Ken Riley
Crossville, Tennesee
Red can be a finicky color to paint. To give the paint for Ken’s Alpha Models 1/20 scale 2023 Ferrari SF-23 race car, he sprayed it with pink Tamiya Fine Primer first. Then he airbrushed the out-of-the-box build with Zero Paints Mica Red and topped it with Mr. Super Clear UV Cut Clear.
Robert Meeker III
Beavercreek, Ohio
Robert said he hasn’t built a lot of car models, but we think this Tamiya 1/24 scale Calsonic Skyline GT-R is a fine example of his skills. He built the model it out of the box and painted it with blue enamel before spraying it with clear flat.
Dan Drake
Roanoke, Indiana
Dan upgraded his Dragon 1/35 scale USMC M4A2 Sherman with an aftermarket resin wading adapter, Friulmodel metal tracks, scratchbuilt protective screens on the hatches, and jagged armor made from styrene sheet on top of the hull. A bit of mud and a wooden base completed his Sherman.
Kevin Fourman
Arcanum, Ohio
Kevin primed his 3D-printed HardWitch-Games 75mm Kenkyo Shibukawa figure before hand-painting with acrylics and artist oils. He shaded and highlighted with colored pencils, and added more shadows and depth with pigments.
Scott Burggraf
Mansfield, Ohio
Rust holes, a scale coat hanger antenna, leaking antifreeze, and McDonalds and cigarettes inside plus an opened “trunk full of trash and beer cans” add to the beater appearance of Scott’s Moebius Models 1/25 scale 1964 Chevy II Nova. He painted with Krylon spray paint that he chipped to show red oxide primer underneath and created rust with pigments.
Scott Burggraf
Mansfield, Ohio
Rust holes, a scale coat hanger antenna, leaking antifreeze, and McDonalds and cigarettes inside plus an opened “trunk full of trash and beer cans” add to the beater appearance of Scott’s Moebius Models 1/25 scale 1964 Chevy II Nova. He painted with Krylon spray paint that he chipped to show red oxide primer underneath and created rust with pigments.
Scott Burggraf
Mansfield, Ohio
Rust holes, a scale coat hanger antenna, leaking antifreeze, and McDonalds and cigarettes inside plus an opened “trunk full of trash and beer cans” add to the beater appearance of Scott’s Moebius Models 1/25 scale 1964 Chevy II Nova. He painted with Krylon spray paint that he chipped to show red oxide primer underneath and created rust with pigments.
Paul Bruce
Dayton, Ohio
Paul’s diorama, “Disaster in Vietnam,” incorporates a Revell 1/32 scale UH-1D Huey, aftermarket figures, and a scratchbuilt base. He riddled the chopper with bullet holes and cut apart the tail running electrical wire for hydraulic lines and cables. Paul furnished the Huey with scratchbuilt seats and seat belts and bent the blades with a heat gun. The base’s water was made from epoxy resin and fashioned the boulders from Sculptamold. The trunks for the palm trees were made from Sculpey baked over rods, and Paul topped them with feather fronds for palm leaves.
Chris Toops
Lancaster, Ohio
Chris built a B-26B “Hard to Get” from a 1/72 scale Eduard kit. He spruced up the cockpit with the photo-etched metal details included in the kit. He painted with Tamiya acrylics and Real Colors lacquers and chipped the paint using the hairspray technique. Careful airbrushing and pigments show exhaust stains and faded paint.
Clay Lowing
Lancaster, Ohio
To a Tamiya 1/35 scale U.S. M8 howitzer motor carriage, Clay made weld seams and rivets from Green Stuff, scratchbuilt spare track stowage, installed mesh exhausts and stowage baskets, and detailed the exposed interior. He painted with Tamiya acrylics, weathered with Vallejo paints and chipping fluid, and added dirt with Flory washes and various pigments.
Larry Uchmanowicz
Dayton, Ohio
Larry preferred to model his Airfix 1/48 scale Supermarine Walrus Mk.I with folded wings. He painted the beefy biplane’s camo pattern with acrylic paints and used Silly Putty for masks. Just a touch of artist oils and pigments provides a little dirt along the leading edges and fuselage.
