HOW TO BUILD AIRCRAFT DIORAMAS

[JohnReid]

Here we go again! I was looking thru one of my Time-Life aviation books today and saw an old radio shack picture with old telephones ,radios etc..etc... in it and said to myself, that would make a great addition to my "Memories of Flight School" diorama.It would require me building another module add on.In fact, I like the idea sooo much that I am thinking of this kind of being the never-ending project.If I plan now I can provide for many more add ons ,such as machine shop ,car garage and storage area(which would solve the hangar space problem) or whatever I can think of.
I am 65 now and because we never know when we may be going to the "Happy Hunting Ground" this would be a perfect way to end my modeling career, without ever ending my modeling career, if you know what I mean.
I can build these add ons as seperate units waiting to be added on ,whether the dio is here or at the museum.I have lots of ideas about this and now is the perfect time to plan for it.The dio can be called finished at any time, once the main structure is finished, but it never really would be finished as long as I can keep building.The only provsion that I will have to make will be for some of the major components to be removable (cars,trailers,airplane parts and pieces) in the future so they can be moved to other modules as I go along.I am very excited about this whole idea.What do you guys think?

[JohnReid]

[JohnReid]

Yesterday ,for something a little different i began to paint "Harley" the company mascot.He is a Bull Mastiff breed of dog with a dark face& biege body.I am using the pewter casting that I found in a dollar store as the basic model.He is in a sitting position, so I plan to have him sitting in an office chair, with the office manager standing beside him, and both of them looking through the door at the action taking place in the hangar.
I have had quite a lot of experience texturing surfaces to make them look like feathers or fur using a high speed rotary shaft so I added texture here and there as required.I sealed the casting with my standard laquer plus thinner mix and then brushed on a couple of thin coats of brown gesso.I am presently working out a pallette of Jo Sonja acrylic colors.
As you probably already know, I have painted the military type figures for this diorama but I will be painting many more cilivian type figures in the future.When I get to that stage I will give you guys a step-by- step method that I us for painting them.
The more I think of the expanded diorama idea that I mentioned yesterday, the more I like the whole idea.It does not mean that I will not be doing other dios in between ,such as finishing off the classic car radio cabinet dio,it just means that the "Memories Of Flight School " dio will be an on going project.

[JohnReid]

Finished workshop(except windows)

[AAC Cadet Leader]

You're amazing, John! Keep on going!

[JohnReid]

[JohnReid]

Here is kind of an interesting shot through the garage door into the hangar,through the workshop window and then the other window into the far wall of the office.This covers a distance of about 55 inches.

The following I posted on another thread in response to why I do dioramas.I thought you guys might be interested.

Why I do it!
To me its all about the viewer.My goal is to have the viewer lose themselves,if only for a moment, in another reality.It is a kind of magical world of the spirit where kids are privledged to live a lot of the time.It is still there in all of us and it is the dioramaists or moviemakers or other visual type of artists role, to take the viewer by the hand and lead him back to that wonderful world of childhood, where everything is possible.When I am working,I try to think like a child.What would please the imagination of a child.How can I draw them into my work? if I can hold the attention of a child for any length of time,the grownups are easy.When kids first see my work ,I make it a point to study their faces.Most of the time they wont say a thing and that is when I know Ive got them.Usually, I am the first to speak and I can tell that they are usually lost in my world,in this little world that I have created.Its the look on their faces,thats why I do dioramas. Someone once said, All kids are artisits,the trick is to stay an artist when we grow up.Hope I havent been too heavy in my response but that is the way I feel.Cheers! John.
__________________
It has been said that the difference between a "pilot" and an "aviator" is that a pilot is a technician,and an aviator is an artist in love with flight.
JohnReid (Aviator)

[JohnReid]

Thanks ACC! Next its on to the office in my little story of this build.Actually I have now just about finished the office module and am contemplating what to build next.Maybe I should finish the rear entrance/WC module or even get back to Jenny.

[StephenLawson]

Originally Posted by JohnReid

"...Why I do it!
To me its all about the viewer.My goal is to have the viewer lose themselves,if only for a moment, in another reality.It is a kind of magical world of the spirit where kids are privledged to live a lot of the time.It is still there in all of us and it is the dioramaists or moviemakers or other visual type of artists role, to take the viewer by the hand and lead him back to that wonderful world of childhood, where everything is possible.When I am working,I try to think like a child.What would please the imagination of a child.How can I draw them into my work? if I can hold the attention of a child for any length of time,the grownups are easy.When kids first see my work ,I make it a point to study their faces.Most of the time they wont say a thing and that is when I know Ive got them.Usually, I am the first to speak and I can tell that they are usually lost in my world,in this little world that I have created.Its the look on their faces,thats why I do dioramas. Someone once said, All kids are artisits,the trick is to stay an artist when we grow up.Hope I havent been too heavy in my response but that is the way I feel.Cheers! John.

Greetings all; I like John's approach here. Thinking young keeps the march of time at a minimum by the way.

[JohnReid]