Tijuana Taxi Posted February 6, 2022 Share Posted February 6, 2022 (edited) Total novice when it comes to any type of diorama modelling and need some advice please. Bought the item below in an Amazon warehouse sale for a couple of quid, but where to begin and what with? Assuming it needs building up with some sort of plaster, putty, filler before an attempt at further detail. Then obviously some form of ground coverage, foilage and no doubt many other features to add realism Should add that I haven't got a model in mind to display, got it to try my hand at diorama/vignette construction. Some of the bases I have seen are very lifelike, but as a novice i'm finding it rather daunting. I am ok with painting ( brush and airbrush} but not this type of artistic modelling using other mediums. Tried to look on Youtube, but the amount of videos is overwhelming and having trouble finding what I need. So many although listed as beginner assume you have existing knowledge which I don't Suggestions for any printed matter would be very welcome, even better replies with details on this thread or links to articles/videos Thanks very much in anticipation of your assistance Rich Edited February 6, 2022 by Tijuana Taxi 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim R-T-C Posted February 6, 2022 Share Posted February 6, 2022 I've not used this base specifically, but I'd suggest you won't need to plaster or putty the base since the natural formations should already be in place. You will want to look into texture paints for covering the base. There are a great selection from Vallejo, Tamiya, AK and others. Most will just need thinning with some water when you apply, so it doesn't lose the texture of the base itself. For the grass, have a look at static grass applicators - not cheap but can be used for all diorama projects. I use the Peco/WSW one, there are lots of specific videos online about them and you can build your own too. Static grass itself is pretty cheap and available from most model railway shops. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tijuana Taxi Posted February 6, 2022 Author Share Posted February 6, 2022 48 minutes ago, Tim R-T-C said: I've not used this base specifically, but I'd suggest you won't need to plaster or putty the base since the natural formations should already be in place. You will want to look into texture paints for covering the base. There are a great selection from Vallejo, Tamiya, AK and others. Most will just need thinning with some water when you apply, so it doesn't lose the texture of the base itself. For the grass, have a look at static grass applicators - not cheap but can be used for all diorama projects. I use the Peco/WSW one, there are lots of specific videos online about them and you can build your own too. Static grass itself is pretty cheap and available from most model railway shops. Thank you, i'll have a look at the texture paints, I have seen them when i've bought other paints, Presumably those such as European Thick Mud from the Vallejo range. Static grass might be a bit overkill at this stage, probably keep spending to a minimum until I decide if its for me or not Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcrfan Posted February 7, 2022 Share Posted February 7, 2022 I recommend you have a look at some of the model railway scenery beginners videos on youtube. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim R-T-C Posted February 7, 2022 Share Posted February 7, 2022 21 hours ago, Tijuana Taxi said: Thank you, i'll have a look at the texture paints, I have seen them when i've bought other paints, Presumably those such as European Thick Mud from the Vallejo range. Static grass might be a bit overkill at this stage, probably keep spending to a minimum until I decide if its for me or not Yes, most firms have a texture paint or two in their range. Just be aware of very different variations in thickness. You can get premade static grass tufts, again from model railway places mostly - peco do a good selection. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
f111guru Posted February 7, 2022 Share Posted February 7, 2022 On 2/6/2022 at 1:45 AM, Tijuana Taxi said: Total novice when it comes to any type of diorama modelling and need some advice please. Bought the item below in an Amazon warehouse sale for a couple of quid, but where to begin and what with? Assuming it needs building up with some sort of plaster, putty, filler before an attempt at further detail. Then obviously some form of ground coverage, foilage and no doubt many other features to add realism Should add that I haven't got a model in mind to display, got it to try my hand at diorama/vignette construction. Some of the bases I have seen are very lifelike, but as a novice i'm finding it rather daunting. I am ok with painting ( brush and airbrush} but not this type of artistic modelling using other mediums. Tried to look on Youtube, but the amount of videos is overwhelming and having trouble finding what I need. So many although listed as beginner assume you have existing knowledge which I don't Suggestions for any printed matter would be very welcome, even better replies with details on this thread or links to articles/videos Thanks very much in anticipation of your assistance Rich Rich, @Tim R-T-Cand @dcrfanhave given you a lot of information to start off. I have done some minor dioramas in the past but were just subjects of the USAF career years that were for commission builds. Simply straight forward flightline based aircraft. I plan on a more extensive diorama. Saw this and others for a more detailed diorama. https://www.bouldercreekrailroad.com/ Luke Towan Go into the tutorials and this fellow starts from the beginning and through the final product. These are very informative. He has some DIY projects and also what can be bought commercially. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCK-tzXpJ-rgXugc-eJfCtxg Kathy Millat Kathy like Luke Towan are very informative and makes you think of future projects. My only advice to give is to plan out what you want to produce. You have the beginnings with the base. Now all is needed is to create on paper what you want to produce. Fall winter summer, etc. War, country stroll and the like. I could go on and on. All The Best, Ron VanDerwarker 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tijuana Taxi Posted February 7, 2022 Author Share Posted February 7, 2022 Thanks Ron I'll have a look at the videos you mentioned. Not really got a concept in mind, probably go for the colder months with some mud. Living in the UK those conditions are easier to visualise and hopefully replicate. Rich Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShogunBallistic Posted February 10, 2022 Share Posted February 10, 2022 Woodland Scenics has a great starter/learning kits. These gave me courage to continue on dioramas. This for instance https://woodlandscenics.woodlandscenics.com/show/item/LK954 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tijuana Taxi Posted February 11, 2022 Author Share Posted February 11, 2022 On 10/02/2022 at 20:44, ShogunBallistic said: Woodland Scenics has a great starter/learning kits. These gave me courage to continue on dioramas. This for instance https://woodlandscenics.woodlandscenics.com/show/item/LK954 Thank you, I'll definitely give them a look. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Parvis Posted March 10, 2022 Share Posted March 10, 2022 If you are looking for information on how to get started, Shep Paine's book "How to Build Dioramas" is an unrivaled resource. Some of the techniques are a little dated but much of the information is timeless. Matt 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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