Modeling Decent Explosions?

I can't add any input to this, but I too would be interested in seeing some of the answers. Or being pointed in the right direction for some good info.

Cotton is primary used to create the smoke from said explosion and or fire. Depends on the type of explosion you're wishing to recreate...fireball?

I saw this picture online, and I wanted to do a civil war diorama with some 1/35 scale dragon figs I have. Here is the link:

http://www.battlesceneproductions.net/apps/photos/photo?photoid=75098234

To say the least this diorama is very impressive.

HB

highlanderburial

I saw this picture online, and I wanted to do a civil war diorama with some 1/35 scale dragon figs I have. Here is the link:

http://www.battlesceneproductions.net/apps/photos/photo?photoid=75098234

To say the least this diorama is very impressive.

HB

I'm going to suggest that a lot of that was photochopped, certainly the smoke was and possibly the flames as well. Flames, smoke,etc. are both ephemeral and somewhat transluscent. The real challenge is to paint the effects so they look real from more than one angle. A painter can reproduce a fireball on canvas much more easily than we can with our miniatures. I managed a somewhat successful flame using Woodland Scenics Water Effects and painting the mound in yellows and orange. I took dabs of the product and touched them to a smooth surface, pulling up to create a pyramid like shape.

How do you model air?  The explosive effect you want is actually air being displaced by blast along with the items being carried with it. 

I would love to do something like that, unfortunatelly I lack the artistic skills needed.

But I don't see it as impossible. You can use cotton for the smoke, a miniature orange light for the explosion (they sell those at Hobby Lobby and such, paint them orange or use some similar color felt to cover the light), you can use a very tinny wire to simulate flying debris or a very light test fishing line sprayed with hair spray to stay stiff, etc.

Another cool idea that comes to mind is to use wax to create a cone-shaped object, then spray it with some kind of water-resistent glue, sprinkle a bunch of earth-like material and after they set - dip the whole thing in warm water to melt the wax, voila - you have a cone-shaped flying earth that you can use at the center of impact. The more creative you get with the shape of the wax - the more realistic it would look.