Thomas Doyle’s miniature art

Craft & Design
Thomas Doyle’s miniature art
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Artist Thomas Doyle makes fascinating art, tells compelling stories, with model train miniatures and scenery. I’ve always been strangely attracted to these miniature components and wondered why more people don’t make art, jewelry, dioramas, etc. with them.

Art by Thomas Doyle [Thanks, Patti!]

10 thoughts on “Thomas Doyle’s miniature art

  1. TN says:

    I had earrings with train people about 20 years ago when I was in college; and last year I remade some little train people to look like a relative’s grandchildren for Christmas.

    So I’m qualified to have a one word to answer your question:

    Brittle.

    The plastic is so brittle that it breaks very easily, making any hard-wearing of earrings and other jewlery extremely short-lived. And so very tiny that repairing is absurdly time consuming. I’d love if someone came out with more flexible/sturdier figures–I’m sure it can be done.

  2. Anonymous says:

    Also, the little things are painfully expensive!

  3. Anonymous says:

    When I used to build 1/35 scale military models, I always drooled over these:

    http://www.verlinden-productions.com/products.html

    Amazing detail for small figures.

  4. Gareth Branwyn says:

    @TN – I wasn’t aware of the brittle issue. My wife had a couple of pairs of earrings made from train miniatures and they survived fine (but then she rarely wore them).

    Re: Verlinden
    Oh yeah, their stuff is amazing. I have a couple of books of military diorama contest winners using Verlinden models and some of them are mind-blowing in their detail and realism.

  5. Jeff says:

    See also Walter Martin and Paloma Muñoz

    http://www.martin-munoz.com/

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Gareth Branwyn is a freelance writer and the former Editorial Director of Maker Media. He is the author or editor of over a dozen books on technology, DIY, and geek culture. He is currently a contributor to Boing Boing, Wink Books, and Wink Fun. His free weekly-ish maker tips newsletter can be found at garstipsandtools.com.

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