Some great diorama artist says that base composition is the most importing step. Good picture should have introduction, main stage and background. Everything should be in triangle perspective from point of view. I translate it as that I need low area with some details, main area with dwarf and something in background to close scene and giving the imagination about actual size (from AFV modeling competitions I have learnt, that the simplest way is to put tree or slope to your base).
Inspiration
In my world exist simple rule: “No idea – no fun.” So I try to search some great for some top base inspiration. Scibor (www.sciborminiatures.com) and his golden hands introduced in to the world of miniatures large set of great bases. This was inspiration for me. So find what do you like and try it to do it yourself! I have found that I am not able to sculpt dwarf head as ruins base! :-D
Construction
As a base construction block I have made fake rock from piece of pine bark (there is real world outside you working place with real green trees). I took it in park, but you can easily found it also in large cities near business building as decoration around greens. TIP: Beware of dogs poos!
As a stamp tree I have used small branch and sculpt the wood structure with needle, roots are from milliput (or GS or Duro or DAS). Tree is combination of small tree branch and real small roots (inspect your mother/girlfriend home flowers) glued with PVA/CA. Groundwork is dried soil from flowerpot sprinkled all around the base on the PVA glue. Great method from Sven-Ake http://www.hobbybokhandeln.net/?cat=45 one of the best braille scale artist ;-)
Runes desk was sculpted from PVA desk (5mm thick foam/PVA desk ). I have used punch and die set for leather (low price/big holes), screwdriver bits, needle and some bits for dremel tool (originally Nails cleaning tool ). Everything from this tools is very cheap, when you are lucky and buy it in discount like LIDL or Everything for kiss shop or Asian markets.
Details
Plants are from all kind of materials. For moss I have used “Per Olav” method. Mix of color, PVA glue and Woodland scenic turf. The rest are natural plants, herbs and moss from my dogs´ walks. There are ways how to prepare it. You can just dry them, but they are very fragile. Another way is washing them for some time in PVA-water mix (color changes are little). Finally you can preserve herbs or plants in Glycerin with water (1:10 ratio), leave it for 48h in this mix and dry them (it took 48h or more depends on their absorbing ability). By this way they stay flexible and almost in same color as in nature. When you want to glue them to the base, use PVA. Before you paint them, give your base or plants coat of clear varnish to prevent them from falling (due the use of water base PVA glue).
Now its painting time!
You can find great tutorials about this techniques at www.fichtenfoo.com , www.armorama.com and www.massivevoodoo.blogspot.com tutorials sections (I hope that Roman or Raffa make an English painting class one day)
