1:41 i think it would be a cool idea to remake this diorama or something similar but with all you have learned over the past years since you originally made this.
@@Panzermeister36 I was going to suggest the same. It would be great to see how he incorporates advanced skills and products to produce the same scene.
I started out in 2007 when I was 13 and at that time many of my friends were into video games warcraft dota etc and also football and were making fun of me as I wasn't like them. I'm glad I stuck on to this hobby and able to say I've improved significantly. I am still learning and I want to thank you with my heart for your tutorials! Stay awesome uncle!
Been there as well! I was never the cool kid, pretty much the exact opposite of cool, the definition of un-cool :D But on the other hand, I managed to play Diablo 2 AND build models every day :D
my guy is straight up BRUTAL! Evaluating a young kid's model: "3 out of 10 for effort!" No judging of Junior Categories at World Expo for you, good sir! (yeah yeah, the young kid was you, I get it) Keep up the content, love it all, excuse me while I go check out your new exclusive patreon content I just got a notification about.
Having judged at a few shows, including the junior categories, I know how tough it can be! You'd like to give an award to every kid just for being a part of the community!
I think you touched on something important - perfectionism. As a kid I virtually never finished a model because I couldn't achieve the standard I wanted. Thirty years later, with all the tools and products imaginable, I still struggle with trying to do everything perfectly on every model. I wish I had accepted the flaws, learned from them, and kept building, rather than setting impossible goals and then dumping the hobby for a long time!
Perfectionism is fine but if it stops you enjoying the hobby it is more of a curse than an assett . Comparing your skills to that of an expert modeller like Nightshift and Plasmo is fine as long as you don,t beat yourself up over not attaining their levels of skill . lf you,re happy with what you,ve created thats good enough .
I recently came back to it after 40 years. It’s amazing what’s available: photoetch, resin, aftermarket decals…… Not to mention TH-camr’s like Uncle Nightshift.
I got back into miniature painting when the covid lockdowns kicked in. In the year and. Abit that I've been doing it I look at the progression and it's light years ahead of what I did as a teenager when I oculd only afford limited selection of paints. Largely because games workshop was my main source of paints. Now with the dearth of paints, and collective knowledge on TH-cam, I've gone beyond just base coat, dry brush and highlight to practicing non metallic metal techniques and blending, and such.
I struggled with sharing my builds for the longest time because I thought they weren't good enough or weren't finished. I think you nailed it on the head with the "if you're happy with what you're doing keep doing it" so thank you for reminding me of that, its taken me too long to learn that lol. On a different note i'm looking forward to your next video!
Best time in my life... modelling in my youth with my best friend! Just painted them as if they came right out of the factory. But had already good ideas: using chalk powder with water as winter camouflage, weathered with a brush and fixed with hairspray... Still looks great! Now, nearly 50 years later, I start again... With airbrush, pigments and so on... Using my surviving old models for practice... old love never dies!
@@NightShiftScaleModels I’m reminded of footage of an old American tank demonstrating the Christie suspension. That thing was legit airborne as it raced over a ramp. Got me thinking of a tank off the ground suspended by armature wire covered by some kind of dust effect.
This was an honest, interesting, and refreshing video. You are young enough to be my son, but it was your channel that returned me to my childhood love of building models. Thank you!
Thank you for sharing your modeling journey with us. I often need to remind myself, my sons and today my inspiration Uncle Night Shift that its all a journey and too enjoy the process.
Oh man, this was a cool video, also gotta say I'm loving your display case in the Background :) I also wanna say that since I've started watching you my Armour modeling skills have definitely improved, from having aluminum 'chips' on my T-34/85 that I did in 2020 as my first real 1/35 model to acrylic mud, oils, chipping stowage, just everything. And I guess that's the great thing about this video, all of us improve all of the time (even if it is using corn in dioramas or pins to create shell impacts).
What the models demonstrate is a clear progression. Using the best models and material you could afford. I was the same. I think the most important thing is to photograph your models. That way they never age and always look how you meant them to look. The models will deteriorate. The pictures last. Very interesting video. I'm a big fan.
One thing I like to say to people starting out is to focus on who your audience is and why you are doing the hobby. If you are doing it for your own enjoyment- you are your own audience so you are the only person whose opinion matters. If you are having fun keep going.
I started scale modeling in the early 80's, the book that inspired me the most was The Model Makers Handbook published in 1981. Even to this day it has some of the best scratch built war dioramas I have ever seen. Growing up in the 80's and being into scale models my friend and I had to search far and wide for books on the subject and there are a lot of them (likely far easier to get in the USA than anywhere else in the world during that time). Oddly enough back then, the actual plastic models were easier to find in stores than they are today... Good stuff Night Shift!!
There is some beauty in those makeshift, primitive techniques versus professional modeling products. Like I'm repairing my car today with OEM parts and without a doubt it's gonna be reliable and last longer, but my father fixing a car on the side of the road using spring from a pencil is a hell of a story even after 20 years.
Very true! I'd call it progression and also the market is much wider today. Going the DIY way is fun and satisfying, but I'd also be hesitant to maintain or upgrade my bike with makeshift parts and tools :D
I totally agree! There's something extra creative, pioneering and even noble in creating effects from scratch. There are so many great (and expensive!) products out there now, from all the major players, which is all fine...but my most satisfying and jubilant moments in the hobby are when I create an effect from "base elements", from first-principals. For example, when Martin hit on the idea of corn fibre for grass...that's fantastic!
For a Amateur modeler with *really* limited resources, Your videos inspired me to get into plastic modeling. Seeing your old stuff really humbles me because I know that eventually be as amazing as you.
Even being in a difficult time in my country, I am from Ukraine, I really like your work! And your videos contribute to this even more. I like to watch! Good luck in everything! Keep going!
Your genuine humility with how far you've come as a model maker is inspiring. I'm 10 years older than you and have been building and painting models for over 30 years and I aspire to have half of your skill. I've moved into prop and costume making since, but your videos always inspire me to do better. To learn and try new things. Keep up the great work my friend, you have a talent you need to share with all of us.
