Ronald Neuendorf
Waukesha, Wisconsin
Building a Bandai 1/144 scale Heindree Sturm from The Witch from Mercury, Ronald painted the body with Testors color-shift paint and The Army Painter Plate Steel. He wrapped the sword hilt with sewing thread.
Luci Colasante
Mendham, New Jersey
Twelve-year-old Luci attended Rob Schmitt’s airbrushing seminar and painted a Cretaceous Creations 1/10 scale triceratops with an Iwata Eclipse. Not only did she prime, mask, and paint freehand in the seminar, but she learned to use washes and pigments, too! Rightfully proud, Luci named her dino “Freckles” and promptly entered her in the competition. Great work, Luci!
Stephen Rodwell
Texas City, Texas
Inspired by the decals received at the 2023 IPMS/USA National Convention in San Marcos, Texas, Stephen built an MPC 1/48 scale TIE Interceptor and finished it in colors of the Texas flag. He hand-painted the 181st Imperial Fighter Squadron logo and appropriately added steer horns to the TIE pilot helmet.
Mark Smith
Akron, Ohio
Building a Lukgraph 1/32 scale Lohner L flying boat, Mark opted to scratchbuild the cockpit interior and construct a base from basswood. He painted the reconnaissance aircraft with Tamiya, Gunze Sangyo, and AK Interactive colors, using an Iwata Custom Micron C for his airbrushing needs, and weathered with pigments.
David Wells
Ada, Michigan
This skinless Spirit of St. Louis photo-etched-metal model comes from Aerobase. David built the 1/72 scale replica out of the box and used black wash to bring out details. To replicate the machine-turned aluminum cowl, he cut up foam sanding disks, glued them on the end of a toothpick, chucked the toothpick in a drill, and then made each mark with the drill. That’s dedication!
Mark Alkass
Winter Haven, Florida
Mark entered his Merit Models 1/350 scale USS Intrepid aircraft carrier into the IPMS/USA Nationals competition this year. He upped the ante with aircraft from L’Arsenal, a Gallery Models superdetailing set, and Eduard figures. He made the base from a stained, wooden plank and drawer handles for pedestals.
Martin Quinn
Hawthorne, New Jersey
A lot went into Martin’s HobbyBoss 1/350 scale USS Alaska (CB-1). The model sports turned-metal barrels and 3D-printed 20mm and 40mm guns from Micro Master and Black Cat, respectively. He used a Gator Models mask set and Tamiya tape to help painting the camo scheme, finishing the model to show the battleship as it was at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, 1944, before transiting the Panama Canal.
Samuel Parent
Winona, Minnesota
Starting with a Model Shipways 1/24 scale wooden plank-on-bulkhead kit, Samuel built his model of the Gundola Philadelphia. He scratchbuilt the accessories based on 16-pages of detailed plans from the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. Washes create the weathered effects on the planking, and Samuel also simulated rust on some iron fittings. The ship’s base shows a 1776 map of Lake Champlain and the upper Hudson River where the Philadelphia would have been active.
Nathan LaPorte
St. Clair, Michigan
Nathan’s Revell 1/144 scale Type VIIC/41 U-boat benefits from a Griffon Models superdetailing photo-etched-metal set and wood planking. Nathan textured the hull with a rotary tool and opened the limber holes. Painted with LifeColor acrylic paints, the sub underwent artist-oil dot filters and many washes to depict a wolf, long prowling the seas.
Don Molitor
Omro, Wisconsin
Don turned to Tamiya spray paint straight from the can to finish the bodies of his Revell 1/24 scale 1937 Ford pickup and Kurtis midget racer. Vallejo and Pro Acryl acrylics completed the interiors in fine style. The midget racer wears decals from Vintage Racing Miniatures. What’s more, Don simulated mud and grime with … you guessed it! Tamiya spray paint!
Dave Mezera
Hobart, Indiana
Dave backdated a Trumpeter 1/350 scale HMS Hood to 1940, added a torpedo lookout on the foremast, and brought a 50-foot steam pinnace alongside at the stern. Photo-etched metal from Lion Roar, White Ensign, and Gold Metal upped the finished model’s details before Dave came through with pre-shading, Humbrol and Model Master colors, and various washes and pastel colors for weathering. He made the base from oak and acrylic plastic for water.
Chris Vandegrift
Milford, Ohio
Impressed by how the Japanese Air Self-Defense Force F-15J looked while coming in for a landing, Chris extended the oleo on his Tamiya 1/32 scale model, modified underwing tanks from an F-4 kit, and detailed the air brake. He painted the scheme with a Grex Tritium airbrush spraying MCW lacquers over Citadel White Scar primer. And yes, that’s all painted, achieved with the use of custom masks.
Michael Wheaton
Cedar Falls, Iowa
Modeling a Heller 1/50 scale Le Chebec, Michael replaced the kit cannons and falconets with brass. The blocks are made from Swiss pear wood, and Michael referenced Le Chebec Requin, 1750 by Jean Boudriout while rigging his Mediterranean vessel. He primed the hull white, base-coated with yellow artist oils, stained with thinned burnt umber oils, and went over that with burnt sienna oils. The flags represent the Sovereign Military Order of Malta.
Larry Glenn
Sherwood, Arkansas
Larry’s Eduard 1/48 scale Spitfire Mk.VIII wears markings for the Royal Australian Air Force No. 451 Squadron. He airbrushed Tamiya and Testors Model Master acrylics for the primer, camouflage, and post-shading and picked out panel lines with an artist-oil wash.
Scott Glatstein
Minnetonka, Minnesota
This all-white-metal South Eastern Finecast 1/32 1925 Allchin traction engine was built mostly out of the box. Scott replaced a few metal parts with wood and hose for better fidelity. He primed the metal parts with Splash Paints 2K primer, and then painted Royal Maroon, Semigloss Black, and 2K Clear. Scott made the base from wood and covered it with gravel from Woodland Scenics.
Mike Peer
Oshkosh, Wisconsin
Darth Vader and his stormtoopers, now more fearsome than ever! Mike combined a Bandai 1/100 scale Gundam RX-78 Ez8, an MPC 1/54 scale AT-ST, an AMT 1/32 scale Anakin’s Pod Racer, and figures from Fantasy Flight Games Star Wars Legion to create this one-of-a-kind diorama. Vallejo and Tamiya paints color the figures and walker, and Mike weathered the latter with washes, sponge chipping and rust, and pigments.
Matt Lunn
Herndon, Virginia
Tamiya, MRP, and Mr. Color lacquers all combine to color an AMP 1/48 scale Kaman HOK-1 Huskie. Matt said, “This aircraft flew with the Marines during June 1960 in Korea on exercises with VMO-2.” He primed, pre-shaded, and color modulated the green and yellow. The superb weathering was achieved with Tamiya Panel Accent Color, AK Interactive watercolor pencils, and artist oils.
