Dynamic Views Option

Blogger has facilitated a Dynamic Views interface for easier viewing of blogs.
Although I am excited by the new templates, at the time of writing, I am not yet ready to switch to them and await to see the forthcoming additions before deciding.

In the meantime, what I can do is offer anyone that wishes to, a link to view Illumination5 in the dynamic views options by clicking on the following link:-

Illumination5 Dynamic View

I have the Magazine option selected as the default link. Modern browsers will have the ability to click onto the six other options displayed on the toolbar for preferred viewing.

Thank you and enjoy.

Revell Battlestar Galactica

The 97 reissue of the Revell Monogram Battlestar Galactica kit with built up detail on the side walls and additions of a few pylons on the surface.

FX-15 Eagle

This model was inspired by a concept painting I saw on the conceptships site. Tho the painting uses an F-14 Tomcat, I had a 1/72 Italieri F15 that was doing nothing interesting so I used that as the basis and tried to come up with an interesting little paint scheme.

The appendages fold away nicely enough for flight mode too.



Here is a link to the artists page on:- conceptships.blogspot

Hasbro Tauntaun

This is the Hasbro Tauntaun toy/action figure that came with a Luke Skywalker figure. I thought it would be a neat project to try and add some synthetic fur from a regular toy to it and see what would happen and if it would make a decent replica of the studio puppet. I was really happy with the results. Below are some renders followed by some regular pics.

Revell Colonial Viper

97 re-issue of the Revell Monogram Colonial Viper. The actual canopy of the kit is sealed with no interior. I cut out the sides, made a very basic seat and used a 1/32 figure for the pilot and made a helmet out of Milliput. I used a tad of blue lighting on the model for these pics just for effect.

MPC Millennium Falcon

This is the MPC (and later AMT/ERTL) Millennium Falcon. I know the kit has its detractors but I think its an exciting kit and what it lacks for acurrists, it makes up for in size and pure fun.
This is the first model I ever tried to light, but this took place long after construction so for the front headlights the bulbs sit externally to avoid cracking the model. Also the rear engine lights are in actuality a standard amber hue but for the picture it was altered to appear blue. My paint work/details are around 60% complete as there are lots more overall hull details that weren't too easily spotted in the regular references of the time. Since then, further books and the Star Wars touring exhibits (along with the kindly fans who have put their images on sundry web sites for all to share in) have allowed the sort of access one could only dream about in days gone by. My thanks to them all for allowing us to get so much closer to, and learn from the masters and artists that designed, created and built such wonderful ships.



These are some WIP pics of the Revell Millennium Falcon. The Revell kit is a little smaller than the MPC edition, but it offered a good opportunity to start this project from the outset and I'm having a bash at fully lighting it, including the landing lights and so forth. One of the problems with so many separate lighting paths (engines/ landing gear/ headlights/ cockpit/ side wall) is deciding where to go with all the wires. Hopefully I'll figure that out one of these days.

Revell TIE X-1

Revell Darth Vader's TIE Fighter, also known as the TIE X-1. A tad smaller than the classic MPC kit. Its quite a nice little snap fit kit, but it still lacks quite a few details and I carried out a bit of accurizing work and had a go at adding lighted engines and laser canons. The latter being a bit over sized given the scale. But I just wanted to see what the lighting would look like with lasers drawn on top of them when lit.
Again, I don't know how majestic or dynamic a model of this scale comes accross in pictures in comparison to the studio prop but here's some pics.

AMT/ERTL TIE Fighter

This was one of the first models I ever constructed, the AMT/ERTL TIE Fighter. Though only one ship is pictured the release is a great two kit set with a Death Star tile base and got me back into the hobby. It's probably around 1/48 scale and quite small for pictures.




A few years later I had one of those desires that causes you to carry out silly ideas, in this case try and build a bigger TIE to get better details for photography.



Why was it was a silly idea, well, essentially due to the lack of resources available locally. There's no real stockist or access to standard modelling supplies round here, so the main options are materials like automotive filler, cardboard and matchsticks and its just awkward and a bit too ambitious for the requirement so I didn't get or pursue it very far. Desires like that can be grounding though. They make you reevaluate things and tend to bring an appreciation for what you have as opposed to what you can't have. I imagine that happens a lot with hobbies, and you have to soothe that initial impulse and move on to other things, otherwise you get stuck and that wouldn't be much fun. On the other hand it could also be argued that abandonment might be an exercise to avoid thinking. I reckon in my case, its probably a little of both.