Sara Ratliff
Fayette, Missouri
Sarah modified the base of her Blacksmith Miniatures 54mm The Crooks of London model with Aves Apoxie Sculpt bricks and cobblestones. She brushed on the AK Interactive 3Gen acrylic paints and popped details with artist-oil washes.
Rick Rasmussen
Decorah, Iowa
Rick kitbashed his 1/48 scale 8.8cm FlaK 37 auf Panzerkampfwagen IV from a Tamiya chassis, Italeri 8.8cm FlaK 37 AA gun, and Friulmodel metal tracks. He added CMK interior details and a carbon-fiber antenna in addition to airbrushing on Model Master enamels and weathering with pastels.
Steve Boyer
St. Charles, Missouri
This Bandai 1/100 scale Gundam Sword Calamity appears to be floating on a platform and sports aftermarket details. Steve painted the mech with Gaia Notes, Mr. Color, and Kaizo colors and placed it on a hobby display base topped with wood primed with Mr. Surfacer 500, sanded smooth, masked, and painted.
Robert Prokop
Chaska, Minnesota
Robert built this War Paint Studio 1/6 scale Vietnam OH-58 door gunner and added scratchbuilt safety harness straps, a comm cord, M-60 bungee, and the inside of the door. He painted and weathered with various acrylics and artist oils and added decals he found online. For the scenery, Robert used heavy-duty acrylic rod and artificial plants from an art store trimmed to size and arranged around the rod.
Josh Tucker
Mesa, Arizona
For his vignette called Witches, Josh built two Gundam: The Witch from Mercury Bandai 1/144 scale kits. He built the models box stock, primed, and painted them with Monument Hobbies and Pro Acryl acrylics, adding highlights for the glowing effect on the Gundam torsos. Josh made the base from stained wood.
David Hood
Murfreesboro, Tennessee
David’s U.S. Army Delta Force figure originated as a 75mm figure from Knight Models. He modeled a treacherous, icy outcropping and gave the whole scene an uncanny, lifelike appearance with acrylic paints.
Ken Sullivan
Shreveport, Louisiana
Ken took an Arnau Lazaro painting class in February 2025. He brought the figure he worked on in class to MMSI this year, an Arnau Miniatures 1/10 scale Liliantine, Sword of Eris bust. He primed her with gray, then brush-painted with Vallejo acrylics, “especially their fluorescent line,” for the blonde hair, realistic flesh tones, and non-metallic metal armor.
Jerry Allen
Fort Worth, Texas
Jerry sculpted a base from Milliput and added a backdrop to a Kimera 75mm Sigurth and a 3D-printed dragon. He brush-painted with Vallejo and AK Interactive acrylics, and made extensive use of ink washes.
Glenn Hamilton
St. Albert, Alberta, Canada
Glenn said that Bishop Odo was William the Conqueror’s half-brother, and he is depicted on the Bayeux tapestry brandishing a club because the church forbade clergy from going into battle with a sword. So, he painted the FeR Miniatures 1/12 scale William the Conqueror Hastings, 1066, as Bishop Odo of Bayeux. Glenn primed with black and white to establish shading and then painted with AK Interactive and Vallejo acrylics. He blended in highlights and shadows with artist oils and highlighted the chainmail with graphite dust and a blending tool.
Robert Raver
Crystal Lake, Illinois
Robert brings Gandalf to life with this 3D-printed Gambody bust of the Lord of the Rings character. Aside from printing and cleaning up the figure, he painted with acrylics to achieve a directional lighting effect.
Gary Baker
San Diego, California
Is this taxidermy or a bust? Gary made the Hammerline 1/10 scale Gemsbok bust look lifelike with acrylic paints and artist oils.
Jeff Fisher
Xenia, Ohio
Jeff placed 54mm figures on a base with his Industria Mechanika 1/35 scale FichtenFoo’s Fantastical Fish-shaped Submersible model to show its scale. He painted it all with various Mig and Vallejo paints, including metallic colors to give the submarine a steampunk look. Jeff weathered the underwater machine with rust by AK Interactive.
Jeff Fisher
Xenia, Ohio
Jeff placed 54mm figures on a base with his Industria Mechanika 1/35 scale FichtenFoo’s Fantastical Fish-shaped Submersible model to show its scale. He painted it all with various Mig and Vallejo paints, including metallic colors to give the submarine a steampunk look. Jeff weathered the underwater machine with rust by AK Interactive.
Declan Chodak
Cherry Hill, New Jersey
Declan scratchbuilt a base from styrene strip and finished it with acrylic paints and artist oils for his Cix Models 1/35 scale 1913 Indian board track racer and pilot. He painted the figure with Tamiya lacquers, Vallejo acrylics, and weathered with Winsor & Newton artist oils to make a figure and bike ready for a race in Milwaukee, Wis.
Steve Hustad
Eden Prairie, Minnesota
Photo-etched metal parts modify Steve’s Revell 1/72 scale PzKpfw IV Ausf. H. He scratchbuilt hatches, detailed with plastic bits and miscellaneous leftover photo-etched metal, and replaced the kit’s cannon with a turned aluminum barrel and brass muzzle break from Armorscale. Steve placed Prieser World War II German civilian figures on groundwork made with Verlinden static grass and Celluclay papier-mâché over foam to model a destroyed tank from the 1st SS Panzer Division after the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944.
