[the french guy]

TOnight...nothing really impressive But it's not everything to make good looking figs, they have to go well on the field too

I don't like "show case" modelling. When I build MF figure it's to play it. When I build a detailed slot car, same thing, I'll race it. Since I started MF hobby, I always kept it in mind. Even if, of course, with the lack of experience, I made some mistakes during experiment. Now it's really cool, because I can mix my (little) MF knowledge with my (a little bigger) modelling experience.

But I just can't make 40 poses in a day or paint a team in a day. Not because I'm not able too (I can be fast when it's necessary...Hopefully it rarely happens ), but simply because it's not what I love in modelling, in MF or other sides of that hobby. Perhaps you know, I'm a former modelling freelance artist. I sculpted for miniature companies, I created scenery for professionals companies and hobbyists who could afford it. I had this job during 1 year and half, and stopped because I didn't earned any money.

Why ? Because I just can't finish one thing before I decided that is finished. And I'm the worst critic on the earth concerning my own work. That 's not a good way to make business, I guess.

but if your purpose is to play quick, to hurry up and get many teams on the playing field, to establish a league to impress, the end result of "beautifying a team" with all the features can be well overrated.

Sadly, not matter I'd play with the most beautiful figures or some cheap cardboard printed miniatures, I already know that the crowd here in France is almost non-existent. It's a fact, sadly. So for now, 70% of my MF fun is creating figures. 25% is making solo scrimmages. 5% play against humans with no really interest for MF.

I also created a blog in french to promote the hobby. I created french articles, I post a lot of MF things in french on at least 8 diferent forums (modelling, wargaming, gaming, slot racing, etc...), national or local...Even on the motorbikes forum I am But you can't force people to like what you like. Here again, it's a fact.

I'll try to find french people to build a league, or at least, play regularly with. But I don't count on my figures to attract anyone. It's not a good advertisement for an average joe. Imagine the scene : "joe : wow your team is great, where can I find the same figures ? Me : You can't.". Not a really good advertisement, I guess.

In that case, I continue to impart my energies into making different poses from magazines, pictures, videos, etc. If they are not perfect, that's okay! I don't claim to be the most artistic, just the most creative in my approach.

So to me, the devil's in the detail. You've got to ask yourself, are you doing this for "Show" or for "Pleasure"

I believe there is a misunderstanding somewhere :

When I sculpt, paint, or whatever, I do it for me first. If I post pics on mfca.org, it's first because you (the mfca members) are the only friends I can share my enthusiasm with. My friends and relative does not care about my work. They just know and say "Dimitri ? he mades nice little things. Nice fig. Nice diorama or whatever he calls it. Can I have another beer ? ". I caricature a little, but you get the idea.

I never made any figures for show. Like a statement we could find in Kung Fu tv show, "it's not the goal wich is important. It's the path", or something like that It's the part I enjoyed in modelling. Making figures the easy way does not interest me. I don't use molds to simplify everything (yet I have all the necessary materials!), or I don't use jennings figures as bases for my work.

I love to create new figures and find technical solutions, and then, teaching them. Why can't we have detailed muscles on figures ? I make detailed muscles, and explain the technic. Detailed faces ? I make the thing, and explain how. Same thing for painting technics, hands, helmets, sculpting and everything I can do and teach then.

the final figure ? It does not interest me so much. Most of the times, I put it in a box, and only open it for scrimmage, or curious friends. I like the create new things. I wanted to create comic books style, very "graphic" and dramatic figures using ff.net figures, I did it. I wanted to make high detail on buzzball and other "classic" figures : I did it. Now, it's time to move on.

I hope you will understand my MF state of mind a little better now


Wow, I almost wrote a novel