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This is the my second diorama specially prepared for the first Mechapinoy 1:100 scale contest held last July 28, 2002 (I actually won first prize with this which was the MG God Gundam! ^_^). My first diorama was made of styrofoam sheets and modelling grass, and was entered on the Cyber Modelling Competition last April. Sadly it didn't turn out so well, so I decided to recycle the two mobile suits I used in the first diorama and made a totally new diorama made of more decent materials. Here I will try to describe in detail, the construction process for those of you who would like to build their own diorama.
A) THE BASE
The diorama base was made from plaster of paris set over a 370x260x5mm thick styrofoam board. Some sand was scattered over the plaster of paris before it was dried to achieve a sandy grainy look, and the two mobile suits, the tents, the base , the posts and some vehicles were also embedded into the plaster of paris before it was dried, to achieve some realism. Finally I used some acrylic boards that I pieced together to house the whole diorama base.
B) ADDED DETAILS
The fence was made from a small wire mesh and was glued on some plastic sprues made to look like posts. Some rolled up copper wire was attached on top of the fence to simulate barbed wires, and some warning labels were printed then attached to the fence for added realism.
The electric posts were also made from plastic sprues, and the electric cables were made from some thin copper wires. Some printed markings were attached to the tents that came with the military figures, and the main barracks was made from a pack of "teenie weenie cookies" that was inverted and painted.
The simulated explosion was made from some copper wire frames, that was covered with hot melt glue and tinted with clear colors from permanent markers.
Finally the military figures and vehicles were painted, detailed, and was positioned through out the diorama to simulate an Earth Federation Space Force base under attack by a prototype Zaku II and was defended by the RGM-79 GM.
C) PAINTING
Some custom mixed sand brown poster color was used to color the whole diorama base and some parts (especially on the lower extremities) on the mobilesuits to simulate some desert dust.
The tents and the main barracks was handbrushed with Gunze Sangyo's MR. color sand brown.
The mini vehicles and the figures were handbrushed also with the same color, they were drybrushed with some hull red and flat black, to simulate the desert camo colors, and the details were colored with flat black and silver (for the tires and vehicle parts), gunmetal (for the vehicle cannons, guns, and figure accessories), and character flesh (for the military figures).
Some yellow and orange permanent markers were used to tint the explosion and tehe side of the Zaku II's right leg to simulate some reflection of the explosion.
D) WEATHERING
Weathering on the tents were done using black chalk pastels, and some poster color to achieve the dusty look, the vehicles were also weathered using the same technique but with additional drybrushed silver on the armor to enhance the details.
