Scratchbuild Guild: The Art of Weathering

Some modellers, me included,prefer their cars to look like they've just come out of the factory. Others like the worn look. The examples shown here are obviously from the latter. We know him as Grosbig or Bigblock but his real name is Olivier Herrou. Olivier plainly has a talent for producing model cars with the most realistic weathered look i've ever seen.

This Alfa was produced from the venerable Airfix kit and is quite stunning in it's finish. The paintwork alone demands close inspection. but looking closer you see where the paint has been "chipped" off in places. So subtle is this done, that it's quite sublime.

His dioramas too have a lovely feel to them, lending the model something extra. Oh and the figure too! The Aston Martin Ulster shown below is from the Matchbox kit, and again Olivier has managed to capture a weathered look beyond belief. I first saw this on the Forum Folm around twelve months ago and just stared and stared at it for hours.

The drab,dirty finish. The rust on the rims. All totally convincing. The photo's shown below, depict the car in a 1940 setting alongside a Hawker Hurricane. If it wasn't for the guide blade on the car, you would simply have to believe it was real

Talent like this is rare indeed. The ability to build a model to this degree is amazing on it's own. But when placed in a diorama such as we see here and then photographed to give such a convincing view, all I can say is wow!