Bill Roberts
Nileville, Florida
Brightly colored models of test drones always stand out on contest tables, and Bill’s orange F6F-5K was no exception. He completed the Eduard 1/48 scale model with Tamiya, Vallejo, and MRP paints over Mr. Surfacer 1500. Flory Model Wash made the panels stand out.
Dennis Davison
Longmont, Colorado
Max Immelmann steps away from his Fokker Eindecker E.I after his first victory and, incidentally, the first victory for an Eindecker. Building a Wingnut Wings 1/32 scale kit, Dennis both pre- and post-shaded and painted the fabulous castor oil stains with an airbrush. He burled the cowling by painting an Alclad II Aluminum base and then painting tiny, Tamiya Chrome squiggles.
Glenn Kaeser
Oviedo, Florida
Glenn was not satisfied with a box-stock build of his AMT/Ertl 1/25 scale 1970 Dodge Coronet Super Bee kit. He scribed new panel lines not present on the kit body, added photo-etched metal seat belts inside, wired the engine, and made speaker recesses. But that’s not all! Glenn scratchbuilt the quarter windows, installed Pegasus disc brakes and wheels, stripped the front and rear kit bumpers and re-chromed them with Alclad II, and spent hours polishing the body to a mirror sheen.
Jerry Fraske
Livonia, Michigan
Jerry made his custom Miller Lite beer truck from an AMT/Ertl 1/25 scale Li’l Gasser show car. Built basically box stock, he added small lights and headlights and marked the tank and sides with stickers carefully recovered from beer bottles.
Bob Steinbrunn
Phelps, Wisconsin
To represent USS North Carolina (BB-55) after refit at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in September 1944, Bob replaced nearly 600 parts on the Trumpeter 1/350 scale kit with scratchbuilt, photo-etched metal, and resin upgrades. He painted the battleship with Floquil marine lacquers and weathered lightly with pastels and a dark wash.
Matt Mathis
South Beloit, Illinois
Matt beefed up the detail on an Academy 1/48 scale A-10 Thunderbolt II with 3D-decals in the cockpit, a resin ejection seat and wheels, and 3D-printed engines. He airbrushed AK Interactive Real Colors paints, building up the color with white, black, and various grays.
Kevin Stover
Evanston, Illinois
“Thunderbirds are go!” To say Kevin is a Thunderbirds fan is an understatement, and his commitment to the show is on full display with his Aoshima 1/144 scale Thunderbird I model. He painted a metallic base topped with several coats of polished clear. Then Kevin weathered with light artist oils and heavy pastels on the rear.
Jared Nuss
Williamsburg, Virginia
Jared said this Y-wing is “part of Saw Gerrera’s personal squadron of partisans.” He based the “Cavern Angels” paint scheme on the markings seen in the movie Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. The 1/72 scale Bandai kit wears Gaia Notes lacquers, Tamiya acrylics, and plenty of weathering from washes and Ammo Oilbrushers.
Ron Verburg
Fuquay Verina, North Carolina
In October 1864, Union Lt. William B. Cushing took two picket boats armed with spar torpedoes and stole up the Roanoke River to the Confederate docks and sank the ironclad CSS Albemarle. Ron built a Cottage Industries 1/96 scale kit of Cushing’s steam picket boat No. 1, inspired by the raid. After primer, he painted the deck three different shades of brown and the hull flat black.
Rocky Sink
Vinton, Virginia
Rocky built his NuNu/Platz 1/24 scale Audi R8 LMS GT3 out of the box and painted the body Tamiya Pure White. Aftermarket decals let him finish the model as the Stevenson Motorsports car driven at the 2017 24 hours of Daytona.
Dennis Cassatt
Howe, Texas
Finished to represent World War I German ace Baron von Richtofen’s Fokker Dr.I from a Meng 1/32 scale kit, this model features control cables leading to the elevator, ailerons, and rudder. Dennis primed the triplane black, painted with Mr. Color Russet, and post-shaded. He hand-painted the wood grain for the propeller.
Daisuke Nakabayashi
Albany, California
Daisuke kitbashed a number of Bandai 1/144 scale kits and scratchbuilt the arms to create his MS-06V Zaku Tank. The “casual scene,” as he puts it, shows the tank undergoing maintenance. He painted with GSI Creos lacquers, weathered with artist-oil washes, pastels, and a graphite pencil, and based the model on acrylic sheet.
Zackery Henderson
Harrah, Oklahoma
Abandoned somewhere in Germany is an M41 Walker Bulldog tagged with graffiti. Zackery found a photo of this tank and had to model a scene of the photographer taking the photograph. To do it, Zackery removed the fenders from a Tamiya 1/35 scale kit, added bent grab handles, ran metal tracks, and placed a 1/35 scale photographer and a cat. He hand-painted the graffiti, weathered the tank with chipping fluid, pinwashes, pigments, and airbrushed on dust and grime. Amazing work from this 15-year-old!
Dean Sourwine
Welland, Ontario, Canada
This 1/25 scale Autocar construction tractor started as an AMT kit. Dean modified the bumper tread plate, bull bar, radiator shutters, and winch, all without any aftermarket parts. Loosely basing the look on a truck from the YouTube series “Diesel Creek”, he painted with a variety of Rust-Oleum colors straight from the cans, hand-painted with Tamiya acrylics, and weathered with washes, dry-brushing, and stone dust.
Todd Pellman
Sandy, Utah
“I find it to be a comical desert racer,” Todd said of the 1953 Studebaker Starliner Bonneville race car. “Dual blower on the engine would probably destroy it on the first run.” Be that as it may, he chopped the roof off the top of his AMT 1/25 scale model and fitted the kit-supplied replacement along with adding a magneto and spark-plug wires. Folk Art Pale Gray and Berry Wine acrylic paint matched the stock color scheme.
Mark Tutton
Stephens City, Virginia
Building a Monogram 1/24 scale 1930 Packard Boattail Speedster out of the box, it all came down to the finish. He turned to Tamiya lacquers for that deep blue and various GSI Creos and Humbrol colors to round out the final appearance.
Vlado Jovic
Greenfield, Wisconsin
According to Vlado, the Kitty Hawk 1/48 scale Su-34 fits together well and was easy to build. With that said, he replaced the wheels, added wingtip pods and aftermarket weapons, and marked his airplane with aftermarket decals. He airbrushed MRP colors freehand, from lightest to darkest, and picked out the panel lines with AK Interactive washes.
Chris Allman
Cincinnati, Ohio
Chris entered his Moebius Models 1/1000 scale Star Trek USS Kelvin NCC-0514 into the IPMS/USA National Convention contest. The finish is lacquers with washes and pastels to show its service on the Federation’s frontier.
Bill Gudmundson
Chicago, Illinois
Priming, masking, pre- and post-shading, all went into Bill’s model of a MiniArt 1/35 scale Tempo 400. He added a driver figure from MiniArt hunched over the three-wheeler’s engine looking for the problem there. The base is wood topped with a plastic rectangle etched with a stone pattern.
