Airbrush Seminar 02/13/2012
CASM hosted their first seminar over the weekend, and overall it was a great success. There were quite a few new faces who joined us for the informative class. The topic was Airbrushes and was lead by Kenneth Childres, David Wassell and Ron Leker. Cliff Bullock, one of CASM's members and an attendant of the Airbrush Seminar had this to say about it. In my opinion the airbrush seminar was good for me. Some of the information covered I already knew, some I did not. I consider myself an average modeler/air brush user. Not an expert, but not a beginner. Just someone trying to better my skills. With the help of Ken and David, I was able to spray a thin fine line with my airbrush. Something I have been striving to do. I also enjoyed learning about different models of airbrushes. It was also good to hear from David, Ken, and Ron about some of their experiences airbrushing. I was happy to see some new faces at the seminar. Some possible future CASM members. A big THANKS to David, Ron, and Ken for all their help and input they provided in making this seminar a success. I'm looking forward to seeing what the next seminar will be. Below are a few photos and a video of the Airbrush Seminar if you missed out. 1 Comment I Nailed a Thing from Another World 10/20/2011
 The Thing Movie Poster Rusty Nail is an accomplished Garage Kit artist living in Edgemont, Arkansas. In 2010, Black Heart was looking for an artist to write a step-by-step article documenting a cool paint job on The Thing from Another World wall-hanger; Rusty was drafted for the project. We told him that, without hair or fur or scales or fangs or other obviously monstrous features, this was a project that required something really special for this Thing. Rusty went the extra mile writing a step-by-step article on the alien’s skin tones and demonstrated the eyes of a thing that could only have come from another world. Rusty entered his Thing (the model!) in the model contest at the Chicago Figure Show in 2010 and won Gold. The kit won Gold again at the Little Rock, Arkansas Model Show contest in 2010 and was also awarded the coveted Black Swamp Modelers’ Society Trophy at that show. The Thing then won Silver at the WonderFest 2011 model competition in Louisville, Kentucky. Thanks for making us look good, Rusty.  Rusty Nail’s The Thing from Another World I was a kid when I first saw the ‘50s sci-fi classic, The Thing from Another World (1951). I must have seen it on one of those Saturday morning monstermania theater shows and I recall being scared out of my pants! It was one of the better science fiction/horror movies on TV back in those days. The title creature was a hostile alien frozen in Antarctic ice for thousands of years before being revived by a group of scientists. The Thing was played by the late James Arness, best-known for his role as Marshal Matt Dillon from the popular TV western, Gunsmoke. Contrary to some reports, Mr. Arness was always fond of his role in the film and, in a letter written for publication after his death, he referenced his pride in the role and his appreciation for fans of the film.  James Arness as The Thing Joe Simon has hammered out an incredible likeness for this 1:1 scale wall-hanger. It looks just like James Arness! And my Black Heart’s Thing prototype by Joe Simon plan was to nail the paint job. Since the head is molded in one piece, there is no assembly required and no cleanup beyond washing it with soap and water.  Black Heart’s Thing prototype by Joe Simon Finishing The Thing This is a straight painting project and, since the movie was in black and white, the color scheme is pretty open and allows more freedom to paint it how I like. In the movie, the creature was, in essence, a plant. So, I decided to use colors that would give the notion of an eggplant. Using my trusty Harder and Steinbeck Infinity airbrush I prime the head with a mixture of white primer (Freestyle brand) and five drops of black primer (Reaper). This makes a light grey color. I can’t say enough about this airbrush. It’s precision, handling and looks make for a superior weapon for your painting arsenal. I then sponge on Paynes Grey (Liquitex) mixed with Floetrol. This leaves the paint semi-transparent. The results look a little stark at this point, but most of it will be covered up. (Image 1) I then sponge a medium flesh color (Liquitex) mixed with Floetrol. I allow some of the grey to still show through. (Image 2)  Image 1  Image 2 Using my Infinity, I began pre-shading around the eyes, temples, under cheeks and inside the ears. This was done using transparent smoke (Comart). I also do some mottling and deep veining with this color. (Images 3-5)  Image 3  Image 4  Image 5 Using a sea sponge again, I sponge dioxide purple (Liquitex) mixed again with Floetrol and apply it to the top of the head, cheeks, tip and bridge of nose. I also sponge a little to the ears. Again back with the sponge using burnt sienna (Liquitex) and Floetrol, I sponge over the top of the