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 Adding the tech details to the diorama has been almost as work intensive as the entire diorama construction itself , and this is primarily due to the amount of parts bashing and assembly along with the decision making aesthetics . Finding just the right part , or combination of parts to achieve the specific look of the various room features is a matter of trial and error and then requiring more often than not , some modifcation to fit it within the design parameters . Then comes the painting and weathering and incorporation within the diorama base itself .   The access port created for the dio is arguably the key feature of this diorama , being one of those features that represents such a distinct " Star Wars " feel to the vignette . It is a very good example of the kitbashing process since it is constructed entirely of bits of pieces of totally unrelated junk . The panel base is from a Budweiser key chain , the cabling hookups are from a coaxial antennae adaptor , and the access port itself is constructed from a Microman wheel , a 1:18 scale mortor base , part of a 1:6 scale doll joint . All of these pieces had to be cut , filed and dremeled in order to fit them together in their final form ; then they were primed , painted and weathered . A final application of fixatif is added prior to attachment to the diorama base . A small note : The coaxial antenna adapter had the word JAPAN embossed on it , but rather than filing it off I chose to leave it on as an " in joke " , even in a Galaxy Far Far Away the computer stuff is " Made In Japan" .  When detailing your vignette , you want to add just enough details to give it a look of authenticity without making it look cluttered . Finding a nice balance of bashed pieces and " real " features such as wires and metal and screws helps to lend the set piece a tangible realism .  I still need one more piece to cover up the recycling stamp on the printer ink cartridge tray used to make the AC Unit , but this feature is mostly done . Painting was done with a combination of drybrush and airbrush , with weathering achieved with colored pencils , chalk pastels and sanding paper .  The air filter is part of the " My Scene " Skechers store display with aluminum bands and miniature philips head screws added . The humidifier is half of a 1:6 scale radio set with half of a Takara X-Borg arm piece and real wires . A small piece of aluminum was used as a binder on the two red wires ( a small detail but the addition of which adds a lot to the appearance of the finished feature . ) Again the painting is achieved by airbrush , drybrush and wash , along with colored pencils and sand paper .   Having added some telescoping chrome bars from an old desk lamp as an exterior feature at the doorway I thought I'd add another chrome metal bar to the interior , mainly cuz I thought it really added a nice touch of added realism to the set piece . It also has the added advantage of providing your figure something to hold onto to prevent those unexpected late night shelf dives .  Beginning The Lighting Set Up  One way to really add some " Oomph " to your diorama is to add lighting effects . As a display piece this serves several functions , it allows you to emphasize certain focal areas with key illumination far better than relying on the ambient room lighting and it also adds another level of visual dynamics to the set piece . For this diorama I will be adding three lighting effects , two effects lighting pieces and the key light . I have started out by creating the rig for my key light , which is the light that will be used to highlight the center of interest . When deciding how to approach the rig for my key light the main focus I concentrated on was how to rig this light so that it would not encroach onto the scene yet still allow a great deal of mobility as far as placement . My solution was to create a rig that emulated stage lighting , suspending the keylight above the diorama . I pushed in some drywall anchors on the top of the diorama and then inserted a bent steel rod into them . This method gives me the option of easily inserting or removing the keylight rig from the model . The keylight itself is a Craftsman Hobby Light , basically a small clip on LED unit that was intended to allow the hobbyist to clip the lightsource onto his or her safety glasses . It has two bright white LED's with individual switches allowing you to use one or both LED's to light your subject . The clip-on feature means I can place the light anywhere along the steel rod and since the light rotates on the clip it provides a great deal of modularity when it comes to focusing the beams . The whole light unit measures 1 inch by 3/4 of an inch so it is lightweight and small and powered by watch batteries there are no ugly electrical wires hanging around . The two effects lights I will be adding are a room light that I will attach over the door and a blue tube light that will be placed on the edge of the diorama's right wall .  