Steve Hustad
Eden Prairie, Minnesota
Steve modeled a MAC Distribution 1/72 World War I Phönix D.II as flown by Korporal Otto Kullas of Flik 55J in May/June 1918. Steve cut and repositioned the control surfaces, scratchbuilt the interior, modified a Roden Mercedes 160 hp engine for the front end, marked it with Americal and Gryphon decals, and used .005-inch stainless steel wire for rigging.
Kerry Traynor
London, Ontario, Canada
Kerry finished his Tamiya 1/48 scale F-14A Tomcat with Tamiya lacquers and Mr. Hobby acrylics to model a VF-1 Wolfpack plane from 1975 for its first cruise. He improved the cockpit with Mini Craft Collection ejection seats and marked the plane with DXM Decals.
Cal Wood
Hudson, Wisconsin
This 1/24 scale replica of Dan Gurney’s Targa Florio 1964 Shelby FIA Cobra has a resin body from Scale Coachworks, HRM rivets, turned-aluminum bezels, and a wooden steering wheel. Cal painted his model PPG Viking Blue with PPG Clear on top and then polished the finish with 3M products.
David Adel
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
David built his Emhar 1/24 scale Bedford O-series 5-ton tipper truck box stock. He airbrushed it with enamel colors and Alclad II Chrome.
Peter Espada
Camp Hill, Pennsylvania
Here is an Allegiant Airbus A230 coming in for a landing. Peter built a Zvezda 1/144 scale kit out of the box, airbrushed it Tamiya and Alclad II paints, and applied Bare-Metal Foil to details. He even masked and painted the “swoosh” stripe! There’s just a bit of weathering underneath the fuselage.
Michael Smith
Tremont, Illinois
To model this scene of a Panzer IV in the midst of an engine change, Michael turned to a number of MiniArt 1/35 scale kits and figures. He painted all the models with Tamiya acrylics sealed with flat clear lacquer. Paint chipping, dry-brushing, washes, and pigments weathered the war-weary vehicles.
Robin Edwards
Omaha, Nebraska
The ViC-B1 retro robot is a 3D-printed kit from Atomic Gift Shop. Robin added a bead to extend the kit arms and scratchbuilt the flower and pot his ViC-B1 holds. He painted and weathered with acrylic products and finished the retro look with a base made of wood with a tin can lid nailed to the top.
John Tokarewich
Bartlett, Illinois
John added aftermarket antiaircraft weapons, K-guns, bridge equipment, and whaleboat to a CyberHobby 1/350 scale USS Frankford (DD-497) kit. Tamiya primer provided a base for Model Master and LifeColor acrylics. The Frankford saved the day at Omaha Beach, John said, closing to within 1,000 yards of the beach to provide gunfire support to U.S. troops during the invasion.
Adam-David Stephenson
Uvalde, Texas
Furball, Fightertown, and EagleStrike decals helped Adam-David finish his Tamiya 1/48 scale F-14A Tomcat in the VF-124 Gunfighters “Spirit of ‘76” scheme celebrating the United States of America bicentennial. He primed with Mr. Surfacer 1500 Black and used Mr. Color lacquers for the scheme, masking for all the stripes rather than using decals.
Bauble Young
South Pasadena, California
To model the Civilian FTL ship from the Foundation TV series, Bauble designed and 3D-printed more than 400 individual parts, along with employing photo-etched metal and styrene additions. “I weather with [artist] oils, let it dry, and lightly airbrush to fade it back,” he said. The 1/350 scale 3D-printed details on the figures in the hibernation pods is so fine they are discernable as men and women!
Mike Brignola
Sunbury, Ohio
A bright and fun Model Master gloss enamel paint scheme made this Revell 1/48 scale Stearman stand out. Mike rigged the biplane with EZ Line and marked it with decal scallops.
Kendall Chow
San Francisco, California
“Sometimes you don’t need to spend lots of money for a model to create something unique,” said Kendall of his Bandai 1/35 scale Mobile Suit Gundam Exceed Zaku head. He detailed with aftermarket parts and pieces from his spares. A small box from the discount store painted black serves as the base and battery compartment for the LED “eye”.
Soo-Gane Won
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
We love Starblazers and couldn’t resist this superb Bandai 1/1000 scale Space BattleshipYamato. Soo-Gane lighted his model with a Bandai LED set, painted with acrylics, and used both pre- and post-shading to add visual interest to the hull.
Alec Krikana
Appleton, Wisconsin
Eduard and Plus Model photo-etched metal and resin parts detail Alec’s Hasegawa 1/72 scale Lockheed P2V Neptune. He weathered with Ammo washes, artist oils, and Tamiya pigments over Mr. Color and Alclad II paints.
Rich Diaz
LaPorte, Indiana
An Alliance Model 1/144 scale Steampunk Submarine underwent numerous improvements at Rich’s hands. He drilled out the hull vents and blanked them to simulate the pressure hull, scratchbuilt the main cannon, and rigged with .002-inch wire. Tamiya and Vallejo colors cover the hull, and Rich weathered with artist oils.
Doug Hamilton
Venice, Florida
This Flagship Models 1/192 scale USS Choctaw ironclad wears lacquer and acrylic paints with artist-oil weathering. Doug enhanced kit details and ran rigging to the funnels and masts.
Tony Bell
Guelph, Ontario, Canada
Tony’s Eduard Model 1/48 scale Fokker E.V was built box stock. He masked and airbrushed the black and yellow scheme along with the rest of the markings on the fuselage and wings.
Barry Numerick
Greensburg, Pennsylvania
Because of the lack of flyable Hurricanes, the producers of Battle of Britain painted Bf 109s in RAF colors to represent the planes. Barry commemorates this with his Special Hobby 1/48 scale Hispano HA 1112 “Hurrischmitt” parked on a base of the movie poster.
Ed Baroth
Porter Ranch, California
Ed’s Russian P-39 in winter camo comes from an Eduard Models 1/48 scale kit. The colors are Gunze Sangyo and Tamiya paints with an extensive artist-oil wash and pastels for that dirty appearance. He commissioned the base specifically for this model.
Larry Cherniak
Ellettsville, Indiana
“Shiny!” That’s how Larry described his Dora Wings 1/72 scale YP-43A. How did it get that way? Mr. Color Super Metallic 2 lacquers cut with Mr. Color Rapid Thinner. Larry vacuum-formed the canopy and accentuated panels lines with Flory Models washes.
Pat Villarreal
Rowlett, Texas
Pat had a Tamiya 1/48 scale P-51B Mustang and decals for Dallas Darling for a few years and then decided to build it. It wasn’t until he was finished that he found out Eduard Models would come out with its own. He used Tamiya masking tape and a French curve to get the blue curve on the nose.
