1:48 Veselé Vánoce

Why 1:48 scale suits a scene

Between the small 1:72 and the roomy 1:35 lies the scale that aircraft modelers took to most of all. A fighter in it covers about as much bench space as an open book, so there is room left over for the surroundings. And the surroundings are usually what lifts a finished piece: a few crates, a wheel leaning against a wall, and a decorated tree in a winter scene.

What the thirteen parts cover

The core is the conifer and the stand it drops into, plus the topper for the tip. Six ornaments, two wrapped boxes, a sled and a stuffed bear go around it. The layout follows a real corner of a living room: the tree in the middle, the presents at the foot of the trunk, the toys close by. If you prefer, the scene can be split up and some of the parts used elsewhere on the board.

Painting and placement

1:48 scale forgives less than the smaller ones do. The detail already shows, yet it is not so large that a careless transition passes. The needles gain depth if a dry brush loaded with a warmer green is pulled over a darker base. The ornaments are worth finishing in high gloss, because the contrast between the matte tree and a shiny ball is what sells the scene. The sled looks best with worn runners where bare metal shows through.

A display base and figures are not part of the delivery. The scene is built on a surface of your own choosing, to suit your own idea. One approach worth noting is to stand the tree behind a building window so the viewer only glimpses it through the glass: then it is enough to paint the side visible from there and let the rest stay suggested. The work saved can go into the area around the window.