One of the great things about TH-cam channels like this one is they enable you to have hobbies by proxy. With my work & other interests, I just don't have the time to take up something like armour modelling, which is okay! I can happily watch someone else do it with a degree of skill that I don't have the ambition to develop. The way Night Shift films is like you are a friend hanging out with him while he works on his craft. I think that's excellent and deserving of support. Another Patron supporter achieved!
Martin, I am in my early 60's and have built mostly aircraft models. I recently purchased my first tank. A Tamiya M41 bulldog for 10 USD. If I wreck it, it's not a lot of $$. Between your videos an some posted by others, I feel that a good base for learning is available from your tutorials. You are truley a master at your craft.
A very interesting look back on your work Uncle, and an inspiring modelling philosophy. I too was a young modeller, starting when I was about ten or eleven, and a hobby that I remember enjoying greatly. A very limited choice in subjects back then I should add. I gave it up when I was about 16 when I found that girls seemed to be more interesting. I am now 70 years old, and took up the hobby again a couple of years ago. I had to re-learn just about everything about modelling, and the new techniques and the materials available today, have made the experience exiting for me. One thing you said during this video resonates with me, and I am sure a lot of other modellers, and that is ‘enjoy the hobby and have fun doing so’, and that is exactly how I approach it. I can’t tell you how much I enjoy your channel, or how much you have inspired me to try new methods in my builds. Keep the content coming my friend - we all wait for each episode in anticipation of something new! Greetings from Australia!
Dude, you nailed it. If you like the result that's all that matters. Thanks for sharing. Back in my day the only info I ever saw was the 4 page color sheet of a really cool diorama that came with every Monogram armor model. No matter what my 14 year old self did, I never even came close to the depicted model. I still have at least a half dozen of my old Monogram models. Every once in a while I think about redoing them...but they would still never look as good as the pro dioramas.
In this vid: Uncle Night Shift being The Real and Good Uncle. Really solid and great advices specially at the conclusion man, lessons of life thrown up with neat tank modelling through the ages. P.D: That T-34-85 on that small base can be a perfect basis for a modelling trophy of sorts!
Great to see some of your early work @night shift The hobby has come on a long long way since I was building kits and entering dioramas into model shows in the 1990s
I’m 58 y.o. now and I finished my first armour kit last month. It doesn’t look any better than your childhood models. I realise now that It’s really necessary to build a few in order to grow into it.
Most of us keep or have, usually in a model kit box (or even an old shoebox) our first models, usually broken, missing pieces, unfinished, unpainted, all decals in, unreal/fantasy/only have this colours paint schemes and so on. I enjoyed watching you talking about your childhood models, your techniques and your memories, it's been a nice one. By the way, I've got the same display cabinet that you have, mine is from Ikea... Keep on like this, cheers from Madrid, Spain!
What a great video Uncle. It’s easy to see you were very talented at a young age and you were lucky enough to able to feed your talent threw the years to the master modeler you are now. Thanks for sharing this look at your past. I think it’s all good.
Thank you for sharing your modelling journey. It is always valuable to look at past work and see where our skills have improved (or not). I still keep the first miniature I ever painted (at age 14) in my display case.
Bro I'm a long subscriber and a fan of the channel and your tutorials have helped a lot my modelling especially the weathering hobby though I'm in the Warhammer and gunpla universe. The thing is i have never saw your face and by the bass of your voice i would picture and your skills i painted you in my head like an old man modeler who could actually had drived some of the tanks. Now i see that we are about the same age and i don't know how to feel about it 😛. Thanks again for your great work you're awesome! Greetings from Greece!
If you haven't seen his face yet you are missing on some oh his great older videos where he talks about models he built before youtube and paints if I remember correctly, if you enjoyed this one, make sure to watch the older ones as well!
Modeling is a great way to express your Inner child’s mind. Due to my attention disorder I usually build between two to four different pieces at the same time. Generally takes a month to build just one model. I love your work, and have now started trying your techniques. Thanks for the videos. I’m currently enjoying your previous builds and learning a lot. Only time will tell.
Don’t k ow how I missed this upload but I have to say uncle night shift, your looking good man! Your looking a bit more in shape since your recovery and I’m glad to see it. Keep on inspiring us my friend!
I've always loved tank models that can really tell a story. Something like a charred tank in the ditch because it got knocked out by an AT round or a Sherman that is still operational in Bastogne, but was battered by German artillery fragments cutting into and/or bouncing off the armor all over the place. If my modeling abilities were anywhere close to Daddy Night Shifts, I'd make a YT channel myself. I just have the problem of having really cool ideas for a model in a diorama, but lack the experience and time to get something even close to what people like Night Shift, PLASMO, or Luke Towan can create. I hope you do more tanks in the future that have sustained massive battle damage and make a diorama for it describing the scene. Those are my favorite ones you do.
I'm 55, and the first model I built was in 1975, it was the Revell kit of the Apollo - Soyuz Test Project, my parents were absolute saints to get it for me. The kit was reissued in the 90's, and I got a copy a few months ago. Maybe I'll do a better job this time. Your enthusiasm is infectious, and thank you for sharing your journey through the hobby with us.
Thanks! The report is excellent! There are a lot of tutorials on TH-cam right now. And by watching videos of your work, we also learn. There are a lot of interesting and useful things in them!
