones. Much of the
success of a figure depends on the face, and the amount of character and
detail instilled by the manufacturer can make this job much easier. Mounted
figures present the additional problem of the horse, which must be
delicately shaded; dapples and greys are much more difficult in this regard. Flats, though
generally smaller than their round counterparts, are often more
difficult, since a genuine feeling of roundness must be achieved with the
paintbrush alone. Figures in different scales raise
another question. A larger figure is generally more challenging to paint,
convert, or sculpt
than a small one; a 90mm figure is harder than a 54mm.
For Conversions the amount of conversion work attempted becomes the key
factor. A minor conversion would consist only of a small
change in pose or subject, one in which the manufacturer's original design
is plainly evident. A major conversion generally involves extensive reworking of
the pose or uniform, but one in which the original design can still be discerned, albeit
with some difficulty. A complete conversion leaves practically nothing of
the original design except the face and the hands, and these too are sometimes
altered. The challenge of a chosen subject is also an important consideration intricate detail, certain difficult
textures (smooth, crisply defined armor, for example), and facial expressions (subtle
smiles and open mouths) all require more effort. Although dramatic action
poses are exciting and difficult to carry off, judges should be aware that
subtle execution of relaxed poses can often prove equally frustrating. Scratch built projects offer much the same
difficulties as conversions, with a few others thrown in for good measure. Pose selection and
execution become more critical, with figure proportion harder to control.
Facial features and expression are significant obstacles. Judges should
weigh the fact that gnarled, expressive faces are sometimes easier to accomplish than
the subtlety of smoother faces in repose - a beautiful woman can be the
greatest challenge of all. Intricate detail and long flowing robes are each
difficult in their own way. Horses present problems of anatomy and musculature that
require as much skill as a human figure.
Many of the considerations mentioned so far carry over into the fields of
dioramas and vignettes, since these often involve the use of
converted or scratch built figures. But scenes of this sort present other
problems as well, ones of design, of carrying an idea across to the viewer,
creating a desired mood, composing a scene with a smooth flow of action and
effective use of the available space. Buildings, settings, and accessories
must often be converted or built from scratch, while
boxed dioramas involve the problems of lighting and electricity. The sheer
number of figures, while sometimes a minor factor, should not
in itself carry much weight. Only when the difficulty of a project has been
assessed can the judges proceed to evaluate the work that has
been done.
CREATIVITY
The creativity a modeler shows in
presenting his subject can take a surprising variety of forms. Although we
have all had occasions to see certain models and exclaim "why didn't I
think of that," creativity as intended here should not be confused
with originality - all too often one finds that what one took to be
original is in fact based upon an obscure illustration, or even
another model from a different period.
Although imagination in choice of subject should not be ignored, it can
also be evident in other areas, such as making ingenious use of a stock
figure for a conversion, choice of an unusual setting for a fairly
commonplace idea, creating a scene by clever combination of stock figures,
or the inspired adaptation of unusual materials to achieve a certain effect. Creativity rarely plays a role at all with stock
commercial figures, since the modeler simply paints it according to the instructions
provided.
For conversions and scratchbuilts imagination plays an important part, primarily in the selection
of subject and pose (although with conversions the creative
adaptation of stock figures, commercial parts, and everyday
"found" items certainly contribute as well).
With dioramas and vignettes, creativity manifests itself in the choice of
subject, setting, and lighting (if any), in addition to the factors involved with the figures. Judges should
also keep a sharp eye out for telling little details, although they should avoid
rewarding cleverness that exists only for its own sake, unconnected to the
scene. Creativity is one of the most important judging criteria. After all, it is the
continuing inventiveness and ingenuity of modelers that pushes the state of the hobby to
ever greater heights.
WORKMANSHIP
Under the heading of workmanship we
bring together the technical execution of all the non-painting efforts
required for the project. For stock commercial figures this involves
little more than ensuring proper removal of molding seams and evaluating the
success of any sharpening of detail that may have been attempted.
Conversions and scratchbuilts are a different matter,
since even the best paint job cannot make up for a clumsily converted or
poorly sculpted figure. What we are looking for here is performance - how naturally
the figure is posed, how well the clothing folds are handled, how crisply the piece
is detailed. For both conversions and scratchbuilts,
correct anatomy is paramount: an proportioned or unnaturally posed
figure should be penalized vigorously, however beautifully it may be
detailed and painted. With conversions, particular attention
should be paid to the specific areas where the conversion work has been
done, ensuring first that modified joints are smoothly
covered, with any disturbed clothing folds carefully restored, and second that any new detail
work is neat and precisely rendered.
Workmanship assumes an even greater importance in dioramas and vignettes,
where, in addition to the figures themselves, it
encompasses everything from the construction of settings to the
effectiveness of the lighting. Any buildings, vehicles, and accessories involved in the
scene should be well constructed and properly detailed, with effective
use of materials. In boxed dioramas the sight lines should be contrived to
conceal all that is not meant to be seen, and the
lighting arranged so that it achieves the desired effect while still
illuminating the scene. If forced perspective is employed, it should work effectively,
without distracting the viewer.
PAINTING SKILL
Painting skill is undoubtedly the
single most important criteria, since a failure in this area can seriously
undermine the effect of even the most beautifully sculpted figure or
the most imaginatively contrived scene. Painting skill is practically the only criteria
when it comes to stock commercial figures. The neatness of the detail and
the subtlety
of the shading are important considerations, but in most cases it is the
face that really measures the success or failure of the piece. The eyes should be accurately
located, level with each other, and lacking any suggestion of a "pop-eyed" look. The
facial planes should be strongly rendered, yet subtly shaded. Above all,
the face should have character and life suggesting a real person, not a waxen, dead
image.
