Streetlight diorama

Streetlight diorama

• Building the streetlight
• Rebuilding the base
• Painting the streetlight
• The finished piece
• The final pictures

Building

I was recently contacted and asked to make a street light as a bolt on to a clients existing diorama . The street light is made from 6 mm foam board strips, the centres sanded out for the LED’s cable. I glued the two strips together, sanded it down giving it shape. Repeating the same process with corner and the lights neck. A small piece of foam cut for the light cover and using a small plastic tube to complete the street light.

I have also been asked to make a removable base for the light. Using both 6 & 10 mm foam boards, glued together and paving stones etched in the foam with a cable run drilled through the foam. I might redo this base to make sure the light fits slots into it more securely.

Rebuild

I decided in the end to completely remake the base, I was just not happy with it.  The new one is double the size of the original with a hole big enough for the streetlight to sit securely in it with a cable run drilled in between the two layers of foam board.  Pavement flags and curb stones where etched into the board, then damage was applied to the flags.

Painting

Satisfied with how this turned out, I applied the first coat of paint to the streetlight and base.

When the base coat had dried I went over the paving slabs with a light blue/grey, the curb using a light grey.  Taking a fine brush I painted in between each slab and crack with a dark brown.  I dry brushed a dark grey over all the cracks, the tarmac at the back and the edges of the curb.  Using a thin brush to dab black into all of the cracks, dry brushed black over the tarmac at the back, dry brushed white over each of the paving slabs to complete the base of this piece.

 

While this was drying I turned my attention onto the lamppost, painting the bottom and the neck join using the light blue grey, then the rest of it with a light brown, with a coat of metallic silver cover it.

After it had dried, I was not overly happy with how it looked so I mixed up a lighter brown and went back over it.  While it was still wet I added a light coat of white and blended it in.  

I turned my attention back to the base and dry brushed white across the entire surface and edges, the effect I have to say I am rather proud with how it turned out!

Turning back to the lamppost I dry brushed a light grey over the body and neck, followed by white then finishing dry brushing black over the entire post.

Completed

With lamppost finished, I have put both pieces together and here it is.  I will be putting up my usual final pictures soon.

 

Final Pictures

Final pictures of my Streetlight Diorama, the LED works a treat.

Commissioned Church Ruin

Commissioned Church Ruin

• Building the scene
• Left Wall
• Back Wall
• Right Wall
• The Floor
• The Detail
• Painting
• Completed

Building

After completing the last Church Ruin I was asked to build another. As you can see I’ve started work on the outer walls and floor.

 

 As you can see I have marked out the tall windows, the door and the brick work on floor and back wall.

 

The long windows, where cut out and sanded down using my rotary tool, the doorway was also removed.  A piece of 6mm black foam board was cut for the archway to the door.

Left Wall

As with the previous Church Ruin diorama I made, I cut a piece of 6 mm foam board to fit over the wall and then cut out three arches which will house the three tall windows. I cut a couple of 10″ x 1″ strips of 6 mm to go either side of the window, 1″ x 1″ brick work were etched into these strips before applying damage to them. All the pieces were glued to together before cutting the top down as I did in the previous model.

 

Back Wall

The back wall as with the former I etched in 1″ x 1″ brick work  before marking and cutting the top of the wall off as I did before.  Like the before all the broken pieces will be reused as rubble for the final piece.

 

Right Wall

The right wall I have built it similar to it’s predecessor, using a combination of 10mm and 6mm foam board.  I marked out and carved 1″ x 1″ brick work on this wall.  Glued a 1″ x 8″ pelmet over the door which I will be taking my rotary tool too like, marking out 2 x 0.2″ top and bottom border.  Taking a sharp knife I removed pieces from the top corners which will be used as rubble to scatter round this piece, damage was applied to the brick work similar to the last piece.

The Floor

With the floor I marked out slabs of 3″ x 4″.  I then stuck a piece of 6 mm black foam board 3.5″ x 8″, glued it down to the far right corner.  This is to be the entrance to the room, I carved out 2″ x 3″ slabs on it.

Detail

With the overall structure work done, it is time to start adding in detail to this diorama.  Taking a pottery tool and scoring into the foam as I have done previously before, creating cracks and chips on the stone work.  The centre of the pelmet above the door was removed

 

Once this was accomplished I have applied magnetic strip along the length and width of the floor and the walls to hold the diorama in place.

 

Using my rotary tool with the sanding attachment I went around the edges of the three long windows and frame to remove all square edges. With the final wall finished and attached to the other surfaces using magnetic tape, it was time to work on the wooden door.

Cutting a couple of pieces of bolsa wood to size then sanding it down, I marked the wooden beans that make up the door.  Four smaller pieces were cut to act as the hinges then all pieces where glued together.  When this dries, it will be time to make the door handle and bolts out of Green Stuff as I have done previously.

 

 

 Painting

Using down watered black acrylic I applied a black base coat to all sides of the diorama using a sponge.  With this technique I am able to apply an even coat across the surfaces, while also able to push the paint into all the crack  and crevasses.  The wooden door was given a base coat of burnt umber for the front with black for the hinges.  The back of the door was painted black to match the outer walls. 

Unless I am creating a double sided diorama I always paint the back black, more especially when using the blue foam board.  This helps prevent any blue seeping through when a light is shown from behind the diorama. 

 

Latest work done on my Ruined Church diorama.

Mixing up a grey was I went over the the walls that surround the long windows and the door. Adding a touch of blue to the mix, I then sponged over the remaining walls with the new paint.

 

While is trying, I started working on the accessories for the door. Using Green Stuff to make the bolts, door handle and the bolts for the hinges.

With the paint dry I went over the wall and floor again with a light grey/blue wash using my airbrush.

 

After this had dried I dry brushed GW Longbeard grey over the entire diorama to pick out the edges, the cracks and imperfections of the piece.

 

For door got a watered down wash with GW Rhino hide, retributor armour for the hinges and accessories. A layer of Nuil oil and then Warplock bronze over the Green Stuff made accessories, once dry all it was all edged with Auric Armour Gold then the door was glued into place.

I have also added patches of rubble using scenic ballast scattered across the floor, this now needs some finishing touches and should be completed.

 

The back of the diorama was given a final coat of black acrylic drawing this diorama build to conclusion.