David Wiggins
Carrollton, Georgia
David says that the Citadel 1/28 scale Warhammer 40K Ork Deff Dread was fun to paint. He scratchbuilt the base with EPS foam, added barbed wire, primed, painted, and weathered with rust effects for a diorama he calls Ambush.
Jose A Martinez
Loma Linda, California
Jose painted a 3D-printed Kuton 1/9 scale Yoshii Toranaga from the Hulu series Shogun with Vallejo acrylics. He shaded the bust with Citadel inks and blended colors using inks and artist oils.
Jack Muldoon
East Patchogue, New York
Jack was inspired by an Ernest Meissonier painting to finish this Gordon Mitchell 200mm French Napoleonic Hussar bust. He enhanced the horse’s harness with lead wire and painted with artist oils over acrylics.
Mike Knowski
Joliet, Illinois
Mike added Aber photo-etched metal fenders and accessories to his Tamiya 1/35 scale Panzerkampfwagen II on a Trumpeter German railway gondola. He modified the tracks to fit the railway car and painted it Panzer gray, lightened for shading. The dirt is AK Interactive and Mig pigments.
Paul Matthew
Chicago, Illinois
This Hex Figures 1/12 scale Eilidh bust came with Paul, who painted her using zenithal priming, layering AK Interactive 3Gen and Golden SoFlat acrylics and glazes.
Scott Primeau
Harris, Minnesota
Scott brushed-painted his Latorre Models 54mm Hero Saxon Warrior – 5th Century model and airbrushed multiple layers of clear acrylic over the painted base for an icy effect on the lake. Artist-oil washes provided shading, and the cracked ice effect was achieved with many coats of acrylic paint brushed on that naturally fractured.
Rob Curtis
Springfield, Tennessee
Rob brings a Mitches Military Models 75mm French Demi Lancer, Battle of Coutras, 1587, to life with acrylic paints. He used washes to pop the metallic parts.
Dave Peschke
Spring Grove, Illinois
Aviattic Fokker F.I 103/17 decals and cowl, Aeroclub bezels, HGW Models seat belts, EZ Line rigging, and more modify Dave’s Meng 1/32 scale Fokker Dr.I triplane to make it Werner Voss’ prototype. Dave employed pre- and post-shading, acrylics, lacquers, and artist-oil washes to finish the model and placed it on a picture frame on top of a lazy susan.
Paul Kernan
Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
Ben Kernan brought his late father Paul’s Takom 1/35 scale Medium Mark A Whippet World War I tank model, sharing that Paul painted it during Covid and never got to display it before he passed in March, 2023. Ben added, “MMSI was [my dad’s] favorite show to attend. He attended for about 25 years.” He said Paul built his Whippet box stock and painted with AK Interactive acrylics and weathered with AK Interactive and Mig washes, filters, and weathering products. The base is a map of the Western Front battle disposition, circa 1916.
James Huebener
Minneapolis, Minnesota
James replaced the hull planking and wales on his Panart 1/78 scale HMS Victory bow cross section ship model kit for better contrast. He built the gun port lids with pull ropes and added ratlines and upper deadeyes. James stained the entire model and placed it on a base of stained oak trim and plywood.
James Huebener
Minneapolis, Minnesota
James replaced the hull planking and wales on his Panart 1/78 scale HMS Victory bow cross section ship model kit for better contrast. He built the gun port lids with pull ropes and added ratlines and upper deadeyes. James stained the entire model and placed it on a base of stained oak trim and plywood.
Chris Pabalate
Oswego, Illinois
Custom panels and metal parts modify Chris’ Bandai Spirits 1/48 scale RX-78F00 Gundam bust. Gaia Notes and Mr. Color lacquers make up the mostly airbrushed finish.
Steve Shaffer
Hastings, Minnesota
Steve went about his Fine Molds 1/72 scale Jedi starfighter with hyperdrive ring in an interesting way, using the kit decals as masks to airbrush on the details. He painted with MRP paints and weathered with Tamiya washes and pastels.
Charles Schlom
Algonquin, Illinois
Charles added Begemot UTair decals to his Zvezda 1/72 scale Mi-26 “Halo.” The finish is masked and painted with white Tamiya primer, Tamiya acrylics, and Model Master enamels weathered with Tamiya Smoke, mechanical pencil, and a homemade wash. Charles used bleached flour to create the snow to model an Mi-26 in Siberian oil fields about to lift an excavator.
Derek Clark
Chicago, Illinois
Derek painted an 80mm dwarf warrior sculpted by Rishikesh Nandlaskar. He primed with black primer, added zenithal highlights, and layers of Kimera and AK Interactive 3Gen acrylics and glazing. Derek made the base from Milliput.
Bob Mason
Levittown, Pennsylvania
Bob used hobby grass, miniature leaves, Woodland Scenics water, and real bark and wood for the trees of his 54mm Indian Lookouts diorama. He set two Native American figures on the base to finish the fall scene.
Noel Meyer
Wauconda, Illinois
Noel based her original sculpt on an Art Nouveau painting by Alphonse Mucha called The Evening Star. She attached brass trim to a picture frame backing and painted the sculpt with acrylics in a different color and lighting scheme than the original painting.