So, here it is! A Mos Eisley dio with some figures to populate it and a step-by-step process to boot. This was my second major diorama attempt, and I learned some lessons from the first that served me well here. More on that first project later, but for now take a look at this little scene! Hope you all enjoy.
I began with a cardboard box I received some figures in as the body of the building. I have a foam hemisphere I picked up at Walmart along with some pink insulation foam I cut for the stairs, doorframe, etc. I also mocked up a little cardboard door after following @Darth More's lead on an old Mos Eisley thread of his (at least, I think it was his! Certainly a fellow 'yarder)
Here is a close-up of the aforementioned door.
Here is the building once assembled with hot glue. I learned to tape off seams or edges in the cardboard for this project to increase the realism in the final product.
A side shot of the foam buttresses. I know they don't serve any structural purpose, but I thought they looked nice!
I found a box that had previously held wine-glasses and noticed that the cut-outs were the perfect size for some recessed windows! I cut them out and taped over the edges before adding them to the front wall.
I added a larger port to the side wall for some decoration, and glued the building to a wooden board I sourced from an old doll house at this stage in the assembly.
At this point I covered the building in plaster, a DryDex mixture I also picked up from Walmart. I know most folks sand it down, but I think that for a rough space port like Mos Eisley that it's fine as is. I also painted the door with an acrylic Iron Oxide shade.
Next step: I added sand! I used PVA glue to attach it and alternated the ground cover with some extra spackle for varied texture.
Here's the final product! I normally use Citadel paints for my custom figures and smaller scale dios, but for this large one I didn't want to use that (relatively) expensive paint. So, I have gotten in the habit of browsing Walmart's craft aisle for cheap paints. I used Vanilla Ice Cream as a shade of off-white to add a bit of shading to the white plaster, and used a mixture of brown, yellow, and off-white to paint and highlight the sand.
Here a sandtrooper stands by a recently vacated sandspeeder...
I took this picture to mock up the Tatooine scene, and below is the full set-up for this diorama.
I like to think of this scene as taking place a few hours before Ben, Luke, and the droids make their way into that famous "hive of scum and villainy." The Black Series figures I picked up at recent sales, the others come from Ebay and Amazon. The Moisture Vaporator in the back is make of one of those orange pill bottles, pen caps, the tube from inside a ballpoint pen, and greeblies.
Good 'ole Ponda Baba here out for a morning stroll...blissfully unaware of the confrontation to come!
Sidon Ithano (not really, but I just love this figure!) and his droid interrogated by Sandtroopers during the search for the Death Star plans.
Another trooper briefs local Imperial spy and informer Garindan on the search. I recently acquired both of these figures and absolutely love them! I think they complement the diorama perfectly.
And there you have it! Feel free to ask me any questions you have, and I hope you enjoy this peek into Mos Eisley as much as I did in making it!
-talonreap
