Another visit to the MFCA figure show

The Miniature Figure Collectors of America MFCA Show and Mart has always been one of my favorite model contests to attend, so I was surprised to see that it's been three years since my last visit! The show has seen its fair share of ups and downs over the years, but if this year is any indication, interest in the show remains strong with many of the big names in the hobby in attendance. Here is a selection of my favorite entries in the show. Enjoy!

Jason Whitman's sculpting and painting improves with every passing year. The pinstripes on this 54mm baseball player are testament to his progress.

Greg DiFranco isn't the most prolific painter in the hobby, but every figure that he produces is absolutely outstanding. Look at the pattern of this Trompette du Regiment Turenne.

It's not uncommon to see two modelers team up to create a stunning figure or vignette in the figure community. (Why is this not common in plastic modeling circles?) These Prussians by Michele Scelsci (sculptor) and Marco Bariselli (painter) were a favorite among the show's attendees.

I love Victorian era uniforms, so this vignette from Anders Heihtz was among my personal favorites.

One of the best busts in the show was this German WW1 stormtrooper from Young Miniatures, painted by Dave Youngquist. It featured a variety of color and texture.

Barry Biediger displayed several boxed dioramas that were stunning. Each was a peek (literally) into the apartments of everyday people. He adeptly captured a sense of composition and mood with every one of them.

Another example of Barry's work.

So-called "flats" are as close as we'll get to being true "artists." This example, titled "Femme a l'Evantail" was beautifully painted by Retuerto Analia.

Another exceptional flat, this one from Catherine Cesario Poisson.

Fantasy subject matter has become incredibly popular over the last five years. I haven't always been a fan of this trend, but work like this is slowly convincing me that there's an important place for these figures in our hobby. This guy was the best entry among several from France's Michael Volquarts.

Another example of Michael's exceptional painting, a bust of Bruce Willis. (Is it a "bust" if there's no torso?) I could sit and study those flesh tones for hours!

Gary Beetley's vignette remind us that small, compact compositions are almost always more effective than large, expansive ones.

On of the best modelers I've every met is Pete Dawson. I include his Takom Skoda Turtle here because of the way he chose to paint it...and you're not going to believe it. He hand-painted it using Tamiya acrylic paints! That's not a typo. Seriously. The guy knows how to manage and handle paint like no one else. He weathered each color with artist oils (he's a figure modeler at heart) and hand-painted the brown surrounds with oils as well.

Two new figures for your Airfix 1/24 Typhoon

Figures are usually an afterthought within the aircraft modeling community. Unless you're showing an airplane in flight or creating a diorama of a plane being loaded with armament, figures rarely have a place with aircraft. I've always thought that unfortunate, because unless you – and the people who see your models – are familiar with aircraft, it's difficult to appreciate the size of any one particular airplane without a common point of reference. And what better point of reference than a human being, who we instinctively assume to be roughly six feet tall?

When you think about it, the lack of figures in the hobby shouldn't be surprising given how many poorly sculpted pilot figures are on the market. I've seen many great looking aircraft online or in contests where a shabby figure detracted from the overall appeal of the model.That's why I'm always excited to see quality figures of pilots. Series 77 was among the first of the major manufacturers to produce one back in the 1970s. In the 1980s Verlinden's cadre of (anonymous) sculptors gave us two or three more. Even today, there's generally a lack of really good figures of pilots.

But hold your horses! Two exceptional new figures are coming to the market this month, and those of you who own or are planning to buy Airfix's outstanding 1/24 Typhoon will want to take a look at them. Each is sculpted by one of the best sculptors in the figure hobby.

The first is from Steve Warrilow of The Fusilier. The company is best know for its extensive line of World War One subject matter, but this release comes as a welcome surprise to those with an affinity for World War Two aviation and the Typhoon. The figure can be displayed with or without the life vest and includes a choice of three heads.

The other figure comes to us via Barracuda Studios from the hands of one of my absolute favorite sculptors, Mike Good. Mike's work is unrivaled in the hobby, and all of his figures, regardless of the subject, are must-haves in my book. Mike reports on planetFigure that it will be available to those of you attending the Telford show.

Both figures look outstanding and will be an excellent addition to your display of the Airfix Typhoon. Not to mention as a standalone figure, too.

5 hard truths about scale modeling

Like any endeavor or hobby, scale modeling is full of challenges. Here are five hard truths about our hobby that you need to accept.

1. There are no “tricks”

Is there a trick to scribing around external fuel tanks? Are there any tricks to painting instrument panels? Is there an easy way to paint ejection seat handles? These questions have recently been asked in one form or another on the forums. All too often I see modelers looking for easy solutions or “tricks” to the challenges of building, painting, and weathering models, and with few exceptions I find myself wanting to be brutally honest and tell them that nothing is easy.

My favorite example is modelers looking for a trick to paint the eyes of a figure. There are none. It's fucking hard. No, decals don't work. You need a high-quality brush, a steady hand, and practice to apply the white of the eyes, the iris, the pupil. If you’re looking for an easy solution, you’re going to be disappointed.

2. There’s always someone else better than you

A few months ago someone wrote on ARC that the last time he’d entered a contest he saw that other models were much better than his. Welcome to the real world. No matter what you do in this life, someone is going to be better than you, make more money, own nicer things. For example, I exercise regularly. Many of the guys in the gym are stronger than me or can run farther than me. So what? I have my own path to follow based on my body type, my genes, and my fitness goals. Comparing myself with other people only sets me up for frustration.

Same thing applies to scale modeling. I’m a good modeler, but there are others much better than me. That doesn’t diminish my enjoyment of the hobby. Changing your mindset from intimidation to inspiration will make you a happier and potentially better modeler.