I really enjoyed this segment. When viewing your current work, it's easy to say, "He's just blessed with skills above and beyond anything I could expect of myself". It's nice to see that you started like we all did, as a child, dobbing parts together with too much glue. Seeing the evolution of your expertise was informative. And it made me understand that, while you undoubtedly possess some God-given gift for this, it is largely the work you've invested, the time you've spent and the experience you've garnered that sets you above most of us. It just goes to show that, like playing guitar or pursuing any other passion, there is no substitute for putting in the time. As always, thank you for sharing. Steve
Errrr, you were building better kits when you were a kid than I am possibly doing now. What I was lied was your wrap up , just enjoy doing your thing. I struggle with that, but will try to make it what I am all about. Thanks for sharing.👏👏👏👍😉
As many other said, I wish I had your modelling history behind me and were as good as you! :D You’d aid you don’t have any space for those old models and that you’re getting rid of them. How about doing some sort of competition, giveaway, etc and you give those as prizes? It would be very fun, and at least four people will be happy with the result (lol) :) I remember your first video, and you definitely haven’t only improved in modelling. TH-cam and video creating as well Love your work uncle Night Shift, and greetings from Sweden Btw, it means a lot when you like and respond to my comments :) Edit: I didn’t realise until I was finished how long this comment became, sorry for you all that fell asleep reading this :)
Your old works already look pretty refined and maturely built. I'm a graphic designer who love scale models. Been putting up my old works recently as well. My oldest work dates back to 2004, but I was relatively older than you when making it. Didn't have any practical modeling skills. Heck, I even utilized the menu scene in Medal of Honor as a printed backdrop for a corner in the diorama. Feels like yesterday. A trip down to the memory lane XD
I think this was one of your best videos. Simply, if you love it, do it! You are a great inspiration for the next generation of Mig's, Adam's and yes, Uncle Nightshift's.
I left the hobby at about 11 or 12. Got back into in about 40 years later. I’m doing things more in the way you’re supposed to, especially since I can afford them. It’s also amazing all the new products and ways to learn like TH-cam.
I'm in my 30s and only just got into models after a long hospital stay and really enjoy it, first few models were as if the vehicle had just come out of the factory, but after watching a lot of your videos and I mean a lot 🤣. I've really got into weathering and showing the damage and I've got to say it's due to how detailed your videos are, so thank you really love your work
I love looking back on my old projects - let's me see how I've improved over the years. I really am amazed at seeing how products and techniques have changed/advanced as well. Enjoyed sharing your old projects with you 👍
Only found you a couple of days ago but your talents are impeccable. Incredible work all round and it’s great to see how your skills have progressed over the years. Your works at 14 are leagues better than most 🙌🏻
I think you got it right. Model building is about having fun. If it's not, you are wasting your time and; you will never get any better at it. It may not seem like it to those starting out, but; you WILL get better. When I started out, all that was available was Testor's enamel paint and kits that had very little historical accuracy. The times we live in now are great days to be a modeler.
Old models show your journey of skills development. I stopped modelling at 14 and don't have any now... that makes me a bit sad. I started modeling again at 58 (Thanks to lockdowns) and because of tutorials like yours and your inspiration I'm loving modelling. Age brings patience too, so my latest models are to a much higher standard. Thank you 🙏
Without knowing were you started at you will never know where your at currently. I completely agree on doing what makes you happy life is too short to spend it unhappy. Great work thanks for sharing!
I still have a couple from my youth. My favourite tank is the Tamiya Pzkw III M, desert paint scheme built in 1975. I have a Monogram Mosquito built even earlier, sometime in 1968. Painted it with the Testors square bottle paints. The III M was done with Polly S. Great paint for brushing, and I still have a bottle or two. Gotta hand it to you, Yours look great.
Despite being only 15 and making models for only 2 years, I quite understand what you’re talking about. Without the budget my models were pretty terrible and I alteady scrapped a bunch of them. I had like 3 tamiya paints, a few watercolors, paintbrush, PVA glue and a 1:72 kit from trumpeter. But when I finally invested into it a little more and when I actually started being patient and when I started watching youtube videos about modelling, especially from you uncle Night Shift;) I finally started making some progress. So I really understand what a modelling without AK weathering products, VMS varnishes and Ammo paintbrushes and without a youtube tutorial about multi layered chipping is.
It took me a long time to understand that I can have more fun if I buy some dedicated paints, thinners and weathering products than buying kit after kit and painting them the DIY way! Switching from enamels to acrylics for base-coating was one of the biggest gamechangers for sure.
When you have a hobby like making dioramas/models, there's only two options, when your project turns out flawed. You're happy with it anyway, cause you knew you gave your best and enjoyed the process. You're not quite happy with it, but you take the experience and try to improve. I really like the approach by Goobertown Hobbies, who I have lovingly dubbed the Bob Ross of Miniature painting. He's so laid back about painting, if something doesn't turn out perfect? Who cares as long as it was fun to make! He also said to never touch up on your first miniatures, but rather to keep them as a reminder where you started. I like that approach.
I think they're good because it's part of a learning process. You don't always go forward as sometimes what you're doing doesn't grip you but you still learn. If the old models are going I would get some good photos of them because is shows where you came from. There's a lot I like about the Panzer IV for instance.
Really liked the video! I’m still young ish and been building since I was 14 now 22. I agree it’s about just having fun and that’s what matters. I’m trying to use model making as a career path and this has really encouraged me more! Great vid
I started building models in the late 1980s, and I still have most of my childhood models. I wish I had all of them; not that they were anything great, but as a physical record of my progression as a modeler. You may not want to keep the "survivors" from your childhood now, but in the future you may regret getting rid of them. Great video and great message. I stopped building because it just didn't make me happy anymore.
I intentionally keep around my oldest, crappiest model, for the sake of encouraging new people. I wanted to show, "look, this is what I did in middle school, before we had literally any of the resources we have, now. We all start with stuff we'll cringe at, either now or later. Keep at it, and you can do awesome stuff". I even revisited the kit (got another copy) in 2019, just to give people further comparisons.
A beautiful representation of my daily modeling struggle. I love seeing all of the “innovative” (aka inexpensive) ways to make groundwork or representing materials. I’m only two years into my modeling journey, I happened to use the tamiya panzer II as my jump into “serious” modeling. I’m still having fun, so that’s good!
At 9:10 it's actually pretty important thing - a photo can make or break a model. Good camera angle, proper lighting, properly cropped image, neutral background etc. can add so much to the looks of a model, compared to a photo on a messy bench with poor lighting and bad focus
protip. get some window insulation foam strips and put them between the door gaps of the DETOLF. might not look super pretty but keeps all the dust out!
