Kitbashing

Kitbashing or model bashing is a practice whereby a new scale model is created by taking pieces out of commercial kits. These pieces may be added to a custom project or to another kit. For professional modelmakers, kitbashing is popular to create concept models for detailing movie special effects. Commercial model kits are a ready source of "detailing", providing any number of identical, mass-produced components that can be used to add fine detail to an existing model. Professionals often kitbash to build prototype parts which are then recreated with lightweight materials.

For the hobbyist, kitbashing saves time that would be spent scratch building an entire model. Hobbyists may kitbash to create a model of a subject (real or imaginary) for which there is not a commercial kit.

Although it has a long history, kitbashing came to the attention of a wider public via the fine modelwork seen in TV series such as Thunderbirds and the films 2001: A Space Odyssey and Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. Many of the spaceship models created for these programs incorporated details from tank, speedboat and car kits. Another example is the Batmobile from the 2005 film Batman Begins, as seen in the special features disc of the film's DVD.

Sometimes source kits are selected primarily due to kit quality, and sometimes because a kit closely resembles the desired model result. Kitbashing is common in sci-fi modeling.

It is not uncommon for parts to be cut and filed into shapes leaving gaps that are later filled with putty. Although a model with putty often looks unprofessional at an early stage, careful painting can completely hide defects. Textural details known as greebles may be added to enhance a model.

The popularity of ready-to-run, pre-assembled models, even coupled with the increased availability of many unique prototypes using resin castings, seems not to have seriously impacted the art of kitbashing.

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Wikipedia