Topic: Clonehead's dioramas

[hangarbay94]

Clonehead, you really are something else! I have seen you do these before and I think that they are so cool.

[Luke Sprywalker]

I agree, these are very cool. They would be great in an office, well anywhere for that matter.

[Clonehead]

Thanks fellers. I used to make these things all the time. Using these same materials,one could build a convincing large sized  diorama but I neverfelt that I had the space for em.
  I do want to make a bigger desert one large enough to comfortably display 3 figures but havent decided if i want to put it on a plaque or if I want to make a foam paper mache base like I have in the past.

[Clonehead]

I decided to get the primary color for the Ryloth type dio on and used Model Master flat rust mixed with plentyof water.
  the woodland scenics snow that, other than the rocks, is the goundwork base, soaks up watered down paint like a sponge. As memory serves, next I will brush on a dark brown to al of the rocks and then drybrush a lighter color to all the rocks, possibly that old concrete color.
  I will get the other dio's painting and long grasses app done before I stain the edge ofthe plaque.  That way, I can do em both at the same time.

[Clonehead]

today, I wanted to go ahead and finish up the paintwork to this first little dio before I started painting up the second one. I chose two model master colors. The same dark brown that is used on my Veers and Gunner figures and a desert sand. First, I started with the brown and basically covered all of the bigger rocks completly and put a heavy drybrushing on the smaller pebbles. This was the point where I could cover any white areas that had been missed when applying the main grounwork color. Also, any major recessed areas were hit to simulate shadow with that darker color.
  Next, I opened up the desert sand and lightly drybrushed the whole groundwork paying special attention to all of the smaller pebbles and the bigger rocks too. On the sides of the groundwork where the rock placement wasnt as heavy, the drybrushing of the two colors helped blend in these areas as the snow that was used for the groundwork has some texture of it's own. I used a different lighter drybrush color than I did on the last dio I did like this and the effect is different but no less pleasing.
  All that's left for this one is to drill in a figure footpeg if I wish, peel off the protective tape from the wood base, and stain the wood bases parimeter.

[Clonehead]

4 more shots

[DS-61-2]

NICE!!! I like the way it looks very nice indeed. Great Job I like all of these that you have done thy get better and better

[Clonehead]

thanks buddy. When free time allots, in the near future, I would like to make a couple of bigger ones.

[Tamer]

looking good Clint. I would love to have some type of shell that would surround these guys so little fingers couldn't get am em!

[Clonehead]

I decided that today, I wanted to get some painting done on that second rocky dio that I had and wanted to do another conventional looking desert one. I started off with a model master British desert armor light yellow and plenty of water and mixed it to about the consistency of water and began brushing it on liberally to the groundwork not hitting the larger rocks as much as I will paint em a different color. Occasionally, the "snow" would have enough glue impregnated into it that the paint wouldn't soak in as well and I used thicker paint straight from the jar to color these areas.

[Clonehead]

In these first two shots, I have painted all of the rock with a Polly s Khaki color, slightly thinned, applied liberally with a brush. On some of the darker rock, I have allowed some of the under color to show through and in the recessed areas of the ground work and under some of the bigger rocks, I have darkened areas to simulate shadow. I have also dry brushed some of this khaki color onto some of the less detailed areas of plain snow to kind of tie the colors together a bit more.

In the last two shots, I have used a polly s soviet desert sand color to lightly drybrush the entire diorama, paying special attention to each rock, big and small, and also the rougher textures of the snow groundwork. This brings out the detail of the rocky surface and also ties everything more closely together, color wise.  When I install some long sprigs of grass, I will paint them with this same lighter color to tie things together even more and to give that fine grass some more definition.

After I do that, it will be time to install a foot peg on both dios and then, I can stain the perimeter of both and call em done.

My plan now is to include that first rusty colored dio into my secret Santa parcel.

[Clonehead]

Two more shots of the dio thus far. That last one is with a flash and has the recently butchered Thire figure posed on it.

[hangarbay94]

Clonehead, I love what you are doing with these bases...I love the dark rock one. Do you varnish the wood when you are finished?

[Clonehead]

thanks, Jules. Yes, I do varnish these when I am done with em. It's hard to see but there is a layer of clear tape that is protecting the outer perimeter of the bases at this time from paint and what not. When I consider the ground work done, I just make a cut, around the perimeter of the ground work where it meets the base, strip off the lower part, and then I am ready for stain or varnish. The tape that is under the groundwork protected the wood from the moisture in the thin glue that holds the groundwork together as I was applying it while protecting the outer finished perimeter that would be stained later at the same time.

  So, you like that darker rust colored one, eh?

[wraithnine]

that looks awesome! clint those dio's really set off the figs       one day i'll have to commission one