Well, you know you hit a sore subject with me, Bigdawg. Sure, decals are uniform and look great. But what skill does it really take to put them on? Paintings not easy. If it was, there wouldn't be a market for decals. And it takes lots and lots of practice, especially if you're like me and can't draw worth a lick. And the thing is, you don't really need alot of talent, just the willingness to be patient, be persistent, and find a technique that works for you.
You mentioned something about skills deteriorating. I think to an extent, if you use decals all the time then you will lose some ability to paint stripes and logos. I know when I don't paint for long periods of time that when I do paint, it's hard to get back into the swing of things. But if I paint a few teams in a row, then I get into a "groove" and the stripes and logos are a lot easier, with less screw ups.
But alas, I do feel like hand painting is becoming a lost art. The worst part is all the pics of decalled teams. They look so good that guys get discouraged, thinking that they'll never be able to paint good enough. I know my teams will never look as good as decalled, but I keep trying. That's why I posted on the other board pics of my old teams, some of which are pretty rough. There are a few new guys who are pretty good painters, and I was hoping that if they saw some of my earlier work that they might think "Hey, my stuff looks just as good as his, maybe I'm better than I thought I was" and be encouraged to keep painting because the more they paint, the better they'll get.
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