That was really cool to watch, seeing your progression over the years. I also very much want to echo the conclusion, the enjoyment of the hobby is what matters most at the end of the day. Been in it for some three, four years at this point with a couple of endeavors into repainting toys before that, and while by virtue of being clean-finish, mostly 1/144 scifi things arguably none of my stuff looks as visually interesting as even your childhood models, the enjoyment of making them as well as the enjoyment of _having made them_ is one of my favorite ways to spend my time, and probably will continue to be for the forseeable future
As a kid I didn't care about gaps or taking care to do a neat paint job. Now I find it incredible building those same kits how much time I spend filling and sanding down joins. Masking canopy frames too, never did that back then 😏
I've been watching you for a few episodes and find your builds informative and engaging. It takes a secure guy who loves his hobby to show off his earlier works. Great sign of good character! PS My favorite/best builds were a Blue Thunder Apache helicopter and a modified 1987 Chevy Stepside pick-up truck.
You should have seen my Monogram Tanks from 50 years ago! We didn't even know what color German Tanks were... But burned Buildings were my favorite! Some kind of Balsa or Cardboard covered in Plaster, some Lighter Fluid, some Fire! Wow, those were the days 😁I lost a few to excessive Flames, but it was fun!!!
Very much enjoyed this video and the message is so important, do what you enjoy and don't let others kill that joy for you. The other message I got is to 'just do it'. Build models, or whatever it is you love doing, and you will improve and learn. Again, awesome video and thank you for sharing your older attempts and the joy you had in making them.
Martin thanks for sharing your models and memories, your artistic skill, humility and self effacing humour makes you unique in the modelling world and i enjoy watching every single episode keep posting ! cheers
I hope that in the future we will probably see a rethinking of those works and their new incarnation already, with your current experience, because idea with destroyed vehicle look very interesting and I think many would not refuse to see videos on a similar topic)
I am glad that you have included your older model kits could you possibly make a video like this showing a timeline and the skill improvement from the model kits to the next kit… for those who feel they are currently outclassed don’t worry I have over 10 failure models and possibly more but despite the failure of models I learned from them. I tried new methods and weathering tricks I learned… just because the mode did not turn out does not mean it was a failure to learn
Making models is about enjoying the process, having fun. And with experience, you get better, try new things, and some time in the future, looking back you can see the journey and remember with a smile!
Hi, I'm 59 and I started building Airfix planes as a child of 8 yo. Never stopped, quite the same experience as you I can say... Nowadays I shift my time in painting wargame models and ww1/2 stuff. Also 3D printed busts, just for fun.
I started modelling again 30 years after I stopped as a kid, simply because I wanted to recreate the joy I got from doing it back when I was 12! And if it wasn't for these videos my models would still be as crap as they were back then.
I built models as a kid even when I was in the military I built models when I could. Today I build models is a form of therapy relaxation. If you're not having fun doing it it's not worth doing. When I get frustrated I walk away from the model so I don't destroy it. Your models as a kid I think they're great I like them. In the end it's all about having fun put on a good music soundtrack have a cup of coffee have a good time. There's times I've gotten into the model I only did a little piece but 5 hours have gone by. Thanks for everything you do have a great day. Keep building those models don't collect them!
Having a good time is the most important bit. Not being great is okay, too. A personal example - I don't have to be a World Cup rider to enjoy mountain biking :)
While this video gave me a lot in terms of WW II modeling and painting and i am really thankful for sharing this with us all, i would love to hear some insights on more modern vehicles, keep up the good work!
Awesome video as always……… and if anything, i seen this video as progression……… sticking with something you love to do, eventually you’re going to push yourself to get better! The key is to stick with it!
Why do his childhood models look way better than the best models i make
SAME
legit, i only use a paint brush lmao
He's built different
Just don't give up on it
Same
Well now Mig Ammo is going to release "Modeler's Corn Fiber" for $20 an ear.
Well, AK is already selling sea balls, so Mig better up their game with a more sustainable product :D
@@NightShiftScaleModels "organic sustainable non gmo corn fiber"
@@daspanzer135 Don't forget vegan
@@themumfortofflying6415 oh yeah😁
Like I always said, Mig is a marketing genius…
Remember the brass toothpick, 3 for 22$. Cha-Ching!
Seeing Uncle Nightshift’s work over the years is just amazing. I only wish I had this much rich history within this hobby. What an absolute legend.
If you don't get bored with the hobby over the years, you'll have a lot of models to remember, too!
1:41 i think it would be a cool idea to remake this diorama or something similar but with all you have learned over the past years since you originally made this.
It would be cool to revisit/remake a project. It would be a great way to show what can be improved about the scene, weathering, products, etc.
@@Panzermeister36 ya and I think it could be an learning experience for everyone
Been considering an exploded Pz IV for a while, I'm just afraid it would take forever to finish!
@@NightShiftScaleModels Well the RFM and Miniart kits are pretty sweet with the full interiors nowadays.
@@Panzermeister36 I was going to suggest the same. It would be great to see how he incorporates advanced skills and products to produce the same scene.
I never made models as a kid but at 55yrs old I'm trying to catch up. Great video.
I started out in 2007 when I was 13 and at that time many of my friends were into video games warcraft dota etc and also football and were making fun of me as I wasn't like them. I'm glad I stuck on to this hobby and able to say I've improved significantly. I am still learning and I want to thank you with my heart for your tutorials! Stay awesome uncle!
Been there as well! I was never the cool kid, pretty much the exact opposite of cool, the definition of un-cool :D But on the other hand, I managed to play Diablo 2 AND build models every day :D
my guy is straight up BRUTAL! Evaluating a young kid's model: "3 out of 10 for effort!" No judging of Junior Categories at World Expo for you, good sir! (yeah yeah, the young kid was you, I get it)
Keep up the content, love it all, excuse me while I go check out your new exclusive patreon content I just got a notification about.
