What Is Modulation? The What, Why, and When

What is modulation?

It’s one of those weird questions that we often encounter. We know what the thing is, but when it comes to describing it – we may draw a blank. And even more so when we’re asked the deeper details – when, why, and so forth.

I often find myself in modeling scenarios being quite comfortable with the how of a technique. In most cases it’s a simple matter of watching a video and seeing the basic application technique.

But the disconnect comes when we see the final result… it looks great. Yet though we now have a grasp of how to do it, we’re still puzzled about the deeper aspects of the technique.

What Is Modulation?

This video will hopefully demystify the logic behind modulation. I’d originally intended to create a “how to” video on the subject. But in examining the interwebs, I found there were plenty of videos and articles. What puzzled me was that most of them seemed to not get into the background that makes the “how” successful.

I’ve tried to dig deep into this to expose the things that make the how work well. I look at what color modulation is, but also what it isn’t. And I try to make some simple connections to the real world. How does modulation seek to mimic what our eye sees? Additionally, I answer common objections, and even talk about what to do if you don’t like the technique. (Hint: It’s OK… 😉 )

So before you go searching for the “how-to” videos, make sure you fill in the when, where, and why with this video!

Be sure and take a look at both my YouTube playlist of Scale Modeling How-To videos, and the videos and blog articles I have here on the website. They may spark additional ideas for things you can try out on your models.