how to make diorama's?

That's a tall order, fran_shoes..! So many things are possible. I don't do (many) ships nor water stuff, so I won't be able to give you many tips there, but I do model aicraft and occasionally do a diorama with one of them.

First thing, really, is to think about what you want to do, want to show, want to represent... Basic airfield set up, crash landing, maintenance, fuelling-up, .. Get books, mags, check the Net for pictures of your subject model and see what is possible. There are tons and tons of stuff you can buy to make things the way you want or make your life easier: trees, foliage, jerry-cans, ground vehicles, crew, pilots, available in mainstream manufacturer's catalogues (Hasegawa has 1/72 Japanese and US tanker trucks for instance), from other manufacturers such as Verlinden, or from 'garage' companies...

And of course, there are opportunities to modify existing products or scratchbuild stuff you can't find or do not want to pay lots of money for!

So, check your references and tell us what you have in mind, then we can guide you to the right products and tell you about the right techniques.

Domi

First things first fran_shoes ..... welcome to FSM, I'm sure you are going to enjoy yourself here.

Like Domi has already said ... a lot depends on the scene that you are trying to depict. First determine the vehicle(s), where they are located, what they are doing, etc. Then some reserach comes into play. Look through all the books you can find on your chosen subject. Once you have a plan, then narrow the scope of your questions to for instance "How do you make a tree, or vegetation, etc." This will help you in the long run and also help us to give advice on your project.

Biggest advice I can give right now is start small. Begin with a single vehicle on a simple groundwork base with maybe one or two figures. Don't jump into a major project until you have honed your skills otherwise you may become discouraged before you've even begun.

Well said, Robert!

Hi fran_shoes,

Well, DJ and Sherm have already given some good advice there. I don't think there are still more to say. OK just one more thing. Since you are in the Philippines (as I am) then I know that there are not much of dio items that you can get from the market or if ever you can find any, I am sure that you will consider it expensive (unless of course you have a lot to spare) so you have to leran to scratch built. But don't worry these guys here can be a good source of information and tips. So starting small and simple is really a good start.

See you around (sa Lil's?-he-he-he)

hey! thanks for the advice guys its deeply appriciated :) i bought an academy p38E model yesterday its in a 1:48 scale which i found quite big :) i wanted to do a diorama of let say a B-17 with 2 P-51 or P-47 escort planes :) whats your advice? i wanted to do a basic airfield set-up but i dont want to buy things like oil cans and trees i wanted to make them from scratch :) and i dont know how to do it i dont even know how to build my platform for the diorama in the place where i come from in the philippines (iloilo city) its far from the capital itself and prices of model kits here are quite expensive :) can i use cement as a platform? and besides there aint books available here bout scale modeling :)

im really into this scale modeling stuff you know and im really very enthusiastic bout this im spending my allowance just to buy models hehehe

Hi fran_shoes,

Looks like you've got a big job ahead of you. Anyway, for the platform, you can use plywood. It's lighter and easier to work with. To simulate the runway, you can use sandpaper (maybe no. 200 up). You can cut lines into it to get the tarmac panel lines kinda look. You can airbrush it to the color and shade you desire.

ei! thanks dwight anyways so am i gonna use a sandpaper for the airstrip? by the way i dont have any airbrush so can i use painbrush instead? and how do i create building and all that from scratch i mean

by the way dwight im from iloilo how bout you? ur from manila? if u are can u tell where are the model shop's there so that i could ask my mom to buy me models :) by the way is 1:72 scale ok? i wanted a B-17 fliying fortress how big is it in inches?

A sand paper is a good material for an airstrip and tarmac. You can choose the texture depending on the scale you are working with. Paste the sand paper unto the plywood or any base you want to use. Inscribe lines (panel lines) on it. Sand papers already has dark colors similar to concrete and asphalt so you make your choice. Airstrips usually use asphalt pavement nowadays. Tarmacs are usually concrete. You may want to add shades to your airstrip or tarmac to simulate wear. An airbrush is a good tool. But of course you can use paintbrush but it could be a little tricky to come up with light and thin shades.

For buildings you can use a lot of materials. I use foam boards, cardboards, ordinary paper, matchsticks, etc. There is no limit actually. Foam boards are light but strong materials. These are soft enough and allow easy cutting. I use these for building a ruined house shown in my laterst post here. Some use plaster, clay, etc. You can surf the internet for more information on this topic.

can i view your samples? just wanna see how it look's like kasi i dont have much idea eh :) soory medyo makulit ako its just that im really into this full time

QUOTE: by the way dwight im from iloilo how bout you? ur from manila? if u are can u tell where are the model shop's there so that i could ask my mom to buy me models :) by the way is 1:72 scale ok? i wanted a B-17 fliying fortress how big is it in inches?

Yes, I am now in Manila.

There are a few hobby shops here. I go to Lil's Hobby Shop in Megamall Building A (Lower Ground) and the one in Glorietta Center (Park Square 1). There is also one shop in Makati Cinema Square that sells 1/72 & 1/76 Armor as well as dio materials such as foliage, styrene items, very very few verlinden (but expensive) items. There are also shops in Ali Mall and Quiapo.

1/72 B-17: I am not sure about the size but probably roughly about two feet in length. Don't get your hopes up though. I have not seen any B-17 in 1/72 around here. I think I saw a 1/144 scale the last time but I am not so sure about it.

But if you are aiming for a dio, I think it would be wiser to start with a smaller and less complex subject like Sherm said.

Good luck.

QUOTE: can i view your samples? just wanna see how it look's like kasi i dont have much idea eh :) soory medyo makulit ako its just that im really into this full time

Sure! It is in the "Dioramas" main page. It is just next to your post with tile "2nd Dio in Progress"