Want to do a diorama, need advice please

Hi Joe,

It might be best to re-post this question in de diorama section of the forum, all the experts on diorama's are over there. 

Military Miniatures Warehouse has several pages of landscaping materials. Click on the link and then go to "Groundwork & Diorama Aids".

You'll also want a good sized base. Go to a craft store and look in their decoupage department. I only use styrofoam if I'm building up a good sized elevation of more that a quarter inch or so. Otherwise, I use Celluclay. I mix the stuff with model railroad ballast or woody turf for texture, squeeze in some cheap brown craft acrylic for color and a good dollop of Elmer's glue with only enough water to get a thick oatmeal texture. I drill holes in the base to give it more bite. By using this, you will get some nice organic feel to the ground. Placin grassy material directly on a base never looks natural.

 Check the verlinden line. They have several dead figures. That's about as close to sleeping posture you're going to find and they are sculpted oto be prone. I would not use a stanging figure on its back or side. Even though it will be mostly hidden, it will not look natural.

I don't know if your dead set on the figure, but here is what I envision...you could have the truck pulled slightly off the "sleeping hole" (so it's visble) with a neatly folded GI blanket and maybe a "C" ration box at the front of the hole.  Then place an in-scale sign that has a slogan like "A Hero Goes Home" or something to that effect, and then if you could get a picture blown up to say 8X10 and mount it behind the dio.  WOW..that would be powerful!

Sometimes simple things have the best effect...

That is an awesome idea i love it!  I dont need to find the sleeping figure that way either!  I'm gonna go for that one as of right now.  Ordering the kit Thursday night and hopefully won't be too difficult to finish in a timely fashon.. He's gonna love it!

Ill be sure to post some picutres thrugh the build, as well as the finished product.  I dont expect too much though as I said im not a diorama guy and my weathering skills are not that great either.  But it's more the gesture in this case.

 BTW, anyone know what kind of trees were in WWII In Germany?

Thanks

Joe

IYAAYAS wrote:

place an in-scale sign that has a slogan like "A Hero Goes Home" or something to that effect

Anyone know where to find or how to easily make custom in-scale signs?

glock232 wrote:

BTW, anyone know what kind of trees were in WWII In Germany? Thanks Joe

Try using Google for that.

(Hint: the first site listed gave me dozens of trees, with pictures and commom and taxonomic names.)

Lol ok google it is...

Got the kit yesterday, started it last night.  I like to build, then paint.  So im about 60% done building, excelent kit by Tamiya.. everything fit's flawlessly so far.  I have the engine assembled, the chassis, and wheels installed, the cab of the truck without a driver.  The cab is not glued onto the chasis yet so it wont be hard to go back and paint, but I closed the sides of the engine, eliminating the need to paint that.  I left the canvas top off so i can paint the compartment without too much difficulty, and I'm not going to detail underneath too much since nobody will be seeing that. 

I am going to put it on the diorama base but instead of doing and in-scale sign, saying "A hero goes home" I think im going to do a nice wood base for the dio, and have a gold plaque engraved with that as the title of the dio, someone I told about it, said what about the hero's that died over there.  So rather than make it sound like a hero goes home with a sign in model, it will just be the name of the overall dio.

Ok, so maybe i was a little further than 60% done.. maybe 95%.. its finished except for painting and minor items, spare tires, mirrors, windshield and headlights.. which i will put on after i take it home (i built it at work) so i dont risk snapping a mirror or something, and wait to put the clear on so i can paint it easier..  I will post a picture of it when im done.  I'm a little nervous about painting it, I'm not good at weathering so i hope i dont mess it up this far into the game.

Dunno if anyone is following this or not but im having a ball..  Ordered some miscellaneous items for the dio, some maps, c ration boxes, some gear bags.  Oh, and tree stumps.  Still working on the paint job, and Ill go get a nice base and the brass plaque made up.  Look for pictures!

looking forward to the pictures!