Title: Getting Down & Dirty
Description: Doing Groundwork in Dios
Description: Doing Groundwork in Dios
beachbum - February 8, 2007 01:54 AM (GMT)
Hi All,
The Dio section has been falling a bit behind the Fig section so I thought I put in this article I wrote quite sometime back. Its mainly for beginners but as we go along I hope everyone will contribute as well.
Getting Down & Dirty: Groundwork Part I
1. Introduction
They have been many excellent books written on this subject matter such as those from Shep Paine and from Verlinden. I am still learning about dios and consider myself only a student compared to some of the fantastic work out there. However, I thought it might be useful to write an article on doing basic groundwork for beginners or for those who have not read those excellent books. As I use mainly locally available materials perhaps we can exchange ideas and learn from each other as well. After all it’s from sharing that we learn.
I will splitting this huge topic and hopefully make it less boring to read into several parts. So as the title suggests lets get down and dirty….
2. Research
You have now spent endless hours finishing your prized AFV, softskin, figures and Gundam and reckon it would sure look nice in a diorama / vignette. Where do you go from here? While the construction of dioramas involves important considerations such as story telling, composition, perspective, etc. arguably the most important consideration following a decision on the terrain & climate portrayed would be Research.
To most of us Research would normally be by far the most boring aspect of diorama construction. After all dirt is well …. dirt. In reality dirt comes in more color and shades than a rainbow. For example, tropical soils differ from temperate ones in color and even within tropical soils the variation in color can be quite marked. The dark reddish soils of the Central Highlands of Vietnam versus the more yellowish brown soils in the lowlands of Southern Vietnam is one such example. Along the same line is the portrayal of a desert. A desert in North Africa is not merely the typical sand dunes we normally associate with deserts. There’s actually a fair bit of rocky areas as well as scrub and other desert vegetation. After all the sand must have come from somewhere and it did, from the weathering of rocks.
So research is needed to determine the ground, terrain and vegetation your model is going to be placed in. You may ask why bother anyway, but after spending so much effort and time and model wouldn’t you want to enhance it by placing it on a base that does justice to your effort. We needn’t be soil or plant experts and perfection is not the ultimate goal, but a little research goes a long, long way. Believe me having a 30 foot tree (10 inch at 1/35) growing on solid bedrock can really ruin your diorama.
Photos from the Internet and even travel guides are a good source of reference. I’ve used a fair bit of photos from National Geographic magazines. Of course, if possible nothing beats being there. For example, if you’re planning to do Utah beach, by being there it would help to get a feel of the lay of the land as well as get an idea of the coarseness of the sand or shingles in this case.
As for me, I enjoy the aspect of Research as I get to learn a bit more of another country or history that I would not have normally bothered to if I was not doing a diorama.
3. Planning & Layout
Having done the necessary research the next step would be planning & layout which basically translates to what goes on and where. Having decided first and foremost the story and then the size of the diorama, vignette or even a simple base for a figure, the next step would be to compose the scene. Composition is a matter of taste as well as telling the story and showing your model’s best side. That subject has been described by many authors including Shep Paine and as such I will leave it to the reader to learn from more qualified authorities of the subject.
The concern here is rather that some of the do’s and don’ts that should be accounted for during planning and layout phase. These include:
(i) Observation
The most powerful tool you’ll ever have for groundwork won’t be your Dremel but the human eyeball. Your ability to note how plants grow or how stones at the bottom of a stream look like will add much to the realism of your groundwork. Tiny details go a long way in adding to the overall effect of the groundwork. This is a definite do.
(ii) The Base vs. The Model
While it may seem very obvious, it is always better to plan the base to your story and models and not vice versa. Forcing everything to fit to a base rather than finding a base to fit all your models and the story you want to tell may compromise the diorama. This can either mean a very cramped dio/vignette where the viewer is confused as to what is being conveyed or the opposite where the base is so big that it leaves a headache as to what else to put to fill up those spaces. A definite don’t in this case.
(iii) Dry Fitting Almost Everything
Always custom fit everything once the base is has been decided on and before groundwork begins. This includes the models themselves and any part of the groundwork which is sizeable and portable including large trees, buildings, bridges, hills, etc. In photo #1 the base for the styrofoam has been cut to fit a frame sufficient to fit the models/story. The figures and vehicle are placed on it to check the fit and composition. In photo # 2 the terrain consisting of a small ridge is added to the top left corner and the vehicle and figs are placed on the base again to check for a final fit and arrangement.
