How I build large scale dioramas! (3 Viewers)
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JohnReid
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More and more I have come to believe that photography and the way your stuff is presented is just as important as the diorama itself,especially dioramas of the storyboard type.The frame, painting and lighting are just as essential in 3D as 2D art.Even "how to..." pics are more interesting when properly presented.
I have been fooling around in photobucket and photoshop as you can see.
Layering is something that I am trying to learn now so that I can have just the frame saved and add different pictures and text to it.In the meantime the above is an example of what I mean.
When my building days are over,I plan to do an on-line book of pictures and "how to's......" for my modeling buds on the internet.The best part is that it will be free!
The way I look at it is this,prior to having the internet I spend a lot of time and money tracking all this information down(I have been modeling for over 60 years)now I have all this at my doorstep ,it is time to give something back!
I have been fooling around in photobucket and photoshop as you can see.
Layering is something that I am trying to learn now so that I can have just the frame saved and add different pictures and text to it.In the meantime the above is an example of what I mean.
When my building days are over,I plan to do an on-line book of pictures and "how to's......" for my modeling buds on the internet.The best part is that it will be free!
The way I look at it is this,prior to having the internet I spend a lot of time and money tracking all this information down(I have been modeling for over 60 years)now I have all this at my doorstep ,it is time to give something back!
Mitch
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JohnReid
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My next diorama.
I am doing the opening scene from the film "once upon a time in the west"in G or 1/24th scale.This will be a static diorama and I will be building the kit "the general" as the locomotive.I would like to build a passenger car,box and a flat car if I can find one to modify or kit bash or even build from plans if necessary.I would also consider old unserviceable shells or anything that requires restoration,in fact I prefer it that way for static models.
In the film there is an old box car converted into a temporarily station and a water tower and windmill that I also want to kitbash or build from scratch if need be.The rest would be standard track and old railway ties or new ones slightly weathered.Any advice you could give me would be really appreciated,I am especially looking for fellow modelers who are also into the old west genre to communicate with as I am a newbie to RR dioramas although I have been modeling for 60 years.Cheers! John.
I am doing the opening scene from the film "once upon a time in the west"in G or 1/24th scale.This will be a static diorama and I will be building the kit "the general" as the locomotive.I would like to build a passenger car,box and a flat car if I can find one to modify or kit bash or even build from plans if necessary.I would also consider old unserviceable shells or anything that requires restoration,in fact I prefer it that way for static models.
In the film there is an old box car converted into a temporarily station and a water tower and windmill that I also want to kitbash or build from scratch if need be.The rest would be standard track and old railway ties or new ones slightly weathered.Any advice you could give me would be really appreciated,I am especially looking for fellow modelers who are also into the old west genre to communicate with as I am a newbie to RR dioramas although I have been modeling for 60 years.Cheers! John.
JohnReid
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You know it is funny how these creative seeds are planted in your brain.When I walked out of the movie theater 40 years ago after seeing this movie for the first time,I knew something had changed,that I had experienced something that really hit home.I couldn't quite figure it out at the time but I new that I had just witnessed a great piece of Art.I have seen the movie many times since but it was only when I got into storyboard dioramas that I really began to appreciate it .The genre I had always loved since I was a kid, "The Old West", but this film was different from anything I had seen before.
I bought the special collector's edition DVD of the film and began to really study it this time.
This edition not only has the movie itself but you can program it for a running commentary on every scene by knowledgeable film people.
There is also 3 documentaries included.
Maybe its because I am an old fart now but for me this is a wonderful tool that I would of never dreamed of years ago.A university course on film making in a box. "WOW"
When studying this film I sometimes just run it with sound,sometimes without sound and sometimes just the sound alone.I freeze frame compositions that I like and note lighting ,composition etc...I take pics with my digital camera right from my computer screen for research purposes.Never before have artists had all these wonderful tools at hand whenever they need them.It kinda blows this old fart away!Home based artists have never had it so good!Now we too can learn from the masters in an exciting new way.
I bought the special collector's edition DVD of the film and began to really study it this time.
This edition not only has the movie itself but you can program it for a running commentary on every scene by knowledgeable film people.
There is also 3 documentaries included.
