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How to Build Aircraft Dioramas


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You know sometimes it pays to be a packrat.I have had this old diningroom table that I picked up in someones trash a few years ago and an old TV cabinet that a friend gave me.(I have a thing about throwing good wood in the garbage)My wife has been bugging me to get rid of it as junk.Well yesterday I gutted the old TV to find that it was made of cheap pressboard.I was about to throw it out when I noticed the wheel casters.It got me to thinking "movable worktable"? then I thought of the old dining room table.I removed the legs and it fits perfectly over the rolling cabinet.It has two extension pieces that can be installed if need be.It is well made and perfectly flat.After a little cleaning and much huffing and puffing it now sits in my studio/workshop waiting for the Jenny diorama to be set upon it today.It is big enough to accomodate the hangars increased size and more.

Perfect. Now I have solved my wifes problem and I have gained a great new worktable.

Sometimes it pays to be a packrat.Anyway thats my story and I am sticking with it. Cheers! John.

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This new movable workbench idea is working out just great.The 37 x47 inch diorama fits with a couple of feet to spare.It is just the right height for working without undue back strain and everything is readily accessable.

I have begun the moduler units that will be attached to 3 sides of the diorama .An office,a back door lean to structure, and a garage area that will house the ModelT parade car.

Because I dont yet have the car, I have deciced to start with the office module.The first thing that I had to do was cut in a new door opening into the hangar wall.This was accomplished by drilling a series of small holes along the perimeter of where the door will eventually be.I then used a small knife and chisel and carved out the door opening.

I then drew up a rough floor plan and determined where the walls will be erected and the

doors and windows will be placed.The rest such as placement of furniture etc...will come later.

I measured off where the 7x 81/2 inch module will be attached and began the cherry wood beams that will act as footings for the walls.The beam that fits againt the hangar wall is attached by two screws,the other footing beams were epoxied.( I normally to not use screws in any parts of my dioramas as I build them, because of drill breakage)These 2 screws with be accessable from under the diorama and thus making the modular unit removable for transportation purposes and maintenance.

Today I will glue on the plywood underfloor and begin the second module.

Cheers John.

"Creation is only the projection into form of that which already exists." Shrimad Bhagavatam

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Hey this whole thing is getting out of hand! I was thinking ,the office has to be heated here in the GWN ,and there is no room in the office for a second stove.Sooooo ,I will have to open up at least a window to the shop to let in the heat ,right above the lunch table which will be great for more visual access to the shop. And the beat goes on,and on ,and on........I know guys I will have to take some pictures soon but I would like to get the start of the modules done so that you can see the final setup.

Cheers! John.

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For those who are really curious about the area that I am talking about go to the above mentioned site Part 11 ,top R/H pic shows the R/H side of the hangar.A new door and window has been added between the existing two high windows and the single low window.The office module has also been added.

If anyone knows how to import that pic here please feel free to do so.

Cheers! John. :wacko:

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I spent most of today erecting the walls of the office module and cutting in the door and windows.I am using the board and batten method described in Kens book , except that the basic structure is made with foamboard, which I find extremely easy to use.I cut the foam board on my scroll saw a little oversize and then sand down to the final line with a belt sander.This way I can fit the foamboard and then glue on the studs,beams and headers and frame in the windows.It makes for a little thicker wall but I am assuming that some kind of insulation was used even in those days.The inside is covered with wide horizortal boards and the exterior will be vertical boards and battens.I find that it makes a nice contrast with the more plain main building.The flooring will be next,laid 90 degress to the main buildings floor, for the sake of a more interesting overall design.Cheers! John.

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What a difference this office module makes to this diorama.There is something about looking through one building into another, that adds a whole new dimension to the piece.It really increases the sense of distance across the hangar floor and should make for some great pics if I can keep everything in focus.

