Old roadster!
This kit will be the basis of a
old rusty air show car that I plan to build and put outside the engine shop replacing #93.It was replaced by the much more powerful car that is under the lean -to at the side of the hangar.
My plan is to modify it to look more like a pre-WW1 car from around 1910.That would give me a good 15 years of wear and tear and lots of nice weathering possibilities.
I plan to change it to L/H drive,eliminate all lights and the 5th wheel.I will throw a tarp over the cockpit area which will eliminate a lot of detailing.I will modify the fenders or have non at all.I plan to modify the body and move the gas tank up behind the driver for gravity feed.The wheel spokes will be wood.Putting in the engine is optional or I could leave it sitting on the ground ,rusting out.
Should be fun!

Over on another website there was a lot of excitement about museums that display what is basically dollhouse rooms and furniture,without the dolls.

As you guys know 1/12 scale is considered doll house scale.A lot of people who are model makers let the word "dollhouse" turn them off to the wonderful things these guys and gals do both in scratchbuilding and in their use of kits.Some of the nicest modeling I have ever seen has been done by the dollhouse people.I make sure that I attend at least one show a year just to see what is going on.
I think that I have mentioned before that it was a dollhouse show that really inspired me to blend what I saw there, with other types of modeling, to create something new(at least I had never seen it done before).When I saw the effects that could be created with indoor lighting ,it blew me away.
I don't have the tools,patience or the skills required to do Louis the 14th furniture etc..but building and furnishing an old barn or hangar only requires basic carpentry skills,so that is when I decided to give it a go.A lot of 1/12 accessories and tools etc can easily be adapted to 1/16th scale.Especially tools that normally come in a variety of sizes in 1:1 scale.My hangar lighting is all dollhouse inspired with old brass Xmas bells for fixtures.In the office I used dollhouse overhead and table lamps to good advantage.
Another advantage is that it doesn't have to be expensive ,I use standard pine wood from hardware stores along with tongue depressors and coffee stir sticks of various sizes for most of my lumber requirements.Sandpaper for roofing material ,salvaged plexiglass for windows etc,etc.... being creative and using your imagination to find stuff is half the fun!

Proud to be a dioramist!
The next time that someone would have you believe that miniatures and dioramas cannot be ART have them check this out!Makes me proud to be part of this artform and something we could all aspire to!

The Art Institute of Chicago: http://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/thorne/index.php

Click on the picture for more pictures!
Cheers! John.

This is a pic of the parts of an old crate that I made for shipping the OX5 engine.I say shipping because I realized that I would have to make up my mind as to whether I would show nail holes or not.(No nail holes means the engine is being crated)
I guess that on a nice day in November grating the engine outdoors is not beyond the realm of possibility.The pic is not a very good one but it does show a creative way of showing the sides and top of the crate.(the base is attached to the engine)These parts are leaning up against the engine shop outside wall and the grate is about to be nailed together.I played around awhile to get what I think is a nice arrangement but it still needs an address label or an upside down" this end up" sign or at least a few identifying numbers .The upside down "this end up" would be a nice Ken Hamilton touch,stolen from his book "How to Build Creative Car Dioramas".

Another pic

Taking pictures,the fun part!
If there is one thing that I enjoy as much as diorama making ,it is taking pics of the diorama.In some ways I enjoy it even more, as it is a very creative activity and instantly rewarding with todays digital cameras.
I have revised my plans for the lighting,everything will be hooked up to a simple on/off switch with a control for the lighting intensity.I figure in a museum setting on or off will be all that is required.The bulbs will burn out and changing them is possible but not easy.If they are used sparingly though they should last for awhile.I will suggest to the museum staff that they also devise an alternate way of lighting the display case for daily use so the interior lights will only be turned on for the kids during the educational sessions.Until I ship it off their will be plenty of opportunity to creatively play with the lights,leaving some rooms lit while turning others off for all kinds of different effects.

From another website!
M Mephiticas wrote:
Dioramas are an art form.
Anyone that says otherwise must be blind.
These creations are indeed miniature works of 3 dimensional art.

That has always been my feeling too! It always bothered me that most modelers (and some still do) think that dioramas are nice bases that you set your model on.In fact some websites still have dioramas listed under bases or decorations for your model.
That is what got me going posting these threads on the various websites.I feel that dioramas should be recognized for what they are 3D ART!
A few years ago (7-8) I had heard that Shep Paine was getting tired of promoting dioramas and wished that someone else would carry the ball for awhile.I am sure that you have heard of his wonderful work,in fact he has published a few books on the subject.Anyway ,I thought why not take up the challenge and use the more modern tool ,the internet to do so.Besides who wants to get involved with all the hassles of book publishing.Another wonderful dioramist and pioneer in modern diorama making is Ken Hamilton ,who also has a book published that I would recommend to anyone.Promoting dioramas now takes up about half of my hobby time but who cares it is a labor of love and besides it is great for the old ego to get such wonderful responses to my work!
Cheers! John.

