Chris' Diorama builds
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Chris' Diorama builds
While I've been off work these last few days, due to covid. As well as taking some action shots, creating banners and updating the figure refence library.
I decided to try my hand at diorama model building. I found a black, plastic, vacuum formed piece of packing material at work last week. And thought it looked a bit like a star wars building. So I filled the hollow interior with expanding foam, to make it a bit more rigid and sturdy. I then cut off some of the excess trim from around the base and then spayed the whole thing with an acrylic grey primer. I then sifted through a bag of old Lego bits, that I had. And then stuck them randomly onto the exterior. I then gave the whole thing another coat of primer and added the black cables. Now it's ready to paint up. Hopefully once it's painted, it won't look quite so much like a vacuum formed piece of packaging, with bits of Lego stuck to it Clint's awesome Custom figures for scale.
I decided to try my hand at diorama model building. I found a black, plastic, vacuum formed piece of packing material at work last week. And thought it looked a bit like a star wars building. So I filled the hollow interior with expanding foam, to make it a bit more rigid and sturdy. I then cut off some of the excess trim from around the base and then spayed the whole thing with an acrylic grey primer. I then sifted through a bag of old Lego bits, that I had. And then stuck them randomly onto the exterior. I then gave the whole thing another coat of primer and added the black cables. Now it's ready to paint up. Hopefully once it's painted, it won't look quite so much like a vacuum formed piece of packaging, with bits of Lego stuck to it Clint's awesome Custom figures for scale.
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Not really sure what it's supposed to be, perhaps some kind of power generator or out building. Thought I'd give it a Mos Eisley kind of paint scheme. So that I can take it down the beach and stick it in the sand
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Last edited by chris.75 on Tue Nov 15, 2022 4:25 pm; edited 3 times in total
chris.75- Tatooine Taisho
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Slave Girl- Corellia Chugen
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Re: Chris' Diorama builds
He he thanks!
Oh and thanks for putting up with all the mess. And for helping me get my fingers unstuck together from the super glue
Oh and thanks for putting up with all the mess. And for helping me get my fingers unstuck together from the super glue
chris.75- Tatooine Taisho
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Commander Clint- Jedi Shogun Spirit
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Re: Chris' Diorama builds
thats looking ace mate, really does look like it belongs in the star wars universe,
grinchy- Bespin Busho
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Re: Chris' Diorama builds
Thanks guys
It's been a fun project so far.
It's been a fun project so far.
chris.75- Tatooine Taisho
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Re: Chris' Diorama builds
That's an awesome job Chris. Definetly could see that as a piece of machinery on the Deathstar or a Star Destroyer. Great imagination.
Cardnut- Outer Rim Ronin
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Re: Chris' Diorama builds
Thank you David
Another cool thing that came out of making this diorama piece. Was that there was quite a large piece of expanding foam, which I had to remove from the base. But rather than throwing it away.
I thought it made for quite a good plinth to display some vintage Hoth figures on.
Another cool thing that came out of making this diorama piece. Was that there was quite a large piece of expanding foam, which I had to remove from the base. But rather than throwing it away.
I thought it made for quite a good plinth to display some vintage Hoth figures on.
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Also with a good Hoth backdrop photo behind, it makes for quite a good diorama piece in itself
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chris.75- Tatooine Taisho
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Re: Chris' Diorama builds
A little update on the progress of my first diorama build.
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After spaying the whole thing with an acrylic grey primer. I then went out and bought some acrylic paints and brushes. First I sprayed the whole thing in a sand coloured acrylic paint. Then painted all the metallic parts using a gun metal grey, rust colour and then dry brushed with copper. I then painted the base with tank grey. highlighting the buttresses with gun metal. I then went over the whole thing with a black wash and then a brown wash.
