How I Build Dioramas(step-by-step)

Posted earlier on another site.

Harley conversion
The Harley conversion from 1/18th street bike to 1/16th racer is going well.I have put a 10mm addition to the frame where the front fork meets the frames body.This increases the distance between the handlebars and the seat.
I increased the wheels diameters also by 10mm and elliminated the spokes and and made up solid cheerywood discs instead.The fenders were shortened and one of the fender braces eliminated and the other shaped and refined.The rubber tires were stretched and fitted to the wheel discs.The wheel discs themselves have been divided into 8 pie like sections and colored over the bare wood with colored pencils.(red,white and blue)Do not finish the wood before penciling as the color may not adhere properly.Weather as required with pastels.
The added 10 mm in length and height seems to do the trick.Now when I stand a 1/16th figure beside the bike it looks about the same as the Harley pictures.
Next step is to break the bike down into pieces again and repaint,de-chrome,weather and modify as need be. Cheers! John.

Lufbery wrote:

John, The diorama is really coming together well! Thanks for continuing to post your photos. Regards,

Thank you Drew.glad your enjoying it.

Substory
Delivery of supplies and a
quiet conversation between driver and mechanic.
It does not overpower main storyline and yet it is an interesting little scene even on its own.The Model T is an old Lindberg car kit modified to become a delivery truck.The wood on the truck was weathered much the same way as I did for the hangar siding.

John,

The diorama is really coming together well!

Thanks for continuing to post your photos.

Regards,

Figure Positioning
The above pic is of the finished Neiuport diorama of the American forces in France during WW1.
It is a barnlike structure, in a modified shadowbox style, and is completely finished in 3D for picture taking purposes.
The positioning of the figures is such that there is a main storyline with other sub-stories as well.As I explained earlier the instructor pointing to the engine is the main story.The sub-story is the delivery of parts by Model T truck.A 3rd sub-sub story is a mechanic at a workbench along the back wall.I leave it to the viewers imagination to fill in the blanks.
When positioning figures there should be something that immediately draws the viewers attention into the scene,in this case the pointing figure provides that element.You dont have to point out the obvious , try to be subtle in your presentation.The trick is to get the viewer to suspend his disbeleief if only for a few seconds.To get him invovled in your little world,the world of your imagination.
I try to be as historically correct as I can and say to myself "could this scene have happened" If it passes that test I am satisfied.
I try to have my figures in a animated but relaxed position as I find it more beleivable that way.I admire the artist who can pull off action in mid flight but its not for me.I want something that I can look at for a long time and not be waiting for the other shoe to drop.Relaxed,peaceful everyday slices of life is what I am looking for.I want my viewer to have peace of mind when looking at my work and not be overwhelmed with action.That way I think it gives the viewer time to contemplate the scene.
When positioning figures I try not to have them in rows or 90deg to one another or positioned in such a way as to draw attention away from the main subject (unless the figures themselves are the main subject matter.)It is best to have them looking into the scene so that your viewer just becomes another observer of the this little world.
Also keep in mind lighting and how it does its magic in bring a scene to life especially in a closed set such as this.Remember this is a one scene movie that you are creating here and a silent movie at that so lighting will be your primary creative tool. to be cont.......

v

Shadow Boxes

---

__________

The pic of the above figure is one of the "Legends and Lore " series in 1/16th(120mm).It is of John Dillinger a gangster of the 20s.
It is typical of the numerous figures available in this scale(See Great Models website)
The primary reason that I selected this figure is that it is dressed in the 1920s style.I plan to put him in the office module along with Harley the company mascot.
These figures are very well done as they are ,but I seldom use them as is without some minor or even at times major modification.
Depending on the manufacturer they can come with the various parts attached or in seperate pieces.I often remove or add or modify parts depending upon my requirements.(see Ken Hamilton or Shep Paines book on modifing figures)
I use A plus B Epoxy Paste as a glue and filler when working with the various parts.
It is the white areas that you see in the first picture in this series on figures that I posted.It is important to use the paste and not the putty if you want to sculpt it with rotary bits.The paste will powder when you work with it but the putty will melt and clog up your rotary tools due to the heat created.
I was really lucky with the WW1 military figures as I can use them straight out of the box with only minor head adjustments when I see how I want them to relate to each other in the diorama.These figures are very well done and are by Model Celler(also available at Great Models) to be cont........

