I have a gift for you 1/35 postapocalyptic diorama

[Ramba]

This dio will be of a girl holding a mini MP5 behind her back and standing in front of a soldier. She says, I have a gift for you.

The tree is made of resin and is from J's Work. I painted it grey then painted the wood brown over it. I then used a grey wash and wiped it then used a black wash then wiped it.




The Japanese girl came with the gas mask already molded to her face. The arms/hands and briefcase came molded to the back of her skirt. I cut the briefcase from her hands and replaced it with a mini MP5 gun. When I was removing the briefcase from her hands, a part of the skirt snapped off and is still attached to the briefcase. I will have to trim it off and glue it back to the skirt. The soldier is a TAHK Russian GRU. I cut his head out of the hood and replaced it with a Live Resin Russian gas mask.







The dio base is Alliance Modelworks. The wall and base comes together.





I still need to paint the figures, dio base and wall and add the cherry blossoms on the tree. I have to paint over 300 or so cherry blossoms and then mount them all on the tree trunk. I will probably start the cherry blossoms in the winter during the gloomy, cold and snowy days. I am using the ones from Kamizukuri.

[Old Wombat]

That's looking fantastic!

For someone who professes to be a beginner in figure modelling, you're leaving me for dead (& I've been working on it for a few years, now)!


Painting each, individual cherry blossom? You is crazy, man!

[Ramba]

That's looking fantastic!

For someone who professes to be a beginner in figure modelling, you're leaving me for dead (& I've been working on it for a few years, now)!


Painting each, individual cherry blossom? You is crazy, man!

I replied also on Beyond the Sprues forum as well.

Yes, I must be crazy as there are over 300 cherry blossoms to paint and painstakingly attach. I am not really looking forward to this.

[Old Wombat]

Yeah, it's fun working with two sites - the repeats are ridiculous but I like to keep everything fair & equitable if I can.

As said on BtS - Better you than me, brother!

[Ramba]

I picked up this Green Stuff World Leaf Cutter. They said grey was for 1/48 and 1/35. You are supposed to use real leaves from outside but it has been raining here for the last three days. Everything is wet and nasty! I tried it out on a piece of paper for now. Works pretty good. I collected a few leaves just now between the rain drops. I will preserve them to try to keep the colors for when I am ready to use them for the dio base.

[Rick Lowe]

I like the way the tree trunk has come up - very nice! 

But 300 blossoms??  Yikes, dude!

Still, if it gets it to where you want it to be, more power to ya! 

[nighthunter]

A trick I learned while making wargaming mini dioramas, if you want the ground to look wet, take some clear gloss and a brown wash and paint the areas you want to look like puddles, using a few coats will give it that effect. If you want wet looking leaves, I think using clear gloss will protect them from decay and give them the effect of looking wet.

[Ramba]

I like the way the tree trunk has come up - very nice! 

But 300 blossoms??  Yikes, dude!

Still, if it gets it to where you want it to be, more power to ya! 

Thanks! Yes, I must be crazy to hand paint over 300 cherry blossoms and attach each one separately hahahahaha! Not sure what I was thinking. Where I live we have very long, cold and snowy winters so the cherry blossoms alone will keep me busy during the long winter months. It might actually drive me crazy though.

[Ramba]

A trick I learned while making wargaming mini dioramas, if you want the ground to look wet, take some clear gloss and a brown wash and paint the areas you want to look like puddles, using a few coats will give it that effect. If you want wet looking leaves, I think using clear gloss will protect them from decay and give them the effect of looking wet.

Thanks for the tips. The wet ground effect is definitely something to think about and try.

Do I have to dry/preserve the leaves first then clear coat them? I read that you have to take the moisture out of the leaves first to be preserved properly. They said the moisture is what takes the colors away. By placing the leaves in between paper towels and then slipping them between book pages, that is supposed to take the moisture out. It takes a few weeks that way though to properly take the moisture out. I live in the middle of the woods so plenty of leaves to experiment with. I will try to clear coat some now and see how that works and dry/preserve some for later use.

[Old Wombat]

There is another method using glycerine, I looked it up years (& years) ago but I haven't tried it, so I can't say how effective it might be.

[Ramba]

There is another method using glycerine, I looked it up years (& years) ago but I haven't tried it, so I can't say how effective it might be.

Thanks! I read about glycerine and looks like another good method. Will look into it further.

[Ramba]

Started painting the dio base. The rubble/trash still needs painting. I still need to paint the figures and also add over 300 individual cherry blossoms to the tree trunk hahahahaha! Not looking forward to that at all. I am also adding a street lamp.

[Old Wombat]

... hahahahaha! ...

Oh, dear! He's started the maniacal laugh already!

[Ramba]

I haven't started the cherry blossoms so I haven't gone mad just yet. I did add the lamp post. It is solid resin so no clear parts for the lamp. I will need to paint it off white/light grey like frosted glass. I will probably just use an off white then coat it with Tamiya smoke. Here are the latest photos.

[Old Wombat]