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If you found this page , then it is probable you've noticed that when it comes to 1/6 scale dioramas there is an abundance of military subjects when it comes to customizers creating vignettes for their 12 inch tall action dolls , and practically nothing when it comes to subjects that are not World War Two or military related , or more than just a single figure vignette . Suppose though , you didn't WANT to recreate a scene of a shell damaged building and or trench , or a base that served to display but one of your figures . Well then , hopefully this section of Geeb-O-Rama will answer some questions or inspire you , in your quest to aim for something better than Barbie's Dream House or The Western Front .   Building a diorama is a great deal of fun , and is not something that is solely the realm of model railroading , military modelling or fantasy wargaming even though it may appear to be the case when seeking inspiration or ideas for such a project . I've been creating dioramas since the beginning of my modelling hobby as a mere kid , and while most of my early pieces were indeed military in theme as my skills improved and my collections expanded beyond military subjects so too did my diorama subjects . Not surprising , it all begins with an idea and a sketch .  It has been a long while since I last worked on this vignette , but once again I am hard at it . Having pinned together the various sections , cutting out the doorway panel and doing some sectional adjustments I am now in the process of adding the plasterwrap hardshell . The main reason you would want to cover your diorama with plasterwrap is strength . Despite that this model is constructed of foamcore , once coated with the plaster infused gauze , it will be a great deal sturdier and much stronger at all the various attachment points of the separate sections . As you might have noticed , I decided to remove the exterior support pillar , which just seemed to be a superfluous form that really didn't do much for the overall model . I had planned on making the stairsteps a part of the dio , but have amended that decision , opting to keep it modular . Once I have completed the hardshell work , I will then decide how I want to address the interior finish .  When dealing with a 1/6th scale model it may prove useful to know what that scale translates to in standard measurements . Simply put , 1 Inch equals Six Inches , 2 inches is the equivalent of 1 Foot , thus a 12 inch action figure is for all intents and purposes a representation of a six foot tall person . Now there is certainly the potential to go off the deep end when creating a diorama for 12 inch figures by making a vignette that is monstrous , but the entire point of this section is to show that you can create a scene that looks big but has a relatively small footprint , as well as being deceptively lightweight . My favorite trick for keeping a diorama light starts with the base ; which is , in this case , a picture frame . Since the entire center is open , a great deal of weight is eliminated from the git go . The actual base of the scene is 1/2 inch foam core cut to size to slip just inside the frame and sit upon the backing board . The entire structure of the room interior is constructed of foam core , except for the support column which is styrofoam . All of the flooring is 1/4 inch foam core and is built much like a box so that the interior of each section is hollow , again eliminating most potential areas of weight . The entire model will then be covered in rigid wrap , basically gauze bandages that are infused with plaster that when dry will form a hard shell that remains lightweight .  One of the ways to incorporate a lot of depth into a vignette while keeping to a relatively small space is by utilizing a variety of levels and positive and negative space . This interior only has one solid wall , thus it is dominated by positive space which keeps it open and apparently more spacious than it really is .The flooring consists of three levels which helps in keeping the figures at different eyelines thus enhancing the illusion of space rathering than bunching them all up on one horizon line . This particular layout can easily accomodate six figures without looking overcrowded . 
 Stay Tuned To Geeb-O-Rama for further Tips , Tricks and Techniques on building a 1/6 th scale diorama for your 12 action figures!  Having the good fortune of purchasing a sectional sofa from Weaver's Upholstery Too! by Kimberlee Weaver inspired me to create some more furniture to accompany this new living room set . As a keen admirer of the Mission Style , and Arts and Crafts style of furniture design I chose to create a set of tables and shelves of that design . I like the Mission style due to its clean lines and simple construction , which also makes it easy to construct , even at 1/6th scale . I am also building a Mission Lamp , which is sitting on the side table at the left side of the picture , this , like all the other pieces in this set of tables are based off furniture that makes up my own 1:1 living space .  This miniature lamp is based off my favorite table lamp , a Dale Tiffany lamp I picked up at JC Penney for a relatively low price as far as home furnishings go . Art glass ( or styrene as in the case of this mini version ) will be inserted in the vertical body column as well as in the lamp shade . If I feel the inclination , I may even go so far as to wire it up for actual illumination purposes . This is constructed entirely of basswood .  In my 1:1 world this bookcase holds some of my collection of VHS tapes . This is a fairly straightforward model build up , consisting of vertical and horizontal post and slat work . My miter box came in handy cutting the angled corners for the base frame . I have pinned all the structural elements with cut off paperclips . That's the start of another table lamp at the rear of the shelf . Again , this is constructed entirely of basswood .  This table pretty much sums up why I like the Mission Design style . Its bold and simple with nice clean lines , making for really easy construction . This also is a fairly accurate reproduction of my own furniture , although I have added two additional vertical slats on either end of my mini version     An interesting find from Michael's Arts and Crafts , a picture frame that has nice brushed aluminum facade accents . With some sticker appliques it will become a quite suitable television in 1/6th scale . The original glass has been removed and replaced with a clear styrene sheet cut to shape and placed close to the front of the frame opening . A movie still frame is printed out and placed within to simulate a broadcast .  I needed an entryway door for my modular vignette for the " Wild Roses " so I decided to create one using simple materials, basswood and brass . The main structure of the door is a single 1/4 inch thick basswood plank cut to length ( around 14 inches high ) . The side and center frame and crosspanel are 1/8 inch by 3/4 inch basswood planks cut to size and the interior slatted panels are basswood dollhouse siding planks with pre-scored groove detailing . These are glued over the base door plank . The windows were cut out after the initial door construction was completed , and then a 1/16 inch recess channel was chiselled out to allow me to inset the styrene glass panes . I then used 1/8inch by 1/4 inch slats cut with a miter saw to form the window framing . I should have used a 1/8 inch sheet of sheet brass for the door knob face plate but not having any brass sheets of that thickness on hand I ended up taking a thinner sheet and hammering it to shape the face plate . The doorknob is a miniature lamp finial and the raised keyhole plate is the top of a flattop philips head screw . I have not yet made up my mind whether I will paint this door or stain it , but in keeping with the natural color scheme of this particular vignette I am leaning towards a stain to bring out the natural visual interest of the wood . | Diorama Accessories | The Dark Mausoleum | New Dioramas | darkmausoleum_part2 | diorama_technique | LeopardGirl_Diorama | shoji diorama | Shoji Groundwork | Mayan Triarama | Diorama Technique2 | | Mail-O-Rama | Geeb's How To | Head Sculpts Using Polymer Clay | Customizing The Batcycle | 1/6 scale diorama | terrain diorama | 1/6 Scale Boots | Re-Rooting Hair | BimBott | Read_A_Book | WorksInProgress | Aki Ross Repaint | Gun-Bashing | painting heads | Diorama Technique 3 | | Return Home | Updates | The Archive | Gorby Site Map | Geeb-O-Rama's Model Workshop | Geeb's Toy Box | Geeb-O-Rama Goodies | Movie Madness | World Of The Bizarre | Cool Beans | |
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