Stu

The old adage of "practice makes perfect" holds true with this hobby in my humble opinion.

Also some people are put off by the fact that they do not have all the latest gadgets and gizmos and believe without these their chances of achieving a good result is a no go. Again I would suggest a basic tool kit is a must, paint brushes you should always go for the best you can afford.

As to books I guess the question is what area are you looking at? Ie plastic modelling, wood etc. and if plastic - aircraft, military vehicle?

If it is plastic then I can highly recommend the "modelling the ....." Range produced by osprey. They do a selection dedicated to a particular vehicle or aircraft as well as more general titles such as "painting and finishing techniques", "modelling scales figures", " airbrush painting techniques" ,"displaying your model" to name a few.

I have many of these amongst a large reference library and can highly recommend them.

Relatively cheap as well. Have yourself a look on amazon as you can sometimes preview some of the books to get a feel for what they are all about.

The other thing you could look out for are peoples build logs. I quite often google a particular kit with the words "review", or "build" to get a measure of something before I buy and try. So again a good place to pick up and learn new techniques.

What I would then be inclined to do is focus on areas you think could be improved. It's all too easy to look at the overall and dismiss your own skills. For instance sit and look at your kit and ask yourself - are you happy with the paint finish, does your decaling let the finish down, could you have maybe done a better job on the fit of component parts. Rest assured it's what all modellers of any skill level will be doing.

And the best advice is an open mind,the willingness to learn, and don't get disheartened.

Hi Stu

I agree with all the above the main thing is practice and trying out new techniques using scrap items or old bits of kits. I do really doubt that no matter how skilled you may regard some of us are that we also look at our models and think i could do that better next time. Every model you do has a learning curve that helps you improve your skills and then there's weathering techniques and thats a whole new kettle of fish.
I bet if you have some older models floating about and that if you compare them to something you have done recently there will be a marked improvement, so your learning/improving without realising it.
Regards

Andy

Hi Stupot, I think no matter how long people have been modelling there will always be tips and techniques to learn.... For me, modelling now for only two years and in that time most of the tips and techniques I have learned has really come from the guidance of the many experienced modellers on this forum.... There truly is a wealth of information on here to help you find the guidance you need so read as much as you can on here on other members builds.... Youtube also has a vast array of short clips on tons of modelling issues and I have spent many an hour watching some of these clips and that has been a tremendous help ..... You don't have to go spending a fortune on books although I have bought a few to cover specific builds I am doing..... .. Above all, practice different techniques on scrap material, the more you practice and experiment the better your results will be......

Regards

Alan

Hi Stu

There's nothing more that I can add myself that the guys above have not already mentioned apart from practice practice and more practice... I've been doing all types of models kits for years and my standards have improved over the years. One thing I have learnt is that what you do what you are happy with and everyone has there views on what is a good finish where another might not agree but your not building for them are you! It's your model and you make it how you want to.

Don't be afraid to experiment with different techniques and tools to get the effects you want, everything will come together over time and my advise is to stop at a point that your happy with..

Good luck with modelling Stu and there is an abundance of members on Modelspace with so much knowledge to ask for advice..


Spencer

Practice is definitely the #1 way to become a skilled builder, but even professional builders always learn something new every day. There are several online model building forums with a wealth of information at your fingertips. Here's a few off the top of my head:

www.scalemodeladdict.com
www.therpf.com
www.culttvman.com
www.starshipmodeller.com

Needless to say, my best advice is go onto some of these forums and look thru the build logs of some of the people making things. Most of the time they give alot of advice and very often you'll see how they work thru a problem they encounter and how they solved it. Don't limit yourself to a specific medium either (eg: wood, plastic, resin, latex, etc). Because each medium has its own quirks and pitfalls, you'd be surprised at how similiar the solution is to a problem across all mediums.

A few years back (ok, many years back) I attempted to come up with the definitive tool box that every modeller would need. However, I soon discovered that it boils down to a few tools... a sharp hobby knife, some good paint brushes (not the bag of cheapos you can purchase), a good set of clamps (clothespins, tweezers, chip clips etc), paints of all kinds and mediums (enamels, acrylics, pastels, and oils), tape (scotch clear, electrical and masking), and glues (plastic, super, and epoxy). Of course there are so many tools to do so many different jobs, more can be added to this list, but these few essentials you'll find in every single modelers toolbox no matter what medium they work best in.

Of course there is always the specialized tools like saws, drills, and various other things, but with the basics you can still build a good model with them. After you build for awhile you'll collect all kinds of things like bottle caps (for mixing paint in) and toothpicks (can always find a use for a toothpick), even twist ties from bread bags (they come in handy for just about anything).

In any event, I would recommend just the basics and build your tool box from there. Go into the model building forums and read how someone built a model that interests you. You'll find plenty of valueable information and many good ideas. And if all else fails, ask a question. I think that's the one thing I love most about the model building community; everyone is always willing to help out those that need it. It truly is a great hobby and a great time to be in it and I'm sure you'll find hundreds of hours lost in making the models you grew up with!

That's the way to look at it my friend... you're living in a great time right now. There are so many sources online for help, tips, and ideas that I never had when I first starting building models as a kid. I just had to think outside the box. But now there are forums all over the place dedicated and populated with not just hobbists but professional model builders from all over the world. I know Adam Savage from Mythbusters is known to haunt the RPF forums all the time... Steve Neill who has produced some of the most memorable models in the past 20 years is allover YouTube. You would be surprised at just how many pros are out there just sharing their knowledge and answering questions for those getting started. Never feel ashamed to ask questions. The only stupid question is the one not asked. Unlike video game forums where if you ask a question they label you a noob and basically either ignore you or berate you, we love to help out those that want to know more about this hobby. I know I do. The way I see it, the more new people we get into the hobby, the more the model making companies make new and better models and the better the hobby becomes for all involved. And I am sure you will pay it forward in the future by helping out someone in the future when you get to a point you feel comfortable with a task or a method you discovered. This is a sharing hobby that only gets better when you show off your work to those that appreciate the work that goes into it. I'm sure you'll find you're gonna have more fun then you ever thought possible and you'll have something to show for it when you're done. Keep modeling my friend and like I said, don't be scared to ask about something you need help with... that's what we are all here for!

Hi Stu,

I'm new here and not one of the pro's either...

My little bit of advice to add to the great comments already added would be to choose a reasonably simple kit in your chosen field and just build it. Straight from the box, no paint, just concentrate of getting a great fit of parts, filling any gaps and restoring lost panel lines etc.

The real key to a great looking model is in the preparation.
Oh, and practice, practice, practice....

Chris

Hi Stu,

I can't really add more than what has already been advised.

The think the idea of building straight from the box is a really good one to build confidence, NO photo Etch or Resin! :0)

I would have to add though it is worth buying a decent kit, such as Tamiya. Not always cheap but they do go to together well & it will save you the frustration that poorer makes can cause.

Also, do not despair if you're happy with the end result that's all that matters, I've been modelling on & off for donkeys years & still produce complete rubbish at times.

You could also check out www.florymodels.co.uk They have complete build videos of various subjects that are often 10 hrs+ long, certainly helpful & restored my Mojo a few times. (They do charge subscription but it is very cheap)

Hope that helps.


Wilfy