Category: Diorama’s

Alien Sewer

Alien Sewer

I’ve been commissioned to produce a couple of sewer dioramas, one identical to the one I had created earlier this year.

As you can see I have the basic form of one and the other two are in the process of joining this one.  

 

 

With the design agreed I can now branch this piece of onto it’s own page.  My client has asked for a few of changes to be made previous version.  Instead of the central column with grate, he would like it replaced with a barred tunnel entrance, damp walls with multiple pipes running along the sides. 

To apply the magnets to the walls I sanded all the sides down, having the magnets in place at this stage, I find it easier to work with model.

 

The brick work has been marked out and ready to be scored.  I had marked out the size of the tunnel entrance and toyed with the idea of adding a raised smaller sewer pipe further down one of the wall.

 

 

The sewer tunnel entrance was cut, along with a frame to the tunnel. The walkways I sliced and sanded the corners of that run on the length of each. 

 

The brick work was scored into the foam, it’s now starting to look like a sewer.

 

 

 

Using barbecue skewers as bars for the entrance at the end of the tunnel, each one cut down to size, pressed into the foam and then glued in place.  Once they have been painted tissue paper will be placed behind the bars and then sandwiched in place with another layer of foam behind it.

Testing with the look with ripple water sheet.
 

Painting

 I have applied a base coat consisting of watered down Burnt Umber and white, spreading the paint evenly using a mini roller. When this had dried, I added a touch of yellow into the mixture and added it to the areas of broken brick.  A second coat was then added, the mixture comprising of Burnt Umber, yellow and black.  This was then thinly applied over the surface of the entire diorama, making sure the paint didn’t overrun into the cracks  of the walls and floor.

 

The walkway edges, tunnel entrances where painted using Games Workshops Mechanicus Grey, the bars where painted with Games Workshops Leadbelcher, shaded with Nuln Oil and highlighted with Games Workshops Stormhost Silver.  

Battleground Arena

Battleground Arena

I’ve been commissioned to create a set similar to my Eternia Ruin with removable pillars.

Build

 The base is made of 2 pieces of foam board 20″ x 10″, the boards were glued together using PVA glue.  Once they dried I’d marked out the tiled floor, where each flag stone is 3″ x 2.5″.


The slabs have been scored into the foam, using some excess pieces I have built a small alter along with some corner steps. Before these become permanent fixtures I am playing with ideas before adding the columns.

 

The steps have been aged to match the rest of the diorama.

 

 

Sewer 2

Sewer

I’ve been commissioned to produce a couple of sewer dioramas, one identical to the one I had created earlier this year.

Build

As you can see I have the basic form of one and the other two are in the process of joining this one.  The other two will be getting their pages as they develop, as you can see they are still in their early construction phase.

 

 

 

With the walls dry it was time to cut the mouths of the sewer tunnels into one wall of two of the sewers. I wanted these sets to marry up with the ones I had previously cut for me TMNT Lair I made a couple of months ago.

 

With this done I can now start to etch in the brick work into the walls of these two sewers. The third sewer I need to cut a sewer tunnel mouth in the center of the middle wall.

 

I cut out a circle entrance on the wall running 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.

 

 I then marked on the brick work, each brick is 2″ x 1″. 

 

I scored into the form to form the brick wall and walkways.

 
The sewer loosely put together

I finished up scoring the walkways, I’ve swapped the two walls over, added the magnets and trimmed it all down to size.

 

I created the central column which sits between the two walkways.

 

Using barbecue skewers for bars, cutting them down to size and then gluing them into place.  Rounding of the front corners of the central column then tacking my rotary tool with its sanding head, I weathered the bricks of the column and wall behind it.

 

Painting

 I have applied a base coat consisting of watered down Burnt Umber and white, spreading the paint evenly using a mini roller. When this had dried, I added a touch of yellow into the mixture and added it to the areas of broken brick.

 

A second coat was then added, the mixture comprising of Burnt Umber, yellow and black.  This was then thinly applied over the surface of the entire diorama, making sure the paint didn’t overrun into the cracks  of the walls and floor.

 

The walkway edges, tunnel entrances where painted using Games Workshops Mechanicus Grey, the small sewer pipe and bars where painted with Games Workshops Leadbelcher, shaded with Nuln Oil and highlighted with Games Workshops Stormhost Silver.  I dry brushed over the entire diorama with Longbeard Grey.

 

 

Turtle Lair

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle

Turtle Lair

Taking inspiration from my recent Sewer commission I wanted to make a TMNT lair.  This piece is scaled to the 7″ Classic figures (based on the 1987 cartoon).

Build

The diorama is made from insulation foam board, held together with magnetic tape.  Since I have used magnetic tape, it means its can be expanded upon at a later date.  Either adding in extra rooms or sewer tunnels.

 

 

Decided to etch in brick work to outside of one of the doors, followed up with brick work on the sewer tunnels. 

 

Finished the night of with some test shots of the Turtles facing down Shredder and his Foot soldiers.

With the door
Without
 

Painting

 Grey acrylic base coat was applied to all the inside walls, floor and the one outer wall.

 

I washed over the entire inside of the model with a light brown which I applied using a sponge.   With that trying I turned my attention to creating one of the main pieces of furniture for any Turtle lair, the sofa!  Making this out of 10 mm foam board to fit two turtles.

 

 

Placing the sofa around the lair, I’ve realized I need to trim an inch off the sofa so it doesn’t look to fill the room as much as it does now.

I cut a couple of lengths of pipe which will run the length of each wall, as you can see they are only resting on top while finish off painting the walls before attaching them.

 

 

I applied a second wash of grey over all the walls, while they were drying I turned my attention to trimming an inch off the sofa and cutting the pipes down to size.

 

Using the airbrush to go round each brick and every crack using a light grey.  The sofa was given a coat of lime green (I know it looked awful!), this was quickly rectified and repainted over with a light brown.  Once it had dried I dry brushed a dark brown over to weather it.

I spray painted the pipes with a black base coat, followed with an aluminium layer.  They were dry brushed with Games Workshops Dryad Bark and Necron Compound.  The walls of the model were dry brushed with Games Workshops Longbeard grey.

 

All the pipes where fixed into place, I combined the Turtle lair with the sewer commissioned piece I had also recently finished together to build an awesome Turtle play-set which you will see in the final pictures.

Final Pictures

 

 

Eternia Ruin

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.

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.  

 

Painting

Coating foil covered objects with filler mixed with water, then covering the vacant floor area with it also. I painted the floor area with a yellowish brown and the stump of the tree. I then started to layer the the full tree with darker tones of brown, finishing off with a shade of Agrax Earth shade. The tile floor and walls have been given a base grey coat. When it dried I start layering them.

 

Sprayed the ground with a light yellow, the paving and walls with a light blue/grey. While they were drying I took a wire brush to the small floor behind the horizontal wall. Going with the grain of the foam and scoring it to look like worn floorboards. Shade with Agrax Earth shade and airbrushed with a water down black acrylic.

 

All stone work was then dry brushed with Longbeard Grey. When it had dried grass tufts and moss where applied on the tree and in places on the diorama.

 

All that is left to do is paint round the base and take final pictures of this.

 

 

Final Pictures

 

 


 

Castle Room 1

Castle Room 1

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

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.

 

Final Pictures

 

 

 

Sewer

Sewer

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.

Final Pictures

 

 

 

 

 

Blade Runner 2049 Final Scene

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.

 

 

 

Streetlight diorama

Streetlight diorama

 

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 of my Streetlight Diorama, the LED works a treat.

 

 

 

Commissioned Church Ruin

Commissioned Church Ruin

 

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.