My pencils still look better than my inks. I wonder if part of it is that I trace them again in red pencil before inking. This saves erasing like you wouldn't believe, but perhaps something is lost in the translation. I'll have to try to tighten things up a bit when I do the red. Orrrr, I could buy a really good light board. I have a small light table my dad built me and it works pretty good. Unfortunately, I gave him some bad specifications and he built it 6" high. This is too high for any table I have so I've set it up on the dryer and trace standing up.
In other creative news, I've started building scale model aircraft again. It's been working pretty good even if I'm at the level of a 17 year old (the last year I actually completed a model). I've found I've developed a kind of code of ethics. Partly due to the scarcity of good-quality, cool-looking civilian aircraft, and partly due to their coolness, I build warbirds. However, given my take on war and fighting, I won't build any planes of what I consider to be aggressors. So, as cool as they look, I won't build any WW2 luftwaffe or IJAAF or IJN or Facist Italian aircraft. I also won't build any aircraft from the Vietnam war on.
But, for me, WW2 embodies how I (and Capt. Sheridan from Babylon 5) feel about war: Never start a fight, but always finish it. So, I'll build inter-war, WW2, post-war. I'd also like to build some cold war Fleet Air Arm stuff like the awesome Westland Wyvern (it's even got a cool name).
I'm actually really attracted to the years between WW1 and WW2, or the "YellowWing" period. It was kind of a well-meaning naivite in the warplanes from that period. Most of the aircraft were already obsolete due to the Nazi aircraft developments in Europe, but they were neat-looking and quite colorful. While there were many fun aircraft from this period, the only one I could find that wasn't an expensive short-run kit was this Boeing P-26 Peashooter. The name alone shows that we prepared for war, but hoped for peace. Here is mine in 1/48 scale:
Listening to while posting: "Cocktails for Two" by Spike Jones and his City Slickers
8 comments:
The action is building in Suns. I can't wait for more.
I built a P-51 Snap-Tite when I was a kid and it looked a bit sad when I was done (how could I screw up a Snap-Tite? Not sure, but I did). In any case, I hope you build some cool stuff.
The head slam on the table reminded me of me at work lately! LOL
That looks really good. Do you paint the parts before putting it together?
I have an A-10 Warbird I need to build with my son. You've inspired me to get on it.
Snab: Oh, I screwed up lots of snap-tites as a kid. snap-tites are just toys you can build; they're designed to play with, really.
Swine: stop working so hard!
Dean: most painting is sub-assembly painting. I am, however, an advice receiver rather than giver (as far as models go).If you have questions, I heartily recommend these sites:
Hyperscale.com is a font of galleries, how-tos, reviews and walkarounds. The galleries are often full articles where the modelers show their techniques from start to finish. It helped me a lot.
Scaleworkshop is a Kiwi modeler sponsored by Testors. Lots of tutorial videos.
Prime Portal is full of walkarounds for that super-detail-oriented modeler (or, it's just full of cool pics of cool planes and tanks)
Your model looks great! I've actually been wanting to get more into models for years now...I've dome one or three...cause I always love looking at them!
One of the coolest conventions I've been to was a modeling show...the craftsmanship is amazing!
Love the new Suns pages! Like Snabulus says, the action is building!
Thanks for those modeling links. The last model I built was actually a K-7 Klingon Battlecruiser.
It's silly but it was a model I wanted as a kid and couldn't afford it so when they re-released it I had to have it.
Sub-assembly is how I learned to paint but I can't remember where. Must've been a modeling magazine because it was before the internet.
It's silly but it was a model I wanted as a kid and couldn't afford it so when they re-released it I had to have it.
man, I did the same thing last year! For me it was the Revell P-61 Black Widow. The problem is it is the kind of model that is either for the beginner who doesn't know better or for the expert who can really give it a going-over. Mine turned out not so good.
Now, build that model and post some pics!
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