Maybe its because I am an old fart now but for me this is a wonderful tool that I would of never dreamed of years ago.A university course on film making in a box. "WOW"
When studying this film I sometimes just run it with sound,sometimes without sound and sometimes just the sound alone.I freeze frame compositions that I like and note lighting ,composition etc...I take pics with my digital camera right from my computer screen for research purposes.Never before have artists had all these wonderful tools at hand whenever they need them.It kinda blows this old fart away!Home based artists have never had it so good!Now we too can learn from the masters in an exciting new way.
Ken & Ericka Osen/H&A Studio
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Hi there,
be careful using this image as any basis for North American railroading in the late 1860s or 1870s. The set for this movie featured European ideas of what it looked like here, and the picture you have posted includes European cars standing in for US style boxcars.
There are some wonderful kits available for US prototype cars including passenger cars and other equipment. I would recommend you pick up a couple of back issues of 'Narrow Gauge and Shortline Gazette' before you start anything. These great magazines have featured some of the best work in this hobby and in the last few years this has included some high quality work in 1/32, 1/24, and larger scales. Almost all of these scales use #1 gauge track or 4' 8 1/2" from inside rail to inside rail in 1/32nd or various narrow gauges for other scales.
For parts consider visiting 'Caboose Hobbies' in Denver, Colorado... they have a pretty good online store and a great brick and mortar location if you are ever out there.
Good luck!
Ken
be careful using this image as any basis for North American railroading in the late 1860s or 1870s. The set for this movie featured European ideas of what it looked like here, and the picture you have posted includes European cars standing in for US style boxcars.
There are some wonderful kits available for US prototype cars including passenger cars and other equipment. I would recommend you pick up a couple of back issues of 'Narrow Gauge and Shortline Gazette' before you start anything. These great magazines have featured some of the best work in this hobby and in the last few years this has included some high quality work in 1/32, 1/24, and larger scales. Almost all of these scales use #1 gauge track or 4' 8 1/2" from inside rail to inside rail in 1/32nd or various narrow gauges for other scales.
For parts consider visiting 'Caboose Hobbies' in Denver, Colorado... they have a pretty good online store and a great brick and mortar location if you are ever out there.
Good luck!
Ken
JohnReid
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Because of all the confusion as to what G scale really is and because I need civil war cars at a reasonable price, I have decided to use Bachmann kits for the rolling stock.I can't easily modify the locomotive so it will have to be the cars.
When I have everything I will put it all together and see how it looks and modify the cars if need be.
I don't plan to put in any figures so scale will be not so obvious anyway.Worse comes to worse I will call it artistic license.
Speaking about artistic license this diorama will be my tribute to Sergio Leone and the art of making film.He used lots of it in his film and still succeeded artistically in creating the best old west film ever made.Not a bad example I would dare to say. My diorama will be more about the art of telling a story than recording history.
This story will be the simplest that I have ever done.No figures just the train and wooden structures will be modeled.The story will be centered around an empty directors chair with Sergio Leone written across the back.I thought about adding a camera and tripod but even that seems too much and it is not really required for this piece.
When I have everything I will put it all together and see how it looks and modify the cars if need be.
I don't plan to put in any figures so scale will be not so obvious anyway.Worse comes to worse I will call it artistic license.
Speaking about artistic license this diorama will be my tribute to Sergio Leone and the art of making film.He used lots of it in his film and still succeeded artistically in creating the best old west film ever made.Not a bad example I would dare to say. My diorama will be more about the art of telling a story than recording history.
This story will be the simplest that I have ever done.No figures just the train and wooden structures will be modeled.The story will be centered around an empty directors chair with Sergio Leone written across the back.I thought about adding a camera and tripod but even that seems too much and it is not really required for this piece.
JohnReid
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JohnReid
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As it is planned now the train would be about 62" long ,the same length of the diorama that I am presently building in 1/16th scale.I find that this is getting a little big for me to haul around now so I am looking to reduce the size a bit.I think that I will reduce the length by using the locomotive and tender and a combo passenger/baggage car only.I will start with this and add to it later if I want.I build my dioramas in modules that are joined together with screws only ,so I will still have the option later to add to the scene if it seems necessary.
I will start by building my HO mock-up and see how it looks!
I will start by building my HO mock-up and see how it looks!
The Lt.
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Looking forward to seeing the outcome John.
JohnReid
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Got the framing sealer on.I use lacquer outside in the summer only, but I still managed to get a little high on the fumes,Wicked stuff!
