New to model making, any suggestions or tips on making things from scratch

Like the title of this thread suggests I am new to model making and I had a couple people suggest that I start by making things from scratch. I am wondering if anyone has tips on buildings models from scratch. I hope to build a series of dieselpunk models and am just hoping for a couple tips on how to make them look the best they can. Tips and suggestions on anything is helpful from construction to painting, anything helps.

Here's a good place mate.
Plenty of good tips on the forums.

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Yeh, that's really too broad of a question. Best thing would be do a search on here for something you might want to make. Chances are, someone has already made one, or at least something similar. Then look at there WIP pics and directions, then go from there

scratch-building is not always the best place to start unless you already have some experience with engineering, cause that is basically what it is. But that doesn't mean you can't start there. check out the link he gave you and try to find a few more you like and do a lot of research on the type of model you want to build. I have scratch-built models out of everything from styrene, to cardboard, two part epoxy clay, paper clay, wood putty, foam, balsa wood... you have to consider structure, function, durability, what kind of paint job and finish you intend to apply, lighting... It really is a very complicated subject, as was mentioned above. But I wish you the best of luck. Best tip I can give you is "never give up". If something isn't working, MAKE it work. And don't stop until it's exactly what you want it to be.

Start simple. Don't try to start out by trying to tackle an entire model from scratch at the beginning.
Start with doing simple conversions to an existing model. Or maybe some additional set pieces to a diorama.
Try to look at some parts of a model and think about how you would go about scratch building a copy of that part.
Look at the model and break it down to it's most basic shapes.
Is it a box, a tube, a half dome, Something that was turned on a lathe? A shape that was cast?
What do you have laying around that similar you can use as a starting point?
Scratch building is mostly about learning techniques to solve a particular problem.
Working with sheets of Styrene, working with clay and epoxy putties, thermoforming, Vacuforming, Photoetch etc
A few good books to read up on

https://www.amazon.com/Styrene-modeling-finish-realistic-styrene/dp/0967836905

Hard to find but a good book
https://www.amazon.com/Scratchbuild...id=1529290746&sr=1-8&keywords=scratchbuilding

Good luck.