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No photoshopping on this one
I still have two sides of buttresses to highlight. I also want to add some texture to the top surface surrounding the buildings. I'm also going to add a decal to the centre of the circle on the far end. And maybe some kind of drape or flag, hanging from the pole on the back wall.
chris.75- Tatooine Taisho
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Re: Chris' Diorama builds
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] Holy freakin cow, that is so awesome, you have some mad painting skills! That looks like a professionally painted prop for a set. Nice work!!! Can't wait to see the next round of updates!
Cardnut- Outer Rim Ronin
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arohk- Outer Rim Ronin
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Re: Chris' Diorama builds
Thanks Larry
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chris.75- Tatooine Taisho
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Nico- Tatooine Taisho
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Re: Chris' Diorama builds
Wow that looks great! really impressed mate, looks brilliant painted up, and the off cut of foam works great as a base
grinchy- Bespin Busho
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Re: Chris' Diorama builds
Thanks guys, that means a lot , coming from you Ian. With your amazing modelling skills
If anyone has or can link me to any 1" diameter water transfer insignias, it would be greatly appreciated. I'm not coming up with much on my Ebay or Etsy searches.
If anyone has or can link me to any 1" diameter water transfer insignias, it would be greatly appreciated. I'm not coming up with much on my Ebay or Etsy searches.
chris.75- Tatooine Taisho
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Re: Chris' Diorama builds
I did start playing with "Glossy Clear Sticker Project Paper" from Avery, for the Wind up PD's.
I also ordered a couple of different water slide papers from Amazon. But I haven't had any time to go back to working with any of them.
SunnyScopa & Hayes Paper Co., both for Inkjet printers.
If you have a colour laser printer. I think they have paper for them as well.
I just downloaded the imperial logos from the web.
Then you just cut the stuff out as required with a pair of scissors.
I can send you a few sheet and a copy of the instructions if you want to try them out.
You have to spray the printed sheets with a clear laquer before you get them wet. It's all explained in the instructions.
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I also ordered a couple of different water slide papers from Amazon. But I haven't had any time to go back to working with any of them.
SunnyScopa & Hayes Paper Co., both for Inkjet printers.
If you have a colour laser printer. I think they have paper for them as well.
I just downloaded the imperial logos from the web.
Then you just cut the stuff out as required with a pair of scissors.
I can send you a few sheet and a copy of the instructions if you want to try them out.
You have to spray the printed sheets with a clear laquer before you get them wet. It's all explained in the instructions.
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Commander Clint- Jedi Shogun Spirit
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Re: Chris' Diorama builds
Thank you Clint, yeah those decals look great on your Gonks. And thank you for the kind offer, but unfortunately I don't have a printer.
I've found this guy on Etsy that sells decal sheets of varying sizes. As I was thinking of going with a neutral emblem. Rather than Empire or rebel. perhaps a clan or bounty hunter insignia. It's just a bit expensive, when I only need one decal. But perhaps the rest of the sheet might come in handy for future projects.
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I've found this guy on Etsy that sells decal sheets of varying sizes. As I was thinking of going with a neutral emblem. Rather than Empire or rebel. perhaps a clan or bounty hunter insignia. It's just a bit expensive, when I only need one decal. But perhaps the rest of the sheet might come in handy for future projects.
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chris.75- Tatooine Taisho
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Re: Chris' Diorama builds
I was at the beach the other day, taking a few pictures. Trying to capture a Tatooine kinda vibe for my figures (they didn't turn out very well). I took a couple of diorama props with me.
But when I was looking at the photos, something just didn't look quite right about the moisture vaporator that I've had for years (found it rummaging through a second hand toy bin in a shop).
Then I realised that the outer bar struts were missing I looked online to see if I could find replacement parts. The vaporator originally came with the saga collection 'Disturbance At Lars homestead' playset. But couldn't find 4 parts. so I decided to customize my own scratch built ones.