I again tried to place something outside the buildings perimeter and it only confirmed what I thought,all the action should be centered inside as anything placed outside is only a distraction.I think that I will be able to get away with half" the model A "outside in the garage or maybe something slightly ouside the large hangar doors but thats about it.It is funny how something like this changes the whole diorama.The way that it is set up now it invites the viewer to look inside .Somehow the magic is lost if you break the barrier of the walls.It is as though the viewer is much more willing to suspend his sense of disbelief when he can look through a window into a miniature world.I love playing with the light inside to create a certain atmosphere or mood in my work.I have always ,for some reason, been attracted to warm light eminating from a window into a dark and cold night,like you see on Christmas cards or Budweiser beer commercials at Christmas time.Some painters have made a whole careers of painting pictures like this of old cottages or fishing camps.etc...Lighting can really make or break a closed diorama or shadow box, but at the same time can make your work easier with the proper use of shadows.You really do have more control of the scene, much like a closed set in movie making.Even a small change in angle or intensity of the light can make a huge difference.

The problem here is that your piece will not always be viewed to its best advantage.What looks good in pictures on closed sets does not always as good in ordinary daylight.Something is lost.

That is a problem I have with my first diorama , the Albatros hangar scene.It looks best with just the interior overhead lighting on and I have made no provision for easy bulb replacement .When they burn a lot of the magic will be lost.(thank god for pics).

The Nieuport diorama is better, in that the lighting is mostly Chistmas tree bulbs and are easier to get at.These 2 dioramas were built before I knew that they would end up in a museum but even then I should have known better as I am not going to be around forever to change them.This is where a little more foresight would have come in handy.

I still have not really solved the lighting for the Jenny diorama so any suggestions would be more than welcome.I know you RR guys deal with these lighting problems all the time.Thanks ! Cheers! John.

For me a painting(diorama)is like a story which stimulates the imagination and draws the mind into a place filled with expectation,excitement,wonder and pleasure. J.P. Hughston.

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I got the Model T ,,1/16th diecast today.It really is a neat little model.I got it for 1/2 price because it is missing the spare tire on the running board but that doesnt really matter because it fits into the storyline of the flat tire being changed.

It will need only a little weathering, because it will represent a parade car for the veteran WW1 pilots who are visiting the airfield.I plan to have the car backed up into a garage module that I will be constructing to fit the car. Yet I want to leave enough space around it so that the view into the main building is not totally blocked off.

This is the first time that I have used a diecast in a diorama and it wont be the last.I couldnt build it any better and it really adds a whole new dimention to the piece.A great chance to tell a mini-story without overpowering the main story line.And being black ,

it doesnt really stand out,you will not even be able to see it unless you purposely walk to that side of the diorama and almost discover it by accident.

This is the part about diorama making that I love the most.The ongoing evolution of the story that even I was not aware of when I started.You go into a project with an idea that seems to take on a life of its own.

Cheers! John.

Art happens-no hovel is safe from it,no prince can depend on it,the greatest intelligence cannot bring it about.

James Whistler.

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Yes ,it is kind of a new golden age because our hobby /art is evolving.Just look at all the latest developments in digital art.Being able to take a model that you built and put it in any scene or historical context that you want.I think that we can capture the imagination of many young people through the use of the computer as just another tool for great modelmaking.

I am quite surpised that only now are there new companies springing up to take advantage of this commercially(ie:aircraft visions)

Even the tradition bound aviation art world is now warming up to digital art.

Photography,while it has always been a part of our hobby ,seems to be evolving in

to the setting up of picture taking dioramas, expressly for that purpose.There is one fellow out there that has set up a WW2 German airfield and takes B&W pics and even antiques them, and I swear you would think that they are real.Then of course look at Fred Shammas's work , in a more modern day setting.

This blurring of reality /fiction can be a lot of fun especially for dioramists who love to tell stories in miniature.Future historians will have a hard time believing their eyes from now on.

Long after the gluelines have cracked and the paint has faded ,these pics of our work will still be fresh and new.So what if it falls off the shelf or the cat gets it, once your pics are in cyberspace it really doesnt matter anymore.Your work will still be out there influencing future generations.No longer are we subject to the arbitrary decisions of a few publishers who have their own vested interests in what gets in a magazine or book and what doesnt ,now the artist /hobbyist gets to decide in what direction our hobby is going.In that sense, it truly is a new Golden Age.

Cheers! John.

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Jeez,I wish that I had the time! My committments to finish the pieces that I am doing for the Canadian Aviation Museum will keep me busy for the forseeable future.