This closeup of Fatalus amply displays the dramatic effect of the keylight , photographed in standard ambient room lighting with the spotlight focused on her . The play of light and shadow really brings out the dimensions and colors of the set piece .  Continuing with my modular lighting effects for this diorama , is the installation of the blue tube light . A rather simple lighting effect utilizing 2 blue LED " Spy Finger Lights " that I picked up last year at the grocery where I work and a styrene cylinder . Attached via MAS , the Magnetic Attachment System , it can strobe , pulse or illuminate constant just by pushing the actuator buttons one , two , or three times . The blue cases will be repainted to match the room color , this is just a test of the attachment system . Two unobtrusive magnets are embedded in the wall allowing the tube to be removed for ordinary display or to change out the batteries that operate the flashers .  With the key light spotlighting Fatalus , the blue tube glowing eerily in the background , a nice bit of mood and atmosphere is created within the dislay piece . I'm now ready to install the primary room light over the doorway .  It was my goal to create a totally unobtrusive lighting system for this diorama , one that was entirely battery operated with no electrical wiring or cords . I wanted a method of lighting the set that could be modular , so that if I wished , I could remove all the lighting and let the display stand alone and still appear quite natural . The magnetic attachment system allows me that freedom , and if I want , I can create additional components to stick on the magnets if the lights are removed . I was fortunate in finding a clip on book light that had a futuristic and streamlined design that would work perfectly as the primary room light with some modification .  One of the reasons the Magnetic Attachment System was so vital for this lighting setup was to make it really easy to change out the batteries without disrupting the vignette . Once I had removed the clip-on feature of the book light , I reused the cut pieces to modify the design of the light and cemented metal plates onto the shortened clip on plate . It was then just a matter of gluing in the magnets to the wall .  With the primary room light folded down ( which turns it off ) and placing two back and side lights behind the diorama , I check out the keylight and blue tube in a test installation shot . It really nakes for an atmospheric and dramatic shot .  With the display lighting on and the model lights on I do another test shoot , and I'm pretty happy with the results .  | Darth Fatalus Diorama2 | Darth Fatalus Diorama3 | DarthFatalus Diorama4 | Diorama Final | | Warrior Maiden | Femforce Customs | Jungle Woman | CopperheadPenny | CoolioGirls | WarriorMaidengallery2 | Race Bannon | sci-figal | biminirhodes | Catwoman | sorceress | Femforce Customs2 | A Mod Look | Jennifer Wetworks | OnnaBugei_sha | Gila Garnet | whisper | headsculpts | costume | Wigging It | Darth Fatalus | Swashbuckler | Finn O'malley | Darth Fatalus Diorama | streetfighter | MoonGirlRedux | dakota_montana | ZombieKillerBikerLesbos | Hair | Thaay Katar | halfbreed | princessofmars | HestervanWeiren | Autumn Bliss | BioSaber Ruby | Woman of Vanir | | CoolGirlCustoms | WildRoses | CoolGirl Collection | CoolGirl Collection2 | CoolGirl Collection3 | TheToysmith | CoolGirl Collection4 | CoolGirl Collection 5 | CoolGirl Collection 6 | CoolGirl Collection 7 | CoolGirl Collection8 | Kill All Robots CyberHuntress | CoolGirl Collection 9 | CoolGirl Collection 10 | Bad Amy | Buckaroo Betty | SimpleDetails | CoolGirl Collection 11 | coolgirlHQ | Cool Girl Comics | Cool Girl collection 12 | KisaragiKustom | AlternativeCutey | coolgirl_collection9 | DX-Style Yuni | DX Style Sanchez | Cool Girl _Akiko Fuji | CG Gallery | Samurai Figures | Cool Girl Collection13 | Cool Links | Triad_2 | Playscale ResourceCenter | Sword and Sorcery | | ReelArts Blue Bulleteer | Shocker Toys | Cool Girls | Triad Toys | KiniKomix | KiniKomix2 | Custom Action Figures | eBay Auctions | AppleseedTribute | Macross Valkyrie | Planet of the Apes | Horse Sense | WeaversUpholsteryToo | ToyBiz_Iron Man | Dirty Pair | On Display | The OTHER Gorby | Obitsu | | 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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