model, imitate

模 is composed of 木(wood) and莫. 莫 depicts the lowering sun being covered by grass, light dims at sunset, everything become obscure which actual shape is difficult to be seen, 莫 has already had the meaning of roughness. On the other hand, ancient Chinese use wood as the major material to build a house or make utensils, a wood can be sculpted as utensils in different shape, so模 is used to describe something obscure or with a rough shape.