Locked in and looking for a building hobby

[itsfja]

Well here we are. I live in the UK, Haydock, midway between Manchester and Liverpool, ordinarily well served by hobby stores. I'm looking for a hobby that might branch in one of many directions, but starting with modest beginnings. So ... initially a beginners model, any recommendations, if that pans out, then the sky is the limit. I'm also trying to research the various types, download/paper/card/pre cut etc. Any decent tutorials? All assistance gratefully received ...

Regards,
Francis Armstrong

 

[zathros]

Welcome to Zealot!! Thanks for posting an Introduction. If you can tell me what kid of models you are interested in building, I can point you to some websites that have them for free.

zathros

 

[itsfja]

Zathros,
Thanks for looking at my post.

Something simple - straight edges rather than curves, what is the name of the tool for curving?
Decent sized pieces rather than some of the dust I see you guys manipulating with apparent ease.

So ... I think I'd like to start with something architectural.

With an crashed alien ship.
And an Alien fleet.
And an Earth response fleet.

But realistically, some architecture, perhaps for a diorama ... eventually.

I have no problem paying for a kit, although I emphasise while I can cope with complexity I need a series of models with graduated levels of difficulty.

The only book I can find that appears relevant is Card Modelling (Basic And Advanced Techniques) by Alvar Hansen. I'd appreciate your thoughts on it if you're familiar?

I have access to cutting board, scalpels and tweezers. Anything else will have to bought on demand.

Regards,
Francis.

 

[Rhaven Blaack]

Welcome to Zealot! You have come to the right place for all things paper (and other mediums). One of the great things about paper/cardstock model building is that you really do not have to invest a great deal of money into it to get started. Not only that, but this forum promotes free templates.
To really get started, I fully recommend checking out the Tips, Tutorials & Tools section. There, you will find many answers to your (general) questions.

As for other equipment (other than what you already have), You will need a metal straight edge (Ruler). Either water colour paints or markers (to paint the edges of the paper). I would recommend an inkjet printer as opposed to a laserjet printer. Reason why, is that when you print something with an inkjet, the ink soaks into the paper (which is what you want to happen), and the image stays in place. When you print something with a laserjet, the ink is layered on top of the paper. So, once you start to manipulate the paper, the ink will flake off and get all over everything.

Once again, welcome aboard. I hope that you enjoy yourself here and this hobby.

 

[micahrogers]

Welcome aboard, getting started with straight edges and straight lines is a good beginning, buildings and architecture abound. It never hurts to look at the Canon Creative site, they have some paper models up most of the time. Like RB said, Ruler, glue, sharp knife and scissors.

 

[Revell-Fan]

Hello and welcome to Zealot!

Thank you for joining. Like Rhaven said, it is easier to start with an easy free model first before tackling a commercial one to learn and improve and to get the feel for it. I can recommend some links for you where you can find lots of models to try:

Paper Craft - Canon Creative Park

Canon Inc. provides a wealth of free download materials on this site.The site is full of interesting content, like Paper Craft and Scrapbook, so you're sure to find something you like. Have fun printing out on your Canon Inkjet printer.

creativepark.canon

PAPERMAU

Free Original and Exclusive Paper Models and the Best, Rare and Unusual Free Papercrafts of All the World!

papermau.blogspot.com

Home

paper-replika.com

The difficulty varies but if you look around a bit I'm sure you will find something you may tackle. @mauther 's designs in particular are very easy, they look great and make excellent display and diorama pieces.

Good luck!

Have fun and enjoy!

 

[Papa Mashy]

Hi Francis,
Welcome fellow UK resident!

Revell-Fan's links are the place to go.
Personally, I would go to Canon Creative Park first and choose something from the extensive collection on there. They have a good range of different subjects (including architecture) and levels complexity.
The builds go together well and the instructions are good.

Don't forget to post up your build once you get going. We love to see build pictures!

 

[zathros]

Zathros,
Thanks for looking at my post.

Something simple - straight edges rather than curves, what is the name of the tool for curving?
Decent sized pieces rather than some of the dust I see you guys manipulating with apparent ease.

So ... I think I'd like to start with something architectural.

With an crashed alien ship.
And an Alien fleet.
And an Earth response fleet.

But realistically, some architecture, perhaps for a diorama ... eventually.

I have no problem paying for a kit, although I emphasise while I can cope with complexity I need a series of models with graduated levels of difficulty.

The only book I can find that appears relevant is Card Modelling (Basic And Advanced Techniques) by Alvar Hansen. I'd appreciate your thoughts on it if you're familiar?

I have access to cutting board, scalpels and tweezers. Anything else will have to bought on demand.

Regards,
Francis.

"French Curve Set" will give you all the tools necessary for making beautiful curves, connect them gracefully. They usually come with 5 to 10 different size pieces with many many parabolic curves.