Project WW1 Diorama

Baloo

Baloo

Pleurodelinae and proud
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Roger
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When I was a kid I loved making Airfix plastic kits, model making has been a passion of mine since then with my main interest being in radio controlled aeroplanes. It was actually trying to photograph the models that got me back into photography, digital cameras and the ability to see results quickly and therefor learn technique quickly was what allowed me to progress to the point of getting acceptable results.
So with that in mind I am now interested in my old hobby of plastic kits and seeing what can be done with modern camera equipment and old model making skills. I have chosen to start with trying to create a diorama of a WW1 type battlefield. I intend to expand as I go on, try different forms of lighting, different angles, and different processing in LR and PS. Yesterday I spent some time painting the first figure and discovered my eyesight is not what it used to be, but I still have a steady hand!
As this is going to be an on going project here are my first stumbling results, taken with a 50mm lens and using the torch on a mobile phone for lighting.

WW1 Project (1 of 1).jpg WW1 Project (1 of 1)-2.jpg
I obviously have a lot to learn and lots of experimenting to enjoy. I have found a cheap macro lens to use that will be arriving in the week and I definitely need to get a magnifying stand, with some kind of illumination for painting the 1/72 scale figures properly. Need to remove the bases from the figures and figure a way to keep them standing up without them being permanent. I might also try using a much smaller sensor to give a huge depth of field, basically I intend to try anything, I do not have a specific goal just to enjoy the model making and painting and hopefully produce a few interesting pictures along the way.
Any encouragement, suggestions for technique, criticism or just interest will be most welcome.
 
Its a good start and I will be following this with interest. Might inspire me to try it myself with film.
 
Quendil said:
Its a good start and I will be following this with interest. Might inspire me to try it myself with film.
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I would love to see any film shots you take of models, indeed if anyone has any shots of model making please feel free to add them to this thread.:)
 
Just had time to try a few thing out yesterday, used Plasticine as the boards in the trench and sand painted over to give the ground a more realistic look, played around with the lighting a bit and then took a quick hand held shot to see how it was going.

WW1 Project (1 of 1)-3.jpg
 
at first glance it looks like the poor chap is standing in the middle of a set of Dentures.

;)
 
Do you plan to paint up the scenery? I will have a go at a jungle type ww2 scene when I get a chance and see how it turn out in B and W
 
Quendil said:
Do you plan to paint up the scenery? I will have a go at a jungle type ww2 scene when I get a chance and see how it turn out in B and W
Click to expand...
Certainly intending to, been such good weather lately I been doing other things but when the winter sets in this will keep me occupied I think.

Look forward to seeing your Jungle Scene.
 
Bearair said:
Certainly intending to, been such good weather lately I been doing other things but when the winter sets in this will keep me occupied I think.

Look forward to seeing your Jungle Scene.
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Yes I'm the same but when its raining I will get some work done
 
shot in #7 works much better than the initial ones, from a realisp point of view, mainly as you can't see the thick "stand block" that the model figure's on...

one trick if you're doing "static" diorama's is actually to lose the base from the figure altogether, drill the leg of the figure for a section of cocktail stick (or use a hot dressmakers pin, depending on the models scale) and use the "pointy bit" to stick the figure into the ground...

of course if you want the model figures for other purposes as well, or you're going to keep moving the characters, this may not be a viable option.
 
Airfix did a very nice Type B bus that would suit a WW1 diorama, not sure what scale it was though
 
TheBigYin said:
shot in #7 works much better than the initial ones, from a realisp point of view, mainly as you can't see the thick "stand block" that the model figure's on...

one trick if you're doing "static" diorama's is actually to lose the base from the figure altogether, drill the leg of the figure for a section of cocktail stick (or use a hot dressmakers pin, depending on the models scale) and use the "pointy bit" to stick the figure into the ground...

of course if you want the model figures for other purposes as well, or you're going to keep moving the characters, this may not be a viable option.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the advice will be giving that a go, at the moment I have been experimenting with using Plasticine on the base of the diorama, in the shot above the plastic base is removed from the soldier and I have replicated the bottom of the trench with it, this means I can easily reposition figures.

tijuana taxi said:
Airfix did a very nice Type B bus that would suit a WW1 diorama, not sure what scale it was though
Click to expand...

Thanks for that I have had an idea which that would fit perfectly for going to look into it.
 
Many years ago, I was into making war dioramas and found Tamiya's 1/32nd scale far easier to paint and handle. Not sure what they do in the way of WW I figures. Skip forward 40+ years and Dad got (back) into model railways in "N" gauge (~1:150) and that was VERY fiddly, although I did manage to paint one figure to vaguely resemble me! I just wish that I could remember what he used to use to stand the buggers up... Maybe some Plasticene around the figures' feet could be made to resemble the omnipresent mud from WW I?
 
Nod said:
Many years ago, I was into making war dioramas and found Tamiya's 1/32nd scale far easier to paint and handle. Not sure what they do in the way of WW I figures. Skip forward 40+ years and Dad got (back) into model railways in "N" gauge (~1:150) and that was VERY fiddly, although I did manage to paint one figure to vaguely resemble me! I just wish that I could remember what he used to use to stand the buggers up... Maybe some Plasticene around the figures' feet could be made to resemble the omnipresent mud from WW I?
Click to expand...
Thanks Nod, as you can see in my latest photo, the figure is stood in Plasticine, works quite well I think. Also the aeroplane is held in position with it gives quite a good "ozzing" effect.
 
I'm liking these. They're more than pictures of dioramas.

One good thing about using mono for this project is that you won't have to colour match the plasticine!
 
I imagine making the lighting look natural will be difficult with such small subjects. Good luck.:)
 
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