Box Art Salon (GB chat)

[JamesPerrin]

Please start general discussion of ideas for the display here

Which boxart is suitable?

How big do the dioramas need to be? ... and how many?

What other stuff can we display along side?

[JamesPerrin]

Is there any chance of someone seeing if Roy Cross would like to authorize reproduction of some of his work (it would, after all, enhance sales of his book)?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGr-mfkNcYM;

On the back of Brews' comment, I was (vaguely) wondering about any potential copyright issues...then I sobered up.

I forsee different categories of proposal coming forth;
Great artwork, but un-doable.
Bland artwork, but doable.
Great artwork AND doable!

Obviously, the latter is desirable, although I expect work could make to first category doable, if you get my drift.

I'm also expecting a tendency towards the Roy Cross artworks, as these usually are recognised as Classic. Whilst trying to avoid the inevitable discussion about what, exactly, is 'Classic' artwork, I believe we need to acknowledge the role of Matchbox and FROG at least, in our choice of purchase.

From Matchbox, there is for me a definite 'shortlist' and it may be useful to try and individually draw up a series of favourites, bearing in mind do-ability.

I expect there may be a need for some 1/144 aircraft to be included.

Regards,
Bruce

<snip>From Matchbox, there is for me a definite 'shortlist' and it may be useful to try and individually draw up a series of favourites, bearing in mind do-ability.

1:76 vehicles is one area where Matchbox has a "heads and shoulders" advantage in the diorama stakes. I can't recall off-hand how close their bases matched the boxart, though.

<snip>From Matchbox, there is for me a definite 'shortlist' and it may be useful to try and individually draw up a series of favourites, bearing in mind do-ability.

1:76 vehicles is one area where Matchbox has a "heads and shoulders" advantage in the diorama stakes. I can't recall off-hand how close their bases matched the boxart, though.

It had occurred to me that these may work. I think I would like to see the dioramas expanded a little rather than used just OOB, but that might just mean adding a backdrop and extending the base.

[JamesPerrin]

I think we should have variety -- manufacturers, air, military, cars, figures?, ships, etc ...

I'd make an estimate of table space & number of dio's, then make a first cut trying to fill the various categories, then adjust from there.

The Matchbox 76 diorama kits are nifty, but are low-hanging fruit as the kit gives you most of the box art -- as James mentions, we'd have to expand them.

[JamesPerrin]

James asks . . .

How big do the dioramas need to be? ... and how many?

I think we'll need to match the diorama to the actual model. Once we have some standard format, we can look at sizes and numbers. The Matchbox vehicles come with a basic diorama base, so you have a head start on these. Others may be a lot bigger though. I'll see if I can come up with some base ideas in the meantime.

James asks . . .

How big do the dioramas need to be? ... and how many?

<snip>

Well, we *could* do a Battle of the River Plate 1:700 Matchbox Graf Spee vs Exeter Diorama ... but we'll have to ask for 2 tables, one at either end of the hall.

Or set it up just like a "Battleship!" game. "You hit my *cruiser!"

with a Fairy Sea Fox flying overhead.

Ok, I'm being facetious. I do agree with James et al in that the 1:76 vehicles do need more than just their bases.

What grabs my fancy, though, are the following:

B-17G "A bit o' lace" doesn't need to be the Airfix kit, and there are at least three of them in the box-art from memory, not to mention at least one Fw 190A (Matchbox, Airfix or FROG?)

Sunderland / Condor and a bit of a convoy. The convoy might need to be scratchbuilt, but a 1:1200 Tribal class could be a convincingly small ship.

With respect to the following dioramas, I'm thinking of a shadowbox with the backdrop being photoshopped box artwork, so that the model "pops out".

P-61 shooting up Jap airfield.
Matchbox Zero artwork
Matchbox Red Arrows Gnats
Harrier
Hurricane
Buffalo
Tempest VI
Me 262
P-47
Beaufighter
Wellington
Typhoon

Not going to hijack this thread. Just my 2c.

[JamesPerrin]

I have scribbled a few ideas down here for a standard base. There would be a number of sizes obviously, as some models are tiny in 1/72nd. I like the ideas of layers and low relief. The whole thing could be a sort of decopage with a 3D model in front.



Sorry it's a bit messy. It was just thoughts going down on paper.

[JamesPerrin]

Brews and Chuck have basically stated my ideas, so just a couple of other thoughts:

1. The diorama backdrop could be curved slightly, and lengthened, to focus attention on the subject,

2. The Airfix logo and name of the model could be copied and added to the very front of the diorama - just like on the box top. Even the red stripe could be used if appropriate to the age of the model!

3. We might want to consider stepping the table top as we did in 2009 for the Frog display, but more simply. Three layers, full width, ought to do it.

