How would you start a Diorama?

[minitnkr]

Model railroading is just a diorama w/animation. My 'layout resurrection' is currently my largest and most complex dio as the electrical is yet to be completed. This was planned w/scale drawings and a list of materials. The plan was adjusted a couple of times as events required. PaulE

[rtfoe]

So many ways to start a diorama...and Laurie, you've shown some via researching the net and accumulating images. I do similar for scratch building kits and historical references.

Cheers,
Richard

[Guest]

Have any of you attempted something out of your comfort zone

Cheers
Richard.

Yes everything I do.

[rtfoe]

Model railroading is just a diorama w/animation. My 'layout resurrection' is currently my largest and most complex dio as the electrical is yet to be completed. This was planned w/scale drawings and a list of materials. The plan was adjusted a couple of times as events required. PaulE

Paul, that railroad dio is going to be one massive build once the electricals have been sorted out. A flexible plan is always a good plan...lots of room for extra creativity.

Cheers,
Richard

[minitnkr]

Other than a few tweaks here & there the MoW area is all the scenery remaining to be done. The electrical for the continuous run seems OK, but there's some bugs in the Industrial & Container areas.

[Mini Me]

Won't be long till the Video comes out I hope......would be nice to see this baby in motion. :thumb2: Rick H.

[rtfoe]

You guys in the States clearly have no space issue Paul. Looks like you fitted three towns in there...amazing.

Cheers,
Richard

[Graeme C.]

Paul, that is one impressive railroad layout, really full of interest for the eye. My nephew & I built a railway layout in my Mum & Dad's loft when he was young, we had to dismantle it when my parents moved, but it's in the loft at their new place waiting to be resurrected.
I have been buying things to go on a diorama based around Operation Bagration, I have a IS-2, Pak 40, a building & figures.
This idea is way out of my comfort zone, not done any diorama's, except for the odd base for a tank, not done a great deal of figure painting of done any buildings. As they say on Top Gear, how hard can it be?!!!!!
I may just have to build up my skills bit by bit before I start on that one.

[minitnkr]

Yes, & they often show how hard it can be:smiling::smiling2::smiling3:.

[What?]

I just thought my first two up in my head and did them. Now I watch a lot of documentaries, pause them and take photos of scenes that look like something to work from for the next.

[Guest]

I start by looking at the terrain of where the diorama is going to take place.

Hilly background undulating foreground. Then detail a building, barn a shambles of a cottage.
Tracks fences telegraph poles sign posts. All of those details.

Then the background the most important of them all. Plenty of diorama pictures in very long length.

Then the foreground, flat or undulating. loads of polyfilla to make the undulating.

Then cover the foreground with grass stones gravel very fine gravel. Mix to make sure their is no
dividing line. Went down to the sea shore & found lot of bits & pieces. Shrubs a little way in from
the divide line help to hide it & give a 3d effect.

Next is to disguise the line of the vertical background & foreground. Boulders, bushes scrub anything
which hides that divide line. The divide line NOT straight wizz it in & out to make it interesting.

Front foreground. Similar to the divide line but perhaps lower in detail. Old rotten fences can provide
great detail.. Study pictures of the diorama location. So much in pictures.

Then add the models. All great fun. All using imagination. It is all build up from the main elements as above.
No restrictions no rules just how it appeals as you build it up piece by piece.

Laurie

[rtfoe]

I just thought my first two up in my head and did them. Now I watch a lot of documentaries, pause them and take photos of scenes that look like something to work from for the next.

Jim, that's another way to start a dio. Some documentaries have interesting images not seen in photographs.

Cheers,
Richard

[rtfoe]

I start by looking at the terrain of where the diorama is going to take place.

Hilly background undulating foreground. Then detail a building, barn a shambles of a cottage.
Tracks fences telegraph poles sign posts. All of those details.

Then the background the most important of them all. Plenty of diorama pictures in very long length.

Then the foreground, flat or undulating. loads of polyfilla to make the undulating.

Then cover the foreground with grass stones gravel very fine gravel. Mix to make sure their is no
dividing line. Went down to the sea shore & found lot of bits & pieces. Shrubs a little way in from
the divide line help to hide it & give a 3d effect.

Next is to disguise the line of the vertical background & foreground. Boulders, bushes scrub anything
which hides that divide line. The divide line NOT straight wizz it in & out to make it interesting.

Front foreground. Similar to the divide line but perhaps lower in detail. Old rotten fences can provide
great detail.. Study pictures of the diorama location. So much in pictures.

Then add the models. All great fun. All using imagination. It is all build up from the main elements as above.
No restrictions no rules just how it appeals as you build it up piece by piece.

Laurie

Planning is top most but sometimes may alter as it goes along. I always try to miniaturise material not found in aftermarket or kit form as a challenge or even try to improve what's out there.

Cheers,
Richard

[Airborne01]

Haven't built many dioramas at all, mine tend to be just basic groundwork - nothing exciting. Since I've been on this forum I've been encouraged to try new techniques, materials and ideas, and branch out into simple dioramas; generally the idea comes from an observed scene, a 'cool' model or figure that I think deserves more than just assembly, or some inspiration from a book, photo etc. I visualise, gather resources, then improvise, get frustrated and start the process all over again because it didn't work the first time! Most of my inspiration though comes from a recollection of some incident from my Service days.

Materials tend to be MDF and plywood offcuts, old picture frames, building materials such as lightweight mortar, plaster etc or,more recently, proprietary materials such as carving foam, resin 'water', and commercial items like Value Gear or Fredericus Rex foliage etc. And, there is always a place for redundant out-of-date dried herbs from the cupboard - look the part and still have a residual fragrance that lingers on the bench for a while! Sorry, no great insight from me chaps and chapesses!
Steve

[Airborne01]

Was reading a book about late WWII action in the Tyrol area of Europe & thought how difficult recovery would be in that topography with that eras' under powered vehicles. I also had this large chunk of packing foam & had recently attended a seminar on WWII German recovery methods. The result was depicting a difficult recovery around this lump of styrofoam. The star of the show for me was the eight cable block and tackle using the bergepanther as a fulcrum. PaulE
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Paul,
A very nice scene! The Tamiya Famo included a schematic of several recovery methods that was very interesting - if you haven't seen it I'll willingly send you a photocopy! I have a couple of Famos that I (still) intend to build into dioramas but at 1/35 they take up a lot of space! I love the idea of the seminar - a knowledge of 3, 4, or 6-fold purchases, snatch blocks, chocks and associated gubbins etc make for a great deal of visual interest
Steve