Further elaborations of outdoor dioramas

[blaster]

Hi John and Michel,


I guess one could broadly classify the displays ( and collectors) into flat sets, shadowbox dioramas or large scale wargames type all round.


I probably belong to the first two categories. Perhaps due to the fixed small size 30mm of the figures, there is hardly any attempt to use forced perspective in any of the dioramas that I’ve seen.
Hence for the outdoor scenes, layering and raising the horizon were devices I employed in these dioramas. 


I like the idea of grisaille and will try this greying out of colours in future dioramas.  Rgds Victor

[John Alberts]

All 3 look good and are effective but I think the ape scene works really well with the vertical element being somewhat "natural."

[blaster]

Dear Michel


Thank you for your nice response. I love zinnfiguren but I love to use them in dioramas. My modest collection is mostly 30mm. I think that some of the best shadowbox dioramas are produced on this website.  I’ve seen some amazing dioramas on the newsletter as well.


I learned to do large outdoors scenes with zinnfiguren and have applied those ideas to my 3D shadowbox dioramas as well. 


Rgds Victor.

[Hannibal]

Very interesting technique !!!


The feeling of depth is well given by the back painting on the three dios....  It gives good ideas of the theme.




I never practiced dioramas, because the background often tends to dilute considerably the visibility of the characters on the front and distracts these subjects, as all are coloured with an equivalent intensity (value) of the tones.


But by using lighter colours, or even black and white tones ("grisaille") to give the contrast of the front paintings that are coloured, it would be indeed reaching its goal.


But bringing a context to a group of characters, usually well aligned on rows artificially, like in a museum, and in a frame, is not often practised in France or Belgium as it is in Germany or Italy even, but it would add a plus (and more work, perhaps also talent) to the présentation !!


Thnk you to revive this technique !! it gives good suggestions and wishes to try also !!

[blaster]

I explored layered backgrounds and raised horizontals to create an illusion of distance.


First piece is a mountain scene.  Mountain was a cardboard cutout with ape zinnfiguren based on a painting by Marianne North.


Second piece is a Qing dynasty hunting scene.  Layered bkgds for the Great Wall and distant hills from cardboard. Figures from A Wilken. 


Third piece is Custer’s last stand. Figures from W Braune.  Distance is suggested by raising the horizon. 


Rgds Victor