Bill Nichols
Sun Prairie, Wisconsin
A scratchbuilt interior, detailed engine, hand-carved prop, and custom-made and printed decals all boost Bill’s Lindberg 1/48 scale Curtiss JN-4D Jenny to the next level. He painted and marked it for the Pennco Flyer, circa 1926, owned by Wisconsin aviation pioneer and barnstormer Howard Moray.
Nicolas Poncini
Lugano, Switzerland
Other than the resin wheels, Nicolas scratchbuilt his 1/35 scale CH-37 Mojave helicopter. He finished it with Tamiya acrylics to represent a bird with the Marine Aircraft Group 16 in South Vietnam, 1965, flying out of Da Nang East Airfield.
Thomas Schry
Oshkosh, Wisconsin
Thomas removed the chin turret from a Meng World War Toons B-17 to convert it from a B-17G to a B-17F. He mounted the super-deformed bomber on a ceramic pie found at a thrift store and named it Twelve O’clock Pie.
Paul Goster
Gold Coast, Australia
Paul finished his March Models 1/43 scale Porsche 908/2 as the 1969 Nürburgring winner driven by Jo Siffert. He added seat belts and engine details, masked, and painted the red and white livery. The base is Perspex with AK Interactive Asphalt.
Juan Jose Martin
Cipoletti, Argentina
Juan built a ModelSvit 1/72 scale Dassault Mirage III and converted it into an IAI Nesher in Argentine service (called a Dagger) with a 3D-printed nose and engine. He painted with Ammo Argentinian colors, masking the camo pattern with tape and paper. This plane represents a Dagger during the Falklands War flying from San Julian air base in 1982.
Vincent Mankowski
Lexington Park, Maryland
“This was pure joy to build and paint,” Vincent said of his Cretaceous Creations 1/30 scale hypacrosaurus. He airbrushed the dinosaur mostly freehand but cut paper masks for the spots and used a mottle mask for the transition between the greens. Vincent used this model as a testbed for all manner of washes, tints, and pigments to learn how to use them.
Doug Long
Burnsville, Minnesota
Rust-Oleum Tuscan Sun dresses Doug’s tasty Revell 1/25 ‘29 Ford Model A pickup street rod. He ran spark-plug wires and a scratchbuilt coil to the engine. Doug masked the running boards and painted the exhaust pipe with a Molotow Liquid Chrome pen.
Curtis Knight
Rochester, Minnesota
Curtis separated the control surfaces and landing flaps and posed them for a more dynamic appearance on his Kovozavody Prostejov 1/72 scale Lavochkin La-5. He primed with Alclad II White lacquer, airbrushed the two-color camo, and sealed it under Testors Dullcote before applying a whitewash.
Bob Maderich II
Twin Cities area, Minnesota
Bob finished his Plastic Passion 1/72 scale Granville Gee Bee R-6 Q.E.D. with AK Interactive acrylic paints and washes and ran the minimalistic rigging.
Dennis Cassatt
Howe, Texas
This paint job replicates the scheme painted on the 5000th P-38 made. Dennis built his Tamiya 1/48 scale P-38J, replaced the kit wheels with resin ones, added a seat belt inside, and opened the canopy to display the cockpit.
Brandon Jacob
Houston, Texas
“I did the final touches on the build as hurricane Beryl passed over Texas and finished it without electricity,” Brandon said. He modeled a derelict shrimp boat from a Lindberg 1/60 scale kit. Brandon used a number of weathering techniques to show the abandoned fishing boat’s age, including pigments and dry-brushing, and applied AK Interactive decals for the graffiti.
Keith Benes
Orland Park, Illinois
“I like the short wheelbase look of the Freightliner COE, and it needed a short trailer,” Keith said of his model. He added air lines, roof tread plate, amber lights, and headache rack to an AMT 1/25 scale tractor and paired it with a trailer from Italeri.
John Pawlowski
Mt. Prospect, Illinois
John equipped his Revell 1/25 scale ‘71 Ford Bronco with a prewired distributor, LED headlights, and antenna. He airbrushed the entire kit and detail painted with a brush. Aluminum exhaust tips, custom roof decals, and lettering on hose and belts complete the look.
Chris Oglesby
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Chris improved his Tamiya 1/48 scale F-4B Phantom II with a Quinta Studios cockpit set. He pre-shaded, airbrushed Tamiya paints, and then finished the model for service with VF-102 Diamondbacks.
Dave Lesniak
Port Washington, Wisconsin
With his Iwata airbrush in hand, Dave painted his Special Hobby 1/48 scale Fiat G.55 Centauro for the Italian air force in spring 1944. He enlarged the camo pattern from the instructions, cut templates, and transferred them to masking tape before applying them to the model.
Sean Adel
Cold Lake, Alberta, Canada
Sean’s Royal Canadian Air Force Lancaster started as a Revell 1/72 scale kit. He modified it to a post-war configuration and applied Xtradecal markings over Model Master and Alclad II paints.
Eric Cain
Denver, Colorado
Eric designed and 3D-printed a propeller, exhaust, landing gear, antennas, and pitot probes for his Sova 1/72 scale U-28 Draco. He made the base for special forces support aircraft from styrene sheet scribed and painted with Vallejo acrylics.
Al Magnus
Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
This Trumpeter 1/72 scale Stalinets S-65 wasn’t as accurate out of the box as Al would have liked. He went to town and added rivets, grab handles, and scratchbuilt the lubrication point for the rear drive sprocket housing.
Leonard Prakasam
Edina, Minnesota
Leonard primed his Trumpeter 1/48 scale MiG-23MF and then airbrushed the Indian air force camouflage freehand. He ran hydraulic lines and detailed with photo-etched metal cockpit panels and an aftermarket ejection seat.
Lester Buckner
Thornhill, Ontario, Canada
This Imai 1/350 scale Nipon Maru wears photo-etched metal parts. Lester did minimal weathering because the real ship is maintained for museum exhibition. He made the base from poplar and created the water from crumpled foil.
Jimmy Murphy
Detroit, Michigan
Jimmy made a front splitter and rear spoiler for his Revell 1/25 ‘92 Cougar XR-7. He airbrushed Spectracoat Silver as a base, masked, and painted the custom pattern with Tamiya clear colors.
Dan Cummings
Grand Rapids, Michigan
To bring to life Moxxie, a protagonist from the animated series Helluva Boss, Dan hand-painted a 3D-printed model with acrylics and washes over black primer.
Chris Surber
South Point, Ohio
Remarking that it captures the intensity of the confrontation with the tyrannosaurus rex in the original Jurassic Park, Chris finished an X-Plus 1/35 scale T. Rex with Vallejo acrylics throughout except for the flare which is Model Master fluorescent red. He hand-painted the dino’s mouth, tongue, and teeth, masked them, and airbrushed the rest.
Bill Moore
Murfreesboro, Tennessee
Before securing a Copper State 1/35 scale Garford Putilov armored car in a MiniArt Soviet flatbed rail car, Bill detailed it with Copper State aftermarket chained rear wheels and a towing rope. He painted everything with Tamiya acrylics using post-shading and color modulation to add visual interest.
