Diorama Materials
I guess it’s kind of easy to look through all galleries and get jealous of all the great looking
diorama’s out there. But even worse, look at how much these things cost to put together!!!
If you want to put together good looking dioramas at no extra cost than the price of the miniature and some
flock & static grass, here’s a guide for you....hope you enjoy it. The first diorama I put together was of my ‘Dark Riders’… Almost everything you need is outside lying around somewhere. Personally, I go to the local beach, this is
a great place to find stuff. The first thing you need is a decent base for the models. Try to find some ‘Flat’ rocks or stones,
but take the weight into consideration…the lighter the better! The beach is ideal, as you get ‘worn’
rocks all over the place....these are ideal. Look for rocks that have ‘Texture’ not just plain & flat!....this will add ‘depth’ and ‘realism’ to the diorama. A rock with a few miniatures placed on it can look boring, so you need to add some natural terrain.
Driftwood is ideal for this. The more weathered the better....look for really old pieces that have water damage! Any scene requires ‘foliage’....for this, we use natural grasses. When choosing plants & grasses, make sure you stick to ‘dull’ greens…anything ‘bright’ will lose its colour!!!
If in the event you use something that loses its colour, just touch it up with ‘Dark Angels Green’ and highlight it
with ‘Bilious Green’. Start with your chosen rock and decide whether or not you need to paint or coat it. There are some rocks that
I have left with their natural look that already have a lot of shades in them. Otherwise, coat them with a layer
of ‘course’ sand....and guess what ‘it’s free’ (just don’t let anyone catch you removing things from the beach....
however, they are all small, and I’m sure no-one would mind). Choose a piece of driftwood and attach it (super glue is best). Add some small amounts of glue to your driftwood and ‘sprinkle’ green flock over it…this will give the
driftwood a look of moss grown on it. Next, take your grasses and remove the end pieces. Using a pair of ‘Tweezers’, dab a bit of glue on
your rock in specific places and attach the grasses standing upright. Try to put ‘Static Grass’ around any grasses that you use…it will look more natural. Lastly, fix your miniatures to the base. For small miniatures, cut off the piece of metal that is
attached to the feet of the miniature and file the feet flat. Using Super Glue (I find the GEL the best type to use),
dab some on each foot and position onto the base. For the likes of monsters and mounted figures, drill a hole into to
rock, making sure you use the right size drill bit and making it a ‘tight’ fit. And that’s about it....it’s that easy. Remember to keep your eyes peeled when your out and about…the hobby does not have to cost a fortune!!!
Dioramas
-- Rutta 0208
rutta0208@btinternet.com
