SEARCH FINESCALE.COM

Enter keywords or a search phrase below:

Sniper Diorama ideas??

6510 views
15 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    January 2007
  • From: BC
Sniper Diorama ideas??
Posted by Deputy_Brad on Tuesday, August 28, 2007 2:23 PM

Hey, I got the idea stuck in my head to make a sniper diorama. Its something thats really interested me for a while since I first started modelling. I have a few ideas for layouts.

1. Make a forced perspective scene. I was thinking about using a large scale figure like a 1/16 and then make the scenery smaller scale near the back to appear farther. I got tons of model RR trees and junk that I can use. I also noticed a big thing with distance is the colours seem to become subdued so I make sure to include that. For the back figure though Im not sure what scale to use to make it appear accurately far away (400m??) and how far the two should be apart.

2. Another forced perspective scene. I got the idea using maybe a lense or scope to view it with but that may be hard with the zoom and price too. But I think if I used a piece of plexiglass or something and had crosshair decals I could make a diorama in a box. People can look through the window and the crosshairs will be aimed at a small figure in the distance. This one is easier to create the illusion of the target being far away. Also you would have to look straight through to line the figure up with the cross hairs which would make it a little more entertaining to look at. The outside would be just a plain black box with either a clear top to give light or solid with lighting inside.

3. I though of just making a sniper hidden in a scene. I really wanna put the sniper almost out in the open like in Enemy at the Gates (don't flame, I already know) when Vasily is I think laying with a bunch of fallen soldiers in a yard or something? All I remember was he was almost completely in the open and his cloak camouflaged him almost completely until his glare from the lens gave him away. 

4. While they arent really even close to a sniper and spotter team since I was thinking about camouflage the scene from Lord of the Rings came into my head. When Frodo and Sam come to the gates of Mordor and Frodo falls down the hill. Sam comes and pulls his cloak over them both. I thought this would be cool if you had them hidden behind the cloak from one side but on the other you can see them because the cloak hasnt been completely pulled over them yet. So when you look at the first side you just see all rocks but from the other you can see one of the rocks is actually a cloak. Anyways I have not LOTR figures just an idea though.

Anyways those are my ideas, which are just that right now. I still trying to choose an era and location for it to be based so any suggestions would help there too. Also help with a good 1/16 scale sniper figure preferably German or any WW2? Whatever is a good one will basically start the setting for the dio. Im really thinking of going for both the second idea and the third. Any and all input and suggestions are greatly appreciated.

My real name is Cam. Interest: anything 1/72, right now mostly sci-fi and modern In progress: 1/72 Sci-fi diorama (link in my web) 1/72 Leopard 2A5 1/72 APC Conversion to a MEGA DESTROYER
  • Member since
    November 2006
  • From: United States
Posted by ww2modeler on Tuesday, August 28, 2007 2:40 PM

Heres my post about thge subject:

/forums/768237/ShowPost.aspx

David

On the bench:

1/35 Tamiya M26 Pershing-0%

1/144 Minicraft P-38J Lightning-50%

Numerous 1/35 scale figures in various stages if completion.

 

  • Member since
    July 2004
  • From: Sonora Desert
Posted by stikpusher on Tuesday, August 28, 2007 3:15 PM

Verlinden makes these German WWII figures in 120mm.  One is SS in smock, the other is Heer in winter gear. I'm not sure what scale that works out to be.

http://www.verlinden-productions.com/vp_htm_0601_1200/0796.html

http://www.verlinden-productions.com/vp_htm_1801_2400/2076.html

 

 

F is for FIRE, That burns down the whole town!

U is for URANIUM... BOMBS!

N is for NO SURVIVORS...

       - Plankton

LSM

 

  • Member since
    January 2007
  • From: BC
Posted by Deputy_Brad on Tuesday, August 28, 2007 4:15 PM

Thanks for the input so soon guys. stickpusher Im liking the first figure a lot, and ww2modeller thanks for the link to that thread.