Care should be taken that the variety of textures are
accurately portrayed, from the coarse wool of a World War I tunic to the soft sheen of well-oiled leather. Soldiers on
campaign should have the weathered, worn appearance commensurate with
their situation. Spotless uniforms and spit-shined leather belong on the
parade ground. Horses should be subtly shaded yet still
show a strong, confident use of color. The painting should accurately
reflect the anatomy and physical characteristics of the animal,
such as the gray areas around the eyes and mouth, the proper coloring of the
hooves, the sparse hair areas, reproductive organs, eye color, and
markings. For proper appearance, dappling should be subtle in appearance and varied in
size.
It is important to separate style from competent technique, and judges
should be aware of their own prejudices in this regard. Every judge has encountered painting styles he
didn't particularly care for, but it is important to keep in mind that this is very
much a matter of personal taste; just because one doesn't fancy a
particular style does not make it wrong. The proper approach is to question whether,
within the given style, the painting is skillfully done.
Conversions and Scratchbuilts obviously call for
the same painting criteria as stock commercial figures. Dioramas and vignettes, on the other hand, frequently involve
structures, vehicles, artillery pieces, or other accessories, and due attention must be
paid to these. 'Me first concern is that same loving care and effort be
devoted to these as to the figures. Moreover, it is important that there be a
unity of style between the figures and the other elements of the scene; in other words, if
the figures are dramatically shaded, the vehicles and buildings should be
too. The feeling should be one of a scene rendered with the same brush, rather
than a collection of disconnected elements painted separately. Both buildings and
vehicles should be neatly detailed, subtly shaded and weathered to a degree
appropriate to the circumstances.
PRESENTATION
AND OVERALL EFFECT
The first part of this criterion is fairly straightforward,
concerning itself with the base, groundwork, and any other elements involved in "presenting" the
piece, The base and groundwork are not trivial considerations. Anyone who
has ever
judged can recall examples of nicely done figures and scenes where the
amateurish appearance of the base and groundwork badly undermined the positive impression
made by the model itself.
Although the style of the base used can vary widely according to the
modeler's taste, whatever is chosen should be neatly and tastefully finished; unvarnished plywood and
crudely cut styrofoam are offensive to the 'eye.
The groundwork and
vegetation should be realistic in effect, appropriate to the geographic
setting, and painted in a style commensurate with the figure(s). Additional credit should be given
for properly creative accessories or battlefield debris, but these should be suited to
the subject and not just gratuitous detail added to fill space or curry
favor with the judges. For boxed dioramas, presentation is limited
to the box itself and the framing of the scene, which should be complementary to the subject, neatly done, and
unobtrusive.
The second half of this criteria, overall
effect." is really the more important of the two, yet harder to
define. What it really amounts to is a recognition of the intangible aspect of modeling, that
"feeling of life" which cannot be traced to any particular
element of its construction, but which is clearly evident when the piece is
viewed as a whole. As such, its precise nature can only be vague and slightly
mysterious; ultimately, it must remain very much a matter of the personal reaction of the
judges.
A good overall effect can sometimes raise a marginally less skillful effort
over its more finely executed but sterile counterpart, and is
often the ultimate determining factor in close decisions when all other
tic-breakers fail. Achieving this "feeling of life" is
really the ultimate goal of the hobby and, for this reason if no other, it should never be forgotten or overlooked by the judges.
HISTORICAL ACCURACY
Readers will notice the complete
absence of "historical accuracy" as a criteria.
This is no oversight. The problem is that with the
multitude of subjects seen at shows today, it is simply impossible to judge
all models with equal severity, even within a narrow historical period. An entry on a
familiar subject is likely to be penalized for even the slightest error,
while major
errors in a more obscure subject escape totally unnoticed. Even
acknowledged experts in a given field (and there are few enough of
these) cannot possibly carry enough information about in their heads to
judge all entries in that field
fairly.
Moreover, while minor errors can always be found, it should also be
recognized that in a day when kits are provided with coloring instructions, the lack of historical accuracy
is not a major problem in figure exhibitions. Many modelers are themselves amateur
historians, who do original research of their own; surely it is better to
let a few historical culprits go free than to unjustly penalize an enterprising
researcher for information the judge could not have been aware of. Still, historical accuracy
is one of the cornerstones of the hobby, and some effort must be made to
ensure that it is accorded the respect that it deserves. Ultimately, the best
advice for judges is this: if you see an obvious and blatant error, it cannot help but shade
your judgment; but if there is any doubt, give the competitor the benefit
of that doubt - he has devoted more time to the model than you have, and he
just may be right. We acknowledge that there will be those who
disagree with this view. If they wish to add historical accuracy as a criteria, they are certainly free to do so.
SUMMARY
The Open System provides the best possible judging and
exhibiting environment when used as described above. The individual is judged
not against other modelers, but to a standard consistent with a known
quality level from show to show. The awards are a good form of feedback for
the exhibitor to gauge his or her progress from one year to the next. Are
there mistakes made in using the open system? Certainly. Any system used to
critique and judge works of art is subject to personal opinion and
individual interpretation. The Judging Chairman will often set up teams of
judges to work together who are known to be either a "hard judge"
or an "easy judge". In this way, the system promotes balance by
arriving at a score in between the two extremes.
If an exhibitor
ever has a question or comment for the Judging Committee, we would
encourage them to come forward during the show or contact us privately
after the show. Like any good system, The Open System is constantly
evolving and improving.
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