Hello, everyone.
Thank you for taking the time to review this thread.
I’m a complete novice regarding artistic 3D modelling. I’m not a complete novice when it comes to CAD modelling although even there my experience is limited to basically just 123D Design. The only modelling I did before that was to try and make a jet fighter using the Worldcraft editor before there was even Valve, I think. I liked that program a lot although I used it in very inappropriate and nonsensical ways (using a quake level designer to model a fighter jet 
).
I’ve noticed over the years I have a penchant of doing things off the beaten path, in ways reasonable people would find at least odd or peculiar, if not downright silly. And I’d very much like to improve my modelling skills and start to get my toes wet on the artistic side of 3D modelling in addition to the CAD side of the field.
Trouble is that, although I love CAD modelling and one specific free tool that can be used for it, I find tools like Max, Maya and Blender incredibly daunting. It took me years to get proficient with 123D where I can pretty much create any not overly organic shape I can imagine with it and I really am comfortable using each and every function and tool that software provides and do so with proficiency and efficiency. And that program is a toddler’s toy compared to any of those three. I shudder to think how long it would take me to become even halfway decent in any of the three suites mentioned above. I’m also only a hobbyist at 3D modelling, at least so far, and so I also find investing into either 3Ds Max or Maya not something I am comfortable doing. Especially as Autodesk are in the process of if have not completely phased out their perpetual licenses and will only be offering their software on subscription basis. There is no way I’m paying 200 euros per month, indefinitely, for any of their products.
I keep telling myself one of these days I’ll start learning PTC Creo Elements. And, of course, I end up procrastinating again and again. I plan on buying the 3D Coat Educational eventually. However, until I’ll do either of those, I’ll be stuck with 123D Design for my artistic 3D modelling hobby for the foreseeable future.
Currently, the only software I’m using is : 123D Design (to do pretty much all of my modelling and export the finished models as .stl), Mesh Mixer (for merging meshes created with 123D Design which are to large too tessellate and export as .stls in one go without 123D Design crashing), Meshlab (for cutting meshes along crease / hard edges by duplicating vertices and also generating soft normals or converting from .stl to .obj if I don’t need to use Mesh Mixer to stitch several meshes together or to .dae / collada), Poseray (for generating POVRay scenes from the meshes) and POVRay for rendering the meshes.
If/when I get 3D coat, I’ll probably be doing most of the work in that (except for the modelling itself, probably), using it to cut meshes along hard edges, UV map the mesh, convert from .stl to .obj and other formats, generate materials, paint the meshes etc.
Please forgive my exceedingly long winded, rambling preamble. I just thought it’d be proper to explain what’s up with the models below and how I made them in case anyone’s curious. Now, seeing as probably everyone on this forum is at least as accomplished at 3Ds Max, Maya, Blender, zBrush and others professional software suites purpose made and intended for artistic 3D modelling and this forum has quite a reputation of excellent feedback, I’d very much like if anyone who would care to would share their opinion on my work below.
This is supposed to be part of a ship I started modelling last year for Shapeways’ ‘Make it float’ competition. Of course, the project ballooned wholly out of proportion such that I’m not even halfway finished today. Anyway, I was trying to say the project was initially supposed to be a 3D printable ship made of multiple components which would be assemblable into a miniature vessel able to carry or hold collections of coins. Ideally, it would float, even with the coins onboard.
Or otherwise serve as a stylish precious coin collection box. Due to considerations regarding 3D printability, things like walls may be thicker than would be aesthetically pleasing or than I’d make them if the model were not supposed to be printable. Although the ship itself is nowhere finished, there are components of it which pretty much are so this is why I’m adding renderings of those particular components here, as I complete and render them, rather than in my WIP thread.
Please let me know what you think, if you like anything you see, what you dislike, what could be made better. Please note that the renderings are strictly to showcase model geometry and shading. There are no materials or textures at all and the material properties and colour the meshes appear to have in the renderings should not be regarded as at all representative or intended.
If these models are complete pants and I should stick to my day job, please don’t hesitate to let me know! 
Very much looking forward to any feedback and appraisal of the work above!
Thank you for your time and consideration!
Best regards,
Larry.