LindaC Posted December 9, 2011 Share Posted December 9, 2011 thanks Holly this is good news. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnReid Posted May 27, 2012 Author Share Posted May 27, 2012 On this latest diorama that I have been working on,I have only now just completed the story.The rest of the story was already worked out but the backyard of the grandparents was only finally figured out yesterday. The time of year depicted is early spring .I thought of a Victorian gazebo of some kind but it was just too big and fancy and would have drawn too much attention away for the main storyline,the airman and his airplane.I then thought of a tool shed with a rake laying around ,a typical springtime chore in this part of the world.Then a few starter plants under a small glass box to add a little color.But I needed a little something extra for viewer interest.After much thinking about it I decided to use the gazebo roof that I had already underway before I changed my mind.I cut it in half and made two completely different things out of it ,a bird bath and a fishpond which I am working on now.The garden shed is also underway.Just these three items will take over a week to do working everyday but my personal guide has always been to put as much thought and work into the small everyday objects as the big fancy cars or airplanes.So here goes... Hope you enjoy watching these items take shape.This backyard has been one of the most difficult things to get right,to tell an interesting story but not distract from the main storyline. I work this way with only a basic plan at the beginning and just let the story develop over time.This gives me the maximum of opportunity to changed things and also keeps it interesting for me right up until the end of the project. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted May 27, 2012 Share Posted May 27, 2012 Photo? Link? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnReid Posted May 27, 2012 Author Share Posted May 27, 2012 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted May 28, 2012 Share Posted May 28, 2012 Oh, YES! Wow! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnReid Posted May 29, 2012 Author Share Posted May 29, 2012 I have found a cheap source of scale plywood as well as some preformed shapes that could be used for modeling.The largest pieces of plywood that I have found so far is the size of a standard tissue box.It is first quality clear wood about the color and consistency of basswood and It is available from about 1/64 to 1/4",some is quite stiff and some really pliable .Some shapes such as small bird houses or boxes make good starting points for scratch building or can be torn down for sheet plywood.I have also found some pretty nice dowels but no actual scale lumber yet. Cheers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted May 29, 2012 Share Posted May 29, 2012 Don't forget to check your local tobacconist for empty cigar boxes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnReid Posted May 31, 2012 Author Share Posted May 31, 2012 This is the latest addition to the diorama ,a bird bath and a fish pond.Their grandsons made them for letting them use half of their backyard for storing and selling wood. The bird bath is obvious but I will tack a No Fishing sign to the tree for the fish pond. You can see that these are scratch built as they are not perfectly round etc.. but neither would they be in full scale ,when cast in cement by amateurs.It will also require a little building up of the landscaping and some leafing up around the edges when it is finally installed.I left a slight cupping in the center to indicate greater depth below. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 If you hadn't told us they were cupola leftovers I wouldn't have guessed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnReid Posted June 2, 2012 Author Share Posted June 2, 2012 I know it looks like a pizza ! but actually it is the 1/16th scale fish pond.The outside is fake cement and the actual pond is metal,probably tin in those days.This is an early spring scene so the leafs are wet and quite compacted by the weight of the snow that they sat under all winter.When I install it under the tree I will build up the earth a bit to just below the outside edge.Actually this would be quite a deep pool in reality but I have faked it by filling it with leaves.In Canada in the fall the wind blowing the leaves around would easily fill a pond like this.A "No Fishing" sign nailed to the tree will help identify it for what it is, for those not familiar with having fish ponds in their backyards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted June 2, 2012 Share Posted June 2, 2012 How did you make 1:16 leaf litter? It looks like potpourri. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnReid Posted June 3, 2012 Author Share Posted June 3, 2012 What started off as a dollar store bird house is slowly becoming a garden shed.Here I have started the weathering. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnReid Posted June 3, 2012 Author Share Posted June 3, 2012 How did you make 1:16 leaf litter? It looks like potpourri. Actually I just went to the local spice store and mixed my own.While you are there ask them for licorse sticks as they make great logs for a fireplace. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted June 3, 2012 Share Posted June 3, 2012 So does cinnamon bark. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathieB Posted June 3, 2012 Share Posted June 3, 2012 licorse sticks as they make great logs for a fireplace. So does cinnamon bark. Y'all aren't concerned about feeding six-legged critters? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted June 3, 2012 Share Posted June 3, 2012 I use dried twigs I find in the yard and give 'em the oven-freezerX3 treatment, but I've seen them used and assumed the people using them lived where our six-leggedy critters don't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnReid Posted June 4, 2012 Author Share Posted June 4, 2012 There is little chance of that from a good quality spice store. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted June 4, 2012 Share Posted June 4, 2012 John, you don't get the omniverous cockroaches with whom we in the SE US share our part of the world... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnReid Posted June 4, 2012 Author Share Posted June 4, 2012 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnReid Posted June 4, 2012 Author Share Posted June 4, 2012 John, you don't get the omniverous cockroaches with whom we in the SE US share our part of the world... Good point,thank God! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnReid Posted June 4, 2012 Author Share Posted June 4, 2012 "Storyboard dioramas are full-blown,highly detailed dioramas whose sole purpose is to tell a story ,with or without a vehicle as a focal point.This type of diorama uses any combination of structures,scenic techniques,vehicles,and other peripheral details to deliver the point.Overall composition and visual impact play a key role in the storyboard diorama.This is the Unlimited class of diorama building." Ken Hamilton. In my research I have found that this is the first use of the term Storyboard Dioramas .Ken coined it way back in 2001 in chapter one of his great book " How to Build Creative Dioramas." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bogie Posted June 4, 2012 Share Posted June 4, 2012 Wonderful stuff. You are amazingly talented. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnReid Posted June 5, 2012 Author Share Posted June 5, 2012 Wonderful stuff. You are amazingly talented. Thank you for your kind words,makes this old man happy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnReid Posted June 6, 2012 Author Share Posted June 6, 2012 I will finish the rest at final assembly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted June 6, 2012 Share Posted June 6, 2012 Tutorial for the shovel & watering can? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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