BONSAI BONUS - MICRO-TREE MEETS HEAVY-METAL TRIKE-BIKE

Competition for Japan?

It took only a short while after our article on the Japanese artist Takanori Aiba for SMN contributor Mat Irvine to email us this pic of his neat UK competitor.

Glowing shades

The Rickshaw Trike motorcycle was painted in bright colours to match the sort of gaudy schemes seen in bustling towns and cities across Asia.

Neat presentation

Mat’s bonsai tree certainly fits the bill so far as theatrical presentation is concerned, as does the ceramic urn that holds tree and bike. We’re not sure what scale or kit the Trike came from, but doubtless we’ll find out and report in good time.

Space dome and squirrel shelter

Note the other model behind the Trike - it’s a 1:72 scale Apollo lunar landing diorama, laid out in a nifty circular section of specially-made moonscape. The perspex dome is a good touch - it looks very ‘spacey’ as a display device. Mind you, such specialist items can be expensive, so it’s worth looking around for cheaper options. We found a slightly weird polycarbonate ‘Squirrel Dome and Feeder Shelter’ which could be deconstructed and used for scale display purposes. There’s a link to the device below.

Summation

Takanori Aiba doesn’t have it all his own way! We’ll be using bonsai trees as alien growths to set off our own current sci-fi project, a stealth Millennium Falcon. 

Maybe they’re not rickshaws, but these sidecar models and kits are worth a look here.

Squirrel Dome and Feeder Shelter here.

Bonsai trees here and here.

Takanori Aiba article here.

LATEST ‘BIG MINI’ TO 1:24 SCALE FROM HASEGAWA

First look at the big Mini:

We’re pleased to report that supplies of the Hasegawa Mini Cooper S ALL4 Countryman are available now. The model represents the 4-wheel drive performance version of the biggest car in the BMW Mini range. It’s a 1:24 scale kit of this newish vehicle, and has 104 components in the box.

Alternative parts

The kit developers at Hasegawa have decided to include two wheel styles, plus parts that allow modelmakers the choice of building the kit in either left- or right-hand drive versions. The kit looks an excellent choice for anyone interested in Minis old and new, and the upright boxy outline of the vehicle makes an interesting comparison with the smaller original car of the 1960s. 

Not really a Mini?

Purists often complain that the current BMW Mini is not small enough, and that the bigger Countryman range bloats the beast even more. However, it’s no worse than first time round in the 1970s, when the Brits introduced the shed-like Maxi as a mega-Mini variation. The Countryman certainly provides the interior space that many people need, so it earns its success in the car market - even if it’s kinda pig-ugly with it. Mind you, that’s our opinion - we’ve all got our own ideas on auto styling, so if you like the car’s looks, that’s fine: it’s up to individual choice.

Rally racer

Looker or minger, the Mini Cooper Countryman is an absolute blast in the World Rally Championship (WRC), and this is where keen modelmakers could take this kit, shake it up, and create a really terrific-looking model, dressed in full-metal racing gear. As the pictures show, the new WRC car is a serious piece of competition machinery, even if it towers over the original Monte Carlo Mini like a beetroot-red Incredible Hulk. The styling sketches (below) show the way to an ace conversion of this plain vanilla standard-spec Hasegawa kit. 

Summation

A terrific little kit to 1:24 scale, and absolutely ripe for conversion to full racing spec. Who’s going to be first with a show-winning diorama?

Visit heaps of Hasegawa kits here, from racers to robots.

Tamiya 1:24 kit of the original Austin Mini Cooper 1275S here.

AMAZING MINIATURE WORLDS - BONSAI MEETS MODELMANIA

Tiny treats from Japan:

Tending to a bonsai tree is a labour of love that takes plenty of TLC, but Japanese artist Takanori Aiba has taken the whole concept a quantum leap into the model world, by combining live trees with blow-your-mind superdetail scale models.

Cool magazine in Japan

Aiba has worked for many years in the fashion magazine world, especially with Popeye, a super-cool mag aimed at street-smart Japanese males. However, it’s his model work we’re looking at here, and that hearks back to traditional Japanese imagery and botany more than the uber-fashions of today.

