Eternia Ruin

Keeping with the He-Man and the Masters of the Universe theme, I’ve put together another small landscape diorama drawing inspiration from the old Filmation cartoon series back in 1983.

- Building the scene

Build

This build I wanted to be a simple landscape diorama, I cut a piece of 10 mm foam board to act as the base. Then another piece of 10 mm which will be a broken wall, I’ve added three tabs to the bottom of the all which allow it to be allowed to slotted into the base.

Eternia in the 80’s cartoon, wood land area had a lot of huge, twisty trees of all sizes. To make one of these for the size of this piece, I have taken a cardboard tube and wrapped it up in tin foil with enough excess to twist to a point. I rolled up two more lengths of tin foils and wrapped them around the trunk like twisted branches. This will be positioned behind the wall.

Build upon this basic design, I added a horizontal wall behind the first wall, a couple of tin foil boulders into the foreground.

I was looking at the walls and realised one layer of 10 mm was not enough, I cut another piece the same size as the long wall. Glued them together and then sanded it down, I will do the same with vertical wall this evening.

The vertical wall, I added another 10 mm layer of foam board making it the same width as the horizontal wall. Using the round sander on my rotary tool to weather both walls, lightly touching the wall faces with side of the spinning sander.

I laid a piece of 6 mm foam board on the base in front of the horizontal wall, marking out 2″ x 2″ slabs before setting to them with pottery tools, scoring imperfections into the slabs.

Turning the attention to tree and the boulders, I watered down filler and coated the mixture over the objects. I poured the rest of the filler down the left side of the base and around the back. I inserted the tree into the filler covered the damp filler with sand. When this has dried I can start painting this piece.

Castle Room 1

Started on a small diorama piece for Bradford Unleashed, drawing inspiration from He-man and the Masters of the Universe.

Building the scene
Painting the scene
Sword Casting

Build

Made from foam insulation board, it’s scaled to fit Masters Of The Universe 5.5′ to the 7′ figures.

The external I’ve etched brick work similar to that of the 80’s Castle Grayskull play set. Internal I’ve etched my standard brickwork. The walls are made from one piece of board, cutting between the bricks to make two interlocking walls.

For the base I made three curved steps leading towards the wall, then curved the corners. A single pillar created and fitted into the corner. With the external being based upon the 80’s toy, I’ve put in a small window for the Sorceress to view out of. Stone slabs have been etched into the floor and steps.

Sanded down all edges and started playing with ideas on how this will look when it’s finished.

Painting

With the build completed, it is time to start painting. The base coat for the walls and floor were applied using a watered done mixture of white/black and touch of blue, applied using a sponge.

With the base coats dry, sponged over the walls with a water downed burnt umber mixed with yellow, dabbing the paint all over.

The floor was given another grey coat using my airbrush, random flags were sprayed a darker grey. Once dry it was dry brushed with Games Workshop Longbeard Grey to pick out all the detail.

The inside walls I gave another coat of grey using the airbrush, once dry it was dry brushed with Games Workshop Longbeard Grey to pick out all the detail.

The exterior walls where sprayed with a grey/brown solution, then random stones where sprayed different shades of grey. Once dry it was dry brushed with Games Workshop Longbeard Grey to pick out all the detail.

Sword Casting

Now the diorama build is complete, I wanted to decorate one wall with two hanging swords. I took casts of both Masters of the Universe Classics He-Man and She-Ra’s swords, since the swords are permanently fixed to walls I took half casts of each sword using blu-stuff to make the molds.

When it was safe to remove the curing swords from the molds, I trimmed the excess off and left them to finish curing.

I base coated both the swords using Abaddon Black and did the same to a spare MOTU 200x golden sword of power. All three swords where then base coated with Leadbelcher, layered with Runefang steel and edged with Stormhost Silver.

Turning my attention to plaque the classic swords were going to be mounted onto, a circle had been cut into a piece of 6 mm foam board. I used a wire brush to make it look like it had been made from a piece of wood. Base coated with Rhinox hide, shades with Agrex Earthshade and the washed over with Mournfang brown. Both half swords where glued into place and then mounted onto the wall.

I created a stone plinth for the 200x Sword of Power to stand in and to be freely seated in the corner. Painted with Mechanicus Standard Grey and then edged with Longbeard Grey, the sword was embedded into the stone.

Sewer

- Building the scene
- Painting the scene

I’ve been commissioned to build a sewer diorama to accommodate his Marvel Legends 6″ figures.

Build

With this diorama build I will be constructing it out of foam insulation board using widths 5 mm and 10 mm. For the overall base I am using 10 mm foam board 25″ width by 16″ depth. Two walkways on either side running the length of the diorama, one side with the width of 4″ and the opposite 3″ width. A central wall at one end with a semi circle cut out to act as a grate fitted between the two walkways with a couple of little walls either side.

For the center I am thinking of using a couple of sheets of ripple water purchased from Greenstuffworld, it’s the same sheet’s I used for G.I. JOE Tiger Force Outpost diorama. I have some left over from my Stargate diorama which I have used to test.

With the basic form there I started to build upon the structure, building two walls and a second layer for both walkways. With these parts cut it is time to mark up the brick work.

I cut a crescent a half an inch width to go over the central column, I then marked on the brick work, each brick is 2″ x 1″. Once completed I took an etching tool a scored out each brick and crack. After completing the walls and central column I repeated the process on the two walkways.

I made a trench running the width of the 4″ walkway and then taking my rotary I cut off a section of piping to use as a drain pipe coming out of the wall above the trench. I then used 5 straws, cutting them down in length to use as bars from the drain.

Water sheets have arrived, I’ve loosely put them into place and now toying with the idea of using some blue foam board as a base.

