MV Interview - Philip, the man behind Putty&Paint

posted by roman, jarhead, kong

Aloa jungle dwellers,

some of you have for sure found the new gallery site "Putty&Paint", some of you maybe browse there regularly and some others maybe just heard rumors about it. In the following interview we got the man behind all that site concept answering questions to the apes. Apetastic!!

 Welcome Philip!

MV:  Hi! Tell us who you are from head to toe. Please?

Philip: Okay, my left pinky toe has this weird … no, let’s skip that. I am from Cologne, Germany and I am working as a freelance mediadesigner for 10 years now. I reentered the hobby late 2010 and I like sculpting and painting similarly. Late 2011 I had the honor to step into this jungle (still ashamed for not having posted a single project here. But that will change soon!).

MV: Putty&Paint is growing big in its beta version. When did you first had the idea about creating this site? How did the idea come together and what are your reasons for putting this cool site online?

Philip: Actually the idea popped always into my mind when I was surfing on cmon. There were to many things that annoyed me and it was not much fun. By the way Putty&Paint is not meant to be a replacement for cmon. Someday in winter 2011 I started writing a concept with great support by Mati (Badsmile). From the beginning it was very important to me to keep the focus on the artists and their projects. No extra stuff, like forums etc. That would just have be redundant. I wanted a simple website where you can enjoy some really cool artworks. And the content should be versatile and not limited to a certain scale, genre or figures.

MV: At the moment you need an invitation code to get access to the site, right? Why is that and when will it disappear?

Philip: Some people say it is elitism and you can only join if you know Mr.X or Mrs.Y but this is plain wrong, it is a very common thing to start with a closed beta. The main reason is to grow slow and steady. Otherwise there would be bugreports everyday. But it turns out it is also a good tool to maintain quality and build a standard. A standard not only in quality but also in genre/style/scale. If Putty&Paint would have been completely open it would have been overrun by just one genre/style/scale and that would have killed the concept. I cannot say when or if it will disappear. But hey there currently hundreds of invite codes out :) 

MV: If I don't have one yet - how can I get one? 

Philip: The easiest way is to be invited by an existing member. Almost all members have a invite code. So if you know someone who is already on Putty&Paint just ask the member. Also I am regulary inviting talented artists I find on facebook or forums. Feel free to post on Putty&Paint facebook wall. @members of Putty&Paint go and invite new artists!

MV: Can you explain the thoughts behind the sites voting system?

Philip: The main goals were to make it as fair as possible and simple to understand. So things like only-members-can-vote and only-one-vote-per-member were obvious. Also a 10 point system was never an option because it’s too complex. There is a reason why there are no modern successfull websites with 10 point systems. It’s good for professional sports judges with expert knowledge and rules. So I chose something most users can easier understand and distinguish. Medals. Most ambitious artists know the system from events and contests. The system is far from perfect, hence the beta status, but it is on a good way. We recently added a "Props" button to the medals as a motivational vote if a project is not yet medal worthy but still good.

MV: What is your favourite breakfast?

Philip: A full english breakfast. But most of the time it’s just oatmeal.

MV: Tell us your actual favourite song, please?

Philip: Gangstarr - Mass Appeal.

MV: You can find a lot of different aspects of the hobby at P&P, like vehicle modelling, sculpting, small figures, big figures, dioramas, garage kits, etc. Do you think something important is yet missing? Do you wish for a specific theme to be more present?

Philip: I hope there will be some more vehicle modellers in the future. Some plane and ships would be cool, too. I think those guys are doing amazing jobs, they are the perfect inspiration for weathering and realism. But I heard a few times they are a little bit intimidated by figures of pure figure painters. But that’s what Putty&Paint is about, get the inspiration and motivation from all hobby types and their strengthes. Currently I am trying to invite some large scale concept sculptors. They are jaw dropping sculptors. I was very happy when Toi Ogunyoku joined Putty&Paint.

MV: What is your favourite colour?

Philip: Hmm, I don’t think I have one. But for this interview I would say orange.

MV: What is your personal favourite project on P&P right now?

Philip: There are just too many awesome projects on Putty&Paint. But here is my favourites list.

MV: What do you as the creator think of the increasing numbers of artists and projects of P&P? What are your future goals and where do you see P&P in 5 years?

Philip: Of course I am very proud everything is working out so great. Putty&Paint has artists from all over the globe now and so many different projects, it could hardly be better for now. In five years I want there to be awesome new projects everyday – A dream would be if it was the standard website for sculptor and painter portfolios. Also some future ideas are a project of the year award and a printed annual best of book. But who knows what else can happen in the future.

Thanks for your time and your answers, Philip.

Definatly worth a look: Putty&Paint!