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 The conception of this diorama came about simply by the acquisition of a Jack Daniels display that had a gothic styled metal fence . Whether or not I could take it to the next level of actually constructing the grave marker entrance to Barbra dark's subterranean lair was a matter I solved in the 3D architectural design program called SketchUp! Once the basic design of the mausoleum was created , next came the construction of the various elements , all from styrofoam that I have been accumulating and hording for years . A test fit with straight pins and toothpicks helped me work out the constraints of the footprint for the foundation upon the base and working out the scale proportions with the figures .  When creating a diorama , the closer you can come to emulating realistic textures the more believable the setting will appear . The methods you use to achieve that degree of realism is a combination of your own personal vision as well as the scale of the piece . For a diorama that is as large as the Dark Mausoleum , I decided to put as much detail into as possible , which meant that I would need to do much more than just paint a faux stone surface onto the styrofoam . The beauty of styrofoam is that even in its raw state it's a very nice material to create stone . For the Dark Mausoleum it is my intention to create the appearance of old , weathered granite , as thought this particular grave marker has stood here for a hundred years . With any faux stone finish , the successful emulation comes not just from a single layer of paint but a glazing of successive layers , one placed over the other . To that end I am employing a variety of techniques to capture the appearance of the granite .  I've created a great many dioramas over the years , all of which have been created with a variety of materials . What materials you choose to use is not so much a matter of hard and fast rules , but what will help give the effect you are seeking , and from that standpoint , practically anything can be utilized . For this diorama , I am using a mixture of Celluclay Papier Mache mixed into the base paint , the reason for this is twofold ; first , the papier mache's fibrous nature will aid in adding structural strength to the model as well as providing a smooth lumpy base texture to the styrofoam and foam core boards used to make up the sections of the model , which helps blend these two texturally different components together . For my secondary layer of texturing , I have added a fine scale scenic ballast to the paint mix which adds a grainy and rough surface . The combination of the ballast and papier mache make a great stony texture that when sanded will help to give the surface a variety of weathered texture .  When mixing color for a faux stone surface there is really only one thing to consider when mixing color , and that is the color of the stone . Granite does come in a variety of colors , but for this particular model , I'm going for your standard grey granite block . Typically , for a stone finish , you want to start darker as a base and apply lighter colors to highlight . Because of the method I am using to create my stone texture , it really doesn't matter whether I start my base color dark , as a matter of fact , I have paid no attention at all to the shade of grey used between layers , some are darker and some are lighter . The reason for this is simple , due to the fact that I will be going in after applying the textural layers with tools and sanding films , the result of this will mean the different layers will be revealed through one another . Thusly , by having different shades of grey show through the depth of the stone finish will be enhanced .   Once the initial base colors and texture layers have been applied and allowed dry , comes one of the more tedious aspects of capturing a faux stone surface . . . sanding . Again , I will remind you , the illusion of a stone surface may be captured in a variety of ways and the method being demonstrated here is indeed perhaps the most labor intensive . Again , it is primarily due to the sheer size of this model , that I am addressing the creation of the stone surface with as much detail as possible . Much of the illusion of reality when creating a faux texture is the transparent and translucent glazing of paints that allow the variety of layers to interact with one another , thus giving depth to the surface . This faux granite surface is doing the same thing only to a more extreme degree since I am using different textural layers to show through each other , in addition to color . The way this is achieved is the use of sandpaper , and by removing the surface material .  Granite is a medium to coarse grained igneous rock , so it is important at this stage NOT to remove TOO much of your texture during the sanding process . The purpose of the sanding process is not so much to remove the surface inasmuch it is to knock it back and subdue the texture . As the sanding progresses , the various layers are revealed through one another , so in effect you are applying a dimensional glaze with this technique , you are working backwards , when compared to a painted faux surface . It's very important also , to let the surface itself do some of your work for you . By varying the degree of sanding , the coarseness of the abrasives you use and utilizing the imperfections within the model surface itself , you can achieve a great diversity of surface texture and details with a minimum of effort .  As the sanding progresses , the reasons for using papier mache and fine grit ballast really begins to show on the model surface . The differing sizes of the grit layered on top of globs of papier mache give a convincing appearance of the coarse granular structure of granite .   | 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 | | 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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