Craig Jarboe
Montpelier, Ohio
Craig detailed a Tamiya 1/35 scale M26 Dragon Wagon custom 3D-printed parts and added Value Gear stowage. He airbrushed the massive World War II recovery vehicle with AK Interactive Real Colors lacquers, picked out details with AK 3G acrylics, and weathered with artist oils and enamels.
Michael Tsoumpas
Sun City West, Arizona
Modeling a captured Soviet vehicle hauling a German cook stove, Michael replaced some small details on a Trumpeter 1/35 scale Vorshilovets tractor. He painted the tracked hauler and its load with MRP lacquers, weathered with oil washes and light layers of paint, and placed it on plaster groundwork with modeling foliage.
Trevor Jackson
Evansville, Indiana
Inspired by images of Syrian tanks with field-applied reactive armor but not modeling a specific vehicle, Trevor dressed up a Tamiya 1/35 scale T-55 with Royal Models ERA blocks, a turned-metal barrel, and Eduard photo-etched metal. He painted with Tamiya acrylics over Mr. Surfacer 1500 Black using chipping fluid and a damp brush to chip the gray and yellow over the green.
Robert Raver
Crystal Lake, Illinois
Robert loaded a Dragon 1/35 scale armored jeep with stowage and modified the suspension to reflect the added weight. In addition, he detailed the engine and fitted a working hood hinge to show it off. To see how he formed the groundwork it’s sitting on, check out Robert’s article in the July/August 2024 FSM.
Basil Medeiros
Livermore, California
After detailing a Hasegawa 1/35 scale Ma.K Fireball SG Prowler with scratchbuilt parts and painting and weathering the fighting suit with enamels, acrylics, and artist oils, Basil determined it need a base. He built up Celluclay and natural materials including roots and twig for the tree over a piece of natural cork.
Augie McKibben
Crystal, Minnesota
Augie’s super-clean, out-of-the-box build of a Cyberhobby 1/35 scale Panzer 38(t) mit 7.5cm KwK looks sharp under layers of Tamiya and Vallejo acrylics airbrushed over black primer and pre-shading. He weathered with artist-oil and Ammo washes, the placed it on a foam base wrapped with styrene sheet and covered with model railroad scenery products.
Rick Taylor
Everett, Washington
Describing AFV Club’s 1/35 scale M110 8-inch self-propelled howitzer as well-detailed, Rick only added epoxy putty cushions to the seats, replaced the vinyl tracks with AFV Club aftermarket individual-link tracks, fitted AFV Club ammo. Having served on the weapon, he knew the kit omitted many of the placards and stencils, so he applied homemade decals for those and marked it as a gun photographed in 1967 at Fort Lewis, Washington, and Bearcat Base, Vietnam.
Colin Phillips
Airdrie, Alberta, Canada
To model a German gun captured by Canadian troops in late World War I, Colin built a Takom 1/35 scale Krupp 21cm Morser straight from the box. He airbrushed the camouflage with Vallejo acrylics, painted chipping with a fine paintbrush and a chunk of sponge, and weathered with AK Interactive washes, pigments, and Tamiya pastels.
Christopher Gutierrez
San Antonio, Texas
Christopher replaced the kit parts with aftermarket ejection seats when he built a HobbyBoss 1/48 scale A-6A Intruder. He painted the Vietnam War attack aircraft with acrylics and weathered with Flory washes and artist oils.
James Jenson
St. Augustine, Florida
To model a Pacific War fighter, James airbrushed a Tamiya 1/48 scale P-38G with Mr. Color lacquer over Mr. Surfacer primer and masked lines along panel edges with Tamiya tape. He added an antenna with EZ Line and used Exito decals to mark the Lightning as Beautiful Lass from the 9th Fighter Squadron.
Pat Sidley
Oxford, Ohio
Everything looks better with yellow wings, including Eduard’s 1/48 scale F4F-3 Wildcat, which Pat built as a fighter aboard USS Wasp in summer 1941. He wired the engine and added detail to the cockpit.
Dana Mathes
Boerne, Texas
Dana built a HobbyBoss 1/35 scale Molch midget submarine out of the box and painted it with Tamiya acrylics over gray primer. After pre-shading with dark grays and light gray splotches, he airbrushed the camo freehand. “Each splotch has 10-15 modulated shades of the base color,” he said. Referring to photos, he weathered the major seams with multiple oil washes; other weathering was applied with filters, dot filters, and pinwashes.
Matthew Key
Wauwatosa, Wisconsin
Matthew built a Tamiya 1/24 scale Mustang GT4 out of the box before painting it in a fantasy livery as a competitor in the SCCA Trans Am Series. He applied the three-color fade freehand with a Badger Crescendo airbrush and Tamiya lacquers.
Alexandre Bigey
Pirae, French Polynesia
To replicate a Beagle 121 Pup prototype as displayed at the 1967 Paris Airshow, Alexandre converted a KP 1/72 scale Scottish Aviation Bulldog by removing the inner section of each wing, scratchbuilding the central fuselage, and fitting the rudder and engine section from a VFR Pup. He painted the little plane with Tamiya and Mr. Color lacquers.
Gary Heatherly
Summerville, South Carolina
Gary detailed the Kinetic 1/48 scale MQ-9 with metal antennas and colored camera and sensor lenses and hung Reskit weapons and pylons under the wings. He painted the drone with Tamiya lacquers over a primer coat of Mr. Surfacer 1200 smoothed with 6000-grit sandpaper. With apologies to Blue Oyster Cult, this is a Reaper to be feared.
Rob Schmitt
Colorado Springs, Colorado
“Amazing sculpt of a unique subject,” Rob said of the Cretaceous Creations 1/10 scale styracosaurus. He painted the dino head with Medea NuWorlds acrylics including multiple layers of paint, filters, and glazes.
Scott Scariot
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Having fun, Scott made a couple of JPG Productions 1/12 scale Star Wars droids fans of his hometown team. He shaved off kit detail on the Gonk to make room for a spacy Steeler emblem and added a yellow stripe when he painted them with Tamiya acrylics. No word on what Gronk thinks.
Tim Nelson
Kirkland, Washington
Colorful assembly ships are always striking additions to a contest table and Tim’s B-24D was a perfect example. He added cockpit detail and scratchbuilt the observers’ positions in the tail and top turret for an Academy 1/72 scale Liberator and painted it with Mission Models acrylics and AK Interactive Real Colors lacquers. The aircraft is marked as “Wham Bam”, an assembly ship from the 453rd Bomb Group.
Ken Takahashi
Golden, Colorado
Updating the classic Datsun 240ZG sportscar, Ken used putty to blend the fender flares with the body of the Tamiya 1/24 scale Fairlady so they fit over aftermarket wheels and tires. He wired and plumbed the engine and painted the body with apricot mica powder mixed into Tamiya Gloss Clear.
