Global Scale Modeller

Here is my take on a question millenia old - Could scale modelling be considered an art form?

I think that whenever life and story are given to otherwise "dead" materials it could be considered as art, regardless of the medium, subject, form, etc...

Good technique being sine qua non, if an individual captures life and delivers it to an audience through his/her medium, it could be seen as art.

If I see a model or a diorama which has life to it, tells a story and makes me oblivious to the fact that it was once just a piece of plastic, I can say that it is art. Dioramas also have an important aspect of composition which could be paralleled with other forms of visual art.

Likewise, if I see a painting or a sculpture that is lifeless, doesn't tell a story or doesn't evoke emotion or curiosity I don't consider it to be art. Good craftsmanship maybe, but not art. I think that is the distinguishing line between craft and art.

In addition, I definitely consider assembly itself and basic painting according to instructions craft, not art.

For a model to maybe be considered as art, one has to take the painting, weathering and all that jazz much much further.

In this taking further, I think that a master modeller should have a sense of the essence of a subject, to capture and depict it's "life", it's substance so to say, and to tell a story while not overdoing it. Also, he/she should have an eye for essential detail on the given subject, composition, etc...

This seeing of the essence is a feeling in the individual.

It is, for example, similar to a painter having to see the essence of his subject, in addition to the light, the colours, the textures, etc. and present to an audience via a painting.

Art is a very tricky and slippery subject so I am trying to grasp the whole thing myself, looking to sound as coherent as possible, but I might be confusing.

So, in the end, it all depends on the work itself and the judgement criteria.

The argument perhaps has more weight when applied to the creation of a one-off piece than the assembly of a mass produced kit.

Just my humble opinion.

Another can of worms
My take is if your using your mind and imagination then it's art what ever the medium, but in all things there's good and bad. Good art and bad art and of course that's totally subjective in how the individual perceives it. While one thing might invoke a degree of emotion in one , but the same art won't stir another. It's still art, copying a photograph in every detail isn't using your imagination to a large extent and the way you lay colour down could just be construed as skill. I've seen landscape paintings that tell no story at all, has limited creativity to my untrained eye, yet it's defined as art. I do think there is a bias in the arts community as too how art is defined as art.
Models in a diorama or figures in a vignette attempting to portray a moment in time is definitely art.
A bare kit just built and painted in no context out of the box probably isn't. If it shows the subject in a state of disrepair, junkyard or destroyed then that's art...IMHO.

I dont think its a tough question. If an attempt at authenticity, or an impression thereof is made, then I believe its art.

If an unmade bed or a sheep mummified in formaldehyde is called art then a model kit or diorama certainly qualifies.

Stokesy44 wrote: Sun Aug 03, 2025 6:27 am I dont think its a tough question. If an attempt at authenticity, or an impression thereof is made, then I believe its art.

If an unmade bed or a sheep mummified in formaldehyde is called art then a model kit or diorama certainly qualifies.

My bed when the missus isn't here qualifies then

Yes, I think it is a form of art - the design, detail, and creativity that goes into a lot of the models and dioramas speaks for itself.

I agree - there's storytelling, creativity and skill involved in building a good model, and something at the end which gives other people an experience.

I do not think I could do any better than NIKOLA, well said my friend!

Some consider model making an art. Others not.
To me the question is just a bit academic.

There is more of debate going on as to whether 3D printing should be considered to be scratch building of not. But that is another can of worms !