Ricardo Salamé
Burlington, Ontario, Canada
Typically, a builder of real-space models, Ricardo went out of his comfort zone to build this Gunze Sangyo 1/35 scale vignette of a crashed Bf 109G-10 among sunflowers. He painted the scene, airplane, and figure with Tamiya and Model Master colors, and weathered with washes and artist oils.
Ricardo Salamé
Burlington, Ontario, Canada
Ricardo’s late friend Armando Tuñon gifted him this Corée Productions 1/35 scale “Crawling to Normandy” scene. Ricardo, wanting to finish it in memory of his friend, started with Ammo by Mig Jimenez One Shot Primer, base-coated with acrylics and used oil paints for blended tones.
Robin Findlay
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
To get his Royal Naval Division Omnibus, Robin first built the 1/35 scale MiniArt B-type Military Omnibus out of the box, primed with Ammo by Mig Jimenez red primer, and painted with Tamiya Olive Drab. After some washes and a light dusting of pigments, this transport is ready for service to the Western Front.
James Howey
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
James brush-painted this Forge World 28mm scene of Dark Angels Legion Primarch Lion El’Jonson with Citadel acrylics. He painted details like the cloak and other markings freehand.
Shawn Findlay
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
From the J.J. Abrams Star Trek universe comes this Moebius Models 1/1000 scale USS Kelvin. Shawn added lights to the model, hiding the batteries in the base. He painted the Aztec paneling with Tamiya acrylics and used Frisket paper for masks.
Johnny Yu
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
Johnny’s Meng 1/35 scale World War I German A7V tank was build almost completely out of the box. The only detail he added were machine-gun shells made from brass rod. Johnny sprayed AK Interactive acrylic paints through his Iwata and ASC airbrushes to paint the camo freehand and weathered with chipping fluid, oil paints, and pigments.
Robin Findlay
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
“Anyone have a fanbelt?” is the name of Robin’s 1/35 scale vignette featuring a Bronco Geschutzwagen 39H (F). He corrected the driver’s compartment, motor intake and exhaust, and scratchbuilt a headset for the radio. The base is foam insulation covered with stucco painted brown and foliage.
David “Blappy” Guertin
Sarnia, Ontario, Canada
Blappy knows we’re suckers for Gulf racing colors! Here’s his spectacular 1/20 scale Ma.K Falke done up in Zero paints and ready for race day. He painted the livery including the pinstripes, airbrushed on six coats of Tamiya Clear lacquer, let it cure a week, and then polished with Tamiya compounds.
Volodymyr Dziubak
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Built box stock, Volodymyr’s AMT 1/24 scale 1957 Ford Fairlane 500 with its Tamiya Mica Red and Pearl White paint job demands attention. He base-coated the interior black and overcoated with a thin layer of white to create a custom gray. He detailed with Tamiya Panel Line Accent.
Aaron Adam
Kitchener, Ontario, Canada
Hauling a model almost too big to photograph in FSM’s booth, Aaron brought his resin UC 1/100 scale NZ-666 Kshatriya Gundam to the contest. He went off script with his colors, preferring to offer his own vision of the monstrous mecha, painted mostly with Vallejo acrylics, and finished much of it freehand. Amazing!
Nicolás Tejada
Brampton, Ontario, Canada
Presenting a new RX-78 Gundam ready for battle, Nicolás finished his 1/100 scale Bandai kit with a clean custom paint job from Tamiya spray cans.
Jeremy Kennedy
Brampton, Ontario, Canada
Taking a Bandai 1/48 scale Star Wars Snowspeeder, Jeremy de-milled the Rebel fighter and painted it in the colors of the Canadian Forces Snowbirds air-demonstration squadron. He made custom masks for the logos on a vinyl cutter and painted with Tamiya spray and acrylic paints.
John Wong
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
For this model commemorating 200,000 hours of G.91 service in the Italian air force, John started with a Tamiya 1/100 scale Fiat G.91 and scratchbuilt the cockpit and vacuum-formed the canopy. He masked and painted all the markings except for the knight’s head, which is a decal he designed and printed.
Daniel Leduc
Terrebonne, Quebec, Canada
Daniel tackled a Tamiya 1/32 Phantom II and dressed it as an F-4J in VMFA-232 Red Devil livery with decals from Fox One. He upgraded his model with aftermarket seats and exhausts. You can see the effects of pre- and post-shading, and Daniel picked out panel lines and rivets with Flory washes.
