Help with first real dioram...if you're a mind reader!

Manstein's revenge

I know! My thoughts exactly! There are WAY too many great looking builds and things on this forum! I'm like a kid in a candy store - who's never seen candy before!

Erik

You could just throw something together with the materials you have at hand. You could pick a base size that works for you then build wahtever you can in any scale in that area. Once you have the first one under your belt, you will find out what you like and don't like and it will give you a nice starting place for the next one you do.

Mr Lucky

...I know only I can answer these questions...

You haven't asked any questions.

EasyMike

 

Mr Lucky:

...I know only I can answer these questions...

 

You haven't asked any questions.

HAHAHA! I know, no questions means no answers! It's just a pain when you have so many ideas with limited space. Every time I see what everyone else is building the ideas just keep coming! I just need more room!

If you are a car guy, then get hold of Ken Hamilton's book on creative diorama building. Everyone on this forum talks about Shep Paine's excellent book, but for my money and having no interest in modelling things military, Ken's book is the Grail.  It tells you everything you need to know about making a diorama including how to make buildings from scratch, and its not that hard. If you want to do the HO scale, then check out the beautiful laser cut wooden buildings available...I saw some phenomenal ones at the Craftsman Structure Show near Boston last week.

Now that you have decided to build a diorama, It sounds like you need to ask yourself some more detailed questions like: What story am I trying to tell ? How do I tell that story? What do I need to tell that story in scale? Can I focus the story to fit onto a base? How can the composition help me to tell my story? And then you are on your way.

Mr Lucky

...I just need more room!...

They say it's a buyer's market.

You like cars; you like buildings; you mention candy.  Why not build a NASCAR garage stall to satisfy your building fascination; put a COT in it for your automotive tastes; and use M&Ms or Reese's as the sponsor to take care of your sweet tooth?

You can make a diorama backdrop on your printer. If your really interested, there are sites that have photos of race tracks, or garages that you can buy. As far as figures are concerned - use whatever you can find on feebay.  There are some ground crews that you can use from military sets that you can modify with a little putty and imagination. www.hawkeyehobbies.com has a few backdrops that you can choose from, or modify to your liking. Once scale is established, everything else will fall into place.  What is your focal point? What do you want your diorama to represent?  What are your interests? These are a few things that you should ask yourself before starting a new project. This will also help steer you in the right direction, so you'll know where to go next. Find whatever is the smallest size, or next smallest size to what you like. 1/72nd scale is popular with many modelers, and they still find it a satisfying scale to work with, and still have an amazing amount of detail without taking up a lot of space.  Here are a couple of other sites that may be able to help you:

www.armorcast.com

www.scalehobby.com

                                                                                           ~ Cobra Chris

My suggestion to you, is to try a model train scale thing. 

Dont need the trains but you will find enough people, cars, and buildings to make a fairly good sized diorama.

youll have a hard time finding non militaria in 1/35th unless you go Resin and the mini art buildings are EXTREMLY hard to work with, I mean to the point that after you finish one your hand wont work for a few days.

Agree with smeagol.  Take a look at 1/48 scale as that is O scale in model railroading and you will find literally thousands of figures, vehicles and scenery materials available in both millitary and civillian themes from many different time periods.  HTH.

                                                                                                  Pat.

+1 to the 1/48 scale idea.  I'm doing my first diorama presently in 48th, and only encountering minor problems associated with a lack of specific parts.

I'm a lot more advanced with the project right now than the pic suggests (the base is now completely painted, etc.) but you get the idea.  I even discovered that this little setup will fit inside one of those auto kit display cases with room to spare.

Agreed 1/48 scale is a good compromise between detail & saving space.

There are excellent figure kits in combat poses available from Tamiya, pick one up of the nationality that interests you the most. Like most manufactures most of their vehicles in this scale are German, possibly a group US or common wealth soldiers charging past a knocked out German tank?

Legend Productions and other after market manufactures make resin accessory sets in this scale. I bought their Sherman one and have enough for another vehicle or two from one set!

Buildings, fences, battle field barricades, sand bags ect. are all easily scratch built.

Thanks for all the input and ideas everybody - really appreciate it!

I bought the Lindberg Cable Car kit - the one that says it's 1/25 on box but is really 1/48 - and I think I'll use that along with an old 1/48 pickup/police motorcycle kit and create something from those. I do like the idea of using a 1/25 case to keep it tidy - thanks for that idea! Once the holidays are behind me I'll have to do some searching for buildings or supplies to create a little scene.

Thanks again - Erik