This can also be done on paper but a dry fit using the actual models is always preferable even if its just one figure. After all one must remember that drawings and plans however accurate are still 2-Dimensional representations of a 3-Dimensional diorama/vignette. More often than not you will find that drawings need to be modified following a dry fitting of the models.
(iv) Planning of Details
Detailing of groundwork would be waste if they were obscured from an observer. Somewhat related to the above point of dry fitting, we sometimes invariably mask out details we put in placed earlier as we proceed to add other details to the groundwork. A good example is groundwork involving snow which tends to cover everything. Imagine putting in nice stonework on a Japanese garden path only to realize the snow will eventually cover it.
(v) Scale
We sometimes pick up stuff for groundwork because it’ll look cool on our diorama without giving thought to the scale. . Just because it looks realistic don’t mean it’s going to look right once in place in your diorama. No one appreciates this point more than a 1/72nd. diorama maker. A fine grain of sand which would be excellent for beach groundwork at 1/35 would seem like a stone at that 1/72. Thus most of the larger groundwork materials should either have their scale mathematically worked out or even easier, placed against your model to determine whether it’ll look right. The usual culprits in this case are stones and vegetation. That’s why aquarium plants are really tricky to fit if for no other reason.
(vi) Dimension vs. Ambition
Although debatable, it’s sometimes better to start small and simple for most beginners and work your way up to more bigger and more elaborate dioramas. Groundwork even without buildings, rubble or even trees takes a fair bit of time. Nothing wrong with having a large base though but if it’s your first go it may very well be that you might neglect detailing certain areas or become too lazy to do so towards the end. It may depend on the viewer, but I feel an average built model may have little impact on groundwork but poor groundwork will definitely affect a well-made model.
4. Materials
In groundwork there is never just one method or material to achieve an effect. From the type of bases to the materials used for the actual groundwork the choices are enormous. With that in mind, let’s look at some of the options available:
4.1 The Base
The range of potential material for bases are varied as well as numerous. Picture frames, simple plywood bases, styrofoam, cross sections of tree trunks, solid wood planks and even bottle covers can and have served as bases as seen in Photo #3. The primary considerations when deciding on a base would be size, costs, aesthetics and durability. While size, costs and aesthetics are best left to the builder, durability remains universal. Whatever the base or its size that has been selected, the base must be able to provide a platform strong enough to hold the entire final weight of the models and groundwork without warping, cracking or breaking. In this respect the use of styrofoam alone without and an underlying non-flexible base as support is not recommended for anything bigger than a single figure or small vehicle. Plywood while a good non-flexible base will have to be varnished to reduce the probability of warping.
4.2 The Ground
Sand & Soil
As in the choices for the base, the materials available are numerous. Soil, sand, plaster, celluclay, kitty litter to name a few. By far the best material for groundwork comes from Mother Nature herself. After all Mother Nature does represent herself best. Sifting soil, sand and even stones to various grades are recommended (see Photo #4). These can be mixed and matched when needed on the final groundwork but by sifting the modeler has ability to create different ground effects. Clay from a heavy clay soil that was sifted and applied as a thin layer over plaster with a diluted PVA solution (PVA glue : Water at 30 : 70) will upon drying result in fine to coarse cracks depending on the thickness of the layer as can be seen in Photo #5. Ideal for a dried up river bead or parched desert lake.
Photo # 4
Of course anything from Mother Nature is not without some limitations. Soil or sand is heavy and it is often preferable that it be used either as a mix to plaster or celluclay or as a thin layer over the latter two. In addition to that is to ensure that whatever Mother Nature’s workshop has to offer it should be thoroughly dried. Direct sunlight for 1 or 2 days or a quick ‘bake’ in the microwave should ensure that any critters living in it doesn’t come out later to invade your diorama. Nothing is worse than having your German soldiers during a Blitzkrieg dio aided by invaders from planet soil. Oh a word of caution about using the microwave, pure sand and stones should not be micro-waved. Both tend to contain reflective minerals and can get quite sparky if not explosive. Something not very much appreciated by the missus, girlfriends and mums.
Plaster
Plaster is my second personal favorite and it’s really workable and fairly durable. It’ll save you loads of expensive paint as well because it can be tinted with cheap watercolors (see Photo #6). Mix it to a consistency of “just about to melt ice-cream” as in Photo #7. Too little water and its hard to shape, too much and it takes too long to harden and is prone to cracking. Tinting it with watercolor is best done during mixing.
