Dio books!

Sheperd Paine's How to Build Dioramas is a great place to start.

FSM has some articles on how to build bombed out buildings and GSM has an article on making rubble. dunno if the one in FSM is on this site, if it is the issue is... Feb. 2004, theres an article on how to make bombed out buildings, if it wasnt for FSM, i would never EVER work on a diorama, only build models. you can also just search the forums for the topic, i've spent a couple of hours reading the stuff that concerns my topic... hope that helps, (even though you probably know that already)

Leopold is right Paine's How to build Dioramas 2nd edition helped me et a 100% on my WW 2 dio I had to build for school

Can't remember if it's Squadron or Osprey.....I'll have to check when I get home....but while Paine's book is the bible for diorama builders, I find "Terrain Modeling" to be an excellent help to me-- it has chapters on modeling snow, water, sand, and even some good stuff on creating the effect of burned out objects and even fire. I'm not home now so don't remember the author-- but the book has been invaluable to me.

Yeah Shep's Dio book is a must. It was one of my first books and is my most used.

Shep's book is great. I also have Terrain modeling (Osprey Masterclass) by Richard Windrow and Roy Porters Model buildings Masterclass are great and have great info inside.
mark956

Yup-- that's the one mark-- Windrow's books is my favorite.... I daresay I like it better than Mr. Paine's book. The first chapter focuses just on materials to use for dioramas- from grasses, soil, rocks, different products for water, plaster and Celluclay, etc.....and he spends a lot of time going into detail that Shep just doesn't go into.

I learned many more techniques reading that book.....I love even the chapter on trees...

I had good luck with a book I picked up on schenery for model railroads.Not sure of the name but I'll try to find it.I know it's somewhere in that room full of boxes from the move.

Shep Paines book is the only one on dioramas that I own.That book and your own creative ideas and you will do just fine! Cheers! John.

i just got Sheperd Paine's Dioramas 2nd Edition and it contains LOADS of useful info. Anybody thinking of building a dio should grab it up.