chapter T h e E x p e r i e n c e d M o d e l e r

O N E

1-1 An Italeri Tiger I superdetailed with new Academy tracks with spare links, On the Mark etched brass
grilles, skirt hangers and smoke discharger supports. The 712 decals are from Tamiya.

MAKING HISTORY in addition to some minor details, paint,decals

Model building is essentially recreating and weathering. There are,however, enough
realistic history you can hold in your hand. limited-run resin,plastic, and conversion kits
The miniature in your hands is there because that you can likely buy the shapes you need.
there was a real or imagined prototype (the
real thing). When you are successful as a ARE YOU AN ARTIST?
modeler, it takes virtually no imagination to In spite of the large availability of kits for
see that model as the real thing. A realistic the basic shapes of a model, it still requires
model can be defined, then, as a model where the skill of a trained artist to match the colors
there is nothing about that model that makes and hand-paint the markings of the proto -
it look like a model. type. The hobby manufacturers have gone a
Before the introduction of plastic kits, it step further in the last decade or so to make
took the talents of a sculptor to shape blocks it possible for just about anyone to match
of balsa into the shape of an aircraft or an the specific colors and markings of aircraft
armored fighting vehicle (“armor” for short). and armor. The perfection of the airbrush
Thanks to plastics and resin, the shapes are and reliable and quiet sources of “ a i r ”a re
generally perfect. Sure, you’ll discover as you now available to anyone, not just the profes-
research the prototype for your model that sional artists who were the first customers
the aircraft or armor you want to duplicate is for airbrushes.
really a variation on the kit and yours may
need a new wing shape or cockpit or turret,
1-2 A MIG-29 and the twin-seat MIG-29UB “in flight.” Both are Testor models built by Terry Tuytscheavers.

The airbrush has also made it far simpler who have been willing to share their tech-
to apply weathering to aircraft and armor niques over the past half-century, the tech-
models because you can mix the colors with niques are available to you and they are sim-
thinner and apply them as “virtual dust” ple enough and well-proven so you definitely
in a process very much like the exposure to can learn them. The ultimate realism,not
the conditions of the real-world colors of being able to spot a flaw that would make the
the prototype. model different from the prototype in any-
thing but size, is available to you.
BRING REALISM WITHIN YOUR REACH Some modelers refer to the place where
The basic tools and materials are now they build their models as their “workshop.”
available, but they are not going to be useful I prefer to call it a studio as in“artist’s studio.”
to you without three other elements: Traditional advice is to recommend a perfectly
1) technique – to use those tools and clean and well-illuminated room dedicated to
materials and 2) the practice it takes to the building of models. The reality, however,
develop the skills to apply those techniques. is that some of the best modelers work at a
We can help you find the materials and all desk in their den and the area looks like a
the techniques you need,including many bomb armed with paint and pieces of plastic
alternatives, on these pages. T h et h i rd has just exploded. No one but your immediate
element is what you must supply, 3) the family is going to judge how neat or orderly
patience to try these techniques and, if your area must be.
you’re not satisfied with the results, to try
them again and again until you master them.
Everyone, even the professional artist, has to
learn by practice. Thanks to the modelers
1-3 This Priest M7 self-propelled artillery vehicle is an Italeri kit. The interior is superdetailed with over
50 shells and ammo boxes from Verlinden. Doug DeCounter used fine mesh screen and brass wire to build
the gun basket. The markings are Verlinden dry transfers.