Photo # 6
Photo # 7
Plaster has one more plus point in that you can mix it with sand or soil to give it texture. The addition of sand will also give the plaster added strength against cracking. In Photo #8 water color tinted plaster was mixed with sand and pebbles to create a rough texture. A bit of highlighting was all that was needed to give the ground contrast.
Photo # 8
Plaster is pretty versatile too in that with the addition of sand it can be used to create anything from rubble to bricks. Photo #9 shows a closeup of rubble done with tinted plaster with sand mixed in. A bit of dry plaster was sprinkled over the rubble before it dried followed by a very light wash of India ink after the rubble had cured.
Photo # 9
Drying time for this material before further work is carried out should be at least 24 hours away from direct sunlight. Longer times are recommended for thicker layers (i.e. 0.5 cm. or more)
Celluclay
I believe a close equivalent is available locally. It can be found in most big Art supplies shop. Comes in a brick form but much more thin (around 2-3 cm). I think it’s from Japan but since I don’t read Japanese I can’t confirm this. The material can be tinted just like plaster. Dries hard and can be sanded. However, its best to make whatever holes you need or add any stone before it dries. Its advantage over plaster is its much more lighter but it can sometime dry with the fine fibres visible if not smoothen over with water. Although it dries fairly fast (2-3hrs) its best to leave it overnight before any additional work is done.
Natural Stones/Rocks
Here again natural pebbles, stones and rocks will be the cheaper and more realistic way to go. However, scale becomes an issue when the stones or rocks portrayed are much larger than say 1.0 cm. diameter. This has a lot to do with the mineralogy of the stone itself. At larger sizes for stones those with coarser sized crystals will show up as too large for say 1/35 unless their fine grained as in slate for example. As seen in Photo #10 the granite stone looks unrealistic versus the 1/35 figure. Furthermore the larger stones may not provide enough contrast in terms of color and texture especially if one was to do a mountain scene.
Photo # 10
This can be circumvented to some extent by giving the stone a wash and some highlights as in Photo #10. Here the resin stone base ends somewhere near the end of the outstretched hand of the fallen Viking. Anybody having this Verlinden 54 mm. set entitled, “The Victor” should be familiar with this. As I wanted to extend the base I added a real stone but at that size it didn’t have the texture or the contrast of the resin one and so with a bit of help of AB epoxy and washes and highlights a progressive merge was created.
Photo # 11
AB Epoxy Putty
Epoxy putty the stuff used for sealing wall and other minor cracks and easily available at your local hardware shop can be used to create some reasonable stone effects over a small, limited area. AB epoxy was used in the creation of the arch you see in Photo #11. However, given its smooth finish it will have to be roughened up to provide the necessary stone texture. In the case of the arch which was suppose to represent cut stone that had been weathered smooth by time and elements I used a chopstick which I had stuck some coarse sand grains with super glue to poke the surface before the epoxy hardened.
Photo # 12
A drying time of about 24 hours is preferable although I have worked on epoxy with only 8 hours drying time.
Miscellaneous Materials & Other Ground effects
Kitty litter is another good stand in for small to medium rocks and pebbles. Given its generally homogenous color a dark wash is usually recommended.
Baking soda along with other commercially available snow making materials can be used to create fallen snow. There have been some uncertainties about baking soda turning yellow but from personal experience I’ve had a snow dio with baking soda for about 3 years without having any ill effects. Preference and cost are likely to be the main considerations in the case of simulating snow. Paraffin wax melted in a container and not directly over an open flame has been used successfully by many to simulate ice and frozen ponds. Superglue coating a thin fishing line can be also used to fashion small icicles (see Photo#13).
Vegetation like figures literally adds life to any diorama. If for nothing else, it breaks up the monotony of any diorama, even to a dry, lifeless desert as seen in Photo #14. As in stones, scale is an important consideration with realism coming in at a close second. Always match it to your model before deciding on whether to use the vegetation or not.
Photo # 14
Water effects like vegetation is an aspect of groundwork that has been dealt with extensively and many commercial as well as substitutes are readily available. The concern here is placement and cohesion with the rest of the groundwork. Among some of the examples include; plants sticking out towards the middle of a stream which are generally rare in nature, river banks tend to show erosion while the embankments of ponds don’t, stones at the bottom of a stream tend to be rounded due to the action of water and usually they are partially buried due to the presence of silt, the direction of ripples on the water surface are usually congruent with the direction of flow.