Having judged at a few shows, including the junior categories, I know how tough it can be! You'd like to give an award to every kid just for being a part of the community!
I think you touched on something important - perfectionism. As a kid I virtually never finished a model because I couldn't achieve the standard I wanted. Thirty years later, with all the tools and products imaginable, I still struggle with trying to do everything perfectly on every model. I wish I had accepted the flaws, learned from them, and kept building, rather than setting impossible goals and then dumping the hobby for a long time!
Perfectionism is fine but if it stops you enjoying the hobby it is more of a curse than an assett . Comparing your skills to that of an expert modeller like Nightshift and Plasmo is fine as long as you don,t beat yourself up over not attaining their levels of skill . lf you,re happy with what you,ve created thats good enough .
Yeah! Coming back after 40 (!!!!!!!) years the tools, supplies and kits are like science fiction better.
I recently came back to it after 40 years. It’s amazing what’s available: photoetch, resin, aftermarket decals……
Not to mention TH-camr’s like Uncle Nightshift.
I got back into miniature painting when the covid lockdowns kicked in. In the year and. Abit that I've been doing it I look at the progression and it's light years ahead of what I did as a teenager when I oculd only afford limited selection of paints. Largely because games workshop was my main source of paints.
Now with the dearth of paints, and collective knowledge on TH-cam, I've gone beyond just base coat, dry brush and highlight to practicing non metallic metal techniques and blending, and such.
Night Shift your channel has helped me so much and you have helped me believe that I can even start my own channel.
Do it!!!
@@NightShiftScaleModels Wow I never thought you might see this. Thank you so much!😀
Where is your channel?
I struggled with sharing my builds for the longest time because I thought they weren't good enough or weren't finished. I think you nailed it on the head with the "if you're happy with what you're doing keep doing it" so thank you for reminding me of that, its taken me too long to learn that lol. On a different note i'm looking forward to your next video!
Hey, I almost didn't release the Ball Tank series because I was so afraid of what people would say :D
@@NightShiftScaleModels Thankfully you did! I wouldn't be where I am today as a maker without it so thanks again!
Best time in my life... modelling in my youth with my best friend! Just painted them as if they came right out of the factory. But had already good ideas: using chalk powder with water as winter camouflage, weathered with a brush and fixed with hairspray... Still looks great! Now, nearly 50 years later, I start again... With airbrush, pigments and so on... Using my surviving old models for practice... old love never dies!
"Nobody can tell you to not have a good time with modelling with this hobby". Nothing else to add, thanks for this video.
The T-34 Dukes of Hazzard-ing off the mound is 100% pure awesome! That needs a reboot.
Would really love to do a similar concept again!
@@NightShiftScaleModels I’m reminded of footage of an old American tank demonstrating the Christie suspension. That thing was legit airborne as it raced over a ramp. Got me thinking of a tank off the ground suspended by armature wire covered by some kind of dust effect.
Tankers all booked in to the chiropractor the following day...
This was an honest, interesting, and refreshing video. You are young enough to be my son, but it was your channel that returned me to my childhood love of building models. Thank you!
Thank you for sharing your modeling journey with us. I often need to remind myself, my sons and today my inspiration Uncle Night Shift that its all a journey and too enjoy the process.
Oh man, this was a cool video, also gotta say I'm loving your display case in the Background :)
I also wanna say that since I've started watching you my Armour modeling skills have definitely improved, from having aluminum 'chips' on my T-34/85 that I did in 2020 as my first real 1/35 model to acrylic mud, oils, chipping stowage, just everything. And I guess that's the great thing about this video, all of us improve all of the time (even if it is using corn in dioramas or pins to create shell impacts).
What the models demonstrate is a clear progression. Using the best models and material you could afford. I was the same. I think the most important thing is to photograph your models. That way they never age and always look how you meant them to look. The models will deteriorate. The pictures last. Very interesting video. I'm a big fan.
One thing I like to say to people starting out is to focus on who your audience is and why you are doing the hobby. If you are doing it for your own enjoyment- you are your own audience so you are the only person whose opinion matters. If you are having fun keep going.
Thanks, Uncle--your humble nature is what keeps us all engaged with your journey. Keep it up, brother!
I started scale modeling in the early 80's, the book that inspired me the most was The Model Makers Handbook published in 1981. Even to this day it has some of the best scratch built war dioramas I have ever seen. Growing up in the 80's and being into scale models my friend and I had to search far and wide for books on the subject and there are a lot of them (likely far easier to get in the USA than anywhere else in the world during that time). Oddly enough back then, the actual plastic models were easier to find in stores than they are today... Good stuff Night Shift!!
There is some beauty in those makeshift, primitive techniques versus professional modeling products. Like I'm repairing my car today with OEM parts and without a doubt it's gonna be reliable and last longer, but my father fixing a car on the side of the road using spring from a pencil is a hell of a story even after 20 years.
Very true! I'd call it progression and also the market is much wider today. Going the DIY way is fun and satisfying, but I'd also be hesitant to maintain or upgrade my bike with makeshift parts and tools :D
I totally agree! There's something extra creative, pioneering and even noble in creating effects from scratch. There are so many great (and expensive!) products out there now, from all the major players, which is all fine...but my most satisfying and jubilant moments in the hobby are when I create an effect from "base elements", from first-principals. For example, when Martin hit on the idea of corn fibre for grass...that's fantastic!
For a Amateur modeler with *really* limited resources, Your videos inspired me to get into plastic modeling. Seeing your old stuff really humbles me because I know that eventually be as amazing as you.
Even being in a difficult time in my country, I am from Ukraine, I really like your work! And your videos contribute to this even more. I like to watch! Good luck in everything! Keep going!
Your genuine humility with how far you've come as a model maker is inspiring. I'm 10 years older than you and have been building and painting models for over 30 years and I aspire to have half of your skill. I've moved into prop and costume making since, but your videos always inspire me to do better. To learn and try new things. Keep up the great work my friend, you have a talent you need to share with all of us.
