Diorama Techniques: Planes, Armor, Ships, Artillery and Troops

[B-17engineer]

AHhhhhhhH!!!!! Ok on the 27th I will start taking pictures but, on September fourth my school starts so I may not be around but I will do my best to take pictures.

[B-17engineer]

Ok so If I wanted to do a scene like a battle in a field like near a small french farmhouse what could I use what stuff from my backyard could I use?

[muller]

Hi fellas, I've been building a dio for the last 3-4 months with vehicles, I have given my aircraft builds a rest for a while. It's my 1st proper dio, so i've been learning as I've been going along. There might be some ideas here you can use for your dio B-17.

I wanted to build a convoy of DAK vehicles on a mountain road. I spent the 1st 2 months building the vehicles, various makes all 1/72.



I then went onto the diorama base, I used some wood I had in the shed to build the basic shape, glued and screwed together.



I then used some expanding foam to fill in the gaps, it comes in an aerosol can, you spray it on, let it expand and cure, then you can cut it to whatever shape you want to create your landscape. It should be available in your local hardware store and its not very expensive.



If using it wear gloves!! And overalls, its VERY sticky when its wet!! If you can get some acetone, this cleans it up easily enough if you have an accident. Also it cleans out the spray tube and cap when your finished with it.

Sprayed on the base, left to cure, then cut away.



I then plastered smashed up peat to create rock faces, when it was dry, I plastered the gaps, I just used some cheap wall filling plaster you mix with water for this. I then painted it with a pale emulsion paint I had in the shed. Then painted the road grey and the rocky mountain sides a yellowy red colour, I just used water colours for this.



I painted some diluted pvc glue onto the road in the middle and the edges and covered the whole thing in sieved turf ash.



Left it overnight and the blew ashes off it, it left sandy bits in the middle and edge of the road and in cracks of the rockfaces. I smashed up some gravel with a hammer to make small rocks which were thrown onto the dio and spread around with a dry brush, the dust produced from smashing the gravel was also added. mossy bits from my trees in the garden were glued in place too. Hopefully they'll turn yellow over time.

Here's a couple of pics with some vehicles in place.





I have since widened the bend as it was too narrow and removed some of the vehicles as it was too crowded, I still have the figures and equipment to paint and add to the vehicles.

I hope this gives some of you guys some ideas for your dioramas, I couldn't belive most of the stuff used in this was lying about the house and in the shed! It has only cost me about €15!

[Airframes]

just finished a diorama in 1/32nd scale, almost finished one in 1/48th scale, so that I can use them as subjects for paintings. First one is a P51D of 364th FG, Honnington, August '44, with ground crew, scratch-built starter trolley and other kit. Other one is P51B, 361st. FG, Bottisham, May '44, with ground crew, pilot, scratch starter trolley etc. Both aircraft in 'natural metal', bases are MDF with card, painted and textured, for concrete & tarmac, static grass etc. Can't post pics until other 'stupid' computer behaving, but will asap.

[Lucky13]

Looking forward to the pics!

[Catch22]

That looks fantastic Muller!

[Heinz]

Totally agree with Catch, great work. Any other tips on gettin that dusty look?

[muller]

Thanks fellas

Originally Posted by Heinz

Totally agree with Catch, great work. Any other tips on gettin that dusty look?

On the dio base? Or the vehicles?

[Wayne Little]

great work muller, bl**dy good stuff mate.

[B-17engineer]

Great Job!

[Wurger]

Really nice job Muller.

[muller]

Thanks fellas! I half covered the Blitz truck with canvas (painted tissue paper), so it looks different to the pics already posted. I'll post pics and technique used on that too, it involved a bit of scratchbuilding and a lot of bad language!!

I got some really nice white metal figures and equipment for this dio from AB figures in the UK, they're a bit expensive but they are really nice. I haven't had a chance to paint them yet. Visitors from the US have stopped my building for the last couple of weeks.

[B-17engineer]

Ok I will post the Pictures tommorow (i Hope) Of what vehicles and soldiers I have built and collected so far!!

[B-17engineer]

THere are Quite a few soldiers

[Heinz]

Sorry Muller I forgot to specify, yes the vehicles. Combination of dry brushing and pastels?