So I bought some 3mm diameter stryrene rods from ebay, And cut the rods to roughly the same length as the original ones. But I thought the rods lacked detail, so I added a few Lego pieces to the centre of each rod. I then sprayed each rod with grey acrylic primer, then a coat of the light sand colour acrylic paint, that I had left from my Diorama building. I never liked the original colouring of the plastic used on the vaporator. It's a pearlescant pinkish colour. So I resprayed the vaporator too, so that it matched the new customized rods. Finally I painted the whole thing with a black wash, to give it a more dirty, weathered look. It also helped to bring out more of the detailing. I'm quite pleased with how it turned out
But when I was looking at the photos, something just didn't look quite right about the moisture vaporator that I've had for years (found it rummaging through a second hand toy bin in a shop).
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Then I realised that the outer bar struts were missing I looked online to see if I could find replacement parts. The vaporator originally came with the saga collection 'Disturbance At Lars homestead' playset. But couldn't find 4 parts. so I decided to customize my own scratch built ones.
[600][You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
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So I bought some 3mm diameter stryrene rods from ebay, And cut the rods to roughly the same length as the original ones. But I thought the rods lacked detail, so I added a few Lego pieces to the centre of each rod. I then sprayed each rod with grey acrylic primer, then a coat of the light sand colour acrylic paint, that I had left from my Diorama building. I never liked the original colouring of the plastic used on the vaporator. It's a pearlescant pinkish colour. So I resprayed the vaporator too, so that it matched the new customized rods. Finally I painted the whole thing with a black wash, to give it a more dirty, weathered look. It also helped to bring out more of the detailing. I'm quite pleased with how it turned out
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Last edited by chris.75 on Sun Apr 10, 2022 5:12 pm; edited 1 time in total
chris.75- Tatooine Taisho
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Re: Chris' Diorama builds
I'm also working on a customized swoop bike for my 3.75" TVC Mando at the moment
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More pics to follow
chris.75- Tatooine Taisho
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Re: Chris' Diorama builds
Wow amazing stuff
poncho- Sullust Samurai
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Re: Chris' Diorama builds
I've been working on a scratch built Tatooine building to go with my other vacuum form customised build and my custom moisture vaporator. I also have the lars homestead building already, so hope to combine all together to make a nice diorama shot.
still early days on this build. its made from foam board and polystyrene. The foam board is black and came in an A4 pack of five sheets. I cut the sheets to the size I wanted, then glued it all together using a glue gun.
I then gave the whole thing a coat of acrylic Gesso to prime it, as the spray paints I'll use would melt the foam board, if not primed first. I then filled any gaps with decorators caulk. Next step is to give the whole thing a plastered effect using some acrylic based spackling filler. I will apply this with a small artists trowel, to give the building a much more rounded off look and plastered effect. Then I'll spray it a light sandy tan colour.
still early days on this build. its made from foam board and polystyrene. The foam board is black and came in an A4 pack of five sheets. I cut the sheets to the size I wanted, then glued it all together using a glue gun.
I then gave the whole thing a coat of acrylic Gesso to prime it, as the spray paints I'll use would melt the foam board, if not primed first. I then filled any gaps with decorators caulk. Next step is to give the whole thing a plastered effect using some acrylic based spackling filler. I will apply this with a small artists trowel, to give the building a much more rounded off look and plastered effect. Then I'll spray it a light sandy tan colour.
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chris.75- Tatooine Taisho
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Focus : Darth Vader, as well as Kenner, PBP, Poch, LL, GL and other lines, basically everything vintage sw I can get my hands on!!
Re: Chris' Diorama builds
Chris, that looks like another great project.
I'm looking forward to seeing the progress.
I'm looking forward to seeing the progress.
Commander Clint- Jedi Shogun Spirit
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Re: Chris' Diorama builds
Hey guys. So here's the finished results of my latest Tatooine building project.......
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sorry the pics aint great, but I'm still without a proper camera at the moment, and am having to use my phone.
chris.75- Tatooine Taisho
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grinchy- Bespin Busho
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