HOW TO BUILD AIRCRAFT DIORAMAS

[JohnReid]

[JohnReid]

When weathering a diecast this is usually this first step.Normally I would use 600 grit or higher sandpaper and sand off that nice shiney enamel finish.In this case I used a very fine rotary abrasive burr and worked slowly in and around the artwork that I wanted to retain.Two purposes are served here one to deaden and age the surface and the other to provide a nice textured surface that the future application of pastels will stick to.

[JohnReid]

[JohnReid]

Here is a wonderful example of great work on a small scale.This is a 1/72 scratchbuilt BE2c diorama by Bob Wheeler.
More of Bob's work can be seen at http//:www.wwi-models.org see Galleries.
Cheers! John.

[JohnReid]

I thought that maybe this would be a good time to repeat this stuff from a year ago.How to Make any Surface(especially car body) look rustly and corroded

This method seems to work on any surface plastic,wood,metal,whatever.
The secret is in surface preporation.It even works on a highly polished enamel surface.(such as diecasts)
Prepare the surface by sanding off the shiny new surface with 600 or higher sandpaper.You want to dull the surface not create scratches.Rub until all the shine is gone.
Next,paint the surface with a 50/50 gesso-water mix and dry with a hair dryer if you like.Dont set the hairdryer too close to the surface but just blow the warm air across it.(you can always just air dry it if you want)
Now,if you want to put some color on,put it on in thin layers(at least a 50/50 mix,even more water if you are using tube colors)Dont completely cover the gesso surface with a solid new color if you want a real antique look ,some of the undercoat should show through.
Now the fun part,take some watered down burnt sienna and using an old brush and a washboard surface vigorosy scrub the paint until it foams up.Then take this foamy paint,bubbles and all and dab it onto the surface.Dry with a hair dryer and repeat as many times as necessary to get that nice rusty and corroded look.Use distilled water in all your paint mixes.Works great on old barrells,oil cans,engines,cars whatever needs antiqueing.Take your time and have fun,I sure am. Cheers! John.
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[JohnReid]

.
to antique a chrome or nickel surface:

-immerse the part in household ammonia till all the chrome disappears from the part.
-take an old toothbrush and scrape off any remants
-deburr any mould lines
-paint part with a 50/50 black gesso-water mix
-paint on one thin coat of acrylic silver(let some of the black undercoat show through)
-whan dry,dab on some foamy burnt sienna(dabbing is the secret to an authentic looking surface)
-dab on as many coats as you like but let some of the silver show through.

Remember,work with very thin, flat acrylic paint.You want to build up transparent layers not cover up all your hard work. Cheers! John.

[JohnReid]

Here is a couple of things I learned when antiqueing a plastic 1/16th Ford model T truck that I modified.
-to make brass look like weathered copper spray very thin washes of burnt umber gesso followed by spray washes of black gesso
-to make brass look weathered just spray with washes of black gesso only.
In both cases I used flow medium and distilled water in the mix.

[JohnReid]

I didn't get much done on the diorama this weekend but I did take "Belle" the Ford Model A out to her first classic car show.To my surprise she was one of only 5 cars that made the local TV news.
I parked next to a guy that had a 1932 4door Chevy V6.He had built the car from scratch using just the shell of an old barn find.He had a photo album with him documenting every step along the way.He spent 4700 hours and 16 years building this car.Man,I sure admire this kind of dedication in re-creating such a wonderful piece of history.The car is real show quality ,one of the nicest that I have seen.It was such an enjoyable day watching people smile and recount their memories about these old cars.Whenever I ride around in "Belle" all I see is lots of smiling faces,makes me feel like Santa Claus.I am sure if I rode around in some flashy sports car I would just look like some old guy trying to re-live his childhood but with a Model A an old guy fits right in.
My car is a driver,as I had the experience of looking after a show quality aircraft,the 29 Beech Travelair that my dad and I built in the 60's.To maintain anything to such a high standard can be a daunting task.You spend about 5 hours maintenance for every hour of flight.I can't tell your how many afternoons I spend wiping oil off the fabric etc.. trying to maintain a show quality standard.

Well today it is back to weathering the Model T truck for the diorama.I was hoping to get some ideas at the show but unlike other years no Model T's turned up.When you are restricted to secondary roads and travelling 40-50 MPH (or less) in 85 deg temperatures only the local A's and T's show up I guess.
Cheers! John.
This po

[JohnReid]

[JohnReid]

Here is another stunning example of work on a small scale.Robert's diorama had a big influence on me getting started on my present project.More of Robert's great work can be seen at http://www.karrart.com/karrart/3dio1.htm