HOW TO BUILD AIRCRAFT DIORAMAS

[JohnReid]

I decided to attach the engine to the frame because I am limited for room where I plan to put this old wreck.I may just rust the frame and leave the body off completely! I really don't know at this point.The fun of doing this is if something doesn't work out you can just throw an old tarp over it and it will still look good.I tried something a little different this time with the weathering.Over the burnt umber gesso I applied the rust pastels and then finger flicked(the old toothbrush spray method )on some thin raw umber to get a more realistic effect.

[JohnReid]

[JohnReid]

This gives you an idea of where I plan to put the Hisso wreck.I could just throw a tarp over the rear end and use it as is!However,I think that I will carry it a few steps further and put it on its deflated tires.The instrument panel can't even be seen.How much of the body I will do I haven't yet decided, knowing when to stop is also an important consideration in modeling.I want it to fit into its environment not overpower it.Damn ,this is a lot of fun!

[JohnReid]

Fake nails in wood(How to..)From another thread.

Hi Brad! The nails are simple to do but time consuming.First decide on a pattern you like. Then take a pin and create a hole in the wood .With an ordinary sharp HB pencil,twist a little of the grafite into the hole you have created with the pin.Take a small round brush and dab a little water into each hole .If you want it a rusty color add a little burnt sienna acrylic to the water.The hole will swell and you are left with a level surface again.You can then play around with the surface using more burnt sienna or raw umber to create drips, streaks or whatever.You can even use a little burnt sienna pastel to soften the rusty effect. Good luck! Cheers. John.

[JohnReid]

You know,for as long as I can remember I have always been interested in the use of lighting to create a mood.Even before I got into modeling(about 37 years ago,has it really been that long???) I loved the effect that soft lighting could bring to a stage,room,painting whatever.The shadows created on a wall or floor,the campfire scene with the glow in the woods,the whole Budweiser thing with the house with the warm glow in the windows,these kind of things have always intrigued me.
When I was doing relief carving in wood, the dramatic effects created by proper lighting just blew me away.When I would paint a decorative bird sculpture I would always have a light shining on it ,to represent the sun's angle while I was working.In fact, when I think about it, lighting and birds of prey is what got me into bird carving in the first place.We have a raptor center close to where I live and on a visit there one day, I happened to pass an enclosure that contained two white gyrfalcons sitting on a branch above me, with the sun shining down on their feathers.What a beautiful sight it was, and it changed me forever.I just had to try to capture all that power and majesty in wood.Looking at those birds you knew that you were looking at something special, that only exists at the top of the food chain.
Why do I mention this?Well there seems to be something really powerful going on here between lighting and the effects it has on us.This of course is nothing new but it is very intriguing to think about..Churches of course have known all this for years with their glowing stained glass windows etc...
I have noted that whenever I post a picture of an indoor scene with the lights on ,I get a lot of response to those pictures.I am told that the viewer gets a greater sense of "being there"when the lights are on and angled in just a certain way.
As a 3D artist making dioramas ,I would like to encourage my fellow artist/modelers to be more aware of the use of lighting in your work.I don't see a lot of this(except for the RR guys) and I wonder why? It is such a simple tool to use, either a hand held light or some more permanent installation.And especially when taking pictures!All that camera equipment is really only optional and secondary to training your eye.I use a simple digital camera set on "auto" and a hand held reading type light to take all my pictures.They may not be the best but it works for me.
For you guys who go to model shows and want to try something different and maybe even win a prize ,think of some way to incorporate lighting into your model or scene,even if it is only those little battery powered lights that you see in Christmas scenes this time of year. Try it ,it is a lot of fun and will make a real creative difference in your work!

[JohnReid]

[JohnReid]

The old airshow car is temporarily on its wheels to get an idea of how it will look when finished.
I re-designed the side panel to look more like a car from around the 1910 era.The rear interior bulkhead I have made in wood like the real thing and behind it will sit the gravity feed fuel tank.The rest of that compartment will be taken up with old car parts that were removed or fell off.I decided not to do too much serious corrosion other than general surface rust as the car wouldn't have been out of service that long.The tires still need a lot of work deflating and weathering them.The spokes are probably a little large but I have seen pics of some European cars of the era with larger than normal spokes.
This is actually quite a nice model if someone wanted to take the time to do it real justice, like a nice wood instrument panel and gauges etc...

[JohnReid]

[JohnReid]

Sometime in the next couple of weeks I will be starting the Camel.If you would like to follow along with me Model Expo has a down loadable site for their instruction booklet on the Camel.I will be using this instruction booklet for its basic methodology and then modifying things as I go along.I will be building all the mayor components but there will be a big difference,the airplane will be left in pieces and not rigged (other than the undercarriage ).The accuracy of this kit leaves a lot to be desired, but for my purposes as part of a educational type diorama ,it is acceptable with some modification on my part.It is an unusual way to show an aircraft ,being towed on its wheels behind a truck ,and something that the kids will probably find interesting in its own right.

[JohnReid]