Lunch. Interrupted. 65 Million Years Ago.

Okay, I love dinosaurs..not like that:eek. Jurassic Park, first the book, then the film, fired up my imagination. I built a diorama of the T-Rex attack from the film, using the Lindberg T-Rex, and a Revell, I think, Mercedes, upside down, in the mud.
Then the Horizon vinyl Velociraptor, what a superb kit, I should not have sold it!
Fast forward to 2015 ( or was it 2014 and I am a really slow builder?! ) and the release by Pegasus Models of their T-Rex and Spinosaurus. I had to have these two models, but what to do with them. I had an idea, not related to Jurassic Park III, but involving a Dino Smack Down none the less! I have been collecting fake foliage for the last year and a half, including a plastic topiary ball, purchased at a rainy airshow. I made myself busy, by plucking the little plastic leaves and stalks off of half the ball. Then using that half of a ball as a hat, it was raining and nothing was flying...i was BORED!
Fast forward to last weekend, it was not radio control weather, it was Dino Diorama weather..

I had access to our model boat club workshop, which sped the work up somewhat. Starting with an MDF base, I then built up opposite sides of a fast moving stream. One side eroding away, the other side with a sandy deposit on it. The Spinosaurus will be emerging from foliage, while the T-Rex will be higher up, on the rocky side of the diorama.

The upper layers are a mix of balsa wood and plywood. The ply sections are needed to provide a sturdy base to support the two models. Both being solid vinyl, and very heavy. The plastic base on the right came from a lucky find at my local newspaper shop. A pile of uncollected partworks for a large T-Rex skeleton. I was offered them at a good price, and so far they have been very useful. The ribs now adorn my AVP Alien Queen Running Through Whale Bones In The Snow diorama, but that is for later..The base for the partworks T-Rex was put through the bandsaw and trimmed to fit. The entire diorama is cut in half below the undercut of the bank on the right hand side of the stream. Otherwise it would be just too unwealdy for transport.

Time to add some Dinos. These two models are superbly sculpted, and I can recommend them highly. I have picked a suitable pose which is pleasing to the eye. I have added the first bit of deadfall, a log which will be partly buried in the sand and partly in the water, plus some rocks courtesy of W Britain Figures. I also have a bag of dried, dead, Japanese Knotweed plant, don't ask! Things like the running water, plus undergrowth, are all going to be a challenge, but I like a challenge..

My little friend here, sadly has been left on the cutting room floor. I could not find a space for him that looked 'right'. So he has been shunted on to his own 'satellite' diorama, with the biggest meal of his life!




- - - Updated - - -

And finally, the two beasts against my black foam backing, plus the two parts of the base separated.

Good luck with your Diorama. I have the T-rex kit myself and I've been stuck on getting the plants to look right.
I tired cutting them out of paper but may have to break down and make my own Photo Etch plants.

A couple of things that helped me when filling in the gaps in the T-rex. I used Equinox putty from Reynolds materials.
http://www.reynoldsam.com/product/equinox-mold-putty/
I used that to take a skin mold from part of the model plus it's flexible once it's dried. I filled in the gaps around the legs and neck with magic sculpt and pressed the mold in to get the skin texture to blend in with the rest of the model. It saves a lot of time and hides the seams really well.
Here is some prehistoric plant references if you need any
http://xfrog.com/product/X-22.html

That's looking great. The last few pictures aren't showing up for me - I think it's because you put them up without spacing between the file links, when uploading.

Too Much Garlic said:

That's looking great. The last few pictures aren't showing up for me - I think it's because you put them up without spacing between the file links, when uploading.

Click to expand...

Cheers Mr Garlic sir :thumbsup, wondered what I was doing wrong there.