Photo # 15
Holding Everything in Place
Various glues can be used. By far the most popular used by most modelers would be PVA glue which is also known as Elmers or White glue. From its undiluted form to its various water:glue dilutions it is a versatile glue that offers sufficient strength to hold most groundwork in place except for heavy rocks, tall vegetation and buildings. Another useful glue especially for low vegetation is Polystyrene glue which dries rather quickly, is fairly strong and has a certain degree of flexibility. Unlike PVA it is non-water base which makes it useful for materials prone to wrinkling or color loss due to water. Both glues do not dissolve styrofoam unlike superglue or CA which I personally had the misfortune to use on one of my dios resulting in what was once a small jungle stream becoming a well.
On to Part II......
The Dio section has been falling a bit behind the Fig section so I thought I put in this article I wrote quite sometime back. Its mainly for beginners but as we go along I hope everyone will contribute as well.
Getting Down & Dirty: Groundwork Part I
1. Introduction
They have been many excellent books written on this subject matter such as those from Shep Paine and from Verlinden. I am still learning about dios and consider myself only a student compared to some of the fantastic work out there. However, I thought it might be useful to write an article on doing basic groundwork for beginners or for those who have not read those excellent books. As I use mainly locally available materials perhaps we can exchange ideas and learn from each other as well. After all it’s from sharing that we learn.
I will splitting this huge topic and hopefully make it less boring to read into several parts. So as the title suggests lets get down and dirty….
2. Research
You have now spent endless hours finishing your prized AFV, softskin, figures and Gundam and reckon it would sure look nice in a diorama / vignette. Where do you go from here? While the construction of dioramas involves important considerations such as story telling, composition, perspective, etc. arguably the most important consideration following a decision on the terrain & climate portrayed would be Research.
To most of us Research would normally be by far the most boring aspect of diorama construction. After all dirt is well …. dirt. In reality dirt comes in more color and shades than a rainbow. For example, tropical soils differ from temperate ones in color and even within tropical soils the variation in color can be quite marked. The dark reddish soils of the Central Highlands of Vietnam versus the more yellowish brown soils in the lowlands of Southern Vietnam is one such example. Along the same line is the portrayal of a desert. A desert in North Africa is not merely the typical sand dunes we normally associate with deserts. There’s actually a fair bit of rocky areas as well as scrub and other desert vegetation. After all the sand must have come from somewhere and it did, from the weathering of rocks.
So research is needed to determine the ground, terrain and vegetation your model is going to be placed in. You may ask why bother anyway, but after spending so much effort and time and model wouldn’t you want to enhance it by placing it on a base that does justice to your effort. We needn’t be soil or plant experts and perfection is not the ultimate goal, but a little research goes a long, long way. Believe me having a 30 foot tree (10 inch at 1/35) growing on solid bedrock can really ruin your diorama.
Photos from the Internet and even travel guides are a good source of reference. I’ve used a fair bit of photos from National Geographic magazines. Of course, if possible nothing beats being there. For example, if you’re planning to do Utah beach, by being there it would help to get a feel of the lay of the land as well as get an idea of the coarseness of the sand or shingles in this case.
As for me, I enjoy the aspect of Research as I get to learn a bit more of another country or history that I would not have normally bothered to if I was not doing a diorama.
3. Planning & Layout
Having done the necessary research the next step would be planning & layout which basically translates to what goes on and where. Having decided first and foremost the story and then the size of the diorama, vignette or even a simple base for a figure, the next step would be to compose the scene. Composition is a matter of taste as well as telling the story and showing your model’s best side. That subject has been described by many authors including Shep Paine and as such I will leave it to the reader to learn from more qualified authorities of the subject.
The concern here is rather that some of the do’s and don’ts that should be accounted for during planning and layout phase. These include:
(i) Observation
The most powerful tool you’ll ever have for groundwork won’t be your Dremel but the human eyeball. Your ability to note how plants grow or how stones at the bottom of a stream look like will add much to the realism of your groundwork. Tiny details go a long way in adding to the overall effect of the groundwork. This is a definite do.
(ii) The Base vs. The Model
While it may seem very obvious, it is always better to plan the base to your story and models and not vice versa. Forcing everything to fit to a base rather than finding a base to fit all your models and the story you want to tell may compromise the diorama. This can either mean a very cramped dio/vignette where the viewer is confused as to what is being conveyed or the opposite where the base is so big that it leaves a headache as to what else to put to fill up those spaces. A definite don’t in this case.