Grant L.
Fonthill, Ontario, Canada
Grant, 14, showed off his Airfix 1/72 scale Me 262A-2a. Built out of the box, this Messerschmitt wears airbrushed Tamiya acrylic paints. He base-coated with black and then painted the camo freehand to depict photos of the plane he saw online. Good going, Grant!
Tom Browne
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Ferraris are sexy, no matter the era. Tom built a Model Factory Hiro 1/12 scale 1961 Ferrari 156 “Sharknose” out of the box and finished with Tamiya spray lacquers. The car depicts the Formula One racer driven by Phil Hill in the Belgium Grand Prix.
Nate Botting
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Neon Genesis Evangelion has legendary stature among manga and anime fans, and here Nate shows off his collection of five 1/400 scale EVAs from Bandai. He made the custom base and used an Iwata NEO airbrush with Tamiya acrylics; this was his first time using an airbrush!
Jonathan Botting
Alliston, Ontario, Canada
Jonathan modeled an atmospheric launch crawler from the Macross (Robotech) saga. The 1/72 scale model incorporates a Valkyrie fighter from Hasegawa and resin parts for the launcher. Jonathan scratchbuilt the engines in the boosters and painted and weathered with Tamiya products.
Bob Derham
Burlington, Ontario, Canada
Tamiya spray enamels finish Bob’s Italeri 1/12 scale Alfa Romeo 179C. He painted the white first, masked, and then sprayed the red. Otherwise, all the details come out of the box for this big-scale build.
Lance Darlow
Belleville, Ontario, Canada
Lance calls this diorama of U.S. soldiers in Vietnam, “Time Out.” He built the base starting out with a wargame accessory, scratchbuilt portions, dressed it with aftermarket details and vegetation, and provided figures from Bravo 6. Lance brush-painted everything and weathered with washes.
Alex Grekov
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
A 1/72 scale Hobbycraft DHC-3 Otter became an Ontario Provincial Air Service waterbomber with Alex’s help. He accurized the floats with styrene strips and added a resin engine up front. He airbrushed automotive primer first, followed by Model Master enamels and Flory washes.
Meagan Weber
Kitchener, Ontario, Canada
Meagan chose to build an AMT 1/25 scale 1966 Buick Wildcat as her third model ever. Built out of the box, she airbrushed the body Tamiya Metallic Brown, and finished the interior with AK Interactive colors, including hand-painting the gauges. She let Editor Tim Kidwell know it wasn’t her favorite, but we’re glad she let him photograph it anyway.
Cliff Read
Almonte, Ontario, Canada
No stranger to scale model shows and contests, Cliff brought his 1/16 scale 1919 Garrett steam roller build from a Bandai kit more than 40 years old! He added copper waterlines, as well as chain and a steering link. Cliff painted with enamel spray paints over gray primer and did no weathering at all.
Maurizio Laudisa
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Even at 1/144 scale, Maurizio’s Schewerer Gustav 80cm railway gun is absolutely enormous. He shortened the barrel to the correct length and provided new decals for the Soar Art kit. He applied color-modulated camouflage with Tamiya acrylics, weathered with oil paints and pigments, and built the base from extruded foam insulation and balsa wood.
Maurizio Laudisa
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Meng’s 1/35 scale Renault FT-17 wears an eye-catching camouflage scheme thanks to Maurizio. Built out of the box, the pint-sized tank rests on a base made from an IKEA picture frame and was painted with Tamiya acrylics and weathered with artist oils and pigments.
Rob Mairs
Oshawa, Ontario, Canada
Can you hear that classic Harley-Davidson sound? We can! Rob finished his Italeri 1/9 scale WLA 750 as a civilized Bobber in Tamiya Orange and Black spray paint. But first, he shortened the rear fender, scratchbuilt the headlight bracket, and fashioned the seat skirt, velocity stack, coil, fender struts, and skull shifter.
Ming Wong
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Modeling Sweden’s post-World War II STRV 103B main battle tank, Ming built the Trumpeter 1/35 scale kit out of the box. He painted with Tamiya Field Gray, washed with a darkened shade of the base color, dry-brushed, chipped with paint, and weathered with chalk pastels. It’s his first model after a 20-year hiatus.