At the request of my client, I built a third a wall but this one containing a circle entrance. This wall running the in parallel to other long wall, the circle cut is about 5″ diameter. I scored in the brick work to match up with the rest of diorama. I cut a ring of foam as a frame for this entrance etching stone work to it.

Magnetic strip has been used to attach the walls to the floor.

Using my rotary tool I sanded the inside of the round doorway, tidied up the edges of the overall piece. To attach the central column to the back wall using small magnets placed along the edges and married to the magnets on the back wall. I purchased a small ladder made from bolsa wood, I thought it would be ideal for this piece.

Painting

With the build completed, it is time to start painting. The base coat for the walls and floor were applied using a watered done mixture of white/black and touch of blue, applied using a sponge. The base I used watered down mixture of blue/white, once this had dried I added Burnt Umber into the mix and dabbed into the area where the water runs trough the center.

With the base coats dry, sponged over the walls with a water downed burnt umber, dabbing the paint all over. Adding a little yellow to the watered down burnt umber I repeated the process once the walls had dried. The bars were painted with Games Workshops Runefang steel, shaded with Nuln Oil.

I turned my attention to the water, using Games Workshops Nurgle’s Rot (commonly known as snot in pot) painted ripples onto the board. I laid the water sheet on top and glued it into place. I dry brushed screaming skull over the water sheets highlighting the ripples.

All some brick work was dry brushed using Games Workshops Longbeard Grey, emphasizing all the cracks and edges of the bricks. The waste pipe and the ladder had a coat of Games Workshops Leadbelcher, shaded with Nuln Oil and highlighted with Stormhost Silver.

A couple of days ago I filled the small trench with PVA glue, when it dried I had created film over the trench which meant I could then apply more PVA glue over the top. The thickness of the dried glue, gave the impression of fluid running the length of the trench, I painted over it using Games Workshops Nurgle’s rot. I poured PVA into the small waste pipe above the trench, painting it again with Nurgle’s rot once it had dried. I proceeded to apply the paint also to areas on both walkways and the small waste pipe.

There are some final little touches to be done and then this will be completed.

Bradford Unleashed March 2019

This March, I exhibited my works again at Bradford Unleashed 3rd March 2019. It’s the second year I will have attended as a trader before, needless to say I am really looking forward to it. If you are in the Bradford area on that weekend please call by, I’d love to see you.

If you look to attended and want to get tickets, details are below.

Or you can visit their website and purchase your tickets there.

Blade Runner 2049 Final Scene

Commission the Idea

I have commissioned to build a scene from the recent Blade Runner 2049 film, I opted to go for the final scene where the two Blade Runners approach the steps leading into the building where Decker’s daughter is placed.

Build

With this diorama build I will be constructing it out of foam insulation board using widths 5 mm and 10 mm. For the overall base I am using 10 mm foam board 23″ width by 10″ depth. Each of the steps are 16″ width by a decreasing inch depth for every step.

I cut four pieces of 10 mm foam board, which were used for the sides of the steps. I cut another piece of 10 mm board, this is used for the back wall behind the steps.

All the pieces where sanded down and glued together. The next step is make the banisters for the steps.

Before I start work on the banisters I filled in some of the imperfections of the build using Green Stuff.

To create the banisters I cut thin 0.25 of an inch width foam board strips to run up the center of each banister and along the wall at the top of the each. I then cut six small posts of foam then using the hot end of my glue gun,

(WARNING wear protective gloves in case you burn your fingers!)

to burn two holes, equal distance apart in the foam to fit the banister rails through. Then taking two straws of equal length, adding a drop of hot glue inside one end of each straw, placing a cocktail stick in between and push the glued end together. Repeat this process to make the second handrail of the same length. Glued the first post at the bottom of the banister, another one at the top of the slope and then slide the hand rails through the holes. I took a third post, glued the end of the railings to the post and then glued the post to the top of the banister. I then glued the last two posts of either end of the small then glued two straws into place.

I repeated the same process with the opposite side hand rails, thus completing this diorama build. Next step is to start painting this.

A base acrylic coat of paint made up from white, black and a touch of burnt umber mixed with water was applied with a sponge coating the entire model.

Second base coat added, once this is dry I can start layering this.

With the base coat dried, I could start weathering this piece using my airbrush. Using a fine spray I went over all the edges with a dark brown, with that dry I gently sprayed over the entire model.

Using Games Workshop’s Longbearbeard Grey, I dry brushed the all stone work to pick out the detail

At the request of my client, I painted the hand rails white. When they are dried I will weather down and dry brush them using GW’s Necron compound.

I weathered the handrails with a dark brown wash using my airbrush, once that had dried I dry brushed both handrails using GW’s Necron compound.

Final Pictures

With this diorama completed here are my final pictures. Sorry I do not own any Blade Runner figures, I’ve had to substitute them for 1966 Batman, which works just as well I think.

Sector Imperials Ruins

Unpainted

Painting

Finished

Ready to play

Imperial Knight Paladin

Few weapons can match the Imperial Knight Paladin’s rapid-fire battle cannon for sheer long-range destructive capability. Able to blast apart entire battalions of enemies with a single concentrated discharge, the Knight Paladin uses its immense stride to quickly reposition, providing support fire as it moves for maximum battlefield coverage. In close combat, its thunderstrike gauntlet is able to disregard enemy armour with impunity. -:GW

The finished paint job and transfers are added, this knight is ready to roll out!

Freeblade ready to defend the city from the Ork invasion

Orks

Ork Boyz

Orks fall upon their foes like a shouting green avalanche – tooled up with crude, improvised weapons and crude, improvised tactics, they’re an anarchic, battle-crazed force who live for the thrill of the fight. Addicted to violence, speed and brutality, they are resilient, resourceful and incredibly numerous – ‘ERE WE GO! -:GW