One of the great things about TH-cam channels like this one is they enable you to have hobbies by proxy. With my work & other interests, I just don't have the time to take up something like armour modelling, which is okay! I can happily watch someone else do it with a degree of skill that I don't have the ambition to develop. The way Night Shift films is like you are a friend hanging out with him while he works on his craft. I think that's excellent and deserving of support. Another Patron supporter achieved!
Martin, I am in my early 60's and have built mostly aircraft models. I recently purchased my first tank. A Tamiya M41 bulldog for 10 USD. If I wreck it, it's not a lot of $$. Between your videos an some posted by others, I feel that a good base for learning is available from your tutorials. You are truley a master at your craft.
Thank you for the valuable video ! Life lesson: your next model will only get better than the last one.
And even if it isn't, it's not the end of the world!
A very interesting look back on your work Uncle, and an inspiring modelling philosophy.
I too was a young modeller, starting when I was about ten or eleven, and a hobby that I remember enjoying greatly. A very limited choice in subjects back then I should add.
I gave it up when I was about 16 when I found that girls seemed to be more interesting. I am now 70 years old, and took up the hobby again a couple of years ago. I had to re-learn just about everything about modelling, and the new techniques and the materials available today, have made the experience exiting for me.
One thing you said during this video resonates with me, and I am sure a lot of other modellers, and that is ‘enjoy the hobby and have fun doing so’, and that is exactly how I approach it.
I can’t tell you how much I enjoy your channel, or how much you have inspired me to try new methods in my builds. Keep the content coming my friend - we all wait for each episode in anticipation of something new! Greetings from Australia!
Dude, you nailed it. If you like the result that's all that matters. Thanks for sharing.
Back in my day the only info I ever saw was the 4 page color sheet of a really cool diorama that came with every Monogram armor model. No matter what my 14 year old self did, I never even came close to the depicted model. I still have at least a half dozen of my old Monogram models. Every once in a while I think about redoing them...but they would still never look as good as the pro dioramas.
In this vid: Uncle Night Shift being The Real and Good Uncle.
Really solid and great advices specially at the conclusion man, lessons of life thrown up with neat tank modelling through the ages.
P.D: That T-34-85 on that small base can be a perfect basis for a modelling trophy of sorts!
Thanks for sharing your old models! You were inventive and trying new things even back then, and that's how you learn and improve.
Great to see some of your early work @night shift
The hobby has come on a long long way since I was building kits and entering dioramas into model shows in the 1990s
I’m 58 y.o. now and I finished my first armour kit last month. It doesn’t look any better than your childhood models. I realise now that It’s really necessary to build a few in order to grow into it.
Never too late and as long you have fun! My are also not near his models ;)
@@sebfischer Sure I have fun and I do go on with it and I hope you do so too.
Most of us keep or have, usually in a model kit box (or even an old shoebox) our first models, usually broken, missing pieces, unfinished, unpainted, all decals in, unreal/fantasy/only have this colours paint schemes and so on. I enjoyed watching you talking about your childhood models, your techniques and your memories, it's been a nice one. By the way, I've got the same display cabinet that you have, mine is from Ikea... Keep on like this, cheers from Madrid, Spain!
What a great video Uncle. It’s easy to see you were very talented at a young age and you were lucky enough to able to feed your talent threw the years to the master modeler you are now. Thanks for sharing this look at your past. I think it’s all good.
Thank you for sharing your modelling journey. It is always valuable to look at past work and see where our skills have improved (or not). I still keep the first miniature I ever painted (at age 14) in my display case.
It's great having old models around, it helps us see just how much we have improved over time. Keep up your amazing works.
Bro I'm a long subscriber and a fan of the channel and your tutorials have helped a lot my modelling especially the weathering hobby though I'm in the Warhammer and gunpla universe.
The thing is i have never saw your face and by the bass of your voice i would picture and your skills i painted you in my head like an old man modeler who could actually had drived some of the tanks.
Now i see that we are about the same age and i don't know how to feel about it 😛.
Thanks again for your great work you're awesome!
Greetings from Greece!
If you haven't seen his face yet you are missing on some oh his great older videos where he talks about models he built before youtube and paints if I remember correctly, if you enjoyed this one, make sure to watch the older ones as well!
That deep voice might be caused by the microphone... and also me being a smoker :DDD
Modeling is a great way to express your Inner child’s mind. Due to my attention disorder I usually build between two to four different pieces at the same time. Generally takes a month to build just one model. I love your work, and have now started trying your techniques. Thanks for the videos. I’m currently enjoying your previous builds and learning a lot. Only time will tell.
Don’t k ow how I missed this upload but I have to say uncle night shift, your looking good man! Your looking a bit more in shape since your recovery and I’m glad to see it. Keep on inspiring us my friend!
I've always loved tank models that can really tell a story. Something like a charred tank in the ditch because it got knocked out by an AT round or a Sherman that is still operational in Bastogne, but was battered by German artillery fragments cutting into and/or bouncing off the armor all over the place. If my modeling abilities were anywhere close to Daddy Night Shifts, I'd make a YT channel myself. I just have the problem of having really cool ideas for a model in a diorama, but lack the experience and time to get something even close to what people like Night Shift, PLASMO, or Luke Towan can create.
I hope you do more tanks in the future that have sustained massive battle damage and make a diorama for it describing the scene. Those are my favorite ones you do.
I'm 55, and the first model I built was in 1975, it was the Revell kit of the Apollo - Soyuz Test Project, my parents were absolute saints to get it for me. The kit was reissued in the 90's, and I got a copy a few months ago. Maybe I'll do a better job this time. Your enthusiasm is infectious, and thank you for sharing your journey through the hobby with us.
Thanks! The report is excellent! There are a lot of tutorials on TH-cam right now. And by watching videos of your work, we also learn. There are a lot of interesting and useful things in them!
