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I've decided that my skills are such that I can make a diorama for myself. Having never done it before, does anyone have any tips for preparation, composition, basing, painting, materials etc?

Get a photo frame for the base. Have a plan . Google a tutorial for everything you do and keep it simple. I have almost done my first diorama following the above.

Thanks. Funnily enough, I have a old picture frame spare, and that was what triggered the idea!

Thanks to Swastakowey you now know most of your logistics.

And because of that I'm just going to give a few tips for composition. Because if I have two cents to spare, it's this:

Have a focus, and make it obvious. A convoluted diorama is not a good diorama.

Actually, convoluted can work, but you have to have a sequence of linked focal points, each linked by something active, or a sense of motion toward the next focal point. (corpses that look like they were shot while running in a particular direction works just as well as a live model).

Consider the scene as a frozen moment in a movie and yourself as both the director and writer. What's happening? In what location? Of that, what's visible? Of that, what's important?

Then you detail up by giving (visible) history to each and everything you've mentioned - from scars, to rust, to posters on a wall - what is this place, who was there before? What's happened to these characters or creatures prior to this exact moment.

Wing it. Thats what i do and mine turn out ok.


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Nah obviously start with an idea. Make sure you have good, interesting basing material, and paint individual miniatures beforehand

On most dioramas I find that the ground is too 'clean'.
I like to see rubbish or detritus + variation in the shade of the ground underneath.

Heres my latest. I knocked this up super quick, mainly to use up parts, but you can see the theme, and the placement of the different bits works well i think.