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Category: Minature collecting
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I’ll be the first to admit that out of things that are small I’m mostly interested with models for wargaming systems. And yet, this segment is called “Miniature Collecting” so it wouldn’t be fair to focus solely on this one aspect, would it? That is why I want you to join me as I explore different forms of miniature art that people are collecting. The following article will present you with four different hobbies that obsess some people all around the globe.


1. Diorama making
While being partly connected with model collection, the art of making dioramas is vastly more complex. Where the wargamers build single models, diorama makers create landscapes. Where the wargamers might look for a clear and pretty paint scheme, diorama makers create visual compositions or incredibly detailed recreations of real-life places, that to all honesty seem almost alive themselves.

I think it is clearly visible how much respect I have for thee people that give in to this passion. And it is not an easy one. Creating, often by hand, not only the models but also the landscape needed takes time and resources that few have. But the results are often phenomenal. 


 2. Miniature architecture
Again, quite similar to both dioramas and wargaming collecting, miniature architecture also deals with models, this time, however, it is almost exclusively buildings and almost exclusively real ones. Scale modelling is all about being true to reality, only on a much smaller scale. It is my guess that it must be popular with architects and architect wannabes. That being said, what they lack in imagination, they more than make up for with the attention to detail.

 

3. Scale models
The grandpa of all of the miniature hobbies, scale modelling is basically scaling down of anything that exists (if most of what exist are vehicles). Again, attention is paid more to the details and truthfulness than to imagination but it is closer to wargaming models in that it usually concerns itself with single models, not entire installations of them. This type of model collecting has been popular for almost a hundred years at least, so it is no surprise that it has been very present in the works of mass culture.

 


4. Bonsai
The Bonsai are a form of miniature trees. They count. This ancient Japanese art (dating from 7th ct. b.c.), once practised by the nobility of the far east, nowadays is practised all over the world. This hobby, even more than the previously mentioned, requires patience since it is not only constrained by one's skill but also by the slow growth of the plant. The caring for the little tree might take years and be only a few cuts or a well-placed wire. There are many traditional styles to choose from. The perfect thing for a patient person is the fact that this hobby is never truly finished, the tree is a living organism and there is always something to do with it.