The Art Of The Storyboard Diorama

[JohnReid]

The following is a great free online book for novice diorama builders.The author Ken Hamilton has kindly OK'd it to be published here.This book is now out of print.Thanks Ken.Cheers! John.

[JohnReid]

http://s8.photobucket.com/albums/a2/mer ... IO%20Book/

[JohnReid]

[JohnReid]

Meanwhile the leaf arrangement continues as it is still raining a lot here in my area of the GWN.

I originally thought that this would be a Spring scene but with all the leaves it looks more like Fall.Leaves that have spent the Winter under snow are more compacted come Springtime.I have noticed that just before the first snowfall gardeners tend to dig up the old flowers and vegy gardens so that would explain the bare ground.Some small bushes and the grass can stay quite green right up until the first snowfall.The only thing that I really need to change are the sprouting tulip bulbs.
This change of seasons will also give me much more room for decorating and weathering the whole scene with leaves on the roof and gutters etc.....

As far as the storyline is concerned,Spring was a nice statement about the renewal of life but Fall would work just as well as a story of the end of something.Those last few days before the first snowfall in Canada can be quite dramatic as it seems that nature just stands still for a moment in time waiting for the onslaught.
A walk in the forest at this time of year is an unforgettable experience here in the GWN.

[JohnReid]

[JohnReid]

Sticking leaves to a flat surface where you don't want to use spray alcohol because of its effect on the acrylic paint has to be approached a little differently.
I use straight white glue put on with a small brush,sprinkle the leaves on and blow off any excess.Subsequent areas that require more leaves can be built up using an eyedropper for the alcohol and then the usual water/glue mix .
Take a look at the normal patterns in nature created by the wind and rain and vary your leaf patterns accordingly.

[JohnReid]

[JohnReid]

More on modules.
A few posts ago I mentioned something about building layouts and large dioramas using modules.
I was back in the same hobby store yesterday and made some more inquiries .Evidently,they had two scales on display there "N" (very small scale) and "H" (larger).Someone had the foresight to do the "N" scale in modules and they moved it out in a single morning.Unfortunately the "H" scale will have to be busted up.They are going to try to preserve portions of it if they can.
With all the modern electrical fixtures ,quick dis-connects etc... there should be no excuse for this in the future.With a little planning in the beginning this hassle could have been avoided .
On a more personal level I am sure that a lot of families would love to be spared the agony of putting Uncle Joe's or Grandpa Jim's layout in the garbage because it is just too big and difficult to move.A lot of these decisions have to be made quickly at a very bad time in people's lives and some very fine work and in some cases real artwork is lost forever.
Modules could be built as separate dioramas each with its own little story and complete scene that when put together makes for an even bigger story.
Take nice overall pics of the huge layout as it once was and then create a picture book for your each modular section that could go with it to its new home.Even museums could make a very nice display of your work and put it in context for the viewer without have to find space for the whole thing.
Maybe it is because I am going on 71 now and these things have become more important to me.We all get old some day and faster than you think,believe me.This may not be important to you now but maybe someday it will.Do your family a favor and plan ahead.
Someday layouts will be as rare as old baseball cards are today and probably just as valuable.Lets face it we are in the golden age of modeling when old farts like me are realizing their boyhood dreams and have the money to do so.What I could buy with my allowance as a kid is history now.Times change rapidly today and a lot of stuff competes for our attention and money.

Personally I don't do large layouts but I do large aircraft dioramas in modular form and donate them to Canada Aviation Museum.Even if there comes a time that that they no longer want them chances are the airplane models themselves will survive as historical examples or maybe in a future collectors home.I feel good to at least have given my stuff a survival plan.
Nothing is forever but humans have since ancient times loved models of all kinds and probably will continue to do so.Kids never change and future imaginations will thank you for it and so will the memories of future older folk too .

[JohnReid]

[JohnReid]

I have started a new thread over on theaerodrome.com on building basic wood structures for dioramas.It is intended to be for modelers of all kinds who are not familiar with working with wood.
I will in the future also put it up here as well ,when I get all the bugs worked out.

[JohnReid]

http://www.theaerodrome.com/forum/model ... ramas.html

[JohnReid]

[JohnReid]

[JohnReid]

When chipping away at the landscaping trying to dig a hole for the wheel/grass areas ,I came to realize just how strong this sand/glue or earth/ glue mix really is.
Anything that you would want to build for strength or that you would want to look like real cement ,such as sidewalks,cement blocks etc..this technique would be worthwhile experimenting with.
For example ,when making a cement block you would make a simple form,it could be wood or something else and then insulate the form and the cement from one another using wax paper or other water impervious material so the two will not be glued together and the block could later easily be removed.The properties and color etc..of your materials can be chosen to represent real thing.(Landscaping suppliers have lots of choices)Fancier molds could also be made for miniature statues etc..
Check your piece that you want to represent for color ,texture etc..(sand and real earth are available in different textures and colors) and then mix up a batch as follows.
It is a good idea to sterilize anything that you take from nature so heat it up in the oven or BBQ until hot to kill any possible critters laying about.The longer you heat it in a BBQ and depending on the temperature you heat it to, the sand/earth can be made to vary in color from natural to black.
Cool and then take your baked earth/sand and mix it with alcohol (75%) until it is the consistency that you require or you could pour the dry material into the mold and then use an eye dropper to apply the alcohol until it is thoroughly damp.Take another dispenser,(I use a small plastic squeeze bottle for this) and then drip by drip thoroughly wet down your sand/earth/alcohol mix until it is wet with another mix of 75% water and 25% white carpenters glue.This mix could also be colored using water based acrylics.Let dry,remove it from the form and you will have imitation cement.Have fun!

[JohnReid]

[JohnReid]

pic courtesy of Achime Engels
100 years later,some things never change !

[JohnReid]

[JohnReid]

At the end of one of his choices of roads to take, sits his homes garage.The sign could of been put up by his kids or his mom or even his dad.I wanted the sign to be really subtle as if someone took some glue and cardboard or paper and just pasted it there.I don't want it to be too obvious, more to catch the views eye on maybe the second pass over the scene.A kind of " Oh Look " moment.

Please note: the unusual shape of this garage door is because it used to have an arched doorway to a stable for horses.The addition of the later siding squared it off to unusual proportions.

[JohnReid]

[JohnReid]

At the end of the other "Road Taken" lies a "Dead End" quite literally one of loss and destruction, represented here by the old burned out car and all the dead leaves.The sign represents the folly of misplaced patriotism by the public and the pressure that was put on the young to get involved in giving up their lives for nothing.
On a personal note : My view is that WW1 and most other wars are a waste of good lives on both sides. WW2 on the other hand was unfortunately necessary to rid humanity of a great evil.