New Diorama update 2/1

[CustomCreator]

scratch that, new CITY!

This monster is going to be my biggest undertaking yet! I basically will have to build this on the floor. I am attempting at working out the kinks to make it so I can take the buildings off for storage. It may be difficult because once I add all the wreckage and rubble to this thing, I want the buildings to look a part of it, so we'll see. I am building this mainly for use with the McFarlane Military line. Of course, others will fit right in(ML, DC, Zombies, whatever). I plan on repainting a squad of maybe 4-5 soldiers as some kind of Vigilante group in a post-apocalypic world. I haven't decided "who or what" the enemies will be, or if they will just remain up to the imagination.

Here is a VERY raw shot of the mock up. This shows where the streeet layout and sidewalks will go. The far board at the end is going to be a side of a hotel with either a balcony or two huge windows. I plan on having the "hidden evil" be lying in wait for the soldiers to come in. To the front right will either be some kind of pizza shop or antique store, followed by a half-walled alley, and then some kind of building on the corner. On the left will be a giant warehouse spanning the block, with it's corner blown out by some kind of bomb or explosives. Of course, all city items will be in play, sewers, telephone poles, trash cans, etc. This one is going to be messy! Well, enjoy the pics, I am expecting this to probably take the rest of this year, and some of next to complete. It should be a fun journey, and I hope you all will join me!






Base is 29.5" wide by 36" long. "Hotel" building will be 30" wide X 30" tall. The Pizza shop/store will be about 15" high and maybe 10-12" long, the corner building is up in the air right now. Warehouse will be at LEAST 24" tall and as long as the block(which I think is like 17" or so)

ENJOY!

[thespawnx]

looks good!

question CC,
how did you stand up that large wall at a right angle? just glue or some kind of brace also? i haven't had much luck figuring out how to build my dio.

[CustomCreator]

to be honest, it's just sitting there right now. What I have done in the past is insert wooden dowels through the base into the wall structures. It holds well enough if you aren't trying to move it all together.

[moviemaniacks]

are those supposed to be one way streets? If not they're a little narrow

[Sumner]

sweeet

[CustomCreator]

yeah, I had to make them one way streets due to size constraints. I am figuring that this is taking place in an older section of New York or Boston where you can barely fit one car down the street.

[Diab0lus]

Great idea. Keep us posted.

[GhettoEnhanced]

It will be nice to see the progress

[suggadug]

This has a potential to be really, really cool. I can picture burned out cars and trash and zombies already

[CustomCreator]

cars, not sure about cars. They would have to be REALLY big to be in scale with the figures, then they would be too big for the buildings(IMO). I am sure I can crush some up so it wouldn't matter for exact scale. I wanted to plant a Semi into one of the buildings, but for scale, it would have to be 53" long to be right.

[CustomCreator]

Small update here(get used to these). I painted the streets and created the sidewalk areas and painted them. I also painted half of the hotel at the end of the street. My idea is to have about 11" of foundation with columns and windows, then brick from there up with windows. I will be painting the columns to look like stonework. The white area in front of the hotel is going to be sidewalk(I underestimated sizes and didn't buy enough foam). Where you see white behind the sidewalks will be buildings(as shown on left). The "building" on the left will be a warehouse with it's whole corner blown out. You see I placed a half wall on the right. My original idea was to place two buildings seperated by the wall, but not sure how that's going to go. There isn't a lot of space there. I may just use the chain link idea, that way I can make it a much smaller space and fit two buildings. Anyway, what you are all waiting for: The pics!







Sorry if they are crappy pics, I was taking them in the garage with my older camera. As you can see, it will be tight quarters, but that's how I like it. I hope I can create more depth for pics when it's done. Also, any jagged lines or areas I missed will more than likely be covered by rubble and debris, so I am not too worried about lining up everything perfectly.

[SONICobra]

looks good man, i used to make large dioramas for my figs, now im just doing smaller ones for 1/6 models. i used to use lightweight materials like that (styrofoam, drywall mud, etc.) but have just dicovered THE BEST product for creating dioramas. i use tile groute and spackle. it dries hard and is durable. the groute has a great textured surface but sometimes takes a while to completely dry and the spackle is sandable but still very durable. i used to use above mentioned products but found they were easily chipped, scratched, or damaged. just a heads up on this project for your next one. just for example for the sidewalks i would put spacle down and sand lines for the sidewalk sections and round off the edges then use a textured spray paint for realism and paint it. for the streat i would use groute to create a grainy texture and paint that.

[DrOctagonn]

10/22 Dio Update:

65 and still rocking!

[TheWho]

Dio rocks!

[CustomCreator]

I knew someone would do that

Originally Posted by SONICobra

looks good man, i used to make large dioramas for my figs, now im just doing smaller ones for 1/6 models. i used to use lightweight materials like that (styrofoam, drywall mud, etc.) but have just dicovered THE BEST product for creating dioramas. i use tile groute and spackle. it dries hard and is durable. the groute has a great textured surface but sometimes takes a while to completely dry and the spackle is sandable but still very durable. i used to use above mentioned products but found they were easily chipped, scratched, or damaged. just a heads up on this project for your next one. just for example for the sidewalks i would put spacle down and sand lines for the sidewalk sections and round off the edges then use a textured spray paint for realism and paint it. for the streat i would use groute to create a grainy texture and paint that.

