Car model diorama-rama

October 23, 2014 10:11 AM

Instagram user takupon0816 is a constant stream of the most incredible model car dioramas. The weathering and lighting are so spot on that most barely give away they are in fact small scale models and not life-sized photoshoots. Weathering is a big thing in scale modeling with tools and techniques specifically made for it. There are also diorama model museums in Japan dedicated to showcasing the craft.
posted by mathowie (8 comments total)

I forgot to mention the person behind this work is obviously a rally car racing fan, and seems to do amazing period-specific dioramas from past rally car races.
posted by mathowie at 10:17 AM on October 23, 2014

Modeling in 1/87 has lots of photos of well-weathered scale model vehicles.
posted by Godbert at 10:18 AM on October 23, 2014 [1 favorite]

I was a huge scale-modeling fan from the time I could make the snap-tight ones to just before I left for college. Mostly military aircraft, with the occasional ship or car for variety's sake. I never did get the hang of paint jobs, however, partly because I assumed the really spiffy-looking ones were done with airbrushes, something I couldn't really afford. Now I feel kind of goofy for not seeing that regular brushes were where it was at. Maybe one of these days I'll head over to a hobby shop and pick something up and give it a try.
posted by zombieflanders at 10:23 AM on October 23, 2014 [1 favorite]

I love tiny things! And these particular ones are gorgeous.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 10:24 AM on October 23, 2014 [2 favorites]

That Lancia in mid-air is the best thing in the world.

I didn't want to click on it because I thought it might be less realistic if I did, and then I did, and it was even better!
posted by Ahab at 10:31 AM on October 23, 2014

Nice work. Especially the Land Cruisers and Suzuki SJs were nice to see. And all the old European iron.
posted by Harald74 at 11:25 AM on October 23, 2014

The regular cars in nature are the best ones, imho - especially when they have the additional task of rendering water. (ambitious)

Kind of off-topic, but there's a local model train society where I live and they have on display a mind-blowingly perfect model of a BART train (made by someone from Japan ISTR).
posted by joseph conrad is fully awesome at 1:10 PM on October 23, 2014 [1 favorite]

In a different, richer life, I am not working and spending all my time going to model shows and learning how to create them and filling my house with historical room boxes and dioramas. *sigh* Thanks so much for this.
posted by Melismata at 1:42 PM on October 23, 2014 [1 favorite]