Now it is on to finishing the roof.I think that I will use tar paper and wood battens similar to what I have done in the past.
Originally I was planning for the roof to be part of the frame but because it takes up so much visual space now I think that it should be part of the piece.
Nothing too fancy though like a shingled roof,mine will be plain tar paper and battens.why? because the black tar paper will downplay the area and the 45deg battens will help steer the viewers eye down to the main subject matter.
I hope!
Now it is on to finishing the roof.I think that I will use tar paper and wood battens similar to what I have done in the past.
Originally I was planning for the roof to be part of the frame but because it takes up so much visual space now I think that it should be part of the piece.
Nothing too fancy though like a shingled roof,mine will be plain tar paper and battens.why? because the black tar paper will downplay the area and the 45deg battens will help steer the viewers eye down to the main subject matter.
I hope!
JohnReid
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While waiting for the museum to visit me with their technical director I have been doing some experimenting using plastic in 1/24 scale .So far so good ! the plastic I am working with carves easily with hand and power tools when run at low speed.I am doing this in totally different subject matter than airplanes working with thicker plastic before I ever tackle a thin skinned airplane.Kit bashing plastic is relatively new to me so I am starting in mixed media primarily wood and plastic with a little metal thrown in.
Due to government priorities they have delayed their trip here until the 3rd week in Sept.Once they tell me how they want to display them I can finish up the first three in a couple of weeks.Most of the summer work on the Backyard Flyer is done, sanding ,lacquering etc.. I now need about one winter indoors to finish it.
In the meantime there is lots of new stuff to learn modeling plastic.
Due to government priorities they have delayed their trip here until the 3rd week in Sept.Once they tell me how they want to display them I can finish up the first three in a couple of weeks.Most of the summer work on the Backyard Flyer is done, sanding ,lacquering etc.. I now need about one winter indoors to finish it.
In the meantime there is lots of new stuff to learn modeling plastic.
JohnReid
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The following are pics that I took for the Canada Aviation and Space Museum ,of the final assembly of the first three dioramas ,for their future reference purposes.They will be deciding how to display them with only a few suggestions from me.I think that all the lighting will have to be changed to LED's or out of the case lighting ,as the glass case can't be removed to change a bulb.Therefore the pics that I have already taken and am taking now is how the dioramas were originally intended to be displayed.When I started 10 years ago LED"s were not readily available to modelers.The Albatros lighting is the most complicated as I used RR type for this.The Jenny is regular doll house lighting and the N28 is the simplest of all, 2 Christmas bulbs that plug into the wall.
I will suggest to them that the best use of the N28 would be as a shadow box but as you will see there are alternatives available to them.
I will suggest to them that the best use of the N28 would be as a shadow box but as you will see there are alternatives available to them.
JohnReid
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Gap & Seam Repairs
When I was building this base for a diorama I made, somehow (but I can't remember why ),there was this gap in the plywood that now needs to be filled.This is a common modeling problem so I thought that you guys might like to follow along as I try to fix it.The gap shown in the pic is similar to the one I am working on now maybe a little smaller.
It is now crunch time so I can't put it off any longer ! Normally this would be an easy job,just fill the gap and blend the terrain.My dioramas are different though ,as they were designed to come apart and be broken down into modules.This was done for maintenance purposes and ease of moving or storage if required.
Well anyway now I have to find a solution for this problem.My usual method of doing basic landscaping is the glue,water and sand over plywood kind, as described by Ken Hamilton in his book "How to do creative car dioramas".It is now out of print but is available on line.This repair will be using the same basic methods .
When I was building this base for a diorama I made, somehow (but I can't remember why ),there was this gap in the plywood that now needs to be filled.This is a common modeling problem so I thought that you guys might like to follow along as I try to fix it.The gap shown in the pic is similar to the one I am working on now maybe a little smaller.
It is now crunch time so I can't put it off any longer ! Normally this would be an easy job,just fill the gap and blend the terrain.My dioramas are different though ,as they were designed to come apart and be broken down into modules.This was done for maintenance purposes and ease of moving or storage if required.
Well anyway now I have to find a solution for this problem.My usual method of doing basic landscaping is the glue,water and sand over plywood kind, as described by Ken Hamilton in his book "How to do creative car dioramas".It is now out of print but is available on line.This repair will be using the same basic methods .