Making a diorama
Chapter 3: Rough terrain -continued
Once your cardboard shell is ready you can apply the hydrocal or plaster of paris shell.
Note: Hydrocal and plaster of paris dry quickly. You will have to make several batches to complete this diorama. Make a batch, use it until it starts to harden clean the bowls and make another batch. Continue this process until you are done. You may want to lay newspapers on the floor and table . This step can get quite messy particulary if you have never worked with these materials before.
This photo shows our diorama ready to have the hydrocal applied. On the right is a measuring cup and an old margarine tub that we have mixed the hydrocal and water in.
Step 1: Cut 20 paper towels into a variety of strips between 2 and 4 inches wide.
Step 2: Mix the hydrocal according to the recommended instructions into a small plastic contain about the size of a tub of margarine.
Step 3: soak a paper towel in the mixture then apply it to the diorama.
Step 4: continue soaking paper towels in the hydrocal and applying them to the diorama. Work quickly, the hydrocal will dry fast. When it becomes difficult to work with clean out the tub and mix a new batch of hydrocal. For a project of this size you should be able to complete it with 3 or four batches.
The photo below shows the cardboard and newspaper shell completely covered in the hydrocal soaked paper towels. When this dries it will form a hard shell. Use the paper towels, your fingers, and tools to gently form the landscape.
You have completed the shell of the diorama. Set it aside to dry and clean up all of your materials.
After the diorama has dried (This will vary depending on how many layers of paper towel you have applied) you are ready to move on to the next chapter.
Continue to chapter 4: The landscape details
This is a Storm The Castle Website
Table of Contents for this tutorial
More Diorama Stuff
- Index - Diorama Home
- What is a diorama?
- A short history of Dioramas
- Diorama Books
- Painting Miniatures
- Diorama Ideas
- Diorama Examples
- Diorama Making for the artist
- Diorama Making supplies & Tools
- Dioramas by Web Visitors
- Printable diorama box
Types of Dioramas to Make
- How to make a Paper Mache Diorama
- Diorama inside a lightbulb
- Insect Maker Diorama
- Mississippi River with Indians
- Really creative shoebox diorama
- Dinosaur Diorama
- Make a secret diorama
- Firefly Diorama with real blinking lights
- Rainforest Diorama
- Ocean Diorama
- Shadowbox diorama
- Make a shoebox diorama
- Massive Castle Diorama
- Diorama Examples
- Polymer Clay
- The Battle of Thermopylae Spartan Warrior Diorama - A tutorial
- HALO Diorama
- Wizards Tower Foam Diorama
- Cemetary Diorama
- Trench Warfare
- Simple Nature Diorama
- Water Woman Diorama
STORES
- Diorama Making Books
- Sideshow Collectible Lord of the Rings Dioramas
- Plastic Scale Dinosaur Diorama Kits
- Harry Potter Dioramas
- Diorama Foam
Check out the Diorama and Miniature store
Short Diorama Tutorials
- How to Make realistic tufts of grass
- How to make trenches
- Creative terrain shell making
- How to make Miniature Trees
- How to Make rubber rock and wall molds
- Motorize a drawbridge on your diorama
- Using foam to make a diorama
- How to make good looking rubble using cork
- Creative Shoebox Diorama Ideas for School
- A foam based diorama with water from start to finish
OTHER PROJECTS
Make a cardboard Samurai Sword
Make a Cardboard Medieval Shield
How to make a fantasy shadowbox
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Kalif Publishing and StormtheCastle.com
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