Personally ,I prefer the internet anyway to book publishers ,who have too many vested interests in what gets published or not.Websites like this are run by the hobbists which is the way it should be.Cheers! John. :cheers:

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I have finished the walls and ceiling of the inside of the office module.The walls are tongue depressor boards laid horizontally and painted a soft biege(unbleached titanium).I have made no provision for nail holes as I figured that the heads would be covered with paint.The ceiling, I painted white over the foamboard ,as it will be hidden and not subject to any rough handling.I did however strengthen the other side with rough boards, so it will not warp.Somewhere down the line, I will install lighting fixtures on the ceiling panel.It is also removable for maintenance.

One wall of the exterior is finished using the board and batten method.The other two walls now need the same treatment ,plus a door and windows have yet to be installed.

One word on caution when using wood.I have developed an allergy to birchwood it seems.The other woods dont seem to bother me.Last fall I became quite ill with sinitis,which is the first time in 35 years of working with many species of wood.This summer outside I was OK but now that I am mostly back inside the allergy is back.For the last few days I have worked with a plastic apron(easy to remove wooddust) and a ordinary cotton mask stuffed with Kleenex and that seems to work fine.Its funny I searched hi and low for the cause last fall and failed to realize the obvious,woodust.But it seems confined to only one species.I had assumed that because the others didnt bother me ,it coundnt be woodust.I thought about glues,paints,epoxies and all the other stuff that artists work with .My paint overspray collector is vented to the outside but to save money in a cold climate I didnt use it that much for woodust.Oh well,live and learn.Now I wear the mask at all times when working with wood.

Cheers! John.

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Last few days here in the GWN has been just great for working outside.However, in a couple of days we are expecting a hi of only 10 deg celius.All this to say that I like to do my weathering outside in the natural light,so I have taken advantage of the weather, and am working on the outside board and batten walls of the office.

On the bare ,slightly sanded wood , I first painted on some watery white gesso to get a whitewash effect.Then with light grey pastels I shadowed between the boards and battens and at the top joistline.At the bottom, where the boards at closer to the ground ,I shadowed a little heavier with the grey added a hint of brown and then a hint of green for for moss. .I then took a needle and punched a small hole along the battens to represent nails.These holes I filled in with very watery raw umber as I dont want too much contrast with the now greyish -white battens.The water in the paint swells the holes and difusses the paint into the wood for a more natural effect.That is why I never seal my wood if I want to represent old wood or barnsiding.I then took some watery burnt sienna and randomly rusted a few nail holes.I dont bother to seal the wood at all even over the acrylic gesso or paint as I like the dull rustic effect of the bare wood and where these pieces are going, in a controlled enviroment ,I dont anticipate there wolud be a problem leaving the wood unsealed.I forgot to mention that as a final touch, I finger-flick(my term) with an old toothbrush ,raw umber along the lower 1/3rd of the wall.

I have to be careful weathering this piece because when this hangar was built aviation was in its infancy,so by the mid 20s it really wouldnt be that old a building.Cheers! John.

Cheers! John.

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I am in no way connected with the Jo Sonja paint company but I have used their products extensively for different art applications.They are very well known in the decorative bird carving world, which I was until recently, very much invovled with.I have tried the other acrylics out there but there is no real substitute.I think that it is the only paint that combines watercolor (gouache) and acrylics.When I speak of my painting methods you can always assume that I am using this paint unless I state otherwise.It has both fine art and decorative art applications but it is a fine art paint.For those of you have never used fine art paint dont let the word scare you,they are probably easier to use than what you are using now.They really work well for all weathering techniques especially where multiple transparent layers are required.They are also great for drybrushing.But there best feature(and I cant repeat this enough) is that they dry absolutely flat.You can add your own varnish(sold seperately) to achieve just the right amount of shine.This is great especially for those painting figures where generally everything I see is way too shiny.Top coating with a matte medium doesnt always work well ,why not start with a flat surface and work from there?.Another great feature is that they are almost readly for the airbrush in consistency and a lot of time is saved in mixing.These paints are not expensive ,I pay 3-4 $ here in the GWN and I have seen them go for less than that in the USA,for a 21/2 oz. tube.