4. The green backdrop that is used behind the SIG area could display either the boxes or enlarged copies of the boxart used to create the dioramas.

BTW, nice diagrams, Chuck - a picture is worth a thousand words!

As for subjects, a quick scan of my 1974 Airfix catalogue shows the following as having some potential for this:

Firefly
Blenheim
Harrier 1/72
Meteor III
Islander
Duck
Walrus
Apollo Sea King
Ju88 - with one of the 1/1200 Tribal Class destroyers
Bristol Superfreighter
Lancaster
Mirage III/MiG-15 Dogfight Double
HMS Belfast
Vosper MTB
Westland Scout - with Centurion tank
Vertol 107 - Swedish version boxart
RAF Refuelling set
RAF emergency set

This is heavily aircraft-biased of course - others my have favourites in other areas.

Personally, I'd like to try my hand at the Blenheim and/or Islander.

[JamesPerrin]

Brilliant Chuck E! Just the kind of stuff we need and exactly along the lines I was thinking!

If we have '12' main diaromas I was thinking the split should be something like:

8 aircraft
2 afv
1 ship
1 car

Of course some of these will include more than one subject and of different types. The main subject should be the actual CBK itself so the other criteria is that the kit is half descent, no necessarily GEM status but definitely not a minger. Remember part of the purpose of the CBK display is the continued promotion of kits which can bring simple joy, unusual subjects and development of modelling skills.

As for secondary vehicles in the diorama I don't see any point making a yoke for our neck by restricting this to CBKs only (though obviously if available use them). Especially when using fall perspective is required and kits of smaller scale are required.

I would also like to reflect on manufacturer's attitude to box art. From their celebration of it with the Frog Frame stands and Revell (GB) cut-out-and-keep to the (and I know we joked about it previously) disaster that were the Airfix boxes under Palitoy.

These can form ancillary display material either distributed amongst the main dioramas or off to one side. The Palitoy box art will be easy to do, the only hard thing is building the kit as badly as they did!

[JamesPerrin]

like most others, i was Airfixocentric with Roy Cross being the favourite.

I would like to have a go at the swedish vertol 107 with the crashed Lansen in the background and either or both of HMS Leander and HMS Fearless.

Alan

[JamesPerrin]

Boeing Vertol - fifty quid:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/VINTAGE-AIRFIX-BO ... _798wt_671;

Or in my stash!


And I've got one of these up the loft:



And I've thought a lot about ways of displaying this as the Roy Cross image:

Though I suspect that the replaced Port wing was as result of the artwork action!

Some white silk for the snow base and a bit of white powder (and I'll go with Baking soda) should make that Swedish helicopter look the part.

[JamesPerrin]

So how are we going to do this?
A frenzied discussion, innvolving all potential participants, followed by 7 months inactivity, followed by more frenzied modelling by the Usual Suspects (and the retrieval of Stuff From The Loft)?

There'll be the traditional 'distractions' such as Life Is More Important, The Dog Ate My Homework and, of course, I've Been Feeling A Little Under The Weather.

Hopefully, this year will see an absence of crazed gunmen and apocolyptic weathers.

Hopefully.

We have 9 months to go.

There has been useful chat about the less-is-more approach, implying a limited number of boxart to reproduce.
I think I heard that we'll not be doing 'just' Airfix, otherwise, it'd be a Roy Cross Display.

So how are we to decide what to do?

I personally have a stash of unbuilt and potentially useful 1/144 kits, but I'm guessing some decals will need sorting in order to stick as closely as possible to the boxart used.
Whilst I can rattle off whole squadrons in a week, I'd rather be able to produce some models of a reasonable quality, so some notice would be appreciated.

Regards,
Bruce

How much space will we have? How big should these be (and they don't all need to be the same size)? Once we've established that, how many dioramas should there be (I think '12' might well be too few)?

I've given some suggestions for some builds from the Airfix catalogue and offered to do one or two - about the limit to what I can ship. I would like to have at least one done in time for the US Nationals in Omaha this August -assuming Omaha has set aside some display space.

I can also, given the right boxes, scan and Photoshop backgrounds if necessary.

[JamesPerrin]

As I said a the end of the vote I would start putting things together of the next couple of weeks. I've been discussing with Matt Bacon the best way forward and we've a few ideas about how to get things started. We're not going tell anybody what to do but provide some ideas how to go about it. We know we have a few drops out each year so we need to think about how to provide as much support to each other so as many as possible complete.

I've only just received the booking forums this week along with the rest of the CBK admin stuff I need to do this week. I'll be asking for 12x6ft as with previous years.

I think 12 is a good starting figure as we need a decent amount of space between each to give line of sight, as well as display the original box art next to each diorama.