With regard to model making being an art, the late Gerald Wingrove was of the opinion that it is.
For those who don't know of Gerald Wingrove he was a professional master modeller who mainly scratch built model cars for very wealthy private collectors.
His models can be viewed on the Wingrove Workshop website. I can guarantee that you will be blown away with what you will see there. Gerald's models are the epitome of Artistry, Craftsmanship and Accuracy.
He has written books on scratch building model cars, that I certainly found very inspirational.
The Complete Car Modeller. Volumes 1 and 2.