Oriental philosophy

Aiba has spent years on these beautiful works, described by him as: “an experimental approach to turn out a modern bonsai style that portrays the beauty of spiritual accordance between human and nature in miniature.” That’s a bit of a mouthful perhaps, but words are earned by results, and Aiba hits it big in that department, and comes as a breeze of fresh air in the conservative world of bonsai-growing.  

Growing a bonsai

How does he produce the bonsai models? Well, the tree comes first, whether you start with a seed or a ready-grown tree. Cultivating one includes pruning, trimming, potting-on, grafting and so on, resulting in a a tiny tree that mimics in every way its full-size equivalent. When fully-grown the bonsai stays small by being planted in a display pot, where the small volume restricts further growth.

Bonsai or scale rail?

Takanori Aiba adds to that basic gardening work by building in scale models of windmills, lighthouses, a Michelin Man and much more besides. In fact, they are strong reminders of the best in scale model rail layouts, where mini-stories are the thing - look into the detail and you can see things happening. 

Fantasy flavour

There’s a strong fantasy element, so anyone who enjoys the work of artists like Renee Magritte or Salvador Dali is going to feel at home with Aiba. He is an award-winner too, with many commendations under his belt, including Design Awards from Hong Kong, Japan, and New York. Solo exhibitions of his imagery, and and lectures on design are part of his life, as are works in a variety of publications.

Summation

It’s good to see mature artists like Aiba producing stuff of this calibre - born in 1953, he’s put years of experience into these models. Not that he does it all alone, having the help of civil engineer Murakami, who does much of the actual construction. 

Great stuff - of interest to creatives, art critics, and modelmakers alike.

Visit Takanori Aiba here.

Want to grow a bonsai? Start here with a seedling kit here or a fully-grown specimen here.

Visit Popeye magazine here.

REVELL VITRUVIAN MAN - FAMOUS FELLA, SIMPLE KIT

Mat Irvine reports:

Apart from the Mona Lisa, the Vitruvian Man pen-and-ink sketch is probably Leonardo’s da Vinci’s most famous image, and something of an international trademark. And it’s now the subject for Revell’s latest Leonardo kit, the only model in the series that represents a more metaphysical side, rather than his designs and inventions.

Baker’s dozen build-up

Vetruvian Man is the simplest kit so far in the da Vinci series, consisting of just 13 pre-cut wooden parts. Seven of these are for the base and nameplate, which leaves six to create a 3D representation of Vitruvian Man himself. As with the other kits, the wood parts are laser-cut, which leaves a suitably ‘aged’ look to the edges, and the supplied bottle of PVA glue can cement everything together in very short order. 

Assembling the base

The base is built up first, the box structure held together with elastic bands while the glue dries, then it’s a simple matter of slotting the various circles into place.

Impressive size

So far as stats go, Vitruvian Man is straightforward enough. The 1:16 scale results in a model measuring 201 mm (8.25 in) across by 290 mm (11.4 in) high. That’s roughly the same size as a 3D version of an A4 typing sheet in fact, and certainly big enough to look reasonably impressive - erudite even - on a suitable display shelf. 

Full instructions

The English language section of the supplied booklet has the usual parchment-look graphic treatment. Purist graphic designers may think 'the look' is getting a little hackneyed by now, but for the rest of us, it manages to convey the historical nature of the kit well. The instruction booklet pages feature easy to understand diagrams - though with only 13 parts, the build-up shouldn't be too difficult to comprehend. 

 

About da Vinci

It’s true to say that Leonardo da Vinci was the original 'Renaissance Man', in that he encompassed many disciplines in art, design and technology. Not only is he known for his multitude of designs and inventions, but also for paintings and sketches, drawings and dissections.

Proving a theory

One of Leonardo’s projects was to carefully measure people, to try and quantify the way humans were developing. This was based on a similar project done 1500 years previously by the Roman architect, Vitruvius - or to give him his full title, Marcus Vitruvius Pollo, which explains the name of the drawing - (original above) and of the kit. The measurements helped prove a Leonardo theory that the average human size was changing - we were getting taller, but thinner. This he mapped out with a human form standing upright, arms outstretched against a square, superimposed on a second pose with legs splayed and arms raised, matched to a circle. 

Summation

The Revell Vitruvian Man is an easy kit to build - and likely of the most unusual subject you’ll see in a model collection.