Figures part 2

Harley mod. cont.../Modeling for God

---

___ Harley mod. cont.../Modeling for God

---

___ Harley mod. cont.../Modeling for God

---

___

This was posted earlier on another site

Harleys
The post man brought me a little present yesterday, 2 Harley-Davidson 1/18th scale motorcycles.I really wasnt expecting much for my $5.95 each but to my surprise they are actually quite nice.It will be a good place to start.
First thing I did was check the scale against some photos that I obtained from the Harley website.Although there are no exact dimensions given ,there are pics of human figures standing beside Harleys of the period .They seem to be within the ballpark when I stand my 1/16th figures beside them.The bikes are from the 1909 and 1936 models.The 09 looks good as is but the 36 may be a little small.
I took the 36 apart(very easy to do,as it is only pinned together and not glued)
I will increase the wheel diameter as well as the frame and modify it to look like a racer.The wheel spokes are not very realistic so I will cover them with some brightly colored fabric.I will de-chrome some parts and repaint all the parts.I have some good pics of bikes from the 20s so I will modify the 36 version as need be.I dont anticipate any real problems in doing any of this.I think that it will really add to the diorama when it is done and weathered.One thing bothers me though,do you think a Harley of this era would be capable of towing a sign trailer? If not I will just show it as a stunt bike or racer.

They are amazing little models for the price and I was luckly to get them as they are now out of production although you wont be able to recognize them as stock models when I am finished. to be cont......
__________________
It has been said that the difference between a "pilot" and an "aviator" is that a pilot is a technician,and an aviator is an artist in love with flight.
JohnReid (Aviator)
Guid

How I make ,modify and position figures in a diorama:

Trailer Sign/Reids Flying Circus
Except for the final weathering I have finished the trailer sign.Sorry,but my ego just couldnt resist adding the Reids. I used Microsoft Word to make up the sign along with some artwork I found in the Barnstormers and Speedkings book.My printer is not the best so it came out a little faded ,which is OK by me as that is the way it would look after a summer in the sun.After I was happy with the composition, I printed it on ordinary paper and then sprayed matt laquer out of the can as a fixative.After it dried I glued it to the board with watered down white glue and even left in a few crinkles and air bubbles as you would find on a real sign of that era.Now I will slightly weather it using watery acrylics and pastels.
Now its on to finishing the trailer itself.
The above was posted earlier on another site.

This was posted earlier on another site.


Well,I am well into the billboard sign thing.I have photo shop on my computer and a printer .I am learning slowly how to use both.Actually it is a lot fun making up your own designs.Because my diorama is not based upon an actual historical event(I dont know if Billy Bishop or Rickenbacher ever actually met but they will be talking together in my little diorama world).it gives my a lot of licence to be more creative.My primary purpose is to tell the story of the Jennys history over its useful life, both military an civilian ,and only to that extent is it based on actual history.When I first began this diorama my intention was to base it upon its military life with the RCAF at Camp Borden in Barrie Ontario.But when I realized that to do a good job I may actually have to spent a lot of time at Camp Borden taking measurements and soaking up the atmosphere, I decided that was not feasable for me at this time.(I was actually born in Barrie Ont in 1940, where my dad was an instructor early in his flying career with the RCAF.) Cheers! John.

This pic of the garage door module features a Franklin Mint 1913 Model T in 1/16th scale.It is a very nice diecast model with wood veneer dash,fabric top and leather upholstery and even 24k gold plated fixtures.I got it at a very good price because it was missing a tire.I will not be weathering it too much as it fits into my storyline as a parade car used for dignitaries at the Nov 11 memorial service at the local airport.It will be shown as having a flat tire being repaired on the module.
This garage door module is in lieu of the barn like structure you see in the early Toronto airport pic.To build this structure would mean blocking off a great view thru the garage doors into the hangar so I eliminated that building.The future engine shop module will be constructed at this corner of the hangar.
The hangar window that you see here is now 8 panes of glass instead of 4.The roofs edge has yet to be finished.

