Scratch-building diorama medium (question)

Started by Joshua Dendy · 7 ≡ · ↻ 7 years ago
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    Joshua Dendy said 8 years, 9 months ago:

    I want to start making my own diorama bases, and I'm looking for the materials I should start gathering. What medium do you use (plaster, hobby clay) to build the ground up with? Also, I'm looking to use brush paints (I'm not into airbrush, and I'm looking to do mini-figures, too), what brand, set, anything, do you suggest to start with?

    I know that is a lot of information to ask, but I appreciate your patience, and kindly ask for your advice.

    Thank you,
    Joshua D

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    Gábor Szabó said 8 years, 9 months ago:

    Hi! White glue (in fact carpenter's glue) is very useful - I usually mix it with sifted gravel or sand. Hobby clay (paper mache), plaster or wall-filler are also good but be careful with them as these materaials tend to warp heavily especially when You use greater amount: make thin layers instead of thick groundwork. It is always a good idea to look into an aquarist/pet hobby shop, the materials they use to decorate the bottom of their aquriums very much the same we modelers buy expensively as specified diorama materials 🙂 . Naturally You can always buy "scenic materials" or "vallejo waters" and so on the choice is Yours - there are several good stuff for dioramas - but a bit on the expensive side. For painting (dioramas) I usually buy cheaper (means bigger pack) acrylic colors from the local artist shop and usually buy some crayon also - which You can use as "pigments" or make dust/mud from them as needed. I'm an airbrush guy so I don't make it too far as I usually mix my paints from plextol/acrylics/water and airbrush onto the scene but that's me and I think these stuffs works fine with brushing onto a diorama aswell. Cheers!

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    Bernard E. Hackett, Jr. said 8 years, 9 months ago:

    Josh, depending on where you are, model railroad stores usually have a lot of scenery stuff, and on line, Walthers and Micromark also. Woodland Scenics have a lot of stuff. Grass papers, colored gravels and turf, static grasses, stuff to make water. Craft stores (Michaels in my area (Maryland) is a craft store chain) also have useful items.

    I was admiring a dio of a Tiger tank the other day a friend of mine did. The base had a picture frame around it, to finish it off. He told me he got it at a goodwill store, and refinished the frame. Cheap plastic photo frames or the box ones are another source, or sometimes discards from Trophy stores, if they'll sell them.

    Celluclay is the papier mache material, comes in a bag.

    Hope this helps.

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    Joshua Dendy said 8 years, 9 months ago:

    Thanks guys, that's a wonderful start! I was thinking of picking up some hobby clay or spackle (brand of wall-filler). I'm looking to start with a base about 1/2 inches thick. Do you think that would be too thick for the wall-filler?

    Also, would it be easier to use clay/plaster? As I plan on making building ruins, etc..

    I just really love the "detail" in the scenes around my diecast (gasp!) models : ) So I thought I would start making my own surroundings along with figures.

    p.s. Gabor, I would have never thought of the pet store/aquarium!

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    Bernard E. Hackett, Jr. said 8 years, 9 months ago:

    Josh:

    Give that thickness a try, and see if it works for you.

    Using plaster, one of the guys in my IPMS chapter hammers multiple small nails into the base, to give the plaster something to grip.

    I also remember that some folks use sheet insulation- it's like foam board- as bases. It looked kinda thick, but probably varies. The 3/4(?) sheet insulation works for walls, using thin plaster on it.

    Check the military modeling magazines and the model railroad ones on the news stand. Ideas galore.

    The model railroad stores should have "how to" books on scenery, a layout is a big diorama. Kalmbach pubs is the big one here in the US.

    Your library should also have books on the subject, and used book stores, if there are any in your area.

    Good luck!

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    Joshua Dendy said 8 years, 9 months ago:

    Wouldn't have thought about the library (woops lol). Thanks, Bernard!

    I love this forum already : )

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    Darren Cannell said 7 years, 11 months ago:

    Josh, another place to look which has a ton of information is You Tube. Just type in what you are looking for and there ya go!
    This guy does a lot of things https://www.youtube.com/user/TheTerrainTutor
    and also This guy, https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjRkUtHQ774mTg1vrQ6uA5A

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