Steve Perry
Rochester Hills, Michigan
It’s hard to tell from this photo, but Steve’s Camaro Trans Am car is based on a Hornby 1/32 scale kit. He scratchbuilt the door handles, wipers, and fire extinguisher and painted the body with discontinued Model Master Blue Angel Blue. He sprayed flat black for the vinyl top holding the can about two feet away to intentionally produce an orange peel finish.
Wayne Holmes
Nelson, British Columbia, Canada
Zoukei-Mura produces a fine Phantom II, but that didn’t stop Wayne from detailing the seats of the 1/48 scale F-4E with scratchbuilt survival packs, oxygen bottles, and lead-foil seat belts and detailing the canopy and rear instrument panel. He painted the fighter with Mr. Color lacquers and masked with poster putty before applying decals to mark it as an F-4E flown by Maj. Jack Snyder over Vietnam in November 1968.
Larry Litoborski
Garland, Texas
Larry’s build of the Ebbro 1/20 scale Lotus 33 sports a detailed engine and a finish of Tamiya British Racing Green decanted from a spray can, thinned with Mr. Color Mr. Leveling Thinner, and airbrushed in four thin layers. The decals mark it as the car driven to victory in the 1965 German Grand Prix by Jim Clark.
Aaron Thomas
Charlotte, North Carolina
“Who doesn’t love monster trucks?” Aaron asks. “Monster trucks are cool!” Proving his love for the subject matter, Aaron added a distributor and plug wires to a Lindberg 1/24 scale Dodge Ram and painted it with Tamiya lacquers and 2K clear.
Robert Jutson
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
The retina-scorching finish on this Tamiya 1/24 scale Toyota Supra GR matches a car Robert saw regularly in his hometown. It had a wrap and “you could see it for miles,” he said. To match the wrap, he applied House of Kolor Orange Neon from Scale Finishes under 2K clear. Carbon-fiber decals finish the trim, front spoiler, and diffuser.
Curt Haskell
Huntsville, Alabama
After building a Tameyo 1/43 scale Ferrari 375 out of the box, Curt airbrushed Splash Paints lacquers for a car raced at the 1952 Indy 500.
Hugo Garcia
Edinburg, Texas
There are some parts from an MPC 1/25 scale Mack in Hugo’s grease and septic service truck, but 90% of it is scratchbuilt to match a vehicle still being use in McAllen, Texas. He painted it with Model Master White enamel over primer, then applied various rust colors to give it the proper well-used look. Blacks and browns reinforce the impression to the point that you can almost smell the model!
Tim LaCapra
Spring Hill, Texas
The fit and finish of Meng’s 1/9 scale BMW HP4 race bike was so good Tim built it straight out of the box so he could focus on painting it with Tamiya lacquers over Ammo Titans primer. Heat staining and metallic surfaces were achieved using Alclad II and AK Interactive Xtreme Metal lacquers and artist inks.
Tony Hartjes
Deforest, Wisconsin
Tony built this 1963 Galaxie as part of an online competition to model a budget drag car like something a shade-tree mechanic might put together. The body of an AMT promo required repair and modification to the taillights, rear panel and bumper, and side moldings to replicate a base-model Galaxie, and it was teamed with parts from Revell kits and a New Ray die-cast model. The many other mods include scratchbuilt Cobra Jet intake, throttle body, headers, wiring and plumbing, brake master cylinder, driveshaft, adjustable drive shocks, front coil springs, fuel lines, roll bar, seat belts, sun visors, and headliner.
Bill Devins
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
“I built it because you don’t get many chances to put pink and purple on an airplane model,” Bill said of his C-46A finished in the livery of Aeropostale Venezuela circa 1975. He cut out and repositioned the flaps and control surfaces on the Platz 1/144 scale Commando and painted with Alclad II lacquers and Tamiya acrylics before applying Classic Airlines Decals.
B. Wade Brooks
Benton, Louisiana
Using markings included on the 2023 IPMS/USA National Convention decal sheet, Wade finished a Revell 1/25 scale Shelby Cobra as a Terlingua Racing Team car. He dressed up the engine with a resin carburetor, fitted photo-etched metal seat belts, and painted with Tamiya lacquers over Dupli-Color primer.
Toni Levine
Waye, Illinois
Master ship modeler Toni scratchbuilt this 1/48 scale cross section of HMS Echo, a sixth rate ship-rigged sloop built in 1781, in the Admiralty style with exposed framing on the port side. The framing wood is castelo, with holly used for the decks and lower hull. The ship is coppered with foil embossed to simulate the plating and nail pattern.
Felix O. Gonzales
Chicago, Illinois
Felix detailed a Tamiya 1/350 scale Mogami with photo-etched metal parts, figures, and railings and painted with Tamiya and Vallejo acrylics. He weathered the Japanese cruiser converted to carry aircraft with Tamiya weathering pastels.
Richard Sliwka
Warrensburg, Missouri
To improve a Flagship Models 1/192 scale USS Winslow, Richard added a Maxim machine gun and 1-pounder gun. He painted the early 20th century torpedo boat with Polly Scale acrylics.
Bill Cruz
Kissimmee, Florida
NASA used surplus M113 armored personnel carriers as launch-pad rescue vehicles from the 1970 to the 1990s. Bill modeled one with a Tamiya 1/35 scale M113, adding an interior from another Tamiya kit, parts from an Academy KIFV, and AFV Club workable tracks, and scratchbuilding the heater duct and driver’s seat. The bright finish is Magic Fly Lemon Yellow with other parts painted with Vallejo and Rust-Oluem colors.
Tom Piper
Winfield, Iowa
Tom rolled in with an MPC 1/25 scale Jeepster Commando looking like it’s straight out of the 1970s. He wired the engine, painted with Testors Deja Blue Metallic, and used a Molotow Liquid Chrome pen for the chrome accents.
David Fussichen
Oak Park, Illinois
Williams Brothers makes great models of early racers, but they need an expert touch to look as good as David’s 1/32 scale Wedell-Williams Model 44 marked as flown by Roscoe Turner. He improved the kit with a Vector resin engine, EZ Line rigging, separated ailerons, scratchbuilt navigation lights, rescribed panel lines, and a lot of putty to handle gaps. He painted the Gilmore Red Lion livery with MRP Yellow and Testors Red.
Danny R. Herron
Owens Cross Roads, Alabama
Using a pair of Bandai 1/144 scale Zaku, Danny imagined a sniper team about to engage a target. He scratchbuilt pistols for the fighting suits, painted with Tamiya acrylics, and placed them on a foam base with small pebbles and Warhammer 40K ruins.
Carlos Vilches
Miami, Florida
Carlos’ Tamiya 1/48 scale P-47D gleams under various layers of Alclad II metallic lacquers over a gloss black base coat. The decals mark it as a fighter from the Burma campaign.
