Modelling & Diorama tips

It seems that there are an increasing number of people wanting to get into modelling (model kit and diorama building) these days. Most of these are people that built kits years ago and some are first-timers. Their skills may be rusty or non-existent. We would like to assist you with helpful suggestions on building, painting and detailing.

  Many models, even cars, can be put into a simple diorama setting adding a new dimension to your modelling skills by adding a story. For example, you just finished a car model and you put it on your shelf. Nice. Now picture it sitting on a piece of thin wood painted in a tarmac or concrete colour, paint in 2 yellow lines and you have a parking lot. This sets the car off nicely, and it was simple to do.

You could just as easily make a roadway base. Add some Woodland Scenics dirt and grass and you have a country road.

This idea of putting your models into scenes is where modelling and trains (building model railway layouts) meet. Both use the same materials and skills. A model train layout is basically just a big diorama, just a little more work & imagination.

    As a hobby shop host for our guests, it is not only our responsibility to provide the materials the modeller needs but to provide the knowledge on how to create the effect they are looking for. There are the basic techniques and materials that are commercially available but we have found over the years that many modellers have found other ways to create using different ideas, many of which have nothing to do with traditional modelling.

   We invite any modeller that has different ideas and/or techniques to share this with other modellers by emailing your idea or YouTube video so we can post it with your name (if you wish). We also invite train modellers to share what the have discovered over the years. The more knowledge you have, the more enjoyable modelling is.

~~This post is by Al B. at our South store. He has been doing various model and diorama builds for over 30 years. This blog is his opinion on how he views modelling.