Anthony Baldwin
London, Ohio
It’s just another day in Tokyo as seen in Anthony’s diorama. He built and painted a resin Godzilla in its “awakened form” with FolkArt acrylic paints. He added street lights made from wire to the scene and dry-brushed the glow from Godzilla’s breath weapon and the fireball exploding from the struck skyscraper.
Elliott Kacir
Mount Clemens, Michigan
Elliott finished his Panzer III Ausf N for the Battle of Kursk. He upgraded the Takom 1/35 scale kit with 3D-printed tracks and stretched sprue for an antenna. He airbrushed the camouflage freehand and added dust with pigments.
Will Kuhrt
Cincinnati, Ohio
To help vary the bare-metal finish, Will base coated his Tamiya 1/48 scale Lockheed P-38J Lightning with black and then speckled white over it. Alclad II and AK Interactive Xtreme Metal colors provided the correct metallic sheen for “Little Buckaroo” flown by Distinguished Flying Cross recipient Maj. Robert C. Rogers. Will placed his Lightning on a Custom Dioramics base and picked out panel lines with Flory washes.
Natalie Janney
Columbus, Ohio
Ribbit, ribbit! We can just hear the sound of Natalie’s Miniature Museum 3D-printed 1/2 scale Beelzebufo ampinga “Devil Toad.” Airbrushed golden transparent acrylics and gouache shading brought the toad to life. It sits on a bog made from foam and drywall compound, AK Interactive mud products, and plants made from 3D-printed parts and preserved grass.
Bobby Kos
Dayton, Ohio
Bobby built his Monogram 1/25 scale ‘55 Chevy Bel Air convertible with custom license plates. He primed and painted the shadow gray and polished the kit’s coral-colored plastic for the final finish. The result was a clean, factory-stock look he sealed under Tamiya Clear.
Kurt Christensen
Goshen, Ohio
This 1/48 scale MiG-31BM “Foxhound” looks suitably intimidating with a splotchy gray scheme airbrushed over black primer. Kurt improved the AvantGarde kit with metal landing gear.
Nathan LaPorte
St.Clair, Michigan
Nathan brings the heavy metal icon Eddie to life with his Drawlab Entertainment 1/12 scale Iron Maiden “Stranger in a Strange Land” bust. He brush-painted with Vallejo acrylics and drilled holes through the figure to install LED eyes for an added dose of realism to the time traveler’s snarling visage.
Linda Jones
Columbus, Ohio
We went batty for Linda’s Moebius Models 1/25 scale Chevy II Nova Super Sport. FolkArt glitter paint brought the base shimmer she wanted, faded at the edges with Tamiya Metallic Black. She designed the decals herself and sent them to STS to get them professionally printed. The purple spark-plug wires keep with the spooky theme.
Nelson Kee
Rockville, Maryland
Nelson, wanting something different than another all-black stealth bomber, turned an Academy 1/144 scale kit into a B-2A prior to receiving RAM coating. He based the unusual finish on reference photos and painted with Real Colors and Tamiya lacquers, and artist oils. He picked out panel lines with a pinwash. Nelson said the final product was possible only through “lots of masking and mixing paints to match pictures.”
James Lewis
Blanchester, Ohio
Maybe it was Fate that we would see James’ 3D-printed 1/24 scale “The Moirai.” Representing the three Greek goddesses of fate and destiny, Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos, he painted the separate figures and base via airbrush and paintbrushes with Vallejo Model Color and Vallejo Fantasy Pro Fairy Flesh acrylics.
Jack Harrison
Waynesville, Ohio
Junior modeler Jack built a scene showing a 1/144 scale Redtail P-51 Mustang chasing down a Bf 109E as a project on the Tuskegee Airmen for school. The ‘stang came from a Sweet kit, and he built the 109 from a Beacon Models production. Both aircraft were primed, masked, and airbrushed with colors from Mission Models. Jack even did all the woodworking for the base (under his dad’s supervision), which was made from wood reclaimed from a tree in his yard.