Chris Chapman
Northbrook, Illinois
The “Show’s Over” diorama features the classic Monogram 1/24 scale Dragon Wagon. Chris heavily modified the kit and added a Doozy gas pump, oil drums, and beer cans to set the scene. He painted with Tamiya and LifeColor acrylics and used the hairspray method for chipping.
Doug Bowerman
Norwich, Ontario, Canada
Combining Testors die-cast and Revell plastic 1/24 scale 1949 Mercury kits, Doug upped the ante by detailing the trunk, flocking the interior, installing seat belts, and wiring and plumbing the engine. He hand-painted the car’s nose and used spray paint for everything else.
Jeff Brown
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
The result of years of off-and-on work, Jeff’s 1/18 scale tilt-and-load started as a die-cast ’57 Chevy truck cab. He added a custom frame, tilting bed, and a tarp cover made from masking tape that actually operates! He painted with Tamiya lacquers.
Jordan Baker
Dunnville, Ontario, Canada
“Five More in the Bag” depicts Canadian soldiers capturing five German prisoners in the Falaise Gap during World War II. Jordan used models from Nimrod, ICM, and AFV Club in his scene and combined his hand-painting and airbrush skills to get the finishes he was looking for.
Soo-Gane Won
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Soo-Gane added a figure and weapons to a Tamiya 1/48 scale Bren Gun Carrier. He primed, pre-shaded, and painted with Tamiya acrylics, weathered with washes and pigments, and completed the base with plaster and static grass flock.
An AeroMaster resin pilot’s seat dresses up the cockpit of Lorenzo’s Tamiya 1/48 scale P-47D Thunderbolt No Guts, No Glory. He primed the fuselage with Airspeed Silver, mottled with MRP Dark Grey, and finished with Tamiya Bare Metal. Flory washes provided some dirt.
Ron Therrien
Lindsay, Ontario, Canada
Here they are, together, AMT’s 1/25 scale Tyrone Malone Super Boss Kenworth drag truck and Papa Truck hauler. Ron masked and painted all the stripes — no decals used there! Unhappy with the kit’s chrome, he stripped it with Superclean degreaser and airbrushed the parts with Alclad II Chrome.
Rob Tremblay
Mount Hope, Ontario, Canada
Rob painted and weathered his ICM 1/48 scale B-26B-50 Invader to look like a World War II island-hopper in the Pacific Theater. The Marsden mat is made of separate 3D-printed parts he pieced together on the base before finishing with various washes, pigments, and oil paints.
Bob Williams
Paris, Ontario, Canada
The Kinetic 1/48 scale CF-188A Hornet is an “excellent kit,” Bob says. He finished his model of the fighter celebrating the Canadian Sesquicentennial with Testors enamels and custom mixed colors. Because it was a demo aircraft, Bob left it clean, showing off the bright, untarnished markings.
Victor Constantinescu
Pickering, Ontario, Canada
Looking to model a very worn, amphibious tank, Victor settled on the Dragon 1/35 scale Japanese Special Type 2 Ka-Mi. He sprayed a Tamiya Dark Gray base and went over it with Light Gray and provided some chipping. Further weathering came in the form of artist-oil washes and pigments.
Arielle Merritt-Murrell
Oakville, Ontario, Canada
An anime and manga fan, Arielle, 13, showed off her Bandai 1/144 scale Schwalbe Graze Gundam piloted by McGillis Fareed in the Mobile Suit Gundam Iron-Blooded Orphans TV series. She painted details with Tamiya colors and mildly weathered with Ammo by Mig Jimenez products.
Simon Lam
Markham, Ontario, Canada
Simon painted this Scale75 75mm figure of a medieval knight as a tribute to the Ultima computer game franchise he enjoyed as a child. He employed Scale75, Vallejo, and AK Interactive 3rd Gen acrylics for the work. “A lot of research was done to replicate the art and style,” Simon says. This character is ready to begin his quest of the avatar.
Rob Tremblay
Mount Hope, Ontario, Canada
ICM’s big 1/32 scale AH-1G Cobra takes center stage with Rob’s build. He detailed the cockpit with 3D-printed decals from Quinta Studio. The base is a combination of 3D-printed and resin parts. He weathered with Flory washes, artist oils, and picked out details with Tamiya Panel Line Wash.
