Tropical Groundwork Scene

[rtfoe]

Hi Guys,
I thought of showing and explaining how I built up a scene in a tropical off the road setting in 1975. These country road stops are still in existence and are tourist attractions if you want to go off road sightseeing. I will only touch on the groundwork and foliage. The rest of the diorama will be in separate posts.

The idea has been in my head for some time and the only thing that was delaying me was creating the jungle foliage which I slowly got more confident when I came across material that was suitable for it.

As usual I plan for levels of viewing but initially this wasn't the case as I thought the base, vehicle, building and jungle would have been sufficient. Anyway I started with getting the right sized board and traced the composition onto the base.



If you'll notice, the items that go into the dio are still not completed and are basically 3/4 done. This is so I can do any modifications as the dio progresses and do the final painting and weathering to blend in.



I had already in mind that there was going to be a little shop next to a large advertising signboard off the main road. The base material for the shop and signboard was mounting board measured, cut and glued with UHU glue much like how it's done with architectural models.



There was going to be a drain running in front of the shop so instead of cutting through the plywood base I raised it with a half inch thick foam board and cut the drain through that.



More to come later and see how some good advice changed the landscape slightly for better eye-level viewing.

Cheers,
Richard

 

[GerryW]

Will follow with interest, never considered a jungle dio.

 

[Tim Marlow]

Hi Richard
Getting a bit of Deja Vu here? Is this new or have I seen it before?

 

[rtfoe]

Will follow with interest, never considered a jungle dio.

Good to have aboard Gerry.

Hi Richard
Getting a bit of Deja Vu here? Is this new or have I seen it before?

You may have Tim, but its not been explained here or shown why or how it came to be and basically centered on the groundwork.

Cheers,
Richard

 

[Tim Marlow]

No probs Richard......with my memory I’m never sure It is well worth repeating though, I thought it was excellent!

 

[Jim R]

Hi Richard
Like Tim I remember the finished dio, excellent it was too. However I don't recall the actual building of it and so it will be interesting to see you got such a great result.
Jim

 

[rtfoe]

Thanks Tim and Jim...in this post I'll be touching on just the groundwork and the decisions and changes along the way that shaped the dio. I hope the way I approach my dio making will have many realise how fun and easy it is if you put some visual referencing or an experience in observation of things around you to develop a scene for some static displays to come to life.

Here's why listening to advice and constructive criticism can help in elevating the eventual perspective of the scene. The billboard may have been high enough for the third level viewing and the advice was how about a fourth by raising the board higher perhaps on a slope which I have seen done on highways for better clearance from any obstruction. So I built up a slope with polystyrene blocks and carved it to shape. I won't be getting into how I made the shop but that got done in one of my sudden mojo burst of energy. I had this point already found the right picture for the billboard and glued it on.



The base was coated with polyfilla mixed with some acrylic red brown to give a sort of the red clay earth found in our countryside. I let the coat harden as I would later cover with dust and flocking for grass in white glue.



The drain covers were cut thick mounting board and the culvert was shaped balsa and coated with the same polyfilla mix. The drainage trap cover was plastic rod and thin card.



Cheers,
Richard

 

[Mini Me]

Nice demonstration Richard....is the English wording on the billboard the translation of the signage below it?
Cheers Rick H.

 

[rtfoe]

Nice demonstration Richard....is the English wording on the billboard the translation of the signage below it?
Cheers Rick H.

Yes it is Rick...I got my Chinese Graphic artist to translate and type it for me. The Coke sign is actually a 1970s design.

Cheers,
Richard

 

[Mini Me]

Brilliant!

 

[rtfoe]

Brilliant!

Thanks Rick.

This next stage was the placing of the various mosses, roots, lichen, paper plants and grass flock. I had covered the shophouse with cling wrap to protect it from overspray as I had already glued it down...in hindsight I should not have done that.



The upturned root served as a tree trunk which I coated with 3M spraymount and dried ferns then sprayed with black and top coated with grass green. Just below the billboard is one whole section of sphagnum moss...sometimes you're lucky that a large piece fits.