purple areas previously done. I also sponge the two frontal lobes, upper cheeks, top of the chin and under chin. I add a little to the jaw line and sides of neck and then spray the whole head with Dull Cote to protect my work. I do some deep veining with transparent black green (Freestyle) on the lips, the inner eyes, ears, and under chin. I used transparent Mars Red (Freestyle) to mottle over the purple areas previously painted. (Images 6-9)  Image 6  Image 7  Image 8  Image 9 After the mottling is done, I switch back to sponging with a mix of medium and light flesh (Dermacote) over the entire head. I also paint the raised veins with ultra marine blue and chrome green (Comart). I do some light sponging again to the raised veins with the same flesh mixture and a little more floetrol added to the mix. (Images 10 and 11)  Image 10  Image 11 A raw umber (Liquitex and Liquitex Medium Gel) glaze is applied to the entire head and then wiped away with a lent free cloth. Another sponging is done with some light blue (Liquitex) and light flesh (Dermacote) over the entire head again. I lightly mottle the entire head with black green (Freestyle). I do some very light sponging with violet (Liquitex)to random areas of the face. A concise sponging is done with a mixture of flesh (Dermacote) and alzirum crimson (Liquitex) over the top of the head, cheeks, chin and along the neck area. Then I paint the raised veins again with dusty pink (Freestyle). I give it a nice cote of dull cote again. A light spray of dusty pink is also used on all the prominent raised areas. Shading grey (golden) is lightly applied to the eye area, nostril folds, cheek folds, middle and upper lips. The temples, ears and collar line are also shaded with the same color. The area is sprayed with another layer of dull cote. I then do some pin washes on the forehead and various other areas such as the outer corners of the eyes using Asurmen blue (Citadel washes). I open up the airbrush to about 20 psi and spray a wash of light flesh (Dermacote) which was cut 50/50 with golden airbrush medium over the entire head. I am careful not to let it build up in any specific areas, just an overall wash. I then spray a very thinned down wash of smoke (Tamiya) over the entire head again, including the lips. (Images 12 and 13)  Image 12  Image 13 I painted the entire orb of the eyes with buck skin tan (Freestyle), then I penciled in where the iris should be. (Image 14)  Image 14 Eyes for The Thing I had really wanted to do something freaky with The Thing’s eyes but I was worried that the folks at Black Heart might not like something as freaky as I had planned. I went ahead and painted alien-looking eyes and was convinced that they were probably too much, too alien, for this article. So, I re-painted him with human-looking eyes, photographed him (see photo below), and sent the article and photos to Black Heart. When George and I talked after he got the photos, I realized he really wanted something non-human for the eyes, something different than anything he had ever seen. George loved the human-looking eyes I had done but we both felt something other-worldly, something inhuman would have been even better.  The Thing - "Other World Eyes" So, I went back to my original freaky-eyed design. I painted the upper lid a dark brown and the lower lid a dark pink color. Then I chose colors for the eyes that would complement the skin tones I used. I glazed over the entire orb of the eye with a medium shade blue. The blue gave me a good starting point. Then I painted the pupil a light gray.  A more human-looking Thing Next came the fun part of the whole process. After laying down the basic colors, I covered the entire orb of the eye with five minute epoxy. While it was wet but just starting to set up, I used various shades of blues, purples, pinks and dark grays throughout the sclera (white part of the eye). I chose enamels because they seem to work better with the epoxy. I basically used a 00 paint brush and painted striations throughout the area leading up to the pupil edge. I then used black to paint tiny dots in the pupil and painted the iris a horizontal wedge shape. I let it set up and then repeated the process three times with each layer using the different shades throughout the eye. Doing this gives the eyes depth and a realistic sheen. There you go. Eyes only an Alien Mother could love!  Rusty’s award-winning The Thing From Another World MIG-21 Review by Lloyd King 09/08/2011