SMN comment:

This is an interesting kit, but a bigger IWOOT for the SMN Crew will be the upcoming multi-gun circular tank concept, due for release by Revell in Q3, 2012. The tank’s stats make it of real interest - 1:24 scale, 206 mm (8.1 in) diameter, 143 mm (5.6 in) high. It’ll be a no-brainer to use it as the star of a mediaeval diorama or fighting fantasy set-piece. What’s more, it’ll be more of a build than Vitruvian Man - no 13-part assembly for Leonardo’s tank: instead, there’ll be 163 components stuffed into the box.

There's more

Logos based on Vitruvian Man have been used here, there and everywhere - and even in space, as the logo for the old Skylab II NASA mission.

 Vitruvian Man in space.

Statue in a London park.

Beyond the grave, as Zombie Man.

KIT INVASION - SPACE CRAFT, EAGLE OWL, PIGGYBACK PLANE, AND MORE

SMN comment:

A glance through the 2012 Revell catalogue reveals a feast of model treats, from standard items to new stuff. And it all looks very tasty indeed. The first new offering that takes our interest is on the front cover, a 1:144 scale model of the Virgin Galactic space travel contender, Space Ship Two and its carrier jet White Knight Two. The pair will form an imposing centrepiece to a space collection, as WK2’s wingspan is 296 mm (11.7 in), a good size for this small scale.

Airborne Owl

A newly confirmed item is the upcoming 1:32 scale Heinkel He 219 Uhu (Eagle Owl). This exotic looking late-World War II night fighter hasn’t been a subject of too many kits in the past, so to see it arriving in this large scale is all the more welcome. According to Revell’s published spec, the twin-engine He 219 Uhu - the first service aircraft in any air force to have ejection seats fitted - will have a wingspan of 578 mm (22.8 in) and length of 486 mm (19.1 in). Parts counters (like us) will note there’ll be plenty of assembly work, as the box will be packed with some 250 components. And the finished result will be nice and large, allowing it to join forces with a whole bunch of big-scale Luftwaffe aircraft from Revell.

Piggyback plane

Revell reveals an intriguing item in mid-size 1:48 scale, with another Mistel (Mistletoe) design, one that teamed a Focke Wulf Fw 190 flying piggyback atop a Ta 154, converted to form a flying megabomb. The Mistel was an interesting idea that was near-useless as a serious weapon, and only a couple of hundred were made. This particular Mistel variation will look good in model form, even if it was a concept that remained a paper project, until the whole idea was overtaken by Allied victory in Europe.

Absent tail markings

But there’s another kit, a Messerschmitt Bf 109, that reflects a political and social change that has happened in relatively recent years, as it shows an Allied aircraft, in this case a Royal Air Force P-40, being shot down over the North African desert. This was an unusual depiction, even unacceptable to many, just a few years ago. And even now, World War II Luftwaffe aircraft are depicted without their tail marking, the Nazi swastika. In Germany and Austria, it remains illegal to show the symbol, a ban that includes kits - hence for strict accuracy, you’ll have to go to third-party decal suppliers.

Nazis from the Moon

A movie that shows something of the rehabilitation of German attitudes toward the past as just been premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival. Iron Sky (trailer above) features a Nazi attack using Luftwaffe 1946-style secret anti-gravity weapons, launched from a secret base on - guess where? - the far side of the Moon! Iron Sky looks to be an entertaining piece of lampooning sci-fi comedy that was partly funded by internet micro-subscriptions, and directed by Finnish indy director, Timo Vuorensola. It seems worth a view, not least for the ace hardware.

Plenty of Revell aircraft kits here.

IMPROBABLE MODELS FROM FANTASY-MASTER GREG DeSANTIS

SMN report:

Today’s images are a trip back in time to the years 2005 and 2006, when US concept artist and modelmaker Greg DeSantis made a series of compelling fantasy and science-fiction models. However, these were not wood, plastic, or metal creations - instead, they were 3D models created in a computer - for Greg was, and is, a gifted digital modelmaker.

Museum of the Improbable

To publicize his virtual creations, Greg also created another masterpiece, the Museum of the Improbable, its slogan: “Because reality can be overrated”. Which is surely the sort of byline that can be taken up by anyone who’s keen on the twin genres of fantasy and sci-fi.

