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I'm making a Diorama inspired by this video:



Its not going to be a 1:1 reproduction. I'll be using Tehnolog platformer kits to make a catwalk where the model will stand. I want to suggest a story- an officer looks out into space on his way to the hangar where he will embark on his latest campaign.

If I can, I'll have a planet visible in the window.

I want to include nods to BFG art and comics.

I wanted the catwalk because of the comic panel below. I like the idea of an officer standing above hooded peons wired to their computers, toiling in anonymity.

This is my rough sketch for the layout. The space is divided into three vertically, with the lower third being the sublevel. The upper third will be marked by a horizontal line, which will be the point where Gothic arches start to curve, buttresses and supports flare to meet the ceiling and cables hang down.

On the right wall will be in the style of a spacehulk door, leading to Hangar XVIII. Directional arrows on the floor beneath the officer will suggest that he is pausing while heading to the door, giving the piece a sense of movement from left to right.

Inspired by this art, I want a little computer console beside my officer. Needs more cables and greebling, but I already like how this looks!

Better view of this control panel.

This looks awesome, will keep an eye on :-)

 Skinflint Games wrote:
This looks awesome, will keep an eye on :-)

Thanks! Its fun working on this, I've never done a diorama before.

If I had my way, all my terrain would be this detailed, but its just not practical.

Some work on the walls, foamcore with card cladding.

Looking good so far Do you have any plans to use lighting? I know you can get small lights quite cheaply these days and a lot of the best starship interiors use lighting to add atmosphere (see Red Dwarf from season 3 on and also Star Wars to a lesser extent-Eg the meeting room of the Death Star in 'A new Hope' or the Emperor's throne room in 'Jedi'-all quite moody due to the lighting). Keep up the good work

 SpaceGoblin1980 wrote:
Looking good so far Do you have any plans to use lighting? I know you can get small lights quite cheaply these days and a lot of the best starship interiors use lighting to add atmosphere (see Red Dwarf from season 3 on and also Star Wars to a lesser extent-Eg the meeting room of the Death Star in 'A new Hope' or the Emperor's throne room in 'Jedi'-all quite moody due to the lighting). Keep up the good work

Yes!
In Erics video, he uses lighting to make stars and light up a ship. Im hoping for more than that, though Ill see what I can achieve.

What I will definitely do is have some glowing consoles. What I may also do is have some spotlights, bulkhead lights and so on.

I'd like to have an illuminated planet as well as the stars.

What may be impossible to achieve is to have the Officer's reflection visible in the window, while still allowing the viewer to see the stars/planet. I have some transparent acetate sheet to put a reflective window surface in, but i will have to play with light levels at the end and see if I can get that to work.

Ive bought the tealights and microlights in the image for this purpose, but I think the tealights are too yellow for starlight.

Some work on the right hand wall and portal. Ive built up a little space between the wall and the door to give more sense of depth.

Had fun putting together this asymetric computer console. Light will come from the central round screen/radar thing.

My first thought was to paint the plastic screens white and let ambient light from the main screen illuminate them, but Im thinking that chrome paint might do a better job of relecting that light.

Thoughts?

Have to say, fantastic work you've done so far, subbed for more, and may I say, I can already see this going above and beyond what Eric did with his diorama.

Always had a feeling Imperial starships should be crowded and stuffed with detail and I think you're on to something with your catwalk idea, it adds extra depth.

 Tyranid Horde wrote:
Have to say, fantastic work you've done so far, subbed for more, and may I say, I can already see this going above and beyond what Eric did with his diorama.

Always had a feeling Imperial starships should be crowded and stuffed with detail and I think you're on to something with your catwalk idea, it adds extra depth.

Huge but cramped is exactly what I'm going for. Massive vaulting spaces but low hanging cables and monitors.
I want to have the ship itself look classically neo-gothic, designed by men of vision and passion, but filled with brutal Adeptus mechanius equipment, doors and cables.

I'm open to suggestion on a colour scheme...

A lot of riveting done last night! I use nail art confetti as rivets and hexbolts, putting down a line of superglue and positioning each one with a knife tip.

You can also see the door, which Ive tried to make look like a space hulk piece. It opens up and down, as it is too close to the outer hull to go left/right.

Above the door space I have an eagle, based on a bourgeoisee's Diorama here. A skull scans people as they approach, determining whether they have authorisation to pass.

Looks great! Subscribing!

It's coming along Keep up the great work!

Oh I loved the one Eric made, intrigued by yours

Dryfit to check measurements. Buttress on the right pushes the catwalk too far from the door- I was going to have a little gangplank there but I reckon I'll cut a slot for the catwalk to get it closer.

In the end, I'd like for the catwalk to be removeable so larger minis can be placed downstairs. A slot would help that a lot.

It looks like I went Khorne Berzeker on this piece but Its only two coats of acrylic to cover the exposed foamcore. It does make the work I've done to seervoskull up this skull hard to see!


Birds eye view of the window cogitator and cabling


And finally birds eye view of the entire piece. I want to keep the bits seperate until after painting to allow for LED routing.


Happy with how it is going so far. I'm open to colour scheme suggestions. My current gut is to go with a light blue, blue stained white, like this Necromunda image on the walls.

Then slightly deeper blue for the walkway



I'd have cogitators in dirty silver/brass and the door bright red or yellow to draw the eye.

Another Cogitator done.



I took this plastic piece from a pump in a bottle of handsoap. I reckon I'll get some use out of the other bits later in the project.



Pleasingly, it came with a washer that fit exactly over the end part, allowing me to sandwich a bit of scrim tape in between.

Looking good! Fully expect to see plenty more riveting!

Progress!

A few more details added and then i couldnt hold off painting any longer.
I sprayed the walls and computers with a copper, then directionally highlighted the walls with a gentle dust of gloss white. I highlighted the computers with a silver and then gave them a nuln oil wash.

I mixed a baby blue with transparent acrylic medium and water to give the walls a blue tone. I'll build this up in layers until I'm happy, then nuln oil and fleshwash to dirty it up.

Some washes! I've scraped the surface in places to expose the copper paint beneath, and applied highlights and shadows to accentuate them.


I'm also working on signs around the place, taking inspiration from the old necromunda terrain.



I'll be adding flesh wash next to simulate rust.

Good job.

Working on the catwalk. Quick dryfit to check how the colour tines go together.

I love the blue-grey tones you've achieved on this.

I'm happy with it too. Its colourful while being neutral enough for a background.
Ive gone for a richer blue on the gantry so it stands out.

Ive done some work colouring the gantry. I had a mishap with masking tape and the yellow bled - had to mop up and scrub iff the bleed with a tank brush!

Im hesitant to give this a nuln oil wash because I like where the colour is now, but a recess only shade would take ages. I feel like it could use a wash to tie the colours together on the surface.

Got the little robed guys onto their chairs. I think that came together pretty well.

In my head they are checking local radar and reactor outputs.

No construction pics of this part, it was knocked together in a few hours of furious improvisation.

Grid is plaster scrim, with card strips superglued on top, and rivets of course!

I reckon these pipes go to feed a shield generator vane on the hull or perhaps gellar field.

I've weathered the floor surface and added markings to the pipes.


I also raised the 'box' and sprayed it matt black. Its starting to come together nicely, IMHO.