How I prepare for a model

Spruecutters week 13

I suppose that I should start this one by saying that I am a very visual and emotional modeler. I generally don't buy or make anything unless it "takes my fancy". This has over the years led to problems such as "now I've bought it what the hell am I going to do with it!" A perfect example of this is a 1/35 Tankietka (maker unknown) that I bought and made around 8 years ago. I had lots of fun building it and adding extra detail. its a lovely little thing with loads of character, however after 8 years I still haven't figured out a vignette setting to display it in. I'm sure that I will come up with an idea one day and if you have one then I would be really grateful for the suggestions. Below is a photo of this lovely little vehicle with a part painted dragon figure in the same scale for size reference.

I also have an Italeri mini sub that I built last year without a plan for displaying it and only now I have thought of something. I won't include a picture of that just yet as It is currently the subject of my next website page, so keep your eyes peeled for that one ;-)

So my usual pre-model preparations used to be to take the kit out of the box, build it using as many reference photos as possible and while doing this think of an original setting to put it into. This payed off sometimes and other times I spectacularly failed in my endeavors consigning the completed kit to a storage box!!

Nowadays I use a number of different note books where I "store" my ideas as they come to me. This has proved very handy for me as I have the memory retention of a goldfish when it comes to models in the sense that after having a big idea I tend to have another one shortly after and the first disappears. I also try not to build a kit in my stash unless I have a definite plan of exactly what I want to do with the kit and the setting for it. Occasionally I get a flash of inspiration from seeing a kit and  go ahead and buy it, build it and create a setting for it straight away, this does not happen often but an example of this is my Vietnam mule dio. I saw the model and it triggered a memory of the film full metal jacket and I instantly knew what I wanted to do with it. You can view this dio HERE . So I suppose after taking you through the ramblings of my mindset; my pre-model preparations can be summarized as follows:

See a model
Buy the model
Research the model as much as possible
Wait for divine inspiration
Write down the ideas in my "ideas book"
Wait to finish my current project
Start the project
Hope for the best!

I hope that you enjoyed reading this. If you would like to know what other modelers rituals are then click this link for the sprue cutters members page where you will find the links to their blogs. LINK HERE