Anyone else got any ideas or comments on one of the methods I mentioned? Anything I could do to improve them or anything? Right now I think it'll be WWII definately with a German sniper. However if I made a scene with just a sniper sitting in the open I was hoping to get maybe a modern soldier. Any ideas? Thanks guys

My real name is Cam. Interest: anything 1/72, right now mostly sci-fi and modern In progress: 1/72 Sci-fi diorama (link in my web) 1/72 Leopard 2A5 1/72 APC Conversion to a MEGA DESTROYER
  • Member since
    July 2004
  • From: Sonora Desert
Posted by stikpusher on Tuesday, August 28, 2007 4:22 PM
Dragon makes a set of Modern US snipers (circa Desert Storm) in 1/35 scale that is very nice. They are in cold weather gear so a "what if?" European scheme would work too. I have not seen anything in larger scales for modern snipers yet. They also had a L.A. Sheriff SWAT sniper that came with their MD-500 kit in 1/35 seated in the bird aiming out the open door if you wanna do something off the beaten path. I dont think it's in production anymore, but I see them on ebay fairly often.

 

F is for FIRE, That burns down the whole town!

U is for URANIUM... BOMBS!

N is for NO SURVIVORS...

       - Plankton

LSM

 

  • Member since
    July 2003
  • From: Perth, Western Australia
Posted by madmike on Thursday, August 30, 2007 8:56 AM
"I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect has intended us to forgo their use." - Galileo Galilei
  • Member since
    October 2004
  • From: Northern Virginia
Posted by ygmodeler4 on Thursday, August 30, 2007 5:38 PM
I've always thought it'd be cool to do a dio with Carlos Hatcock and his white feather.....

-Josiah

  • Member since
    November 2005
Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, September 1, 2007 5:27 PM
I've seen some ruined mid-east buildings that I like the pics of - good flat section of roof or a balcony that looks like it would hold a pair from the US Snipers set right handily.  Then there's a floor or two underneath that could be filled with other activities, like captured prisoners or an unearthed weapon-cache, etc.
  • Member since
    March 2005
  • From: The Red Hills of South Carolina
Posted by grizz30_06 on Tuesday, September 4, 2007 9:42 AM

I saw or have a picture of a sniper in Vietnam who had a wooden plateform attached to a "Plam" tree.  Similar to things I deer hunt out of (except there are no palm trees).  He was up high but also out in the open.

Grizz

 

Denial, it's not just a coping mechanism, it's a way of life.
  • Member since
    August 2007
  • From: Southern New Jersey
Posted by Maddog129 on Tuesday, September 4, 2007 4:52 PM

I met GSgt Hathcock just before he died at a weapons sale convention in Washington DC. He was in a wheelchair and seriously ill: But the experience was an honor.

If you want to do a diorama, I would suggest a marine firebase, showing Hathcock and his spotter, John Burke, conferring with the base commander over a troublesome North Vietnamese sniper,

or

The incident where he faced off against an enemy sniper, and got the shot off first, striking the sniper through his own scope, and finally his skull.

Regards,

The Dave

 

"People sleep peacably at night with the knowledge that rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf" Attributed to George Orwell
  • Member since
    November 2006
  • From: United States
Posted by ww2modeler on Tuesday, September 4, 2007 9:13 PM

I read some books about snipers,

Crosshairs on the Kill Zone and One Shot One Kill, both by Craig Roberts and Charles W. Sasser. Very good inspiation and good stories.

Sniper, by Adrian Gilbert, talks about Sniper deployment and concealment.

David

On the bench:

1/35 Tamiya M26 Pershing-0%

1/144 Minicraft P-38J Lightning-50%

Numerous 1/35 scale figures in various stages if completion.

 

  • Member since
    October 2004
  • From: Northern Virginia
Posted by ygmodeler4 on Tuesday, September 4, 2007 9:22 PM
 Maddog129 wrote:

I met GSgt Hathcock just before he died at a weapons sale convention in Washington DC. He was in a wheelchair and seriously ill: But the experience was an honor.

If you want to do a diorama, I would suggest a marine firebase, showing Hathcock and his spotter, John Burke, conferring with the base commander over a troublesome North Vietnamese sniper,

or

The incident where he faced off against an enemy sniper, and got the shot off first, striking the sniper through his own scope, and finally his skull.

