Creating an eye-catching model of UP’s Anaheim Yard has less to do with skill than effective decision making. That being the case, doing so is within reach for even entry-level modelers. A world-class musician? Pure skill. A PGA golfer? Pure skill. Artists such as Vermeer and Hopper? The same. Exceptional model railroading results? Not so […]
In August of last year I wrote a post on the topic of caricature, caricature being defined as an artistic style leaning towards the exaggeration of features. In model railroading terms it’s an orientation that focuses more on fantasy and whimsy. Styles fall on a spectrum with modelers spread out among various approaches depending on […]
Tony Koester made some excellent points in his March Trains of Thought column. The piece dealt with one of the most important modeling topics, color management. He made a point that often gets skipped over and that’s the fact that we view things through atmosphere. As a result, saturation drops off with distance. In addition, […]
The challenge of having so much information instantly at our fingertips is, that when something particularly insightful is written, it can get lost in the background noise. There is no element of modeling that contributes more to visual impact and plausibility than nailing the colors. To that end, Tony Koester’s editorial on color strategy in […]
The Jack Delano photo above is an example of using contrast to emphasize a subject. Note how the white skyscraper stands out from its neighbors. Also notice that the neighboring structures are fairly similar in color. All of the hues are plausible. A key concept in art theory is that of directing the viewer’s eye, […]