Michael Harrison
Waynesville, Ohio
Michael’s MikroMir 1/144 scale German Type UB I submarine sits proudly displayed atop a laminated quilted maple and purpleheart wood base. He added oil-canning along the sides, opened the flood ports, added various brass and styrene details, and designed and 3D-printed the conning tower. Michael pre-shaded and painted the sub with Mission Models colors and hand-painted its ensign.
Steve Bacon
New Whiteland, Indiana
A complicated three-color camo pattern and subtle filters set apart Steve’s Takom 1/35 scale Jagdpanzer 38(t) Hetzer. The vignette showcases the tank destroyer’s angled armor, powerful main gun, and remote-controlled machine gun.
Jonathan Neeld
Springboro, Ohio
Model Factory Hiro kits have a reputation for being notoriously difficult to build. That didn’t deter Jonathan, who completed a 1/12 scale Alfa Romeo Tipo 33 TT12. Astounding detail prevails throughout the model, including a plumbed and wired engine and brakes, cloth seat belts, and metal buckles. He airbrushed Zero Paints lacquer over self-etching pink primer.
Jonathan Neeld
Springboro, Ohio
Model Factory Hiro kits have a reputation for being notoriously difficult to build. That didn’t deter Jonathan, who completed a 1/12 scale Alfa Romeo Tipo 33 TT12. Astounding detail prevails throughout the model, including a plumbed and wired engine and brakes, cloth seat belts, and metal buckles. He airbrushed Zero Paints lacquer over self-etching pink primer.
Jonathan Neeld
Springboro, Ohio
Model Factory Hiro kits have a reputation for being notoriously difficult to build. That didn’t deter Jonathan, who completed a 1/12 scale Alfa Romeo Tipo 33 TT12. Astounding detail prevails throughout the model, including a plumbed and wired engine and brakes, cloth seat belts, and metal buckles. He airbrushed Zero Paints lacquer over self-etching pink primer.
Derrick Kus
Painesville, Ohio
White Ensign and Eduard photo-etched metal sets bump up the detail on Derrick’s Tamiya 1/350 scale Japanese Navy Destroyer Yukikaze. He airbrushed Tamiya lacquers and hand-painted Tamiya acrylics for the clean finish. A custom red oak base supports the ship ready for Operation Ten-Go in April, 1945.
Darren Berger
West Carrolton, Ohio
Darren painted this bright red Revell 1/24 scale Porsche Diesel Junior 108 tractor with enamel spray paint after building it out of the box but before picking out fine details by hand.
Marek Rogal
Verona, Wisconsin
Marek added “mud, sweat, and dirt” to his Italeri 1/72 scale M12 gun motor carriage after building it out of the box and painting it with Mission Models acrylics over Stynylrez primer. It depicts an M12 dubbed “The Persuader” from the 557th Armored Field Artillery Battalion. No persuasion needed here!
Aleks Kuzma
Columbus, Ohio
Aleks’ box-stock Roden 1/72 scale Pattern 1920 Mk.I British armored car sits on a base made from a candle lid topped with sand and tufts of scale vegetation. He painted his Rolls-Royce with Vallejo acrylics and dinged it up with AK Interactive weathering pencils to show it in theater.
Mike Hodson
Mason, Ohio
Mike went old school and built a Monogram 1/32 scale Colonial Viper from the original Battlestar Galactica series. He base-coated the model with Tamiya Black from a spray can, topped it with Tamiya White, and used black for exhaust and space “grunge.” Mike even brush-painted gold in places for a hint of exposed metal.
Declan Salyers
Centerville, Ohio
Junior modeler Declan added resin stowage and crew from various kits to his Tamiya 1/35 scale M18 Hellcat. He primed it with black and coated it with Vallejo Medium Brown for “a quick, sneaky Hellcat under enemy fire.” The figures represent a loader, commander, and gunner in the thick of the action, each modified to fit into the open-topped turret.