I really enjoyed this segment. When viewing your current work, it's easy to say, "He's just blessed with skills above and beyond anything I could expect of myself". It's nice to see that you started like we all did, as a child, dobbing parts together with too much glue. Seeing the evolution of your expertise was informative. And it made me understand that, while you undoubtedly possess some God-given gift for this, it is largely the work you've invested, the time you've spent and the experience you've garnered that sets you above most of us. It just goes to show that, like playing guitar or pursuing any other passion, there is no substitute for putting in the time.
As always, thank you for sharing.
Steve
Errrr, you were building better kits when you were a kid than I am possibly doing now. What I was lied was your wrap up , just enjoy doing your thing. I struggle with that, but will try to make it what I am all about. Thanks for sharing.👏👏👏👍😉
As many other said, I wish I had your modelling history behind me and were as good as you! :D
You’d aid you don’t have any space for those old models and that you’re getting rid of them. How about doing some sort of competition, giveaway, etc and you give those as prizes? It would be very fun, and at least four people will be happy with the result (lol) :)
I remember your first video, and you definitely haven’t only improved in modelling. TH-cam and video creating as well
Love your work uncle Night Shift, and greetings from Sweden
Btw, it means a lot when you like and respond to my comments :)
Edit: I didn’t realise until I was finished how long this comment became, sorry for you all that fell asleep reading this :)
Your old works already look pretty refined and maturely built. I'm a graphic designer who love scale models. Been putting up my old works recently as well. My oldest work dates back to 2004, but I was relatively older than you when making it. Didn't have any practical modeling skills. Heck, I even utilized the menu scene in Medal of Honor as a printed backdrop for a corner in the diorama. Feels like yesterday. A trip down to the memory lane XD
Great video! Your models look amazing all these years later!
I think this was one of your best videos. Simply, if you love it, do it! You are a great inspiration for the next generation of Mig's, Adam's and yes, Uncle Nightshift's.
I left the hobby at about 11 or 12. Got back into in about 40 years later. I’m doing things more in the way you’re supposed to, especially since I can afford them.
It’s also amazing all the new products and ways to learn like TH-cam.
I'm in my 30s and only just got into models after a long hospital stay and really enjoy it, first few models were as if the vehicle had just come out of the factory, but after watching a lot of your videos and I mean a lot 🤣.
I've really got into weathering and showing the damage and I've got to say it's due to how detailed your videos are, so thank you really love your work
I love looking back on my old projects - let's me see how I've improved over the years. I really am amazed at seeing how products and techniques have changed/advanced as well. Enjoyed sharing your old projects with you 👍
Only found you a couple of days ago but your talents are impeccable. Incredible work all round and it’s great to see how your skills have progressed over the years. Your works at 14 are leagues better than most 🙌🏻
I think you got it right. Model building is about having fun. If it's not, you are wasting your time and; you will never get any better at it. It may not seem like it to those starting out, but; you WILL get better. When I started out, all that was available was Testor's enamel paint and kits that had very little historical accuracy. The times we live in now are great days to be a modeler.
Old models show your journey of skills development. I stopped modelling at 14 and don't have any now... that makes me a bit sad.
I started modeling again at 58 (Thanks to lockdowns) and because of tutorials like yours and your inspiration I'm loving modelling. Age brings patience too, so my latest models are to a much higher standard.
Thank you 🙏
Without knowing were you started at you will never know where your at currently. I completely agree on doing what makes you happy life is too short to spend it unhappy. Great work thanks for sharing!
bro night shift I have been wanting this video for so long, but never commented that you should do it. glad to see it!
I really enjoyed this video Martin Thankyou for putting it together, it show we all have to start somewhere and mainly just enjoy it.
I still have a couple from my youth. My favourite tank is the Tamiya Pzkw III M, desert paint scheme built in 1975. I have a Monogram Mosquito built even earlier, sometime in 1968. Painted it with the Testors square bottle paints. The III M was done with Polly S. Great paint for brushing, and I still have a bottle or two. Gotta hand it to you, Yours look great.
Despite being only 15 and making models for only 2 years, I quite understand what you’re talking about. Without the budget my models were pretty terrible and I alteady scrapped a bunch of them. I had like 3 tamiya paints, a few watercolors, paintbrush, PVA glue and a 1:72 kit from trumpeter. But when I finally invested into it a little more and when I actually started being patient and when I started watching youtube videos about modelling, especially from you uncle Night Shift;) I finally started making some progress. So I really understand what a modelling without AK weathering products, VMS varnishes and Ammo paintbrushes and without a youtube tutorial about multi layered chipping is.
It took me a long time to understand that I can have more fun if I buy some dedicated paints, thinners and weathering products than buying kit after kit and painting them the DIY way! Switching from enamels to acrylics for base-coating was one of the biggest gamechangers for sure.
When you have a hobby like making dioramas/models, there's only two options, when your project turns out flawed.
You're happy with it anyway, cause you knew you gave your best and enjoyed the process.
You're not quite happy with it, but you take the experience and try to improve.
I really like the approach by Goobertown Hobbies, who I have lovingly dubbed the Bob Ross of Miniature painting. He's so laid back about painting, if something doesn't turn out perfect? Who cares as long as it was fun to make!
He also said to never touch up on your first miniatures, but rather to keep them as a reminder where you started. I like that approach.
I really loved this chat-style format. I’ll be joining the patreon now.
Man, I am happy that I've found your channel. It's outstanding.
Outstanding video and presentation.
Keep up the great work!
Imagine going out for a couple of beers with this guy and talking modeling. Epic.
It is very cool to see how over the years your skills have improved.
I think they're good because it's part of a learning process. You don't always go forward as sometimes what you're doing doesn't grip you but you still learn. If the old models are going I would get some good photos of them because is shows where you came from. There's a lot I like about the Panzer IV for instance.
