The Little World

Ever hear that said when someone is looking at a die-cast product in the shop? Or a plastic kit with only a few parts? Ever hear it when someone is looking at a painted scale model? And said with a sneer in the voice?

Well if it is ever said to you, or of your models, puff your chest out with pride and thank them for their praise. They’ve paid you a great compliment. Because making a good-looking toy is just as much an art as making a weathered and battered scale model. And the bright  aesthetic may be far more pleasing than the scruffier one.

I am just learning how to paint with an airbrush – only a few years of experience. I add it to years of brush and can work and the manual skills learned in my old profession. I’ve got a long way to go in what I can produce, but I’ve done enough different things now to have found out a very important thing…I know what I like. And I know what I want to produce. I have a vision – somewhat hazy, I’ll admit, but clear enough to let me know what I want my models to look like.

I am also old enough and independent enough to be able to say that I will produce what I like. If it is done in despite of the tastes of others, so be it. The hobby is not such a battlefield as to require obedience and regimentation. This may mean that what I do will never please others, and will never garner any plaudits or trophies…but I can turn my head to the left as I type and see four trophies for die-cast dioramas won of a couple of years. I treasure them as memories, but not as validation.

Put simply, I like toys. I like die-cast cars and planes. I like toy trains. I like boats you can float in the bath. I like to make my aircraft looking pretty clean and well-maintained. I’ll add a little exhaust stain or some brushed-on wear, but it is minimal. And for my Air World museum exhibits I have decided to run the gamut of finishes from glossy to flat. I’ve just been to the RAAF museum at Point Cook and that is exactly the way they present the real things. Some have been dug out of the mud and some have a shiny finish like polished silver.

So my planes will have a variety too. The WWII ones on the old airfield may be matte or semi-matte – the new ones on the new field may be glossy in service. If that makes them look like toys, I am delighted. I’ve got the best set of toys you ever saw…