SEEING IS BELIEVING Modelers pride themselves on their

The one essential ingredient for your excellent close vision. Maybe your eyes are
studio,however, is good light from at least powerful but, too often, it’s a case of ego
three sources so you are never working under interfering with reality. It is impossible to get
a shadow. You can choose a couple of fluorescent really parallel lines or correctly aligned parts
lights placed directly above and to the side or even correctly aligned decals if your close-
of the work area plus an incandescent “spot” up vision is poor. A free-standing magnifying
light from a third direction. Or you can choose glass, a headband with magnifying lenses or
three fluorescents,three incandescents or just a really good pair of magnifying glasses
any combination. If you opt for fluorescents, are helpful modeling tools. Some modelers
I would suggest using one of the “Warm White” take close-up photos of their work to help
or “Soft White” bulbs that have an orange them catch any flaws in the models. That’s a
tint rather than the cold blue of “Cool White” bit cumbersome when you can see the flaws
and similar shades. The warmer colors are just as clearly with the help of some on-the-
more typical of outside light and you are more spot magnification as you are building and
likely to get a better match for prototype finishing the model.
colors under those lights. Incandescent or
halogen lights all produce a warm enough
light to be similar to natural lighting.
THE COMMITMENT, of airbrushing on a model with just a simple
YOU AND YOUR KIT two-color solid paint scheme. If you decide
If you want to get the most from each you want a well-weathered aircraft or armor
model you finish, you will want to find a kit model, learn that art on one of the simpler
that suits your skills and your willingness kits before tackling it with a complex 1/48-
to get involved with the model and the scale bomber or a 1/35-scale Armored
research process: in very loose terms, a Personnel Carrier.
commitment. Find a kit that’s a match and
you’ll have pleasure and delight. Find a kit RECREATING HISTORY
that’s not a match and you’re doomed to, at You can buy a model to duplicate just
best,frustration and, at worst, pitching the about any aircraft or armored fighting vehicle
model into the trash. from any period. If the kit is not available now,
Plastic model kits have evolved to the it likely has been made and can be located
point where they are available in a wide at swap meets or through classified ads in
range of complexity to challenge all skill levels. the modeling magazines. If you don’t find it
Some of the very simple kits are marked there, you may find a conversion kit to create
as beginner kits. It’s the other kits that can it, by modifying some existing kit. If you still
prove frustrating.Generally speaking,the can’t find it, be patient, there’s a good chance
larger the model, the more complex and the some manufacturer is tooling up to produce
greater the number of pieces. Some of the it in the near future. Go on to
1/72-scale aircraft,however , have as many something else while you wait.
pieces and details as the larger-scale models When you know that there’s a kit available
and,perhaps, photo-etched parts (explained for just about any prototype, you can take
later) as well. Some of the resin kits require a slightly different approach to the hobby.
extra skill. The assembly of the vacuum- Rather than starting with the kit, start with
formed kits (made from sheets of flat plastic research on the real thing. Most of us have
formed over molds by vacuum) require new specific aircraft or armor that we’ve always
skills. Do not, then, assume that just because wanted to model. The proliferation of kits is
the kit is plastic it will be easy to build. only exceeded, perhaps, by the proliferation
Develop your modeling skills in obtaining a of books. Public libraries often have major
perfect fit and finish with simple kits, then sections on aircraft and armor. The libraries’
progress to the more complex kits once you book selections, however, tend to be rather
have mastered the advanced skills of making broad with books that show a lot of photos
that simple kit into a realistic replica. about a lot of airplanes. What you may prefer
The finish you want on the model can are some of the smaller books and booklets
also make it more complex a project than that deal with specific aircraft or armor and
you might imagine. It takes some real experi- the close variations,with aircraft or armor
ence,for example,to learn how to apply a from smaller countries, or from very specific
realistic bare aluminum finish. If this is your time periods in limited theaters of operations.
first model to be finished in bare aluminum, The best source for those books is your
you’d be happier with a 1/72-scale P-51 than hobby shop.There are probably a hundred
a 1/48-scale 747. Similarly, some of the more publishers of books on aircraft and armor.
complex camouflage paint schemes are best Many of the publishers are based in America
avoided until you have first mastered the art or England, but some of the more interesting
titles come from other countries in Europe
and from Japan.You do not, necessarily,
need text in English since the identification
designations are a universal language once
you know something about the prototype
aircraft or armor. Larger hobby shops should
be able to get catalogs from publishers
that include Aero Publishers, Aerofax,Air
Research,Aircraft Photo Packs, Ian Alan,
Arco,Argus,Aries, Avery, Aviation Heritage,
Aviation International, James Bender, Berlin, 1-4 Italeri’s M4A3 Sherman tank with Calliope
rocket launching battery is featured in most books
Challenge, Bill Dean, J.J. Fedorowicz,Flying
dedicated to Sherman tank variations.
Machine Press,Ghosts,Ginter, Grubb Street,
Hippocrene, Historic Av i a t i o n ,H o w e l l , HOW TO TELL IF YOU’RE AN
Jane’s,Kalmbach, Merriam Press,Monogram EXPERIENCED MODELER
Aviation, Motorbooks International, Osprey, The one skill that separates an experienced
Pacific A e ro ,P residio Press,Phalanx,Prentice modeler from a newcomer to the hobby is
Hall, Putnam Aeronautical Books, RZM that the experienced builder never, ever,
Imports,Shiffer, Specialty Press,Squadron- starts a model without at least one published
Signal Publications, Sterling Publishing,TAB photograph of the prototype he or she is
Books,Valor Publishing, Windrow and Green, going to recreate on the workbench.You can
Uni Pub Books, and others. Hobby shops develop your modeling skills by duplicating
usually have buyer’s guides for the hobby the box art, but there’s an ever greater satis-
industry that list the names and addresses faction in finding a variation on the box art
of publishers or you can ask a book store to model, even if it’s just an I.D. number.
look them up in Books In Print.
The drawback to working from the box
art is that you are removing yourself from
the prototype by one giant step: you are not
modeling the real thing, you are modeling an
artist’s or modeler’s interpretation of the real
thing. That same statement is true if you

1-5 The Accurate Miniatures A-36 Apache was a

variation on the P-51 Mustang.
1-6 The Italeri A-6E Intruder painted and decaled to match the box art.

try to duplicate the work of another modeler THE HOBBY WITHIN THE HOBBY
whose model might have appeared in one If, like most of us, you just could not
of the magazines. It’s enough of a challenge resist buying that kit at the hobby store, set it
to interpret the prototype’s subtle color aside until you can locate a book or booklet
and shape variations when you are working that will provide at least one photograph of
directly from a photograph of the prototype. the real thing. This sounds like discipline, but
Trying to model from a painting or another you’ll soon discover it is one of the greatest
model is a virtual guarantee that you will pleasures in modeling. When you spend
compound the errors that the first painter some time researching the prototype for your
model, you discover why the real thing existed,
or modeler has included.
how it performed, where it performed and
generally make a “friend” of that aircraft or
armor. It’s that familiarity that can give
your model character and life in your eyes
and that can often translate into including
tiny details (perhaps, like chipped paint
around the doors), that really do improve
its credibility. The experienced modelers
often spend as many equally enjoyable
hours reading about and studying the proto-
types for their models as they do building
and finishing the models themselves.