Really liked the video! I’m still young ish and been building since I was 14 now 22. I agree it’s about just having fun and that’s what matters. I’m trying to use model making as a career path and this has really encouraged me more! Great vid
I started building models in the late 1980s, and I still have most of my childhood models. I wish I had all of them; not that they were anything great, but as a physical record of my progression as a modeler. You may not want to keep the "survivors" from your childhood now, but in the future you may regret getting rid of them. Great video and great message. I stopped building because it just didn't make me happy anymore.
I intentionally keep around my oldest, crappiest model, for the sake of encouraging new people. I wanted to show, "look, this is what I did in middle school, before we had literally any of the resources we have, now. We all start with stuff we'll cringe at, either now or later. Keep at it, and you can do awesome stuff". I even revisited the kit (got another copy) in 2019, just to give people further comparisons.
A beautiful representation of my daily modeling struggle. I love seeing all of the “innovative” (aka inexpensive) ways to make groundwork or representing materials. I’m only two years into my modeling journey, I happened to use the tamiya panzer II as my jump into “serious” modeling. I’m still having fun, so that’s good!
When it comes to groundwork, real earth is hands down the most authentic and DIY material out there! :)
At 9:10 it's actually pretty important thing - a photo can make or break a model. Good camera angle, proper lighting, properly cropped image, neutral background etc. can add so much to the looks of a model, compared to a photo on a messy bench with poor lighting and bad focus
protip. get some window insulation foam strips and put them between the door gaps of the DETOLF. might not look super pretty but keeps all the dust out!
That was really cool to watch, seeing your progression over the years. I also very much want to echo the conclusion, the enjoyment of the hobby is what matters most at the end of the day. Been in it for some three, four years at this point with a couple of endeavors into repainting toys before that, and while by virtue of being clean-finish, mostly 1/144 scifi things arguably none of my stuff looks as visually interesting as even your childhood models, the enjoyment of making them as well as the enjoyment of _having made them_ is one of my favorite ways to spend my time, and probably will continue to be for the forseeable future
As a kid I didn't care about gaps or taking care to do a neat paint job. Now I find it incredible building those same kits how much time I spend filling and sanding down joins. Masking canopy frames too, never did that back then 😏
I've been watching you for a few episodes and find your builds informative and engaging. It takes a secure guy who loves his hobby to show off his earlier works. Great sign of good character! PS My favorite/best builds were a Blue Thunder Apache helicopter and a modified 1987 Chevy Stepside pick-up truck.
I started this hobby 2 years ago. You taught me a lot
It’s really cool that we can see some of Uncle Nightshift’s oldest models, and you see the newest completed one on the right in the background
Thank you. Your videos are very helpful for modellers!
Great video mate! All those early models you made made you the master modeller you are today! Great stuff and gday from Darwin 👍👍
You should have seen my Monogram Tanks from 50 years ago! We didn't even know what color German Tanks were... But burned Buildings were my favorite! Some kind of Balsa or Cardboard covered in Plaster, some Lighter Fluid, some Fire! Wow, those were the days 😁I lost a few to excessive Flames, but it was fun!!!
Very much enjoyed this video and the message is so important, do what you enjoy and don't let others kill that joy for you. The other message I got is to 'just do it'. Build models, or whatever it is you love doing, and you will improve and learn. Again, awesome video and thank you for sharing your older attempts and the joy you had in making them.
Martin thanks for sharing your models and memories, your artistic skill, humility and self effacing humour makes you unique in the modelling world and i enjoy watching every single episode keep posting ! cheers
What have I learned? You were better as a kid than I am now as an adult... great job.
Thanks my friend.. really appreciate your videos, an inspiration to see your talent and where it started!
I love your work. I wish I hadn’t seen the MAN BUN! Every build I follow from this point on, I’m going to see that image. “The horror, the horror.”
I hope that in the future we will probably see a rethinking of those works and their new incarnation already, with your current experience, because idea with destroyed vehicle look very interesting and I think many would not refuse to see videos on a similar topic)
I am glad that you have included your older model kits could you possibly make a video like this showing a timeline and the skill improvement from the model kits to the next kit… for those who feel they are currently outclassed don’t worry I have over 10 failure models and possibly more but despite the failure of models I learned from them. I tried new methods and weathering tricks I learned… just because the mode did not turn out does not mean it was a failure to learn
Mate, these models are bloody fantastic.
Yeap. You just described perfectly my childhood years. Thank you! We forget, time to time, from where we start!
Making models is about enjoying the process, having fun. And with experience, you get better, try new things, and some time in the future, looking back you can see the journey and remember with a smile!
Hi, I'm 59 and I started building Airfix planes as a child of 8 yo. Never stopped, quite the same experience as you I can say... Nowadays I shift my time in painting wargame models and ww1/2 stuff. Also 3D printed busts, just for fun.
Hell, I like your builds from when you were a teenager.
I started modelling again 30 years after I stopped as a kid, simply because I wanted to recreate the joy I got from doing it back when I was 12! And if it wasn't for these videos my models would still be as crap as they were back then.
I built models as a kid even when I was in the military I built models when I could. Today I build models is a form of therapy relaxation. If you're not having fun doing it it's not worth doing. When I get frustrated I walk away from the model so I don't destroy it. Your models as a kid I think they're great I like them. In the end it's all about having fun put on a good music soundtrack have a cup of coffee have a good time. There's times I've gotten into the model I only did a little piece but 5 hours have gone by. Thanks for everything you do have a great day. Keep building those models don't collect them!
Having a good time is the most important bit. Not being great is okay, too. A personal example - I don't have to be a World Cup rider to enjoy mountain biking :)
@@NightShiftScaleModels outstanding young man it's all about having fun!
While this video gave me a lot in terms of WW II modeling and painting and i am really thankful for sharing this with us all, i would love to hear some insights on more modern vehicles, keep up the good work!
Awesome video as always……… and if anything, i seen this video as progression……… sticking with something you love to do, eventually you’re going to push yourself to get better!
The key is to stick with it!
Outstanding video. You just needed to hone your talent to what it is today. Nice work.
I envy your display in the back ground looks so cool and clean a great conversation started I must say