Do you have any pictures of dioramas you have made using these techniques that you could post here?

I'd like to see some examples for future reference before I start my next diorama. What I dislike most about styrofoam is how it melts when you spraypaint it or use certain glues on it.

[Furious1]

Can't wait to see the finishesd product!

Originally Posted by Captain Sassy Pants

Do you have any pictures of dioramas you have made using these techniques that you could post here?

I'd like to see some examples for future reference before I start my next diorama. What I dislike most about styrofoam is how it melts when you spraypaint it or use certain glues on it.

we shoudl get that airbrush rockin and rollign on the next one we do.. lol whenever that is.

[SONICobra]

Originally Posted by Captain Sassy Pants

Do you have any pictures of dioramas you have made using these techniques that you could post here?

I'd like to see some examples for future reference before I start my next diorama. What I dislike most about styrofoam is how it melts when you spraypaint it or use certain glues on it.

yeah ill try to grab some pics tomorrow. i dont want to take away from this thread so ill post my own but thats another thing i really didnt like about the styrofoam is it does melt with glue. you can make things with either spackle or groute then use the spackle to glue it in place and the spackle dries fairly fast. again, this ones looking great i just thought id throw that out there i had to learn the hard way with styrofoam a couple times.

[Karnis]

Holy Diver Batman!
Great work. Keep us updated, the last alley way you did looked great.

[F0RSAK3N]

Everytime I see the thread title I start humming, "Holy diver, you've been down too long in the midnight sea...Oh what's becoming of me"

Impressive work, can't wait to see more.

[Oiler_Fan]

Originally Posted by DrOctagonn

10/22 Dio Update:

65 and still rocking!

lol...this is what I was looking for when Isaw the thread title.

[WhO Iz THiZ Iz]

sweet

[Karnis]

Originally Posted by F0RSAK3N

Everytime I see the thread title I start humming, "Holy diver, you've been down too long in the midnight sea...Oh what's becoming of me"

Did you ever hear the Pat Boone version with Dio guest singing & Ritchie Blackmore on guitar? The whole CD was actually pretty darn cool!
Pat Boone-In a Metal Mood

[Genfist]

expected Dio Brando

[Joerhyno]

Originally Posted by Captain Sassy Pants

Do you have any pictures of dioramas you have made using these techniques that you could post here?

I'd like to see some examples for future reference before I start my next diorama. What I dislike most about styrofoam is how it melts when you spraypaint it or use certain glues on it.

Get the pink insulation foam at Home Depot, it's denser and better to carve up.. or if you're not working on something too big, go to walmart and get the floral foam

As for spackle, I made a cave using it, works real well and you can get it to look how you want.. either rock like textures.. or smooth it out for walls or streets...

Here's one I did with a foam base then spackle(I bought a tub of it at walmart in the home improvement area, called drywall joint compound) on top of it.









sorry for the hijack...


Of course it was my first one.. and the flash brings out all the tiny white parts.. lol

[SONICobra]

yep spackles the ****! its all a learning process, first i was using styrofoam and spray painting it to create texture, that was too inconsistent and fragile so i started using dry wall mud, that was too fragile and chipped so damn easy, then i found this stuff and was amazed.

[geminijoe28]

wow...looks great..cant wait to see it finished!!!

[ralph427]

I love dios!

Awesome!

[Spawnomite]

looks cool.

Nice bro, where do you get such huge pieces of foam?

[CustomCreator]

Thanks all for your input. Sonic, this is not my first build, and I find that although working with styrofoam can be somewhat a pain(and messy), I don't find that it's too fragile. I anchor all the pieces with wooden dowels. As far as paint or glue melting it, I use a foam glue from Home Depot, and once the textures are on, you can paint acrylic paints right over it. I have no patience for smoothing out plaster.

Savage, I get most of my foam from work. I am an appliance salesman, and our parts department is always throwing out foam from parts(mostly refrigerator doors) I felt sick today when I plunked down $8 for two pieces of floral styro at Michaels because I couldn't wait to "find" some at work.

[CustomCreator]

Ok, small update here. Got my french doors and columns in(I can't believe these were $65 total :O )

Anyway, rough mock up here of the first level of the hotel. I plan on ripping these doors apart, breaking the glass, etc. The columns will be first test painted on a spare one to see if stone texturing them will kill the details. If not, they will get the wall treatment and look as if they were carved into the foundation. If so, they will be painted "white" with obvious burn marks, weathering, and bullet holes.

I also scored some "perimiter fencing" which will be placed on a low styrofoam foundation to give it more height. Not sure what I will do with the backround of the area, probably the side of a building to block off the back.

Anyway, long way to go still, but at least some progress is coming.

PICS:






Ok, this one came out dark, but I kind of like the mood it captured


ENJOY!

EDIT: Don't mind the Humvee. I am toying with the idea of dropping it off my garage and burning it up to hide the fact that it's a bit out of scale. I figure if it's all smashed up, it will look ok.