Regards,

The Dave

 

Ahhhh man your so lucky, he's been an inspiration to me just by reading Marine Sniper.

on a lighter note, that would be an excellent dio...

-Josiah

  • Member since
    January 2007
  • From: BC
Posted by Deputy_Brad on Tuesday, September 4, 2007 10:31 PM
 Maddog129 wrote:

I met GSgt Hathcock just before he died at a weapons sale convention in Washington DC. He was in a wheelchair and seriously ill: But the experience was an honor.

If you want to do a diorama, I would suggest a marine firebase, showing Hathcock and his spotter, John Burke, conferring with the base commander over a troublesome North Vietnamese sniper,

or

The incident where he faced off against an enemy sniper, and got the shot off first, striking the sniper through his own scope, and finally his skull.

Regards,

The Dave

 

 

I agree those are both really great inspiration and stuff. But Im leaning more towards something WWII related. Vietnam doesnt strike me as much as WWII. It would be hard to make both of them as dios though too. I think Im going for the box with plexiglass and crosshairs, the forced perception one. It is something different, and the sniper will actually not be visible at all because you are the one looking through the "scope". Im liking the ideas though.

What would be really neat to me is if I could do a Canadian sniper. But I dont know of any modern Canadian soldiers in any scale.

My real name is Cam. Interest: anything 1/72, right now mostly sci-fi and modern In progress: 1/72 Sci-fi diorama (link in my web) 1/72 Leopard 2A5 1/72 APC Conversion to a MEGA DESTROYER
  • Member since
    August 2007
  • From: Southern New Jersey
Posted by Maddog129 on Wednesday, September 5, 2007 9:08 AM

You're referring to the record shot (kill) by the Canadian sniper team in Afghanistan? That was amazing! I'm sure with alittle imagination and several sharp modeling tools, you could modify an existing set to your needs. 

Hathcock's record shot (kill) was taken with a scope-mounted M-2 .50cal., not a dedicated sniper rifle. I know that there are and were very good snipers besides GSgt Hathcock. Its his life and experience around the actual shots that make him what he is and was, IMO. 

A little off the modeling topic; sorry.

The Dave 

"People sleep peacably at night with the knowledge that rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf" Attributed to George Orwell
  • Member since
    November 2006
  • From: United States
Posted by ww2modeler on Wednesday, September 5, 2007 9:55 AM
 Maddog129 wrote:

You're referring to the record shot (kill) by the Canadian sniper team in Afghanistan? That was amazing! I'm sure with alittle imagination and several sharp modeling tools, you could modify an existing set to your needs. 

Hathcock's record shot (kill) was taken with a scope-mounted M-2 .50cal., not a dedicated sniper rifle. I know that there are and were very good snipers besides GSgt Hathcock. Its his life and experience around the actual shots that make him what he is and was, IMO. 

A little off the modeling topic; sorry.

The Dave 

Both of those stories are in that book Crosshairs on the Kill Zone, if I'm not mistaken, the Canadian team that made the kill have had their identities withheld from the book as they are still an active Sniper team.

I would suggest maybe using Masterbox models British Commandos, MAS 3512. The figures will probobly be as close as you can get to Canadian snipers, then maybe scrathbuild a scope or use one off another kit and add it to the Enfield carried by the one Commando.

Good luck,

David

On the bench:

1/35 Tamiya M26 Pershing-0%

1/144 Minicraft P-38J Lightning-50%

Numerous 1/35 scale figures in various stages if completion.

 

  • Member since
    July 2004
  • From: Sonora Desert
Posted by stikpusher on Friday, September 7, 2007 11:11 PM

 

F is for FIRE, That burns down the whole town!

U is for URANIUM... BOMBS!

N is for NO SURVIVORS...

       - Plankton

LSM

 

JOIN OUR COMMUNITY!

Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.

SEARCH FORUMS
FREE NEWSLETTER
By signing up you may also receive reader surveys and occasional special offers. We do not sell, rent or trade our email lists. View our Privacy Policy.