Hisso engine for the airshow car.I thought that I would start with a coat of burnt umber gesso to dull things down and get to a color closer to rust.This engine will be outside the car laying on the ground and rusting away.The base it is sitting on is actually a wooden part of the real car.They did some funny things in 1909!The bottom side of the engine will be buried in the sandy soil which saves me from scratchbuiding something that would never be seen anyway.
__________________
It has been said that the difference between a "pilot" and an "aviator" is that a pilot is a technician,and an aviator is an artist in love with flight.
JohnReid (Aviator)

The last major component of this diorama!
The Camel /Ford truck will be the last major component of this diorama yet to be built.The pictures here offer 2 nice ideas to think about.
The Ford model T truck changed little over the years and many were modified by their owners for their own use.In fact I believe Ford at the time would sell you the basic frame and engine and you could put your own body on it.The opportunities therefore are endless for modification.
Both of the arrangements pictured here ,I like equally well.I plan to put no fabric on the Camel so most parts should remain easily visible.The fuse on the truck and the wings on a trailer allows for maximum visibility while the other offers a more restrictive, view especially of the fuselage.I kind of like the idea of the airplane being towed using its own undercarriage and there would be no trailer to build.
The Ford 1/16th model could be used pretty much as is ,with extra parts on the roof rack ,although I would have to build a small extension for the tail to rest on.Decisions,decisions!!!

Keeping my options open!
I decided to attach the engine to the frame because I am limited for room where I plan to put this old wreck.I may just rust the frame and leave the body off completely! I really don't know at this point.The fun of doing this is if something doesn't work out you can just throw an old tarp over it and it will still look good.I tried something a little different this time with the weathering.Over the burnt umber gesso I applied the rust pastels and then finger flicked(the old toothbrush spray method )on some thin raw umber to get a more realistic effect.

This gives you an idea of where I plan to put the Hisso wreck.I could just throw a tarp over the rear end and use it as is!However,I think that I will carry it a few steps further and put it on its deflated tires.The instrument panel can't even be seen.How much of the body I will do I haven't yet decided, knowing when to stop is also an important consideration in modeling.I want it to fit into its environment not overpower it.Damn ,this is a lot of fun!

Fake nails in wood(How to..)From another thread.

Hi Brad! The nails are simple to do but time consuming.First decide on a pattern you like. Then take a pin and create a hole in the wood .With an ordinary sharp HB pencil,twist a little of the graphite into the hole you have created with the pin.Take a small round brush and dab a little water into each hole .If you want it a rusty color add a little burnt sienna acrylic to the water.The hole will swell and you are left with a level surface again.You can then play around with the surface using more burnt sienna or raw umber to create drips, streaks or whatever.You can even use a little burnt sienna pastel to soften the rusty effect. Good luck! Cheers. John.

Lighting!
You know,for as long as I can remember I have always been interested in the use of lighting to create a mood.Even before I got into modeling(about 37 years ago,has it really been that long???) I loved the effect that soft lighting could bring to a stage,room,painting whatever.The shadows created on a wall or floor,the campfire scene with the glow in the woods,the whole Budweiser thing with the house with the warm glow in the windows,these kind of things have always intrigued me.
When I was doing relief carving in wood, the dramatic effects created by proper lighting just blew me away.When I would paint a decorative bird sculpture I would always have a light shining on it ,to represent the sun's angle while I was working.In fact, when I think about it, lighting and birds of prey is what got me into bird carving in the first place.We have a raptor center close to where I live and on a visit there one day, I happened to pass an enclosure that contained two white gyrfalcons sitting on a branch above me, with the sun shining down on their feathers.What a beautiful sight it was, and it changed me forever.I just had to try to capture all that power and majesty in wood.Looking at those birds you knew that you were looking at something special, that only exists at the top of the food chain.
Why do I mention this?Well there seems to be something really powerful going on here between lighting and the effects it has on us.This of course is nothing new but it is very intriguing to think about..Churches of course have known all this for years with their glowing stained glass windows etc...
I have noted that whenever I post a picture of an indoor scene with the lights on ,I get a lot of response to those pictures.I am told that the viewer gets a greater sense of "being there"when the lights are on and angled in just a certain way.
As a 3D artist making dioramas ,I would like to encourage my fellow artist/modelers to be more aware of the use of lighting in your work.I don't see a lot of this(except for the RR guys) and I wonder why? It is such a simple tool to use, either a hand held light or some more permanent installation.And especially when taking pictures!All that camera equipment is really only optional and secondary to training your eye.I use a simple digital camera set on "auto" and a hand held reading type light to take all my pictures.They may not be the best but it works for me.
For you guys who go to model shows and want to try something different and maybe even win a prize ,think of some way to incorporate lighting into your model or scene,even if it is only those little battery powered lights that you see in Christmas scenes this time of year. Try it ,it is a lot of fun and will make a real creative difference in your work!