(iii) Dry Fitting Almost Everything
Always custom fit everything once the base is has been decided on and before groundwork begins. This includes the models themselves and any part of the groundwork which is sizeable and portable including large trees, buildings, bridges, hills, etc. In photo #1 the base for the styrofoam has been cut to fit a frame sufficient to fit the models/story. The figures and vehicle are placed on it to check the fit and composition. In photo # 2 the terrain consisting of a small ridge is added to the top left corner and the vehicle and figs are placed on the base again to check for a final fit and arrangement.
This can also be done on paper but a dry fit using the actual models is always preferable even if its just one figure. After all one must remember that drawings and plans however accurate are still 2-Dimensional representations of a 3-Dimensional diorama/vignette. More often than not you will find that drawings need to be modified following a dry fitting of the models.
(iv) Planning of Details
Detailing of groundwork would be waste if they were obscured from an observer. Somewhat related to the above point of dry fitting, we sometimes invariably mask out details we put in placed earlier as we proceed to add other details to the groundwork. A good example is groundwork involving snow which tends to cover everything. Imagine putting in nice stonework on a Japanese garden path only to realize the snow will eventually cover it.
(v) Scale
We sometimes pick up stuff for groundwork because it’ll look cool on our diorama without giving thought to the scale. . Just because it looks realistic don’t mean it’s going to look right once in place in your diorama. No one appreciates this point more than a 1/72nd. diorama maker. A fine grain of sand which would be excellent for beach groundwork at 1/35 would seem like a stone at that 1/72. Thus most of the larger groundwork materials should either have their scale mathematically worked out or even easier, placed against your model to determine whether it’ll look right. The usual culprits in this case are stones and vegetation. That’s why aquarium plants are really tricky to fit if for no other reason.
(vi) Dimension vs. Ambition
Although debatable, it’s sometimes better to start small and simple for most beginners and work your way up to more bigger and more elaborate dioramas. Groundwork even without buildings, rubble or even trees takes a fair bit of time. Nothing wrong with having a large base though but if it’s your first go it may very well be that you might neglect detailing certain areas or become too lazy to do so towards the end. It may depend on the viewer, but I feel an average built model may have little impact on groundwork but poor groundwork will definitely affect a well-made model.
4. Materials
In groundwork there is never just one method or material to achieve an effect. From the type of bases to the materials used for the actual groundwork the choices are enormous. With that in mind, let’s look at some of the options available:
4.1 The Base
The range of potential material for bases are varied as well as numerous. Picture frames, simple plywood bases, styrofoam, cross sections of tree trunks, solid wood planks and even bottle covers can and have served as bases as seen in Photo #3. The primary considerations when deciding on a base would be size, costs, aesthetics and durability. While size, costs and aesthetics are best left to the builder, durability remains universal. Whatever the base or its size that has been selected, the base must be able to provide a platform strong enough to hold the entire final weight of the models and groundwork without warping, cracking or breaking. In this respect the use of styrofoam alone without and an underlying non-flexible base as support is not recommended for anything bigger than a single figure or small vehicle. Plywood while a good non-flexible base will have to be varnished to reduce the probability of warping.
4.2 The Ground
Sand & Soil
As in the choices for the base, the materials available are numerous. Soil, sand, plaster, celluclay, kitty litter to name a few. By far the best material for groundwork comes from Mother Nature herself. After all Mother Nature does represent herself best. Sifting soil, sand and even stones to various grades are recommended (see Photo #4). These can be mixed and matched when needed on the final groundwork but by sifting the modeler has ability to create different ground effects. Clay from a heavy clay soil that was sifted and applied as a thin layer over plaster with a diluted PVA solution (PVA glue : Water at 30 : 70) will upon drying result in fine to coarse cracks depending on the thickness of the layer as can be seen in Photo #5. Ideal for a dried up river bead or parched desert lake.
Photo # 4
Of course anything from Mother Nature is not without some limitations. Soil or sand is heavy and it is often preferable that it be used either as a mix to plaster or celluclay or as a thin layer over the latter two. In addition to that is to ensure that whatever Mother Nature’s workshop has to offer it should be thoroughly dried. Direct sunlight for 1 or 2 days or a quick ‘bake’ in the microwave should ensure that any critters living in it doesn’t come out later to invade your diorama. Nothing is worse than having your German soldiers during a Blitzkrieg dio aided by invaders from planet soil. Oh a word of caution about using the microwave, pure sand and stones should not be micro-waved. Both tend to contain reflective minerals and can get quite sparky if not explosive. Something not very much appreciated by the missus, girlfriends and mums.