I normally never push anybodys product ,but in this case there just is no substitute for the results that I like to acheive.

Cheers! John.

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The Office Roof

When looking at the painting I have off the Toronto airport of the 30s ,I see a orangry-red roof on the office.I like the idea and besides the diorama could use a little brightning up after all the greys,black and white.The hangar doors are green so the red fits in very well.

I covered the foam board roof with medium grit(for 1/16th scale) black emery paper cut it to size and glued it on.I didnt use plywood for this small roof because the emery when dry is very strong.

Next, I mixed up some white gesso with water about 50/50 and painted it on with an old pigs bristle brush .I use white gesso to brighten up the red topcoat,if I had used black it would be too dull.Remember we are using acrylics that are somewhat transparent.You can use a hairdryer and blow dry the gesso if you wish but be careful not to use too much heat as you dont want to cook the surface(as it may lift off)

I wanted a nice orange-red topcoat ,so I used cadmium scarlet with a touch of pine green added, to dull down the red.(to dull down a color always use the color opposite on the color wheel)

I painted on two coats of a 35% cream consistancy and let some of the white show through ,giving sort of a sun-bleached ,faded appearance.You dont want one solid color.That is the great thing about acrylics,you can play with them like watercolor but they are permanent when dry.

The next step is optional but I took some 600 grit sandpaper and lightly sanded some of the rough areas of the original emery cloth back to black.

The next step will be to apply the sloping grey battens to the roof and finish the edges.Then shade with pastels and flick on some raw umber, and then, the final glory a little white bird sh#t, just to guild the lily so to speak.Cheers! John.

"What moves men of genius,or rather what inspires their work,is not new ideas,but their obsession with the idea that what has already been said is still not enough." Eugene Delacroix.

T

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The office is basically finished now except for the doors and windows and interior furniture.Today I will move on to the opposite side of the hangar and start on the garage that will house the Model T.It too will be a lean-to type structure but without the walls.I plan to leave it as open as possible in order for the viewer to get a good view of the car .This car is a real little gem that deserves to be displayed prominently but like I said before only in its own space and not in competition with the main subject ,the Jenny.

I plan to construct a refueling island as part of this new structure and use a modified 1/18th 1920s gaspump.I plan to use this structure to solve the problem of the opening of the garage door.The door cannot swing in as it takes uo too much space.It cant slide because it would block the view through one of the windows so what I plan is to have it swing out and up using ropes and pulleys attached to this new structure

I have also worked out the basic design of the rear door enterance structure.This structure will not only provide protection from the elements but will also house the "rest room" and wood and coal storage for the stove.(does anyone know if"rest room "would be the proper terminology in the 20s ? as I plan to have a sign over the door).

When these 2 additional modular structures are finished I will return to the furnishing of their interiors.And the beat goes on....and on.....and on.Cheers John.

"The creation of something new is not accomplished by the intellect but by the play instinct acting from inner necessity.The creative mind plays with the objects it loves." C.G. Jung.

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Yesterday was tiring but a lot of fun.I started in the morning with one idea for the garage and by the afternoon I had changed it completely.This is a fun way to do things but sometimes you have to pay by having to re-do some work that you have already done.

I started the garage module by building the floor and attaching it to the main building with two removable screws(same as the office module).I made up a temporary roof for what was to be a lean-to type structure only to discover that if I used this type of sloping roof, visibility into the hangar would be severely restricted.So I threw out the lean- to idea and will go with a simpler structure and will split the garage doors vertically on the centerline and have them open outward.

The floor of the module has been re-designed and will now slope up into the hangar.I will now have to hand carve this slope into the already glued up module.If I had know where I was going in the beginning, I could have cut these pieces by machine and saved myself a lot of work, but I really enjoy kind of winging it as I go along.This does make for more work but is a lot more fun.

I placed all the major components back into the diorama and worked a little more on composition.I think that I will bring the airplane closer to the front with the prop almost at the front hangar doors.Because the Mercedes show car is so large I will have it standing along the rear wall with the airshow trailer sign.The 2nd basketcase fuselage will go ,at an angle,along the L/H wall.The wings will be placed along the other walls or stowed in racks from the ceiling.