Jerry Wells
Lillian, Alabama
Among hundreds of camouflaged military planes, the bright pink of Jerry’s Tamiya 1/72 scale P-51D popped. He converted the Mustang to a race plane with a new prop and a rear seat. The color is a Vallejo acrylic.
John Colasante
Mendham, New Jersey
The surface of John’s Thunderbolt is crisscrossed by hundreds of HGW positive rivet decals that look great under the Alclad II Airframe Aluminum finish. His other additions to the Tamiya 1/48 scale P-47D include an HGW seat harness, 3D-printed guns, Ultracast resin wheels, and Aeromaster decals.
Mark Johnson
Des Moines, Iowa
“I did my best with an old [AMT] Craftsman kit,” Mark said of his 1/25 scale Ford Mustang hardtop. He upgraded with a 302 from Revell’s ‘29 Roadster kit and customized the interior with piping on the seats and doors. The paint scheme matches the interior: Kellogs No. 5 Red decanted from a spray can for airbrushing.
Andy Caldwell
Rockledge, Florida
Andy scratchbuilt about 70% of his 1/43 scale Bobby Issac 1969 Dodge Daytona. Technically a Starter kit, he opened the engine compartment, scratched the interior, engine compartment, chassis, and front and rear suspensions. He painted MCW Bright Red and gloss-coated with a 2K polyurethane.
Doug Burger
Dalton City, Illinois
Doug backdated a Tamiya 1/35 scale Tiger I to a mid-production version of the German heavy tank with all steel wheels from a Dragon Tiger. He airbrushed the camo freehand with Tamiya acrylics and weathered with artist oils, pastels, and products from AK Interactive and Vallejo.
Rob Kempinski
Melbourne, Florida
Demonstrating one of the reasons tanks were invented, Rob posed a Takom St. Chamond crossing a World War I trench made from carved insulation foam and covered with acrylic terrain paste. He built the French heavy tank out of the box and painted the multicolor camo with Ammo and Vallejo acrylics, artist oils, and pigments.
Dave Maxlow
Almont, Michigan
“I felt the figure needed more color so I made her cloak look [look like] it was repurposed from an American flag,” Dave said. He painted the 1/10 scale Road Girl bust from Journey Man Miniatures with Andrea and Vallejo acrylics layering on highlights and shadows.
Chris Weisensel
Blaine, Minnesota
When he modeled the ill-fated USS Indianapolis, Chris dressed up an Academy 1/350 scale kit with an extensive photo-etched metal set from Pontos. He painted the camouflage with True North enamels and weathered the cruiser with AK Interactive pigments.
Scott Primeau
Object source lighting makes it appear that Count Dooku’s light saber is lit. Scott used acrylic inks to produce the glow on the Sith Lord’s clothing and the ground when he finished a playing piece from the tabletop game Star Wars Legions.
Mike Idacavage
Marietta, Georgia
Working with a resin kit from RetroSF, Mike modeled Jack Skellington as the King of Christmas from The Nightmare Before Christmas. After removing a digit from each hand to match the animated figure’s four-fingered hands, he painted the character with Vallejo acrylics and used Alclad II lacquers for the ornament.
Bob Cicconi
West Chester, Pennsylvania
Bob built an Etzell’s Speed Classics 1/25 scale kit of the Miller Special that Frank Lockhart drove to victory at the 1926 Indy 500. His modifications to the multimedia kit included stainless-steel rod for the steering rods, Lion Roar .6mm photo-etched metal disks for upholstery snaps, and Harold Bradford wheels and tires. The white is Tamiya primer, and Bob used a Molotow Liquid Chrome pen to paint the radiator shell.
Mark R. Bradley
Mead, Colorado
To model an M2A3 Bradley on maneuvers in the Rockies, Mark placed the infantry fighting vehicle on a carved foam base painted with AK Interactive acrylics and enamels before being flocked and covered with static grass and tufts. He equipped the 1/35 scale Magic Factory model with Value Gear stowage and a metal-wire antenna and fitted the periscopes and optic with iridescent Mylar to simulate anti-laser coating. The vehicle was painted with Ammo and AK acrylics to represent a 4th Infantry Division Bradley based at Fort Carson, Colorado.
Marcelo Tomasella
Neuquén, Neuquén Province, Argentina
Looking for a medium tank in the 1970s, the Argentine military contracted with a German company and the resulting TAM mounted a 105mm gun in a turret on the Marder infantry fighting vehicle chassis. Marcelo built a 1/35 TAM 2C from a Armaq 3D-printed resin kit, painting it with Vallejo acrylics and weathering with AK Interactive and Mr. Hobby products.
Kayla Hedrick
Mauldin, South Carolina
Teen modeler Kayla had fun building and painting a Meng World War Toons Panzer 38(t), but that didn’t mean taking shortcuts. She primed the vehicle, painted the base coat, airbrushed shading, and weathered with washes and dry-brushing.
Bernie Hack
Burlington, Ontario, Canada
Bernie detailed RFM’s 1/35 scale Leopard 2A6M CAN with an aftermarket antenna and smoke canisters, and scratchbuilt the Barracuda camouflage covering to model a Canadian Army tank in Afghanistan. Underneath all that Barracuda stuff is NATO three-color camo painted with soft masks, and the tank is weathered with washes and pigments.
Austin Frields
Nobelsville, Indiana
Taking a different tack on a Star Wars fighter, Austin eschewed the standard scheme in favor of applying decals from an Eduard 1/72 scale Spitfire on a Bandai 1/72 scale A-wing. He airbrushed the World War II camouflage with Vallejo acrylics and weathered with AK Interactive pencils.
Frank Donati
London, Ontario, Canada
Camo netting made from cheesecloth, resin milk cans, uniforms, a helmet, and ammo and personal weapons from Frank’s spares box fill the fighting compartment of a Tamiya 1/35 scale Hummel. He camouflaged the self-propelled gun with Tamiya acrylics and picked out details with AK Interactive 3Gen, Vallejo, and Citadel colors.
Ken Brooks
Memphis, Michigan
A Galapagos Miniatures 90mm Harbinger of Death comes to life thanks to Ken’s work with Andrea, Vallejo, Model Master, and Tamiya acrylics and artist oils. “I wanted to stress the eyes of the horse,” he said. “Blue-eyed horses are quite rare and have a scary look.”
Jeremy Moore
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Jeremy up-gunned a Dragon 1/35 scale M4 with a composite hull using a Formations turret to model a British Firefly IC Hybrid. He airbrushed the tank with Tamiya acrylics using hairspray as a release agent to chip and wear the winter camouflage. Weathering with artist oils and enamels place it well into its service life and an Alpine British tank commander tops it off.
Richard Guettig
Louisville, Kentucky
Modeling the rigors of winter warfare, Richard filled a Tamiya 1/48 scale Steyr 1500A/01 with Black Dog stowage and covered the Tamiya quad FlaK 38 it’s towing with a tarp made from tissue soaked in thin white glue. He painted the vehicles with Tamiya and Vallejo acrylics and placed them on Celluclay groundwork covered with Vallejo acrylic mud.