Plaster
Plaster is my second personal favorite and it’s really workable and fairly durable. It’ll save you loads of expensive paint as well because it can be tinted with cheap watercolors (see Photo #6). Mix it to a consistency of “just about to melt ice-cream” as in Photo #7. Too little water and its hard to shape, too much and it takes too long to harden and is prone to cracking. Tinting it with watercolor is best done during mixing.
Photo # 6
Photo # 7
Plaster has one more plus point in that you can mix it with sand or soil to give it texture. The addition of sand will also give the plaster added strength against cracking. In Photo #8 water color tinted plaster was mixed with sand and pebbles to create a rough texture. A bit of highlighting was all that was needed to give the ground contrast.
Photo # 8
Plaster is pretty versatile too in that with the addition of sand it can be used to create anything from rubble to bricks. Photo #9 shows a closeup of rubble done with tinted plaster with sand mixed in. A bit of dry plaster was sprinkled over the rubble before it dried followed by a very light wash of India ink after the rubble had cured.
Photo # 9
Drying time for this material before further work is carried out should be at least 24 hours away from direct sunlight. Longer times are recommended for thicker layers (i.e. 0.5 cm. or more)
Celluclay
I believe a close equivalent is available locally. It can be found in most big Art supplies shop. Comes in a brick form but much more thin (around 2-3 cm). I think it’s from Japan but since I don’t read Japanese I can’t confirm this. The material can be tinted just like plaster. Dries hard and can be sanded. However, its best to make whatever holes you need or add any stone before it dries. Its advantage over plaster is its much more lighter but it can sometime dry with the fine fibres visible if not smoothen over with water. Although it dries fairly fast (2-3hrs) its best to leave it overnight before any additional work is done.
Natural Stones/Rocks
Here again natural pebbles, stones and rocks will be the cheaper and more realistic way to go. However, scale becomes an issue when the stones or rocks portrayed are much larger than say 1.0 cm. diameter. This has a lot to do with the mineralogy of the stone itself. At larger sizes for stones those with coarser sized crystals will show up as too large for say 1/35 unless their fine grained as in slate for example. As seen in Photo #10 the granite stone looks unrealistic versus the 1/35 figure. Furthermore the larger stones may not provide enough contrast in terms of color and texture especially if one was to do a mountain scene.
Photo # 10
This can be circumvented to some extent by giving the stone a wash and some highlights as in Photo #10. Here the resin stone base ends somewhere near the end of the outstretched hand of the fallen Viking. Anybody having this Verlinden 54 mm. set entitled, “The Victor” should be familiar with this. As I wanted to extend the base I added a real stone but at that size it didn’t have the texture or the contrast of the resin one and so with a bit of help of AB epoxy and washes and highlights a progressive merge was created.
Photo # 11
AB Epoxy Putty
Epoxy putty the stuff used for sealing wall and other minor cracks and easily available at your local hardware shop can be used to create some reasonable stone effects over a small, limited area. AB epoxy was used in the creation of the arch you see in Photo #11. However, given its smooth finish it will have to be roughened up to provide the necessary stone texture. In the case of the arch which was suppose to represent cut stone that had been weathered smooth by time and elements I used a chopstick which I had stuck some coarse sand grains with super glue to poke the surface before the epoxy hardened.
Photo # 12
A drying time of about 24 hours is preferable although I have worked on epoxy with only 8 hours drying time.
Miscellaneous Materials & Other Ground effects
Kitty litter is another good stand in for small to medium rocks and pebbles. Given its generally homogenous color a dark wash is usually recommended.
Baking soda along with other commercially available snow making materials can be used to create fallen snow. There have been some uncertainties about baking soda turning yellow but from personal experience I’ve had a snow dio with baking soda for about 3 years without having any ill effects. Preference and cost are likely to be the main considerations in the case of simulating snow. Paraffin wax melted in a container and not directly over an open flame has been used successfully by many to simulate ice and frozen ponds. Superglue coating a thin fishing line can be also used to fashion small icicles (see Photo#13).
Vegetation like figures literally adds life to any diorama. If for nothing else, it breaks up the monotony of any diorama, even to a dry, lifeless desert as seen in Photo #14. As in stones, scale is an important consideration with realism coming in at a close second. Always match it to your model before deciding on whether to use the vegetation or not.