Because the dioramas storyline is centered on a Rememberance Day ceremony there will be little activity going on in the hangar.Just a bunch of ex-WW1 fighter pilots standing around talking.I will therefore confine tools etc.. to the workshop.The Model Ts tire will be undergoing repair but I havent yet figured out exactly how I will depict this.Stayed tuned..............

Cheers! John.

"The position of the artist is humble.He is essentially a channel."

Piet Mondrian.

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Where and how to depict the Model Ts tire change is not as simple as it sounds.I originally thought that I might back the car into the garage door and have the front tire being serviced on the module completely out side the hangar.Although this action is taking place within the modules reality/fantasy border of the buildings foundation walls it is outside of the main hangar walls which may present a problem .I wanted the windows and doors of the diorama to act as portals to any action going on inside.The external tire change idea may break the magic. I think that I can get away with the car being half in and half out the garage door, as the garage doors do form a visual barrier on both sides of the car sort of creating like a shadow box portal.I want the doors and windows to invite the viewer to look inside without too many external distractions,so I have also eliminated the external gaspump idea as too attention grabbing.I want to keep the exterior pretty drab looking as compared to the warm interior glow that I plan for the inside.The only exception being a few weathered signs and maybe a windsock on a pole over the office roof. All exterior colors (black,white,grey and red) are subdued and weathered.Now its on to planning the rear door entrance/rest room/coal storage module.

Cheers! John.

"Ah,but I was so much older then,I'm younger than that now."

Bob Dylan.

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I spent most of yesterday designing and cutting out the foamboard for the rest room/backdoor/coal storage module.After cutting out the basic panels I cut in the doors and windows and even a small coal shute.There are four wall panels plus an interior wall for the restroom and a ceiling panel.Next I cut out the sloping roof panel and sides.I temporarily fit all the pieces together and fastened them with pins.With some minor adjustments it all fit together quite easily.

Using foamboard is really the way to go if you can get away with the extra 5mm thickness.On a small ,single board thickness wall, it may make the wall look too thick but for most purposes it works just fine.In some areas such as the main hangar walls, I sheathed the foambord on both sides.On other areas I sheathed only the external side and in other areas such as internal ceilings, where there is little danger of crushing the surface ,I just painted it.It holds its shape very well and paints easily.Just use a gesso undercoat and topcoat with acrylics.On the hidden side of the ceiling I did run a few strengthening battens but I dont think that this really is necessary for interior walls or ceilings.

Be sure that the foamboard you buy is not warped as it is difficult to straighten properly.On the small module roofs I glued the garnet cloth directly on the foamboard using white glue ,and purely by accident the drying glue curved the surface just enough to give it a nice sag. Keep in mind that generally you would not want this, so it maybe a good idea to add some battens to the opposite side or holding the roof flat,while the glue dries.I made up some false roof joists where the ends show just at the edge.The roof will be removable for lighting maintenance.

Cheers! John.

"To live a creative life,we must lose our fear of being wrong."

Joseph Pearce.

Edited by JohnReid
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Good morning guys! Well yesterday I went back to complete module 2s sheathing with boards.Today I will start painting it grey and do some weathering.I have decided to incorporate the garage doors into the module instead of hanging them on the main structure.This way I can avoid working hinges that dont seem to always work too well anyway.These doors will never be moved and they are not used as a dust shield like in the Abatros diorama.I can fake the hinges and when properly fit you wont be able to see any difference.I have built a small ramp out of hard maple that acts as a transition floor between the garage and the hangar floors.The model T will sit half on this transition floor and half on the garage module itself so that when I attach the module the car is half way into the hangar yet it is still basically a part of the module.

For some visual interest I think that I will make the doors from plywood sheet instead of individual boards and I will paint it green, the same color as the trim and hangar doors.The only thing that I may add is a handrail around the edge or maybe just a post for the door handle to be hitched to.Otherwise it will be quite plain looking in keeping with its purpose of drawing the viewer into the scene.I kind of like these half open doors as they act as a sort of "reveal" as in a shadow box.

Today I will take some pics if everything goes as planned.

Cheers! John.

"No amount of skillful invention can replace the essential element of imagination."

Edward Hopper.

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