Tony Zadro
Marietta, Georgia
Tony’s many additions to a HobbyBoss 1/35 scale M706 Commando armored car include Eduard photo-etched metal, DeF.Model resin wheels and tires, improved weld seams, tow chain, wire grab handles, headlight wiring, plumbed power steering, and adding the rear spare tire and mount. The crew was recruited from Bravo 6 and Warriors.
Anderson Seo
Westport, Connecticut
The custom scheme Anderson applied to a Warhammer 40K T’au XVDS Ghostkeel came about because he had Tamiya German camouflage colors at his workbench. He painted the details with Vallejo and Citadel acrylics and weathered with raw umber artist oil paint. It sits on a base made from a bark rock on cork and Milliput groundwork.
Andy Bloom
Haughton, Louisiana
The Tamiya 1/35 scale M551 Sheridan sports a scratchbuilt bustle rack courtesy of Andy, who painted the Vietnam War tank with Ammo acrylics over black primer. Vallejo pigments tie the vehicle and crew into the dusty Vietnam base to depict American Woman, a tank from A Troop, 11th Cavalry, known as the Black Horse Regiment.
Ian Dow
Livonia, Michigan
Enhancing a HobbyBoss 1/35 scale AAVR7A1 with aftermarket tools and photo-etched metal details, Ian modeled a Marine Corps recovery vehicle at Camp Coyote in Kuwait during the Iraq War. He painted it with Tamiya and Vallejo acrylics and artist oils before weathering with pigments, enamels, and oils.
Bob Waltman
Navarre, Florida
A Stormtrooper Miniatures 1/6 scale bust of a Chasseurs-a-cheval of the Imperial Guard shines under Bob’s hand-painted layers of Scale 75 Scale Colors smooth acrylics.
Edward “Ted” Kawahara
Palos Verdes Estates, California
At the IPMS/USA National Convention contest, Basic Build means building a plastic kit straight from the box. However, as Ted proves, that doesn’t mean basic results. Using AK Interactive acrylics, he primed a Tamiya 1/48 scale Crusader Mk.III antiaircraft tank with flat black and applied flat white highlights. After overspraying the pre-shading with British green, he highlighted edges with a thin layer of tan.
Harvey Low
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Don’t look for a 1/72 scale kit of USS S-44 in any hobby store. Harvey scratchbuilt the 1920s vintage sub, vacuum-forming the hull in styrene and using wood for most other details. To finish it as it appeared in 1943 in the Southwest Pacific, he layered dark gray and black acrylics. “Black is the hardest color to do!” he said. He weathered the boat with artist-oil washes and enamel filters.
Bernard Kempinski
Alexandria, Virginia
It’s hard to resist looking directly at Bernard’s bust of Medusa. He finished the 3D-printed 1/6 scale Gorgon from Ogareg Miniatures with artist oils over acrylic base coats.
Brandy Small
Vine Grove, Kentucky
Working with a resin 200mm kit from Aradia Miniatures called Hilda, Brandy chose to represent a darker version of a Valkyrie rather than the traditional blonde-haired, white-winged figures from Norse mythology. She painted the skin with artist oils and applied chameleon and metallic shades to the wings.
John Fincher
West Frankfort, Illinois
Referring to stills of actor Wes Studi from the 1992 movie The Last of the Mohicans to get the shading right, John painted a 1/9 scale bust of Magua from Mitch’s Military Models. He primed the model with black and white for zenithal lighting, applied acrylic base coats, and then added artist oils for highlights and shadows. As a final touch, he replaced the resin earrings with 3D-printed items.
David Miller
Elizabeth, Colorado
Tackling a Bronco 1/35 scale M19A1 gun motor carriage, David added clutter like gas cans, ration boxes, and ammo crates and placed it on a base for a U.S. Army vehicle overlooking the Han River during the Korean War. He painted with Tamiya acrylics over black enamel and weathered with oil washes and pastels.
Tim Howell
Howell, Michigan
The only thing Tim added to Italeri’s 1/35 scale IVECO Lince was the spare tire on the rear. He painted the armored car with Tamiya acrylics over black primer and kept the weathering light to represent a Spanish Army Guardia Civil vehicle being readied for a parade.
Philip Hui
Milton, Georgia
The M37 105mm howitzer motor carriage entered U.S service too late for World War II but was deployed during the Korean War. Philip scratchbuilt his 1/35 scale replica and airbrushed it with Tamiya acrylics.
Todd Jackson
Franklin, Tennessee
For his dramatic scene of Italian soldiers leaping from a tank in Libya, Todd loaded an Italeri 1/35 scale M13/40 with Black Dog stowage and painted it with Model Master enamels. The figures are unbranded and painted with acrylics, and the whole scene sits on a foam base covered with papier-mâché and a variety of rubble.
Clinton Mills
Virginia Beach, Virginia
After detailing a Tamiya 1/35 scale M26 Pershing with wire grab handles, Friulmodel metal tracks, an Aber turned-metal gun barrel, and tarps made from tissue soaked in thin white glue, Clinton decided it needed a base. He covered a wooden plaque with spackling groundwork and static grass and planted a tree made from a copper-wire armature covered with spackling.
Joe Koenig
Virginia Beach, Virginia
The only thing Joe added to a Tamiya 1/35 scale ISU-152 was improved weld beads and torch cut marks before placing it on a base.
Mark S. Muller
Westerville, Ohio
Although it looks like a steampunk Mad Max vehicle, the bizarre Sizaire-Berwick Wind Wagon was a serious, if flawed, attempt by the World War I British military to produce a vehicle that could “fly” across the desert dunes. The stripped down luxury car was fitted with armor plating and an aircraft engine mounted at the rear. Unfortunately, the narrow tires didn’t work well on sand, and the exposed engine was constantly breaking down. Mark scratchbuilt the car in 1/35 scale and painted it with Floquil enamels.
Shane Curtis
Lansing, Kansas
Describing it as a great kit, Shane built a Tamiya 1/35 scale Marder I out of the box. He painted the camouflage with AK Interactive Real Colors lacquers, starting with an overall coat of dunkelgelb followed by freehand stripes of olivgrun and rotbraun.
John Lunn
Herndon, Virginia
Inspired by designs seen in the video game Forza Horizon 4, John finished a Revell 1/25 scale ’69 Chevy Nova SS dedicated to the Metallica song, Fuel. He painted the car with Tamiya acrylics and made custom masks for the white flames and lettering.
Ed Nowak
Buffalo Grove, Illinois
Winter has come to Ed’s scene thanks to various plaster and scenic snow products, including lightweight spackle and micro balloons. He upgraded an RFM 1/35 scale PzKpfw IV Ausf G with scratchbuilt and 3D-printed details before painting with MRP and Mr. Color lacquers and Tamiya and Mr. Hobby acrylics. Hairspray helped to weather the winter whitewash camouflage.