Photo # 14
Water effects like vegetation is an aspect of groundwork that has been dealt with extensively and many commercial as well as substitutes are readily available. The concern here is placement and cohesion with the rest of the groundwork. Among some of the examples include; plants sticking out towards the middle of a stream which are generally rare in nature, river banks tend to show erosion while the embankments of ponds don’t, stones at the bottom of a stream tend to be rounded due to the action of water and usually they are partially buried due to the presence of silt, the direction of ripples on the water surface are usually congruent with the direction of flow.
Photo # 15
Holding Everything in Place
Various glues can be used. By far the most popular used by most modelers would be PVA glue which is also known as Elmers or White glue. From its undiluted form to its various water:glue dilutions it is a versatile glue that offers sufficient strength to hold most groundwork in place except for heavy rocks, tall vegetation and buildings. Another useful glue especially for low vegetation is Polystyrene glue which dries rather quickly, is fairly strong and has a certain degree of flexibility. Unlike PVA it is non-water base which makes it useful for materials prone to wrinkling or color loss due to water. Both glues do not dissolve styrofoam unlike superglue or CA which I personally had the misfortune to use on one of my dios resulting in what was once a small jungle stream becoming a well.
On to Part II......
PoohBear - February 8, 2007 03:42 AM (GMT)
Great stuff beachbum, many thanks for the effort to put these up. I'm sure it will prove to be a tremendous help.
Can we have these articles pinned?
Can I suggest a consolidated pdf document of this excellent article for download / offline reading?
Can we have these articles pinned?
Can I suggest a consolidated pdf document of this excellent article for download / offline reading?
beachbum - February 8, 2007 03:59 AM (GMT)
| QUOTE (PoohBear @ Feb 8 2007, 11:42 AM) |
| Great stuff beachbum, many thanks for the effort to put these up. I'm sure it will prove to be a tremendous help. Can we have these articles pinned? Can I suggest a consolidated pdf document of this excellent article for download / offline reading? |
Thank you kindly there Natasha. Will pin both parts. As my computer skills match my AFV identification skills might I request anyone here how to go about getting it into PDF and posting this here for download. Much appreciated.
More comments are most welcome.
oldman - February 8, 2007 04:01 AM (GMT)
er.. beachbum after read all your words ah.. scare to do dios already lah.. hahah...
so many materials.
i think i have to use some times to keep some of this materials then only i can go for a try leh..
any how, really thank for your kind sharing of the dios.. :D
so many materials.
i think i have to use some times to keep some of this materials then only i can go for a try leh..
any how, really thank for your kind sharing of the dios.. :D
Bomber Vince - February 8, 2007 05:31 AM (GMT)
Thanks for sharing CK, I'm now drafting my 1/144 dio on a dam now, will need ur personal guidence when I start working.
honeymic - February 8, 2007 08:05 AM (GMT)
Got Green Light from CK to post this info
Guess u guys never try this at home:
Self Made putty ... at least to a certain quality ...
** Just Mix White Glue (PVC)... with Talcum Powder and u get instant Putty like material to work with ...
- Good for small fix and do pastering work ... havent tried it on larger mod coz too expensive ...
- Very Quickdry too ... can harden also ...
- Smell nice too ...
- best of all it stick well ...
:ciao
Guess u guys never try this at home:
Self Made putty ... at least to a certain quality ...
** Just Mix White Glue (PVC)... with Talcum Powder and u get instant Putty like material to work with ...
- Good for small fix and do pastering work ... havent tried it on larger mod coz too expensive ...
- Very Quickdry too ... can harden also ...
- Smell nice too ...
- best of all it stick well ...
:ciao
PoohBear - February 8, 2007 08:40 AM (GMT)
| QUOTE (honeymic @ Feb 8 2007, 04:05 PM) |
| Got Green Light from CK to post this info Guess u guys never try this at home: Self Made putty ... at least to a certain quality ... ** Just Mix White Glue (PVC)... with Talcum Powder and u get instant Putty like material to work with ... - Good for small fix and do pastering work ... havent tried it on larger mod coz too expensive ... - Very Quickdry too ... can harden also ... - Smell nice too ... - best of all it stick well ... :ciao |
Can we sand it once dry / hard?