 It’s been a few years since Eduard first announced their 1/48 MiG-21 kit. Eduard has wisely listened to modelers' inputs, and they seem to have covered all bases in this kit when it comes to detail accuracy and the subtle differences between variants. This first release is the widely used and widely exported MF variant and its essentially identical Soviet Air Force equivalent, the SM. The kit features a box top painting of a pair Egyptian MiG 21’s over the Great Pyramids. It comprises eight dark grey sprues, one clear sprue, a set of masks, two sheets of photo etch (one colored), plus a bonus of "Brassin" UB-16 rocket pods.       All parts are extremely finely molded, with no trace of flash or mold misalignment noted. The very few ejector pin marks I found are well hidden, and mostly not a factor in final assembly. Panel lines are very finely engraved throughout, with a few raised details where appropriate, mainly the weld seams on the drop tanks. There are a couple of prominent oval panel lines on the upper wing surfaces are not molded in place. Instead, Eduard provides a photo etched template allowing the modeler to add these panels if the subject requires them the or the modeller can use the decals provided on the stencils sheet. Airframe breakdown is essentially conventional, although Eduard has obviously put a great deal of thought into the balance between modularity (catering to the different variants to be released), detail, and ease of build. The entire wing lower surfaces and a large section of the lower fuselage are a single piece. This allows a significant amount of detail to be included in the wheel wells (hydraulic and pneumatic accumulator bottles, etc) Molded-in detail is impressive in all three wheel wells. Separate drop-in sections are provided allowing display of the prominent belly-mounted air brake either open or closed. The separate open air brake has impressive interior detail. Internally, much detail is provided that has been absent or simplified in other kits. The well appointed cockpit/nose gear well assembly is made up of separate side consoles using both plastic and colored PE parts. The modeler will have to match the blue-green shade of the PE parts for the balance of the cockpit. All control surfaces are separate parts. MiG-21s are invariably parked with flaps up, but dropping them will be no problem, at least with blown-flap (SPS) variants. Earlier variants had a Fowler type flap. The many small cooling intakes on the aft fuselage, the control surface actuator fairings, and the five-part GSh-23 gun fairing are all separate parts (leaving off the gun fairing and using the main canopy without a rear view mirror will give you a MiG-21S). Fences on the upper wings are provided both in styrene and PE. As noted above, the main under-fuselage air brake can be assembled open or closed. The twin forward fuselage air brakes are molded closed, however separate wells, actuators, and the brakes themselves are provided, requiring cutting out the molded-in brakes to display them in the open position. The small gun gas deflector plates just forward of the forward air brakes are also provided in styrene and PE. The landing gear exhibits the same superb level of detail seen throughout the rest of the kit. Each leg is made up of multiple parts, with separate oleo scissors. Each wheel is made up of two tire halves, with separate hubs and brake assemblies. Both early and late style main gear hubs are provided. The gear doors are well detailed, with separate actuator arms for the main doors.    Decals printed by Cartograf are provided for six different MiG-21MF/SM's. A full set of stencils in both Czech and Russian are provided. Or at least that appears to be what Eduard were aiming for. The Czech language stencils look fine, but most of the Cyrillic stencils are gibberish. The decals are well printed, with perfect register and great color. Aircraft included are:
Japanese Mecha 08/15/2011
Japanese “Mecha” Kits Offer New Dimension on Modeling - By Chris Luna As modelers, we are well aware of what we (and others) like to build. There are the armor builders, the airplane modelers, the science fiction fans, the motor enthusiasts, and the occasional ship builder, but there is one set of science fiction modelers many may not know about, which focuses on Japanese “mecha,” or giant robots and other machines. Japanese sci-fi modeling is very broad, but for this article, the main focus will be on the Mobile Suit Gundam and Macross franchises. “Gundam” and “Macross” sound like nonsense words, but they actually represent some of the longest-lasting and most popular Japanese science fiction animation franchises of the past 30 years, and driving that popularity are scale models from each of those franchises. The model kit ranges are many and diverse, but like any other genre of modeling, they require the same skills and techniques to build and paint them effectively.  Above: Master Grade RX-178 Gundam Mk. II (“Version 2.0”) by Bandai. Built/painted by me, summer 2009 Spanning over 30 years through one mainline continuity (the “Universal Century”) of TV shows, movies, video releases, and many different unrelated spin-off continuities since the mid-1990s, the Mobile Suit Gundam franchise often revolves around the colonization of space and its conversion into a battlefield fought with “mobile suits,” which are essentially walking tanks, or space fighters with arms and legs. More agile, and more heavily armed and armored than your average tank or fighter, mobile suits form the lifeblood of Gundam’s plots and its model kits. In recent years, manufacturer Bandai-Namco has managed its Gundam releases under a wide array of scales and quality classes for all skill levels.  