marijn van gils wrote:
Ay, then I have to disappoint you I'm affraid...
I have seen some smoke and fire effects look excellent on photograph (when not zoomed in too much), but so far I never, ever, seen any look good in the flesh. Maybe a matter of peronal style and taste, but since I want my models to look good in the flesh first and foremost, you will just have to imagine the fire and smoke...
Cheers,
Marijn
I completely agree... I think it is because we are all used to seeing 'still' images in photos and can imagine the actual real scene when we see fire and flames on a diorama... although some still look fairly terrible, there a a small number of modellers who can achieve a pretty realistic effect that works quite well in a photograph.
But in real life, I have never, ever, seen a diorama with flames and smoke that looks anything other than an unrealistic mess... and I am sorry off that offends anyone.
Similarly with models weathered to suit other modellers or to be more accurate, photographs taken by modellers for modellers illustrating a weathering technique on a finished ship.
The models that look by far the most realistic are the ones done with some finesse (Martijns Amagi being a perfect example).
Heavily weathered is fine. To be realistic, or to match the weathering seen on the prototype, some ships need to be heavily weathered... but that isnt the same as heavy handed weathering... or 'weathering for modellers', which seems to be in fashion again now (remember all the grief Verlinden used to get...!).
I think this Amagi thread is one of the best master courses on weathering a ship model... or any model to be honest, that I have seen for quite some time.
And now I cant wait to see how you work through Victory at Trafalgar... that is going to be another masterclass... Its going to be a long, long project. But all the rest of us, those of us who aspire to become better modellers, will benefit so much from the experience of following your progress...
But back the point... it�s interesting that some modellers will work towards a model that works well when photographed and displayed online or in a print... but for models that are finished to work well in real life... fine, finessed and beautifully executed weathering - regardless of how heavy it is... is an absolute must... and this Amagi is a fantastic example of really high quality work. And in my opinion anyway, smoke and flames just don�t work... not in real life when you are viewing the model in real time... as opposed to a �frozen in time� moment you see in a photograph... and only then if it is done extremely well... and I have only ever seen a couple of examples that appealed.. and even they would look strange and unrealistic in real life...
...and so I am
so relieved you wouldn't consider smoke and flames...