3. Airbrushing is difficult

One of the most difficult skills to master in our hobby is airbrushing. It’s easy to ask questions about paint preferences and thinning ratios, but ultimately you have to spend a lot of time with your particular airbrush/compressor setup, different types of paint, and dozens of experiments with thinners and thinning ratios to discover what works for you. And once you find that perfect formula, you’ll still need to spend a great deal of time learning how to apply the paint to the model so that it’s not too thick, too rich, or out-of-scale. If you’re new to the hobby, expect this process to take several years, at least.

4. Models are expensive

I remember balking at the $21 price tag of the first Hasegawa 1/48 F-4 Phantom that I purchased in the mid-1980s. Today that would be a bargain, even for a 1/72 scale kit. We need to face the harsh reality of our hobby today: kits are expensive. We can debate price relative to accuracy, but it is what it is. If models are too expensive for you, find a new hobby or do what most of us do, which is to wait until they go on sale or you can find one up at a contest. The incessant complaining about prices is pointless and annoying. And frankly, I believe the hobby is still a good value relative to other ways you could spend your money.

5. Figure painting is a completely different hobby

Have you ever tried to paint a pilot for your aircraft or paint figures for an armor diorama? It’s hard, right? I built plastic models – aircraft and armor – for years before I first attempted a figure. When I did, when I started using artist oils that most figure painters use, I realized that figures have practically nothing in common with plastic models.

If you’re looking to incorporate figures into your models, be ready for a steep learning curve or be willing to accept figures that detract a little from your otherwise excellent craftsmanship.

The passing of Andrei Koribanics

I know most of you don't do figures, but that community lost one of the greats overnight, Andrei Koribanics.

Andrei was best known for his outstanding miniature creations in 54mm and larger. When I first started painting figures back in the mid-1990s his "Eye Deep In Hell" was for me one of the best examples of modeling and painting I'd ever seen. He wrote an article about it for Internet Modeler back in 2001.

You can see more of his figures on his personal web site.

Andrei was also an accomplished aircraft modeler and was particularly adept with bi-wing aircraft, which as we all know are extremely challenging and require an almost engineer-like prowess to master. It's incredibly rare to find a modeler who excels -- and I mean truly excels -- at more than one area of our craft, but Andrei did. For that reason alone he will hold a special place in scale modeling history.

You can see more of Andrei's aircraft at:

World War One French aircraft
World War One Central Powers aircraft
Mitsubishi A6M2 Zero

So you think you're creative?

So you think you're creative? You had some decals custom made? Proudly mixed your own colors from scratch? Created a what-if by putting A-10 engines onto a Beaufighter?

Yea, that's nice. But check out this figure from Mark Stothard of New South Wales in Australia. This is creativity at its best. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

You can see additional photos and comments about the figure on planetFigure.

Thanks to Mark for permission to share his photograph here on Scale Model Soup.

Modeling at its most lifelike

I suspect most of you are plastic modelers, building aircraft, armor, ships, cars in various scales. You may not realize how much raw talent there is in the world of figure modeling. These are the guys who frequent the annual MMSI show in Chicago, MFCA in Pennsylvania (you may recall my brief report about this year's show), and the World Expo, which is rotated around the world every two years. Let's set aside their sick skills with paint and look at an incredible example of sculpting.

Korea's Sang Eon Lee has been sculpting and releasing a regular series of resin figures, mostly 20th century subject matter, such as this Waffen SS Infantryman bust or this one of Winston Churchill. But his most recent release may be his best yet, this bust of Douglas MacArthur. I can't imagine the the talent required to replicate a likeness this precise. I hope you appreciate it as much as I do.

A visit to the MFCA figure show

Back in my high school days I was introduced to a corner of our hobby that few plastic modelers spend time exploring…figures. One evening the local IPMS chapter president called to tell me that the author of a FineScale Modeler article about painting figures lived in my small town. When he mentioned the guy’s name, I realized I knew of his son, David, a year younger than me in school.

I could be melodramatic here and say that that one phone call changed my life. I introduced myself to David, and nearly 30 years later he’s one of my best friends. (I wrote about our visit to a favorite hobby shop last year.) I also met David’s father. Larry quickly introduced me to the world of armor and figures and became an early mentor to me. Although I originally built aircraft, Larry’s influence led me to spending good chunks of time over the years building armor and painting figures.

Last weekend I attended the Miniature Figure Collectors of America MFCA Show and Mart in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, also known as “The Valley Forge Show” given its proximity to that historic site. If you’ve never attended a figure show, you should. You’ve probably glanced at the entries in the figure categories at local IPMS contests or even the IPMS National Convention, but with all due respect to those modelers, the level of artistry at a pure figure show is much higher. These shows attract the best painters from around the United States and Europe.

Having spent a good deal of time building plastic models (aircraft and armor) and figures, I’ve come to the conclusion that they are two completely different hobbies. The techniques and media used in each are very different, and while the focus with plastic models tends to be on engineering, the focus with figures is artistry. It’s a completely different mindset, and not every plastic modeler can make the transition (or vice versa).

Here are a few photos I took at the MFCA show to give you some appreciation for the work on display. The pictures don’t do the figures justice; in fact, the photos make many look worse. You really must see them in person. Unfortunately there aren’t as many pure figure shows as there are traditional model contests, so the opportunity of attending one relies on circumstance to some  extent.  But first, here’s a list of the clubs that sponsor the five major shows, should one be in your neck of the woods.

Military Miniature Society of Illinois
Miniature Figure Collectors of America
Long Island Historical Miniature Collectors Society
Historical Miniatures Society of Northeastern Oklahoma
Southern California Area Historical Miniatures Society

Fantasy pieces were very popular this year, like this scratchbuilt bad dream!

Another fantasy figure. Note that the blue light is not real. That illumination is painted!