Modelling Commandments

Well, that time of the week again my faithful congregation! Warm up the lightning machine, it's- MODELLING COMMANDMENTS!! Coming to you in full 1080p!

This weeks Commandment hits close to home, so let's get to it...

Thou shalt mentor those of lesser skill than thee!*lightning*

Well, some might argue that those of lesser skill aren't worth your time, save for the moment it may take for you to derisively regard their creative output and wryly pronounce it as a poor effort. But those that choose to ignore the opportunity and responsibility inherent in assisting the less experienced reap a bitter harvest. Without the encouragement and guidance of our community, who would even want to paint well? Or play a game proficiently? It is up to the elders and betters of our hobby to mold and shape the future artists and innovators whom could blow us away with their concepts and ideas.

When you see someone struggling at a task or choosing the Wrong(capitals letters here people) color scheme for an army, offer your services and a helpful critique. Remind them about complimentary colors and dissonant colors. Explain the reasoning behind a color wheel. Show them the logic of why some of the basic paint jobs of the Space Marine chapters work so well(I use the SM as an example, the primary color relationships play a large role in how well the miniatures look.). I would say more importantly than turning them into an excellent painter, showing the new guy or poorly trained painter you care and are willing to help them with a difficult task fosters a brotherhood between members of the community. We can pretend all we want that our main concern is toasting asses at this game or being the dominant painter, but what we truly all yearn for is the simple satisfaction of having friends and colleagues that we can learn from and look to when the going gets tough. A mentor is someone you can go to with embarassing or troubling questions we may otherwise not discuss with our normal compatriots. They can be frank and honest about our progress toward what we can regard as a goal we may have set for ourselves. Instruction from online articles can only go so far.

In becoming a mentor, we also enhance our own abilities. The medical profession has a very common proverb that goes like this, "See one, do one, teach one.". Now while that may apply to procedure done in a hospital environment, it's very applicable to our hobby. We first observe others completing a task, do it ourselves, and then we teach others. This process is of great benefit to ourselves as well as others because it is all about learning. By teaching others we can refine our own techniques and examine the inefficiencies we may have missed in the process of constant repitition. Being a mentor isn't always about the student, often it can be about the teacher.