ModelFiesta 2014 Photos
This past weekend was the yearly ModelFiesta show in San Antonio, Texas. I headed down and snapped a bunch of pictures. Check 'em out! [fancygallery id="2" album="13"]
Raising our pitchforks for the great untapped modeling subject
One of the most interesting, opportunity filled areas of modeling has gone massively untapped. We modelers who love World War II as a subject have been radically underserved. The American Home Front is a subject we all should be shaking pitchforks in the air to get kit manufacturers to start thinking about the American Home Front. There, I said it. I apologize for any riots I may have inadvertently just caused. During WWII, America spun up an entire country into a massive manufacturing state. Factories were everywhere, entire chunks of industrial park camouflaged with netting, multiple types of home guard troops and volunteers. The entire country was overhauled. Trains, cars, buses, and wagons were all used in the efforts of both military and civilian daily tasks. It's an absolutely fascinating period. Yes, America didn't see carpet bombing destruction or massive tank battles. But the country transformed and created massive, unique opportunities [...]
Painting my first figure!
I've been doing modeling for nearly 25 years... of course, with a 15 year gap in the middle there. But in all that time, I've never had the spine to attempt painting figures. Well, I'm happy to report that all changed this past weekend! That's right, I painted my first figure! I can't tell you how excited I am about this. I didn't realize how nervous I was about attempting this pretty difficult task until after I started, realized it wasn't so bad, and felt the nerves wash away. Clearly, my first attempt wasn't so great. There were more problems than successes, but I did it. And it's not horrible. Well, it may be horrible, but I'll always love it.
These Are Not Real Cars, Just a Mind-Bending Optical Illusion – TechEBlog
Professional model maker and photographer Michael Paul Smith spent the last 25 years making miniature vehicles and photographing them, set in a fictional 1950s American town called Elgin Park. His models are so detailed that when placed in miniature dioramas and photographed using forced perspective, you'll think that they are real vehicles. via These Are Not Real Cars, Just a Mind-Bending Optical Illusion - TechEBlog.
Austin Armor Builders Society – Annual Show 2013
This weekend, I headed to the local armor builders annual show. There was some great stuff there... sadly I walked off without my camera. I managed to get a few decent shots with my iPhone. There was a ton of great stuff, but two things stood out to me in particular. (Full gallery at the bottom of this post) This fantastic destroyed truck and amazingly detailed engine: This impressive diorama. It's not just the build quality (which is great), but it's the amazing story it tells: [fancygallery id="2" album="2"]
Rant: Women in modeling
The following is a rant I originally posted on Armorama.com. The following is the content I sent to AK Interactive, Weathering Magazine, and Mig Jimenez. I posted it publicly as well in order to spark discussion, debate, and thought. There was a lively discussion that took place in the comments, and I encourage you all to read through that thread. Please comment on this post or on the original thread with your comments. As our world changes and further embraces equality, I find that there are still many ways that society (American or any other) lags in making equality happen. To whom it may concern: My name is Jake McKee, and I'm a 38 year old male. Last year, I returned to the scale modeling hobby after many, many years away. I've been excited to see how many new and amazing products are on the market and how companies [...]