Argrillion - February 8, 2007 08:52 AM (GMT)
| QUOTE (beachbum @ Feb 8 2007, 11:59 AM) |
| Thank you kindly there Natasha. Will pin both parts. As my computer skills match my AFV identification skills might I request anyone here how to go about getting it into PDF and posting this here for download. Much appreciated. |
Send it to me and I will PDF it for downloading.
Silantra - February 8, 2007 08:59 AM (GMT)
good article there master of the universe...hehehe
i still have some of your unofficial published materials (some are published in this thread) in my emails, PM ..etc//etc
putting this into pdf should be ok...u can email it to me too... i would happy to 'pdf'it and put into my server...
i still have some of your unofficial published materials (some are published in this thread) in my emails, PM ..etc//etc
putting this into pdf should be ok...u can email it to me too... i would happy to 'pdf'it and put into my server...
beachbum - February 8, 2007 09:03 AM (GMT)
Arg I will have to regroup the photos again as some of it I took off my Kitmaker at Armorama. I will send it to you once I download them from Armorama or if I can still find them on my home PC. Thanks for the assist. Oh...btw I've used your name in Part II for evil purposes as usual. :)
Thanks Jessica for the offer too.
Jason if I still remember my basic Geology from another era, Talcum powder comes from Talc, a very soft stone with a slight sheen. They just grind that and add perfume to make Talcum powder if I have to guess. As I remember the stone was soft enough to scratch with one's fingernails (no I didn't taste it this time) so I reckon you should be able to sand it. I leave it to Honeymic for more accurate details.
Thanks Jessica for the offer too.
Jason if I still remember my basic Geology from another era, Talcum powder comes from Talc, a very soft stone with a slight sheen. They just grind that and add perfume to make Talcum powder if I have to guess. As I remember the stone was soft enough to scratch with one's fingernails (no I didn't taste it this time) so I reckon you should be able to sand it. I leave it to Honeymic for more accurate details.
honeymic - February 8, 2007 09:28 AM (GMT)
Sanding of this material ia haven't really done it yet ... coz i use it in Sculpting my paper Gundam Head into Paster Based Head ... Since it Paper 176gram type so if i apply water based Paster sure soak la my Model ... so i spary my kit with industrial paint and paster it with White Glue + talcum powder lo ...
The talcum Podwer act as a medium to soak up all the excessive water inside the PVC glue coz i feel it took such a long time to dry for my dio .... so i accidently make a putty substance .. .Eurika! ...
it dry up very fast about 30-1hour like normal glue dry rate ... the result very nice also ... i use my nail to scratch it off it wont come off also .. sorry i didnot apply Hulk Strength la ... my poor kit dont wan to damage it too ...
btw u can soften it up by damping it with water ... so sanding should be possible ... it not as hard as rock/cement qulity... havent try it on plastic kits also ... dont know if will stick better than normal putty ...? hmmm ...
so PoohBear y not u try it out ... the sanding on plastic surface ... ?? since the matrial is so easy to get ... :P ...
The talcum Podwer act as a medium to soak up all the excessive water inside the PVC glue coz i feel it took such a long time to dry for my dio .... so i accidently make a putty substance .. .Eurika! ...
it dry up very fast about 30-1hour like normal glue dry rate ... the result very nice also ... i use my nail to scratch it off it wont come off also .. sorry i didnot apply Hulk Strength la ... my poor kit dont wan to damage it too ...
btw u can soften it up by damping it with water ... so sanding should be possible ... it not as hard as rock/cement qulity... havent try it on plastic kits also ... dont know if will stick better than normal putty ...? hmmm ...
so PoohBear y not u try it out ... the sanding on plastic surface ... ?? since the matrial is so easy to get ... :P ...
honeymic - February 8, 2007 09:36 AM (GMT)
Ah ... almost fogot as for "PDF"ding this marvelous article ... here are some simple method u can try ...
1. type the article in MS Word, format it nice nice with Frame and Table as u like ...
2. NExt Print it choose a PDF printer driver and kautim liao lo ... if u have Adobe PDF pro or PDF factory install ... Btw Pdf955 this one is free ...
:P
1. type the article in MS Word, format it nice nice with Frame and Table as u like ...
2. NExt Print it choose a PDF printer driver and kautim liao lo ... if u have Adobe PDF pro or PDF factory install ... Btw Pdf955 this one is free ...
:P
PoohBear - February 8, 2007 12:32 PM (GMT)
Thanks honeymic & beachbum for elaborating on the talcum mix. I'll keep this recipe in mind as it could come in useful one day. :D