Paul Tian
Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
Paul’s incredible 1/72 scale Battle of Midway diorama features Flyhawk’s SBD-3 Dauntless on a scratchbuilt base made to commemorate the three U.S. aircraft carriers that took part in the battle. Tamiya and Mr. Hobby acrylics were Paul’s paints of choice, and he added depth with washes and filters.
Bob Burgar
Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada
The ICM 1/32 scale Gloster Gladiator Mk.I builds like a dream, and Bob does the kit justice with his model marked for Royal Air Force No. 112 Squadron in Summit and Port Sudan in June 1940. He primed with Mr. Finishing Surface 1500 white, masked, and then went to work with Tamiya paints and an airbrush.
John Lowrey
Dundas, Ontario, Canada
John built his Meng 1/35 scale D9R armored bulldozer with upgrades, like Friulmodel tracks, photo-etched metal armor from Voyager, and an Israel Defense Force bulldozer crew from Valkyrie Miniatures.
Paul Slattery
Fonthill, Ontario, Canada
Stowage from Value Gear and Black Dog rounded out Paul’s 1/48 scale StuG III Ausf B from Tamiya. He used hairspray weathering to get that worn look and artfully based the vehicle on a hardwood slab with trees and a veneer of snow. “It’s a battle-worn and weary StuG after a long winter,” Paul says.
Kieran Boyle
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Kieran brought a limited-edition 200mm Officer of the Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada. He brush-painted the figure, sculpted by Alan Ball of MB Miniatures, with artist oils and acrylics.
Steve Fall
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Poste Militaire’s 90mm Timurid Emir figure, as Steve finished it, stares commandingly at viewers. Primed in black, it wears AK Interactive 3rd Gen colors, artists oils, and pigments to replicate dust on its boots and base.
Christophe Clavière
Laval, Quebec, Canada
Christophe finished Airfix’s 1/144 scale Vickers VC10 in Ghana Airways livery. He applied aftermarket decals over Tamiya White and Gray spray paint.
Robert Teteruck
Oakville, Ontario, Canada
Real-space models are a rarity at model show, but Robert made sure to bring his Hasegawa 1/200 scale Atlantis space shuttle and Hubble telescope. He made a custom decal to replicate the tiles on the orbiter’s belly and detailed the telescope, payload bay, and doors with Bare-Metal Foil.
Harvey Low
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Harvey scratchbuilt his 1/72 scale model of the U.S. Navy submarine S-44 based on the dimensions of the Combat Model kit. “Black is the most difficult color to paint in my entire modeling career,” Harvey says. He did it freehand with lots of pre- and post-shading, washes, modulation, filters, and chipping.
Ross Waddell
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
These are the droids you’re looking for! Ross built the vinyl Kaiyodo 1/6 scale C-3PO and R2-D2 but upgraded the details. He added wires to the protocol droid’s belly; on R2, he installed rollers in all the feet, springs for hoses on the left and right feet, and custom decals on the dome. Ross dressed R2 in Tamiya Gloss White with an AK Interactive Xtreme Metal dome; 3PO was painted in Createx Gold.
Brian Neary
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Extruded foam and cork form the base for Brian’s 1/35 scale Chernobyl “Bio-Robots” roof cleaning scene. He painted the ICM figures with AK Interactive 3rd Gen acrylics and made the rubble from plaster of paris. The medal is an authentic Soviet award.
Olivia Germann
Elmira, Ontario, Canada
“Revealed! Penguin orchestrates Titanic sinking!” Olivia, 8, finished her Meng egg-scale RMS Titanic with Vallejo acrylics and used an airbrush to do it. She placed the ill-fated passenger ship next to a 3D-printed iceberg and penguin. Olivia says she painted “very carefully” and used pigments for the smokestacks.
Dave Forest
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Dave upgraded his Copper State 1/35 scale Lanchester armored car with oil cans and a tarp. He airbrushed with Tamiya lacquers and weathered with pigments, oil paints, and enamels.
Alex Grekov
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
After paying $2 for a Masterkit 1/144 scale Beriev Be-12, Alex realized he got what he paid for. The aircraft required a ton of work, which included filling and correcting panel lines, cutting open the water-tank doors, replacing the engines with 3D printed ones, and designing and printing new decals. He installed the model on a clear rod mounted to a birch slab and simulated water with polyester fiber.