Trust me, If I’m going to make mistakes (which happens way more often than you would believe!) it will be during painting and weathering, where there are multiple colour changes, airbrush cleanups and masking.
4th February 2025
Hello everyone, I hope you are well!
A week or so ago I discussed my ongoing battle with frontend construction and why I continue to find it necessary to build almost everything in a kit before I apply a single layer of paint. If you would like to read more in that subject, please check out this update:
Today I found myself yet again falling foul of my own poor choices spending my time not so much enjoying the process of building a model, as enduring it. First World problems and all that (worth bearing in mind given much of what we read and see on the news) I tried to ignore it, but thought it worthy of further discussion if only to amuse you further and give you a growing insight into how nonsensical my approach to modelmaking can often be…
This debilitating aspect of my day job has now gotten so bad, I can almost hear every kit laughing from the desk. It’s as though the models are taunting me. They know that I really want to begin painting, but relish my inability to break free from self-imposed shackles that bind me. Camouflage painting and weathering? Sod that. Let’s have fun cleaning up endless 1/48 Mk.84 bombs instead, most of which I will not use when I decide – with painful inevitability – to change the loadout and use something entirely different, instead.
I could of course follow the instructions, building and painting as I go. That would be much more sensible, right? Right?! This would involve building the interior, and painting that. Closing the fuselage, completing the airframe and painting that. Applying the stickers and then weathering the whole shooting match. My day would as a result, involve bitesized morsels of enjoyment which we all crave, whether for relaxation or in my case, work. I could then deal with the smaller subassemblies (you know, like a sensible person would) rather than enduring the drudgery of endless tiny parts that I’m compelled to build before I ever turn to the paint pot.
So today, that’s all I’ve done: build endless small parts. It bored me rigid to be honest and now I have the added pressure of knowing that that bloody pile of parts, will all have to painted at the same time. Do you see where I’m going with this? Nothing is spread out. By focussing on assembling all of the parts, I now have to focus only on painting, which can sometimes require a degree of concentration that this particular schmuck finds hard to maintain. Trust me, If I’m going to make mistakes (which happens way more often than you would believe…) it will be during painting and weathering, where there are multiple colour changes, airbrush cleanups and masking. Oh Lord, masking…let’s not even start on that!
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Tomorrow, I will be able to apply some exterior paint and then start to bring everything together. My colour scheme has been chosen, paints collected together and my Procon Boy airbrush, cleaned up ready for action. I’ve even changed the white paper sheet on my painting desk, so that it is perfectly clean and dust free. Yes, I am that prepared. The only thing I have yet to do is prep those parts so that they are mounted on cocktail sticks blobs of Blue Tack and small sheets of foam board. That can all wait ’til morning, when I have something akin to mild enthusiasm, rather than a desire to do anything but!
It will be worth it. It will be worth it. It will be worth it!
In other news, today was our Tuesday for having our grandson, who is taking more and more interest in my studio and the display cases full of built up aircraft. It’s also the day that I have Super Noodles for lunch. He loves the old noodles, so much so that it has become something that we eat every Tuesday whether I want to or not. Truth be told I don’t mind though I have taken to making them a little more cordin blue with the addition of cheese and then having them on toast, drizzled with a fine layer of finest Sriracha. I’ll be on Masterchef before you know it!
Well, that about wraps up today. All that remains is for me to wish you all a wonderful rest of the day and I will see you tomorrow!
DAY’S MUSIC CHOICES
Before singing off, I’ve had day of prog rock, amongst other things that has helped with my ongoing sub-assembly battles. Here is the list for today…
Public Service Broadcasting: Every Valley
Marillion: This Strange Engine
Marillion: Live In Grand Rapids 1997
Porcupine Tree: Fear Of A Blank Planet
Pineapple Thief: Your Wilderness
- A MODELMAKER’S LIFE: AIRBRUSHED PAINTWORK AND IAN DURY & THE BLOCKHEADS…
- A MODELMAKER’S LIFE: TOMCAT ASSEMBLY…
- A MODELMAKER’S LIFE: STILL UNWELL…
- A MODELMAKER’S LIFE: LURGY, LEGO AND A TAMIYA TOMCAT…
- A MODELMAKER’S LIFE: UNWELL…
I’ve just completely revamped mine, and I’m still refining it, and making a few 3D prints that will fill some…
My sympathies- I’m on day 6, and feeling just a bit better. Good luck!
Hope you get over the flu but soon Spencer. Without sounding a bit, how can I put it, full.of doom.…
That’s a great kit, enjoy.
Hope you feel better soon!
SPENCER POLLARD'S KIT BOX 
Great music selections today! I too struggle with assembly and the tedium of preparing to get to a point where I can begin to paint. Bouncing to other projects just makes it worse!
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Same here, builds all take time and TLC. Patience is a real virtue. As we get older that tends to run thinner, bored with the basics in search of the ‘nice’ stuff! I have to restrain myself too. It isn’t just about slapping paint on, the process has to be gone through properly otherwise we’ll regret it shortly afterwards. Believe me, the more we do the more we have to fight against the annoyances 😉
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I get it about building and painting in subassemblies, but, gawd, I hate cleaning that airbrush, so I assemble as much as I can and then paint everything I can in one session. Weather, rinse and repeat ‘till it becomes one assembled model. Yup, it can get boring and stifle the inspiration, but it’s the compromise I make with myself.
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Ever listened to a prog rock group called Pallas???
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