looking for opinions about dioramas making books

Bouq

Well-Known Member
RPF PREMIUM MEMBER
Hi to all,
for many months, I'm wondering about the interest of "technical" books relative to diorama making.

Four titles from two authors come to my mind:

50188203747_067b2a1be0_b.jpg

How to make BATTLE DAMAGES to a plastic model in a diorama, by Jacobsen, Bjørn
How to make EXPLOSIONS and FIRES in a diorama, by Bjørn Jacobsen,
Diorama Design: Design secrets that will give your diorama an edge by Ivar Kangur,
Forced Perspective Dioramas, by Ivar Kangur (the newest).

I've no idea about the way these books are made and I'm looking for pictures of the inside of them but I cannot find only one.
Have you ever seen and read one of these books please?
what do you think about them?

thanks a lot
 
I have Sheperd Paine's "How to build Dioramas" .

While it may be considered out dated since there is no pre-shading or LED lighting it still has a ton of useful information.
If you ever bought one of the old Monogram models it usually came with How-To booklet by him.
Layout, painting, conversion, scratch building, photography, etc..

Sadly my first edition from the 70's was stolen with a lot of other things but I picked up a Second Edition (2000) that has a number of newer pieces and techniques.

I would also highly recommend looking at modeling forums like Fine Scale Modeler and others for build threads.
Some of the modelers really go into depth on every step of the process of their builds.
 
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My post might seem off topic or unsolicited since I have not read those books, but I thought I might give you my opinion anyway :) If they are meant as a gift to someone please ignore me.

I have a book on modelling from the 80's "Modellbygge" that covers everything from RC to dioramas and it was my main source of learning before youtube. It's still relevant in so many ways. There were a few blogs pre youtube with nice resources, but you know how they say a picture is worth a thousand words? A video trumps that. While I am sure the books are great for inspiration and techniques, I much prefer videos as some things just aren't transferable knowledge by pictures and words alone. My understanding of techniques (painting mainly) changed completely by seeing it done.

If you wish to learn diorama techniques there is one person that I think is king and that is Luke Towan. Plasmo is another source of modelling prowess, but not strictly dioramas. Check those out and see if that might enrich you. There are plenty others - some really good paint technique channels out there, but these came to mind on this topic.
 
I would also highly recommend looking at modeling forums like Fine Scale Modeler and others for build threads.
Some of the modelers really go into depth on every step of the process of their builds.

Thanks a lot Division 6.
I administrate a French scifi modelling forum. there, indeed, many modellers share wonderful WIPs


My post might seem off topic or unsolicited since I have not read those books, but I thought I might give you my opinion anyway :) If they are meant as a gift to someone please ignore me.

Your opinion is on-topic and solicited basementdweller ;)
Of course, a video is a lot more tutorial as few words in a book. I totally agree with that.

I knew Plasmo channel but I thank you a lot about Luke Towan. I did not know him.


As you both wrote, I agree that forums and videos bring a lot of experience.
I wondered if some "professional" techniques would be released in such books.
especially the one about Forced perspective which really teases my curiousity.....
 
Forced perspective is very cool...if you're limited in space or time, I guess. But my take on dioramas is doing the whole scene in a single scale. Telling a story from a specific point in whatever you're trying to replicate is what I try to do with my dioramas. The books you have referenced do look interesting. I'm always one for learning new things.
 
Thanks Korben.
Forced perspective is the only one that I ordered yesterday.... Wait and see.
I chose this one because I'm about to begin a project of a scene from the Transformer 2007 movie : an (1/72) A10 aircraft bombing a (1/35) Decepticon .... the both kits with the same scale would have unbalance one of the kits to the benefit of the other.
 
Thanks Korben.
Forced perspective is the only one that I ordered yesterday.... Wait and see.
I chose this one because I'm about to begin a project of a scene from the Transformer 2007 movie : an (1/72) A10 aircraft bombing a (1/35) Decepticon .... the both kits with the same scale would have unbalance one of the kits to the benefit of the other.

In that case, I can definitely see why you would want forced perspective. Same thing if I wanted to include the Death Star in a scene with a 1/72 scaled MF... For some reason I was thinking of something totally different with force perspective.
 
Obviously forced perspective works best if you can limit the viewing angle. Hangar scenes can work nicely with it because you can do so easily and prevent seeing it from the side angle for example
 
Well I have to say I misread the title and thought it said "opinions about dinosaurs making books." So... kinda bummed.

From the pictures on the books they definitely look interesting! Please let us know what you think when you get that one.
 
Obviously forced perspective works best if you can limit the viewing angle. Hangar scenes can work nicely with it because you can do so easily and prevent seeing it from the side angle for example
I understand that yes. I hadn't think about that before.
About my Transformer diorama in the desert... it could be difficult to limit the angle of view... although I added some ruined walls.... lte's think about it

Well I have to say I misread the title and thought it said "opinions about dinosaurs making books." So... kinda bummed.
Please let us know what you think when you get that one.
dinosaurs.... could be a topixc a such a diorama yes but not this time ! ;)
I'll do

I don't know about books, but this YouTube channel is one of the very best, and might prove better than books: Luke Towan
thanks a lot
 
I understand that yes. I hadn't think about that before.
About my Transformer diorama in the desert... it could be difficult to limit the angle of view... although I added some ruined walls.... lte's think about it


dinosaurs.... could be a topixc a such a diorama yes but not this time ! ;)
I'll do


thanks a lot
have a good look at his playlist, he's done some good landscape dioramas, they might not be desert landscapes, but they are Aussie Outback, so the principles of design and making should be useful. Also, search YouTube for Star Wars Tatooine dioramas, there's some brilliant making videos of battle scenes which should be useful
 
Thanks a lot PhuketAussie

This project has been put away for some months. I'm facing the Marvel SHIELD Bus right now....

But... I'll be back!
 
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