Some of you are already familiar with this build of mine. It was a German Panther that I build for a Build on another site. It was my "re-entry" into modeling, after a near three decade hiatus! It got me back into a hobby, and a craft, that I hadn't ventured in for too long a time.
A lot had changed in the model build universe in my absence. It is more an artform, as applied by so many talented modelers I have come to respect and befriend here (and elsewhere for a time...ahemmm). For one thing, I used to slap these puppies together rather shoddily compared to how I endeavor now. There is a sence of craftsmanship and artistic expression in the process now; where before, it was just a hobby. That was a big change for me. The models have skyrocketed in price, which shocked me. Once an item under $10 US is now upwards of $40-50-60.... Geeeeeeeez! The other thing that shocked me was, they are relegated to hbby shops now; where once upon a time, just about every toy store and department store had tons of them! I was dismayed that such a cool pastime is no longer "in the face" of young consumers being hauled in the department stores by Mommie. That's a shame.
Anyway, I am now firmly hooked big time, and see many years ahead of me in this wonderful craft. I currently have about 25 models in my stash waiting to be built...bought at model shows and estate sales, at a fraction of the cost of the hobby stores.
This is the Panther...
These are the roadwheels...Oh my Heaven's, one of the more laborious aspects of any armor build! The method I've adopted to ease the burden is to use a Sharpie black permanent magic marker to do the "rubber" on the roadwheels. This allows a high degree of accuarcy, and when weather commences, the shiny "gloss" of the marker tones down just fine. It's a very good method, other than painting with a fine brush.
Roadwheels made me question, a tad, what I had gotten myself into joining the Build...but I found I really appreciated the "Zen" (as Geek44 so aptly described it) feeling of letting hours pass in a worthwhile, and fun, endeavor!