Chris' Diorama builds

Chris, you have some awesome skill! Phone camera or not that looks freakin amazing!! Well done.

Well done Chris. It looks fantastic.

Thanks guys, I really enjoyed making it
I'm now working on some modular, wall panel backgrounds. That I can re arrange into different shapes, to use in toy photography.

Awesome work Chris - very well done

Good skills, looks great Chris

My latest little diorama project, was to create some modular wall panels. This was with more of an intention for toy photography shoots, more than having it set up as a permanent display Diorama (but it works quite well with that in mind too}.

I got some pieces of polystyrene packing material from work, which were being thrown out. I then painted them with acrylic white gesso, to prime the pieces and protect them from melting from spray paint.
Then I applied a coat of acrylic based filler, with a small palette knife. To give the panels a rough textured, rendered look Once fully cured, this hardens like plaster, giving the panels a much stronger durability.
After leaving the panels to fully dry and harden for a few days, I then applied a couple of acrylic coloured washes to the panels. Then lightly sanded them, to give a more worn and weathered look.
I managed to pick up some cool star wars looking greeblies from a model maker on Etsy. they are resin cast pieces made from a mould. Once they arrived, I trimmed off the excess flashing and gave them a light rub down with sandpaper. I then sprayed them with an acrylic primer, before spraying them black. I mixed up a metallic, rusty coloured acrylic paint and then dry brushed it onto the black. before gluing them onto the panels. lastly I picked up some small electrical wire and glued it onto the greeblies and across the mid section of the panels.


I also used another, thicker and larger piece of square polystyrene, as a base. which I primed with gesso, before spray paint with a mix of grey and black, giving it a mottled appearance. I as well as a base, I can use it as a more traditional style photographic backdrop.
I have been without a camera for a couple of months, due to the shutter on the old Olympus, i was using, packing up. But have recently purchased a second hand Canon 7D DSLR semi professional camera. It also came with a basic kit lens, which I hope to upgrade soon. But creating these panels, whilst without a proper camera. really helped me scratch that creative itch

Well done Chris. They look fantastic.
I love seeing the processes you go thru to create the pieces.

Those are looking brilliant mate, you are very talented!

Mate these are awesome. Honestly you're so talented.

Thanks guys, yeah I'm pleased with how these turned out. I'd quite like to get some styrene sheets next, and try my hand at making a death star or star destroyer style corridor

I recently picked up a three of these resin cast, death star corridor panel sets from Redflare models. Just in the process of cleaning them up and prepping them for priming and painting.
I'm really looking forward to taking some new shots with these great diorama sets.

Really looking forward to seeing what you do - everything else you've done has been amazing

yes i'm sure you will do a great job with those mate, have fun with it!

Thank you guys

I had a chance to do a bit more work on the Death star corridor diorama at the weekend. I cleaned up, sanded down, assembled and painted the first set of wall panels. as well as the blast door and elevator.
Next I will go over them with a black wash, to give them some light weathering and help bring out more of the detailing. I have ordered some 3mm thick, white perspex  sheets to mount the wall panels on to. Which i will mask off some of the areas to keep the white. The rest I will spray with grey primer.

A little more progress made on this Death star corridor diorama.....
Once I'd sprayed the panel pieces with grey primer. I then mounted the individual pieces onto a white Perspex backing. Before gluing down, I masked off the areas that I wanted to keep white. then sprayed the rest with the grey primer. The Perspex is translucent enough to allow the white parts to be illuminated from the back. I also added a black wash and painted some of the areas on the blast door and elevator door with white acrylic paint.
so far two of the 3 panels are now done. As well as the blast door and elevator door

looks great so far mate, good luck with the rest of it