Above: Master Grade MS-06R-1A Zaku II High Mobility Type (“Version 2.0”) by Bandai. Built/painted by me, fall/winter 2009. In order to grasp the dizzying variety of Gundam models available, one must understand the skill levels and scales that Bandai has set out for hobbyists. First are the “no-grades.” These 1/100 and 1/144 scale kits usually date back to the 1980s and require paint and glue to complete, which is no mean task for experienced modelers. But the awkward proportions, poor articulation, and cartoonish lack of detail may be seen as a deal breaker or as a challenge to improve on the design, depending on your point of view. There are a few quality exceptions from the earliest lines and many kits from around 1988 or 1989 feature snap construction, relatively minimal paint requirements, good proportions, and decent articulation for the time.  Above: Master Grade Zaku II inner frame. Note high articulation in limbs and hands. Second are “High Grades,” which Bandai launched in the early 1990s, first in 1/144 scale, and then 1/100 scale (averaging around 4”-6” heights). Featuring better proportions, details, snap construction, and requiring little paint for a decent display, these somewhat inexpensive kits form the backbone of the Gundam model line. Kits manufactured before 2000 or so, however, often feature less detail and articulation than modern kits, but Bandai improves upon its designs year by year.  Above: Perfect Strike Gundam. Picture courtesy of Bandai and HobblyLink Japan. Third are “Master Grades,” which Bandai launched in the mid-1990s. Exclusively sold in 1/100 scale (averaging around 7”-8” heights), these larger kits feature greater amounts of detail and equipment. Like their High Grade counterparts, kits manufactured before 2000 lack a lot of articulation and relative detail, but again, Bandai improves upon its designs every year. Most models made after 2000 include highly detailed inner frames that greatly improve articulation and give experienced modelers greater chances to customize their builds.  Above: Real Grade RX-78 Gundam. Custom built and painted by “Schizophonic9” at http://schizophonic9.com/rg_rx78.html Fourth are “Perfect Grades,” which take the Master Grade template and bump it up a notch or two. Clocking in at 1/60 scale (around a foot tall), these enormous mecha include even finer surface details, and highly detailed and flexible inner frames and other gimmicks like fully poseable hands and light-up eyes and sensors. Launched in the late 1990s, the Perfect Grade line’s innovations have filtered down to Master Grade releases the past ten years.  Above: 1/72 Macross VF-1 Valkyrie by Hasegawa. Picture courtesy of HobbyLink Japan. Finally are “Real Grades,” which launched last year and combine the best traits of 1/144 High Grades with those of Master Grades and Perfect Grades, namely the small size of the former and the high detail and articulation of the latter. Only a few releases currently exist, but they represent iconic designs from the Gundam multiverse.  Above: 1/72 Macross VF-1 Super and Strike Valkyries by Hasegawa. Picture courtesy of HobbyLink Japan. The Macross franchise revolves around war with humanoid alien giants, and like Gundam, features giant mecha. Its claim to fame, however, is that its human mecha are aerospace fighters (known as variable fighters) that can transform into giant robot soldiers to go toe-to-toe with said aliens. Also like Gundam, Macross features many different kits and scales (many which can also transform!), but this article will focus on the static display aircraft models released in recent years. Manufactured by Hasegawa, Macross' 1/72 and 1/48-scale planes feature the same quality moldings and details that define Hasegawa’s real-world aircraft kits, but with a sci-fi twist. The standard kit is the “VF-1 Valkyrie” and is available in the standard configuration and the Super/Strike versions, which pack additional weapons and boosters. Also available (in true Hasegawa style) is an optional set of the original series’ signature weapons. Besides the VF-1, other 1/72 and 1/48 Macross planes exist that are exciting departures from real-world aircraft.  Above: 1/72 Macross VF-0 Phoenix. Picture courtesy of Hasegawa. So how does Japanese mecha modeling stack up to traditional modeling? Surprisingly, they share nearly everything in common. In Gundam modeling circles, customization is not only encouraged, it’s often expected. Don’t let the modern kits’ relatively easy construction fool you, for full paint jobs, custom paint schemes, weathered finishes, battle damage, dioramas, and upgraded details are common to the hobby. Nearly every technique used and encouraged in military and automotive modeling can be (and should be) used for mecha. As for Hasegawa’s Macross kits, their construction is identical to Hasegawa’s real-world aircraft: glue, paint, and steady hands are still required. Creatively, the sky is the limit, and don’t let ignorance of the subject matter intimidate you, for the same techniques for traditional models apply to mecha. If anything, use the box art as references for the environments and climates a particular mecha may face, and think outside the box if you so desire. (A spacegoing unit obviously will weather differently from a ground-based one.) Like traditional modeling, a whole cottage industry of custom upgrade parts exits to take your kits to the next level.  