Models on sale

Greg DeSantis made the models for sale as limited edition downloads, and by all accounts that side of things was the success it deserved to be - within a year, sales were complete, but the site itself stays on - and you can go there using the link below.

Virtual or reality?

Well, if they are virtual, you might ask: “Why are they on Scale Model News?” Well, we reckon that just as scale models of movie creations - such as Star Trek or Batman - are essentially based on nothing but dreams, then these are no different. And we’d love to see some ‘real’ display models created using Greg’s originals as inspiration.

Flyer and walker

The 3D models of Greg DeSantis include hard-tech spacecraft and military walkers that would not look out of place in a scene from any of the Star Wars sagas. We like the mini-diorama bases that Greg has included, giving them an air of miniature reality.

Deadly alien vs space trooper

The alien creature striding around a section of spacecraft hull is hardly something you’d like to meet on a wet Friday night, though the armoured figure burning his way through another section of hull looks like rescue is at hand.

Man, myth and magic

The Minotaur-like beast comes straight from the pages of Ancient Greek myth stories, while an Eastern Samurai-style warrior gets ready to hack his way through the tough carapace of a giant beetle. Ugh!

The giant beetle can stay a fantasy we reckon.

Steampunk adventures

A Victorian-era adventuress manages to show plenty of comely flesh, while exploring the Island of the Dead. The steampunk-style Nautilus submarine is a homage to the Disney original, made for the movie 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Greg also depicted the giant squid that the crew of the Nautilus battled, both in Jules Verne’s original book, and in the silver screen recreation.     

Summation

Fantastical stuff, and a delight to the eye. Use any of these as inspiration for your next fantasy kitbash and you won’t go far wrong.

Visit the Museum of the Improbable here.

Lots of sci-fi and fantasy models to make here.

BEAUTIFUL ROMAN BATH - QUEEN OF CITIES, AND A BRIDGE OF MINIATURES

SMN tourist treat:

We’re not really dollshouse people here at SMN, but a recent visit to the Roman city of Bath, UK, for software training had us scrutinizing products for enthusiasts of very small houses. Bath itself dates back to Roman times, when it earned the name Aqua Sulis, and its present-day name derives from the splendid baths built by the Romans. So where do modern miniatures come into the picture?

Pulteney Bridge

The story is all about Pulteney Bridge (above), which is one of the very few bridges in the world with shops on it. And cafes too - choose which side of the bridge you wish to be on, then choose your cup of java. 

Small store for small items

Also on Pulteney Bridge is a tiny shop specializing in dollshouse miniatures - it's the red storefront to the right of the flowers (above). As you can see from the pix (below), articles on sale range from tiny books, through figures of jesters, pigs, mice and dogs, to that arch-enemy of politically-correct militants, the golliwog.

Politically-correct golly

As an aside, I’ll say that until the PC folk persuaded Robertson - a UK-based jam-and-preserve maker - to stop using the golliwog as a marketing tool, it had never crossed my mind that it was supposed to be a real human. Still, I can't disagree with Robertson’s choice - times have changed since the golly was devised. Even so, seeing these tiny - barely more than 25 mm (1 in) tall - critters brought back a whiff of nostalgia for raspberry jam and a golly sticker with every jar.

Dollshouse prices

The world of dolls’ house miniatures can certainly stand a realistic ticket structure - most of the small figures were priced around the £20-40 GBP ($30-50 USD) mark, so you could be looking at telephone numbers for a well-filled miniature home.

Doll or fighter plane?

The world of dollshouse miniatures is a traditional one that harks back to warm, rose-tinted memories of times when things were (or seemed to be) simpler and easier than the world of today. Not that we’re knocking the notion at all - but give the SMN Crew a Merlin-powered Mustang or laser-toting starship any day!

Tourist delight

As for Bath, if you manage to visit, you will almost certainly love the place. Even the new Bathgate shopping centre's buildings sit comfortably with the neo-classical Regency architecture of the city.

Zoltan appreciation

Last but not least, here’s a word of thanks to Zoltan, the excellent tutor at Bath’s AppleStore. Last Sunday morning saw this writer and a couple of lady photographers receiving an informative lesson on the Aperture photo-workflow app - and all for free, thanks to the folks at Apple.