My new mini scores lower than I expected

Corvus

Corvus

New member
Heya friends,

Last wednesday I uploaded my latest mini: a Kroot Shaper. Here\'s the pic: http://www.coolminiornot.com/index.php?id=22749&c=All&m=All&nm=none.

It is by far my best mini so far. I tried some new stuff on it (NMM, a decent base, etc), and some effects like the shades and highlights on the coat and skin and the hair turned out very good. I also spent some time in Photoshop to make a good presentation for CMON.

So I uploaded it and checked it out the next day. I expected it to have at least 7.0. But I noticed it\'s score was only 6.5. This means that my ordinary Black Templar Space Marines (for the pic, click here) score better (with 6.6). Although, if you put them besides each other in reality the Kroot appears much, much better.

So my best guess is that picture really sucks. Ok, I used a scanner in stead of a digital camera (I don\'t own one (yet)), but I think that apart from the paler colors, it shows enough details and effects...

I guess I\'ll have to wait for my friends when he has some time for me to bring his digital camera. A repost is certain :).

Please note that this thread is not meant to beg for a higher score. If you vote on my picture, please act if you have never read this message :).
 
V

vincegamer

Active member
The Kroot is much better, in spite of the weird glowy effect you put around the edges. Partly the discrepency is because your BTSM are marked rather high for what they are, and partly because your Kroot has so few votes. Of course, now that you\'ve pointed them out we\'ll see how the scores fluctuate.
That said, the picture doesn\'t really suck, but the white background is too bright, making it hard to look at and as I said above, get rid of the edge effect.
 
ZaPhOd

ZaPhOd

Super Moderator
Argh!

Well for starters, the effort you put in with Photoshop seems to make the image very blurred looking for some reason. I personally have a hard time focusing on it with the fuzzy edges of the cropping. Also, trying NMM is cool but do not expect a huge leap in a score just for trying it... I think if you repost the pic minus the fuzzy outline effect from Photoshop, it may do better...
 
F

finn17

New member
Photo lets you down

Hi!

First of all I wouldn\'t panic. A difference of 0.4 between expectation and result isn\'t really that important IMO. Secondly, you are quite right in that the picture lets you down. I have done a lot of glamour photography, nothing pornographic you understand, simple makeover shots and the like and your picture looks like a number of pictures I have taken deliberately myself. One of the most obvious ways to flatter a female face, especially if especially when chronologically or aesthetically challenged, is to use a soft focus filter. Pioneer photographers used to wipe vaseline on their lens and one or two used sweat from their brow! This had the effect of downgrading the image so that small detail (wrinkles, blemishes etc) were lost. When photographing a mini you have spent hours on, you really need a picture that captures every single detail and nuance of your work, unfortunately, the effect of your scanner has been to create a soft focus effect with low depth of field which means that the viewer can\'t really see the effort you have put in. I suspect that you might be able to see the detail because you know what your mini really looks like, but to the naive viewer there are large areas that are so blurry you can only guess at the detail.
It\'s given me an idea however, next time some warthog wants me to make her look like Britney Spears I will I will slap her head straight on the scanner and give my camera a rest:bouncy:
 
L

Lurch

New member
Ok, you all knew it was coming..... :rolleyes:

cut and paste for May:
I\'ve been coming here almost every day since July, 2002 to vote and to get ideas on how to paint. I have since found out a few things about this place which are universal.


  • At least once a month, someone will complain about the voting system and how \"fair\" it actually is. I myself have started a few of these, the last being around December on my scarecrow. :innocent:
  • Your mini, is being rated on not just the paint job, but also on the sculpt, manufacturer, importance in game play, age, the photography, how well the photo is edited and cleaned up in the editor, the description, etc. Its the complete package your getting voted on.
  • Minis will be voted on by manufacturer by multiple people of the fanboy mentality. (ex. GW fanboys vote on GW minis exclusively or will skew them higher than minis from another manufacturer... Same for the Rackham fans , Reaper, etc.) :|~
  • DO NOT SUBMIT YOUR MINI if you have thin skin and cannot live without at least one of your favorite minis being a 5. It WILL happen. (Even Haley has a 5.8) :~(
  • Your mini, no matter well photographed, ALWAYS looks better in real life. :mad:
  • There are a few painters here who have a reputation for being great and that skews their votes higher than most.. sometimes it\'s even warranted. Try not to dwell on that fact. :p

