Hello and a warm welcome back to this wonderful series looking at some of the beautiful dioramas of the industry, and the wonderful artists behind the work. Today we have a real treat, in the form of Steve. This is a man who shows unbridled support and care to the community, whilst also finding time to be a bit of a master behind the brush. An honourable man. He's also a bit of a maestro when it comes to creating dioramas, so let's all get to know Steve and his perspective on miniature scenery building.
I have always appreciated a good diorama. From the early days of the nineties; looking in wonder at the exquisitely crafted work of legends like Mike Mcvey and John Blanche in the pages of White Dwarf, to modern masterpieces like those of Roman Lappat. Of course it was only natural that I would eventually find myself building dioramas of my own.
But what is it that captivates us about these creations and what makes a good diorama? Obviously like much in art, a lot of this is subjective, but here are my thoughts on this subject.
For me the great joy of dioramas are two fold: first they require a synergy of the array of skills we might acquire throughout our pursuit of the hobby: terrain crafting; converting or kitbashing miniatures; painting, maybe even sculpting (and 3D printing these days). Weaving all these threads together is both a joy and challenge: immensely satisfying to undertake and a pleasure to observe in the work of others.
Secondly, the most compelling aspect of diorama building is telling a story. This is where hobby and artistry meet. A good, or great diorama draws us into its world and has us wanting to explore. It makes us ask questions and seek answers.
I often like to think of a diorama like a screenshot from a scene in a movie. The image may be still, but within that image and around it, takes place the action of the characters’ lives. The diorama is a moment of an unfolding scene frozen in time. I try to start each project with a clear view of what story I mean to tell. Even before sketching a concept or imagining the layout I focus on narrative first - everything else follows.
Inspiration comes in many forms, sometimes from the simplest of sources. The first diorama I built was inspired by a shell my wife gave me, which in turn made me think of the Boticelli painting The Birth of Venus. From that small beginning came my Nurgle-themed 40K diorama “The rebirth of Venus” (I name each of my dioramas; It’s pretentious I know, but I like it). Other times my inspiration can begin with nothing more than an idea I think would look cool and then the story develops later. This was the case with “Three Blind Mice”. It began with an image in my head of a mass of zombies fighting and climbing over each other to reach their unfortunate victims. Having a simple, solid idea of what the base concept is will make life so much easier for you as you actually plan the diorama out.
Once the concept is decided upon I can then start truly planning my diorama. This is when I start sketching rough concepts. You don’t have to be an amazing artist; rough pencil sketches on the back of an envelope are fine! You just need to be able to start planning the layout in a way that makes sense to you. Look for inspiration to help and guide you; art, movie still and even real life photography are all excellent sources. It doesn’t even necessarily matter what the subject is; artists, directors and photographers are experts at composition and we can benefit from and piggy-back on their skills and experience by using them as references.
This is where I usually determine the shape and size of the diorama I will end up creating. There are so many possibilities, depending on what story you wish to tell, and how you intend the viewer to observe it. “Flat” dioramas where the viewer looks straight on are great for telling linear stories; a diorama built into a picture frame or box of some sort also works very well for this and gives a pleasing finish. Open dioramas on square, round or even more adventurously shaped bases are ideal for displaying scenes observable for multiple angles. These can take more work planning as you may have to consider a whole 360∘ of viewing perspectives, but the opportunity to create a highly detailed and fully immersive scene is very rewarding.
The size of the diorama is always an important consideration: you need to plan enough space to tell your story. Too small and it may look cramped, too large and your main characters or action may be lost. I make use of my sketches here to feel out what looks right and if I need to I try making mock ups using any objects and models I have to hand replicate the general shapes and layout to test spacing and placement.
If you are planning a diorama for the first time, don’t be put off with starting small. Learn how the materials and tools you have work. Take your time and enjoy the process of bringing your scene to life. I like to play out the story in my mind as I work; imagining what each model was doing up until the moment I am capturing, and what will happen next. Don’t be afraid to adapt and modify your ideas if something doesn't seem to be working - or if a better idea comes along. Despite all the mapping and planning, sometimes a particular idea just doesn’t work; maybe I can’t get the positioning of a model quite right, or it doesn’t express the idea I want it too. Learning to adapt and overcome these sorts of challenges is all part of the fun and will help you level up your skills for the next diorama!
Well I think I speak for all of us when I say a massive thanks to Steve for his time and devotion to writing up this piece for us all to enjoy and draw some knowledge from. A really extensive and well written perspective that I'm very grateful for. There's lots to take in here and you'd be a fool not to appreciate the work Steve has done in sharing this all for you. All of those artists who lock their knowledge and experience behind paywalls, and here's all of these tricks and tips for free just for you!
So make sure you go and give Steve a big virtual handshake or creepily forceful and lingering hug to show your appreication for him. I certainly will be doing the latter, at least in my own head, and there's nothing Steve or you can do about it. You can check Steve's page out HERE to see all of the other beautiful work he consistently creates. And to get you in the mood, here's a little selection of some of my favourite pieces of art Steve has made, from individual paint jobs, to more extensive dioramic builds. As you'll be able to see, his style is very gritty, cool and dark across the board and that's something I'm always here for.
This was our second entry into the diorama series, and I'm looking for more artists willing to share their thoughts, experiences, perspectives, tips and tricks or two cents on all dioramic things! If that's you, please get in touch via plasticpreacher@gmail.com or @plasticpreacher on Instagram.
Once again, a massive thanks to Steve, not just for this article, but for his undying support of this blog and therefore every single one of you. You make the world a better and brighter place, if not universally, then at least my own. And a big thanks to all of you guys for reading this and giving Steve the attention he most truly deserves!
Till next time!
Thanks for letting me ramble! Plus your very kind words, you're the best!