Modeling techniques

With many years of painting miniatures on commission, I've picked up a few principles that I return to when painting details. Condensed into a few tips and hobby recommendations, these should give you a jumpstart into the finer points of miniature painting.

The basics of making an inexpensive, yet creative diorama.

CA applicator made from sewing needless

A free PDF download that examines nine different acrylic brands. Find out what the FineScale Modeler staff thinks about each brands ability to cover raised and recessed detail, their adherence and opacity over darker colors, and how easily they airbrushed.

5 simple steps to dirty, well-used armor tracks for your next scale model.

A realistic finish comes with the correct mix of smooth paint, accurate colors, and decals that look like they're part of the paint job. What truly makes a model look real is when it looks used. Squeaky-clean has its merits, but the model that's sure to generate attention and comment is the one that looks like it might smell of hot glycol or burnt kerosene. Learn how to weather your airplane like a pro.

Pastels with Geoff Coughlin Options, options, and more options! Here is just another option that you can choose to use to simply and quickly weather your model subjects and in this entry in you SMN Techniques Bank we’ll be looking at how to weather a 1:72 scale Hawker Hunter FGA.Mk.9. This piece contains 3 slightly […]

Learn easy, inexpensive ways to create realistic seas in this special supplement to FineScale Modeler magazine.

I get asked a lot how I make my bushes on my model railways. Here's my short but fiddly technique.

Looking for way to add rocks, mountains and cliff faces to your model railway. On a budget? Here's a dirt cheap technique to create ultra realistic rocks.

There are parts of an aircraft model where you can get away with mistakes. The canopy is never one of them. Spots of glue or squiggly framework on clear parts can spoil a model more surely than anything. But if you’ve ever loused one up, you are in excellent company. That’s why you read so many articles and tips about it. Here are three of the most common — and reliable — ways of masking a canopy for painting.

http://blenderartists.org/forum/showthread.php?324587-Face-Topology-Bad-Habit-Verts-w-only-3-connected-Edges http://www.hippydrome.com/MeshDesignFace.html

Add flight-time wear and tear to your models without using an airbrush

A tutorial on using graphite powder to create a metallic finish on models.

You'll want to give these tips a try

Dry-brushing is a tried and true way to make scale model details pop

Cardboard Construction Techniques - Banyule Nillumbik Tech School - Forest Learning

One of the questions I get asked most when people see my layout or pictures of it is “How do you make the water look like it’s moving”? It’s really...