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Small Perspective FAQs
For non-toxic glues, Aleene's Original Tacky Glue is my go-to. It dries quickly but gives you a few minutes to reposition items if needed. It’s also odorless, which I love. For glues requiring ventilation and a bit of patience, Beacon Quick Grip is excellent. Beacon, in the adhesive business since the 1920s, makes some of the best adhesives. True to its name, Quick-Grip dries quickly. If using large amounts on one surface or area, you'll need to use a clamp or heavy object (my art books work well) to apply pressure, as the glue will expand slightly while drying without a tight seal.
I use acrylic paint (matte, satin, and glossy), airbrushed acrylics, enamel spray paint (satin and glossy), and depending on the piece, I use a clear acrylic spray to seal the finish on many of my pieces. From extra matte to high gloss, there are a great deal of options available, and I’ve always been able to find whatever I need, no matter the project.
Boards, woods, and adhesives are my staples.
I use a variety of coated papers and boards including foam core board, illustration board, and museum-quality matt board.
I use soft and hard woods including balsa wood, basswood, pine, birch plywood, alder wood, hickory, and walnut.
I use several types of glue, including white and clear tacky glue and permanent adhesives made from acetone and hexane.
The most common missteps I've seen are not understanding the scale you want to explore and then not knowing whether or not it matters to you if something isn’t true to that scale.
Once you identify the scale you want to work within (whether you want to start a collection or make miniature scenes of your own), it’s good to do a little research before diving in. There are a lot of items available for sale online and in hobby and craft stores that are not “true to scale” and even an experienced miniaturist can find themselves purchasing something that’s too large or too small.
For online purchases, if the measurements of an item aren’t clearly listed, I recommend contacting the seller to ask if they can be provided. For shopping in brick-and-mortar stores, I always carry a small tape measure.
Fortunately, smartphones have changed photography, and whether the focus of your camera lens is something life-size or something miniature, a lot of the work is done for you.
I’m a fan of shooting objects at an angle and from multiple angles versus a straight shot. I think this leads to more compelling “realistic” looking images. I also like shooting objects very close up to play with the tension of that moment when it isn’t clear if something is or isn’t a miniature. Lastly, when the project size isn’t difficult to navigate and the weather permits, I opt to photograph my miniatures outside for the best possible light.
I’ve always been a little obsessed with small details, even outside of my miniature work, and years of practice and patience have honed my skills to where they are now. Describing how I create and execute on a small scale isn’t easy to articulate. I’ve always had a steady hand, and it has taken many years to build a discipline around creating the thing that exists in my head or lifesize with painstaking accuracy and detail. There isn’t a formula.
It’s all about math and measurements. Working in 1:12 scale, if something is one foot long in life-size scale, it will be 1” in miniature scale, and the increments work up and down from there.
The matter of accuracy goes back to the question of whether or not it’s important to someone to have something be “true to scale.” I’m a stickler for this, as are many of the 1:12 scale miniaturists I’ve worked with, but some people don’t mind if the scale isn’t precise.
This question has come up a few times in recent workshops. I’ll take a handcrafted miniature over a 3D-printed item most of the time, but it would be a miss not to recognize and acknowledge that the 3D printer has been a game changer.
I know a few miniaturists, myself included, who have pieces in our collections that we would not have if we had to spend the amount it would have cost to purchase the handmade item. And with my new kit lines offering the option of 3D printed furniture, this makes it possible to keep the cost down in a way that simply wouldn't be possible without this type of printer. I was surprised to learn that depending on the printer and the object being printed, it can take up to 8 hours to print a single detailed miniature piece of furniture. Still, items from the very simple to the highly detailed can be printed while a designer or crafter person is spending time on something else, and that’s huge.
It may sound like a cliché, but most of my inspiration comes from my everyday experiences. Inspiration is everywhere. It can be found in the people, places, and things that are part of my “real” world, and all of this spills seamlessly into my miniature one. Colors, patterns, textures…, and even sounds show up as inspiration for what I will put into a scene or build a scene around. It’s like a perpetual puzzle that I get to put together, and it’s always different.
Originality, the level of difficulty, the cost of materials, and the amount of time spent (conceptualizing, designing, and building) are all key elements that determine the cost of a miniature. There are additional factors that affect the cost, such as the perceived value of a piece and whether it’s for an individual's private collection, an organization, or for public display.
I use solid, quality materials in construction, and I build miniatures that, with proper care, can be expected to last for many decades. I advise my clients about the best ways to care for and protect their small treasures, with the most important thing being to keep the miniature(s) away from excessive temperatures, direct sunlight, and moisture.
There’s no getting around the fact that where there’s light and air, there’s dust. 60% of the dust that’s inside comes from outside, and dust can easily accumulate on small objects. The items that I hold most dear or those with the highest value are in curio cases, acrylic and glass displays, or in boxes. If the room that your miniature is displayed in gets a lot of light, it’s worth it to invest in UV-blocking glass. It doesn’t cost much more than regular glass, and it’s worth the extra money.
I meticulously wrap each piece using two sizes of protective bubble wrap, crate foam, corrugated cardboard, and other shipping materials. I use a ratio of 1:4 to determine the proper size box to hold a miniature in place, resulting in no damage, even if the item is mishandled or dropped during shipping.
Document your collection. Start by documenting your collection with photos, videos, receipts, and any authenticity certificates you have.
Get an appraisal. You’ll need an appraisal from a reputable appraiser in the “Collectibles” or “Art Collectibles” category. This is a requirement to obtain insurance for your miniature collection.
Specialty Insurance required. You need an insurance company that extends policies in the “Collectibles” category. (Please note: standard insurance and homeowners insurance policies do not cover Collectibles.)
Though it is often said that miniature collectibles aren’t for children, I was nine when I started my collection and went from playing with miniatures to seeing them as something special that I wanted to be gentle with. They felt “precious” to me. When I worked at a Madison Avenue dollhouse shop during college, the youngest collector I knew was only seven years old. Depending on the child, starting a miniature collection at an early age could be a marvelous adventure.
Absolutely! Starting from the time that I was about 12 years old, I would challenge myself to find something life-size and make something in miniature scale for my dollhouse and room boxes.
I’ve used everything from the old school toothpaste tops and small hairspray caps to make flower pots and plastic garbage cans, to mascara wands, cotton swabs and those dual-size eyeliner pencil sharpeners to make 1:12 scale painting materials.
My newest furniture kit line was specifically designed to use the standard 1.5” x 2” makeup sponges as seat cushions!
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