I am continuing to work on the interior of the rear panel and I hope to put up the walls at the corner of the workshop today.I can then permanently install everything in the workshop and place it in the hangar.

Happy accidents,synchronicity or as we used to call it in the 60s serendipity.This subject has always interested me as it relates to artists and their creativity.As Louis Pasteur said,Did you ever observe to whom accidents happen?Chance favors only the prepared mind.A discovery is said to be an accident meeting as prepared mind.I strongly beleive that what must come before the how.First choose What you would do and the How usually falls into place.
Whatever you think you can do or believe you can do,begin it.Action has magic,grace,and power in it (Gorthe) I have witnessed this many times in my own life and in the lives of many fellow artists and students.
Dioramist now climbs down from his soapbox Cheers! John.

Cont...from previous page

---

__________________
It has bee Cont...from previous page

---

__________________
It has bee Cont...from previous page

---

__________________
It has bee

Synchronicity I have been thinking for some time about whether I should bore you guys with a little personal experience I have had with creativity.As you probably already know from reading this thread , I have been involved in many different creative things over the years.I must say that I have enjoyed them all but there was always something missing.I didnt feel completely comfortable doing what I was doing even though I was relatively successful.In bird carving I felt frustrated by my lack of knowledle about the subject, namely birds.In wood carving figures,good but not comfortable.Same with relief carving or bird painting,something was missing.Then I got to thinking,What did I really enjoy the most? and I thought back to putting those figures on HMS Victory.Figuring out how I would tell the story that I wanted to get across.Then I thought ,what do I know best,of course,Aviation.I had even built a 1:1 scale biplane in the 60s.There it was under my nose all along.So i took my love of airplanes,history and art and my need to tell a story and came up with the diorama idea.Years earlier I had picked up Shep Paines book out of curiousity, read it, and thought maybe someday I would give it a try and promptly forgot about it, except every once an awhile I would pick it up again and leaf through the pages. When I retired from actively teaching woodcarving I was again searching for something new.Then I thought about my modeling building 50 years earlier and decided to give it a try again, just for fun.Well ,I started where I left off all those years ago building WW2 fighters and bombers.I built up quite a stash of unbuilt kits.I built a few,thought about dioramas and copying Sheps work but still I wasnt satisfied.I felt this overwheming need to do something original(if there is such a thing) to be cont.... __________________ It has been said that the difference between a "pilot" and an "aviator" is that a pilot is a technician,and an aviator is an artist in love with flight. JohnReid (Aviator) Guide my hand in your work today.

Pastels (from an earlier post on another site)
I am presently weathering the chassis and wheels of the towcar.This is the first time that I have been able to really get into Dirk style weathering.(Although the Ford model A in the Nieuport diorama was somewhat weathered .) Having loads of fun just using mostly black with burnt sienna for the rust and a little dark grey for dust and dirt.I used black gesso for the base coat as it holds up well to the surface rubbing of the pastels into the paint.The gesso also dries flat which looks more natural on what is supposed to look like old paint.I use a stubby pigs bristle brush.As you go along you can mix the pastels together to get various effects.This is really loads of fun as things happen really quickly.You can weather a chassis in no time(instant gratification)Make sure your pastels are of the chaulk variety and not oils.For very fine work like cracks and crevaces use smaller brushes.
Get some good references (see Dirks website)and use your imagination as to where discolorization and fading would be effective.Lots of rust for example around the brake drums etc....
I am really looking forward to weathering the 2nd Jenny which I plan to do as the A model with ripped and torn fabric .to be cont.....

The above is a pic of the beginnings of the airshow advertising trailer.They were often driven thru the local town to drum up business before the big show.
Mine is made from the body of an old Model T model that I had laying around.

Yesterday ,I continued working on the new hangar door for the future engine shop.I split it vertically down the center and actually made 2 doors out of it (so that I will have maximum flexiblity when I design the engine shop.)The sliding door idea is out because it would have to be on the outside, which would be impractical, and one large door swinging outward would take up too much space.The final design is more interesting anyway I think.