HOW TO BUILD AIRCRAFT DIORAMAS

[JohnReid]

Be careful in the use of baking soda as things can build up pretty fast and it hardens in the brush rather quickly.Rinse your brush often and keep the mix thin.
I find that foamy acrylic takes longer but you have much more control.Cheers! John.

[StephenLawson]

Man, I Love this thread!

[JohnReid]

This fellow does some wonderful dioramas
http://www.dynamicdioramas.org
Cheers! John.

[JohnReid]

I noticed on the web today that Montreal has been voted the "Best City in the World".Can you beleive it! They sight many reasons for this, amoung them the four seasons and beautiful girls.
I dont know about the seasons thing(though I must admit that I like spring and fall) but I do know about the girls ,I married one 42 years ago yesterday. Cheers! John.

[FliegerJG1]

John,

Being a non-modeler, I always view these pages with much awe and respect for those who practice this art. I really appreciate all that is shared here!

One question I've always found myself thinking when I look at a diorama is "how did they make those accessories?" These would be things such as a crate or box, a map, a dog, stuff lying around an aerodrome, and people in uniform, etc etc. I suppose any custom made part is what I am thinking of. Could you offer some simple basic examples? I'm just curious about this aspect of diorama creation.

Thank you and Very Best Regards...FliegerJG1

[JohnReid]

Hi Fliger JG1!
Thank you,I love to get response to this thread!
Dioramas are basically an assortment of parts put together in a creative way.Some are totally scratchbuilt, others are not.My personal view is that this really doesnt matter,I have done both.What is important is the viewer of the diorama.The artistic goal is to get the viewer emotionally involved with your piece so that they can relate to it and be moved in some way.If they can look at your piece and years later recall the experience, then you have accomplished your goal.
As far as making the parts are concerned I use a multi-media appraoach.I will use anything that works to accomplish my goal.Wood ,plastic,metal,popsicle sticks,tongue depressors etc etc....
When I am in the stores I am constantly looking for anything that may work in my dioramas.I have found greats things in dressmakers shops,dollar stores,hobby shops,hardware stores,bookstores,fabric stores,on and on.Then of course there is the internet ,where the sky is the limit for artistic ideas.
As far as custom made parts are concerned,good research is the key.If you can build a model you can make a diorama.I am the worlds worst carpenter(just ask my wife)I have no interest in it and it shows.But if you are able to build models, plastic or otherwise and have the interest and a creative mind,be prepared to have some fun.
In the pages of this thread ,I have covered a lot of the how tos, so I wont repeat it here.Really, what it all boils down to is, just doing it.Forget fear of making mistakes cause there are none.There is a learning curve that all artists/craftsman have to go through so we just have to accept that.If you have the interest you are already 99% of the way there.Why dont you join us in this wonderful adventure? Cheers! John

[AAC Cadet Leader]

Originally Posted by JohnReid

I noticed on the web today that Montreal has been voted the "Best City in the World".Can you beleive it! They sight many reasons for this, amoung them the four seasons and beautiful girls.
I dont know about the seasons thing(though I must admit that I like spring and fall) but I do know about the girls ,I married one 42 years ago yesterday.

Happy Anniversary Mr. and Mrs Reid!

[JohnReid]

Thanks ACC! Micheline thanks you too.Cheers! John.

[JohnReid]

Raw umber makes the best WW1 mud for wheels,undercarts and bellys.Add white gesso for lighter shades and black gesso for darker.Raw umber can be quite shiny but if you are using JoSonja paint this will not be a problem.For other brands of paints you may have to use some matte medium ,in thin washes ,over the top.Cheers! John.

[JohnReid]

Its been cold and rainy here in the GWN, so hangar progress has been quite slow.Instead I have been working on my antiqueing techniques which is great fun.I have found that the subtle use of baking soda gives a real cool look to rusty surfaces.The secret seems to be,as with most acrylic techniques,the ample use of water in the mix.Not enough water and your brush quickly becomes unusable.When I was teaching how to paint bird sculptures to my students, one of the hardest things to get across was, the use of lots of water to keep your paint transparent and how to build up layers of thin paint to achieve depth.When I speak of washes I mean paint of almost a skim milk consistancy.You dont want any opaque layers blotting out your previous work.Example:On a metal surface you have applied your black gesso,your thin rust layers,then your baking soda corrosion but you decide that a nice raw umber wash would tone things down and bring your colors together.A little too heavy a wash here and all your hard work will be ruined.As one of my fellow bird carvers used to say "when in doubt,thin it out".Cheers! John.