John Noack
Centerville, Ohio
A Hasegawa 1/48 scale P-40 Warhawk was turned into a “what if” post-apocalyptic vehicle after John made significant modifications. After employing a knife, files, and glue, he painted the four-wheeled menace with Vallejo acrylics and Tru-Color lacquers.
Joseph Harber
Dayton, Ohio
Joseph’s AMT 1/200 scale Artemis I is ready to launch! The spacecraft wears three shades of white, plus brown and orange from Revell and Tamiya. He convinced the water-slide decals to settle with Ammo Ultra Decal Fix. The base wears AK Interactive Xtreme Metal Steel because “the logo was too complex to do in color.”
Chris Derks
Alexandria, Virginia
Chris used photo-etched metal stencils to stress the Mr. Color lacquer paint on his Tamiya 1/48 scale Grumman F-14D Tomcat. Reskit 3D-printed exhausts pick up the detail in back, and a Quinta Studio cockpit improves the front office. To round out a Patuxent River F-14 testing Tactical Air Launch Decoys, he installed Mini Craft Collections ejection seats.
Chris Derks
Alexandria, Virginia
Chris used photo-etched metal stencils to stress the Mr. Color lacquer paint on his Tamiya 1/48 scale Grumman F-14D Tomcat. Reskit 3D-printed exhausts pick up the detail in back, and a Quinta Studio cockpit improves the front office. To round out a Patuxent River F-14 testing Tactical Air Launch Decoys, he installed Mini Craft Collections ejection seats.
Chris Derks
Alexandria, Virginia
Chris used photo-etched metal stencils to stress the Mr. Color lacquer paint on his Tamiya 1/48 scale Grumman F-14D Tomcat. Reskit 3D-printed exhausts pick up the detail in back, and a Quinta Studio cockpit improves the front office. To round out a Patuxent River F-14 testing Tactical Air Launch Decoys, he installed Mini Craft Collections ejection seats.
Chris Reibold
Easley, South Carolina
Mechs continue to rise in popularity at IPMS shows, and Chris brought his enormous Einta Industries 1/72 scale Level Ultimate NPCM-017 Sky Defender to the contest. Not satisfied with what came in the box (which included the chunky base), he installed LED lights, added resin detail parts, and scribed new panel lines for more intricate detail and to hide unsightly joins. Gaia Notes paints and Tamiya Panel Line Accent Color provide the brilliant finish.
Chris Reibold
Easley, South Carolina
Mechs continue to rise in popularity at IPMS shows, and Chris brought his enormous Einta Industries 1/72 scale Level Ultimate NPCM-017 Sky Defender to the contest. Not satisfied with what came in the box (which included the chunky base), he installed LED lights, added resin detail parts, and scribed new panel lines for more intricate detail and to hide unsightly joins. Gaia Notes paints and Tamiya Panel Line Accent Color provide the brilliant finish.
Chris Reibold
Easley, South Carolina
Mechs continue to rise in popularity at IPMS shows, and Chris brought his enormous Einta Industries 1/72 scale Level Ultimate NPCM-017 Sky Defender to the contest. Not satisfied with what came in the box (which included the chunky base), he installed LED lights, added resin detail parts, and scribed new panel lines for more intricate detail and to hide unsightly joins. Gaia Notes paints and Tamiya Panel Line Accent Color provide the brilliant finish.
Jacob Gaudino
Bay Village, Ohio
For a plane straight out of Top Gun: Maverick, Jacob built a Meng 1/48 scale Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornet with upgrades including a Quinta Studio cockpit set, Eduard resin wheels, Phase Hangar Resin pylons, scratchbuilt brake lines, and Flying Leathernecks wingtips. He primed with Mr. Surfacer 1500 Black before painting with MRP lacquers and Model Master enamels. Mr. Color Gloss brings up the black and blue. XPS foam covered with cork squares comprise the tarmac, and the base edges were finished with balsa wood sheets.