AND MOST IMPORTANT



  • The actual vote on your mini means absolutely squat. Someone could give your mini a 5 and the same pic 3 months later a 7. It\'s all relative. :rolleyes: Pay more attention to the remarks that people who take the time to give say. That is usually more straight on then anything else. :p
The only person you can control is yourself. Do what you think is right and the rest will work itself out.
Ohh, and quit taking this site so seriously.. it\'ll save you some ulcers... lol


I think I\'m going to save this and repost every time someone puts up a forum thread on the fairness of the rating system or why my figure rates so bad...
 
Corvus

Corvus

New member
I absolutely have no problem with critics on my models. The main reason that I visit this site and upload my models is to become a better painter, and taking good or bad comments on my own minis is a part of that.

The problem with me is this: when I have finished a mini I am always so eager to get this picture uploaded on CMON that I can\'t wait for my buddy to visit me with his digital camera :). So what do I use then? My scanner...

So for now I am going to sit back and watch the voting progress. Within a week or two I will upload a repost of this mini I hope :).

Oh yeahn vincegamer: congrats on the 500 posts :D!
 
ZaPhOd

ZaPhOd

Super Moderator
Patience

Haha! We have massive amounts of patience in order to paint these little tiny toys, but I am the same as you when it comes time to either finish the model or get pics up, I am very impulsive, and just want to get them done. Of course, patience in this respect will pay dividends. Not only are you presenting you finished minis better, but you are giving a better pic to share with your peers! I vow to tak emuch more time with editing and creating images myself, as I have had a ton of poor quality pics too....
 
J

JonG

New member
For me, it\'s the photo that\'s the issue here. Currently the two minis mentioned are on equal score - the Space Marines are not as well painted but the photo is clear, mostly sharp, has pretty good colour balance and best of all has quite a pleasing composition.

Now, the Kroot are clearly better painted but the image leaves a lot to be desired. I\'m with ZaPhod on the potatoshop touchup - although the image itself isn\'t that blurred, the feathered edges really give the viewer that impression and to be honest I find it kind of unpleasant to look at. I certainly share the frustration of having to make do with a scanner for my pics though.

Just goes to show that on CMON the vote is a sum of paint+sculpt+photo (+Rackham/GW fanboy bonus) ;)
 
G

GarnetJubilee

Guest
Originally posted by Corvus
The problem with me is this: when I have finished a mini I am always so eager to get this picture uploaded on CMON that I can\'t wait for my buddy to visit me with his digital camera :). So what do I use then? My scanner...
Click to expand...

Do you mean you actually laid the mini down on your scanner and scanned it? If so, Wow!, i\'d say the picture turned out better than I would have expected (or maybe my scanner sucks!).
 
S

Sturmhalo

Guest
Don\'t worry, the scores can sometimes fluctuate a bit before they level out.

I posted a chaos champion a little while back and rated him as an 8 but he soon dropped to 7.7. Now he\'s up to 8.1!

Swings and round-a-bouts.

:D
 
Corvus

Corvus

New member
Do you mean you actually laid the mini down on your scanner and scanned it? If so, Wow!, i\'d say the picture turned out better than I would have expected (or maybe my scanner sucks!).
Click to expand...

Yeps, that\'s because I lack a decent digital camera :). If you want details on how to take a scan of the mini, check the articles section of CMON, there\'s a good article on the subject there.

Please note that I have an older scanner, so that\'s why the colours look a bit fuzzy. But I have seen pics here that were also taken with a (newer) scanner, but with detail and color quality similar to this of a digital camera.
 
Corvus

Corvus

New member
Good news!

This evening I\'m going to visit my friend to take some pics of my new minis with his digital camera :). So expect a repost of the kroot shaper on of the coming days...
 
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