Above: 1/48 Macross VF-1 Valkyrie by Hasegawa. Picture courtesy of Hasegawa. So where do you go about finding mecha kits? For starters, HobbyTown USA often stocks a few in the science fiction aisle, but the internet is the best starting point for poking around. HobbyLink Japan (www.hlj.com) is the world’s premier exporter of mecha kits, and its English-language text and rich image content will make poking around and ultimately making a selection a breeze. Most older kits are now discounted 20% off their suggested retail prices. Hobbywave.com is a domestic vendor which charges more (accounting for overseas shipping), but features a flat $10 shipping fee to encourage multiple-item orders. Rainbow Ten’s (http://www.rainbowten.co.jp/english/) minimal site design and reliance on PayPal means a 20-25% discount on newer models. Mecha model prices are often comparable to traditional kits, but buyers have to account for overseas shipping. The best strategy may be researching on HobbyLink Japan’s site, then ordering on Rainbow Ten to get the best price (though shopping on HLJ can be cheaper). Hobbywave may be your best bet if you want to get more than one kit onto your workbench, however.  Above: 1/48 Macross YF-19 prototype by Hasegawa. Picture courtesy of Hasegawa. Mecha modeling is a popular, but often overlooked subset of science fiction modeling, but don’t let that distinction fool you. A polished mecha kit requires the same degree of attention as anything else, and they can be an amazing break from traditional builds. Variety is the spice of life, and there is little wrong with stepping a little outside of your comfort zone to try something else. Mecha are perfect for doing just that. Welcome Back, Scratching Post! 07/20/2011
To quote Heather O'Rourke in Poltergeist, "They're heeere!" The Scratching Post is back from beyond the grave. Check out the Archives to see what kind of greatness you've been missing. What's the Scratching Post, you ask? Well, Central Arkansas Scale Modelers, CASM for short, is the home of the Black Cats (get it? I thought you would... ) and the Scratching Post is a place for us to share news, ideas, thoughts, techniques, reviews, and much, much more. CASM has been all about sharing, lately. The past few months have been stocked full of new things for us to share the love of modeling, and our club, with you. We have a new look to the website and forum, we are recording monthly demonstrations, and streaming our meetings LIVE! We want to share with you all the time, so we have brought back the Scratching Post in a new form: The Scratching Post Blog! With all this sharing going on, CASM officers decided we needed some help with this latest project. So we contacted our dear (though not so near!) friend, "UK Mike" Mcellaney, to be the coordinator and moderator for the Scratching Post. Thanks, Mike! In order to keep things going, we need to hear from you! We know that taking photos and writing articles can seem daunting, so we're going to show you how. The demos for the next three months have been scheduled to show each of you how to best share your modeling in devours. August - How to take photos (Ken Childres) Ken is going to show us how to use a simple camera to take amazing photos of our models. He's going to give tips on lighting, backgrounds, and how to utilize the camera's built in features. September - How to write an article (Steve Wilson) Steve will share with us how to write clearly and concisely to best show our thoughts and ideas without confusing ourselves and other readers. October - How to use the website and forum (Brianna Childres) Brianna is going to wrap everything up by showing you how to navigate the website, post pictures and links on the forum, and submit articles. So that's it! That's the game plan. Hold your breath and wait for our next big issue. If you begin to turn blue or feel light headed, take a deep breath and start over... In the mean time, go build something! We need those articles! Happy Modeling! | The Scratching Post
The Central Arkansas Scale Modelers (CASM), home of the Black Cats, share their mindless dribble... I mean news, ideas, thoughts, techniques, reviews, and otherwise "intriguing" information here for the whole world to see. Please do not throw tomatoes at the screen... Not only does it leave a nasty mess, it hurts our feelings. :) Article Submission
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