Grass flock is sprinkled over painted on white glue. The ground was oversprayed with dark green. Basically everything is coated roughly except the paper plants. I will pay attention to each individually and color them with highlights later. For now it's making sure non of the base peeps out.



That black spot at the bottom right was the road but later I modified that part by lowering that level.

Cheers,
Richard

 

[Mini Me]

Very natural looking Richard. Rick H.

 

[rtfoe]

Very natural looking Richard. Rick H.

Thanks Rick, the challenge is always the natural look of the foliage. I was lucky that the sphagnum moss had the uncanny resemblance to scaled down ferns when looked closely which lined the side of roadside slopes on roadways.

In between the groundwork there is the occasional composition of the various items that will make up the scene with dry fittings of half assembled figures or completed kit vehicles.



On one of these dry fits I decided on creating another level by cutting and lowering the main road so that it seemed like you had to drive up a little slope to get to the rest stop.



I used actual cement mixed with some gravel to cover both the slopes to the mainroad. A banana tree was sourced from an AM paper company many years ago that I can't remember the name but finally had its use. The tree had to be worked on to add realism. I will re-post that BSB on it if anyones interested.



I also found the cement ideal to make the cement flooring of the shop and steps to the side path. How natural could that be.



The culvert was painted and weathered. There's still more detail vegetation to add although it may look like it's done.



I let the cement set before colouring and adding more foliage onto it.



I hope this is interesting so far.

Cheers,
Richard

 

[GerryW]

I'm interested - not heard of the paper plants before (but then, been out of modelling for so long, there's bound to have been things come along)

 

[rtfoe]

I'm interested - not heard of the paper plants before (but then, been out of modelling for so long, there's bound to have been things come along)

Still don't know the brand for the banana tree but I know Kamizukuri do laser cut paper plants, rifle straps and seat belts. I have some in the stash and looking for an opportunity to use them. I'll post the banana tree soon.

Back to the groundwork...I added more sphagnum moss and Chinese varnish brush bristles for tall grass...made fresh tyre tracks with polyfilla and a brush.



Made sure the tracks were correct by placing the landrover for measurements. Other dried plants were added. A stone mileage marker was carved from balsa and a place selected in the sphagnum moss to be placed.



Then patches of different grass green hues was sprayed over the groundwork at the lowest pressure possible.



Cheers,
Richard

 

[Fernando N]

Neat to see it coming together Richard, thanks for explaining

 

[rtfoe]

Neat to see it coming together Richard, thanks for explaining

Hey Fernando, no probs, glad you're with us.

I trimmed the longer grasses unevenly for a natural look also stabbed at it to avoid buches of even growth. Highlighted the sphagnum moss with some yellows mixed with light green.



You thought I was going to leave the tyre tracks in polyfilla white did you?...red brown was painted over it showing the contrast of disturbed fresh earth with dried sun baked surface earth.



Attention was given the the culvert and monsoon drain cover using Nato black, Olive Drab and Rust over White.



The drainage pipe was treated with rust stains using red brown and finishing with Leather. The pool of water is basically dark green and varnish.



Cheers,
Richard

 

[Mini Me]

Wow Richard, capturing the "feel" of the landscape brings a whole new and more natural element into the process........well done. Rick H.

 

[rtfoe]

Wow Richard, capturing the "feel" of the landscape brings a whole new and more natural element into the process........well done. Rick H.

Well it's a challenge just to get the grass right...imagine if I had a Douglas Fir plonked right next to the banana tree.

Okay, that's where I have decided to plonk the banana tree and it's just too green and plain with its original trunk so I spruced it up a little.



This is after I worked on the trunk and re-painted the leaves of the banana tree. Also I have found a placed for the telephone pole.



That basically the groundwork done waiting for the rest of the stuff to fit in.



Hope you enjoyed it so far...next will be the SBS of the banana tree then perhaps some on the telephone pole. I'd like to show how the fruit was done especially the famous durian.

Cheers,
Richard

 

[Mini Me]

Very nice Richard. Rick H.