Welcome back to our second entry in the articles looking at the beautiful dioramic frames of the miniature painting world. We were lucky enough to have Jonathan talk about his frames a few months ago, and now we're equally as lucky to have Florian talk about his! He has made a point of explaining that he isn't a native English speaker, so there may be grammar issues throughout. I never like to correct too much because it can often take away from the authenticity of the words, so please bare that in mind and let's enjoy what Florian has to say!
Florian from Olfawok
There are already quite a few miniature frames out there, we all know Roman's works and of course his works were also a source of inspiration and an incentive for me to fit some plastic into a frame.
I often have crazy ideas that are usually far too big. So I had an idea that I discussed with Roman at our last personal meeting. The idea was already fully developed in my head, every miniature had its place, the scene had color. Roman's well-intentioned advice: start small first!
How ideas change over time, develop further, are reset and rethought. In other words, how they can develop their very own dynamic. I'm sure we've all been there: lying in bed at night, unable to sleep, thinking about the next color scheme, the next conversion or the composition of the next diorama. For me, this mental carousel is an extremely important aspect of the hobby.
And in none of my previous miniature projects is it as clear as in this diorama. I would now like to report on this development, the changes to the composition during the building and even painting process. And how this even changes the history of the scene!
Based on my original idea, which Roman kindly boiled down to something realizable, squigs from the Warhammer Fanatsy or Age of Sigmar setting were of course a given. A git is also a must, one that moves the squigs in the right direction.
It was supposed to be a night scene in a forest. First I placed the first tree and the first miniature, only to realise that it wouldn't work out at all. The chosen frame was also far too deep. The fact that the miniatures cast their own shadows will make it extremely difficult to photograph the frame later! A diorama in a frame tries to transform three-dimensional miniatures into a two-dimensional canvas. Here I have learned that less depth is often more! In my case, I reduced the frame from 30mm to 15mm and started again from the beginning.
Side note: it is extremely helpful to exchange ideas with friends and one of my most important tips. Look for like-minded people in the hobby, preferably people who are much better than you. Ask for advice and get help. I would not have achieved the following result without Kevin (thanks again). He nudged me in the right direction in a friendly but determined way and knows a lot more about compositions than I do!
Frame across this time, looked for a suitable tree. Then sketched out the basic idea and chose an evil Git as the leader. It doesn't always have to be the perfect plans, the simplest sketches can also help to evaluate ideas and check whether you are on the right track. Whereby the path can of course change again and take a different turn!
With the miniatures in place, you can already see what has changed here compared to the original idea. Just a small detail, but a big result. The git has been moved slightly off-center. It now divides the picture according to the golden ratio. The largest and most forward squig, the one at the bottom left, divides the picture again according to the golden ratio. This division is pleasing to the eye and is also familiar from classical photography.
The positioning of the other squigs ensures that the viewer's gaze is directed. Either from top left to bottom right to the git. Or from the top right, the evil moon, over the small flying squigs to the bottom left to the Git.
The crescent of the Git is deliberately positioned between the fork of the branch so that there is no interfering branch behind it. The flying squigs were shot in such a way that they can credibly dive between the branches.
All in all, the scene is intended to convey that the Git is sneaking through the forest with his personal bodyguard, lying in wait for his enemy in the moonlight. The Squigs bounce towards the enemy, but it's not total chaos! The painting was then determined on the basis of this story. A simple sketch often helps here too! The git and the branch separate the frame into a lightand a darker side. The light comes from the evil moon and conveys a gloomy atmosphere.
The finished frame is impressive, but somehow I wasn't satisfied. The area at the bottom left was too empty, the absolutely crazy and chaotic character of the squigs didn't come across clearly enough.
I therefore decided to develop the original idea further. You can also take finished projects out of the display case and give them another go! That's why I gradually added more squigs and also installed a Squig Herder. The Squig Herder is there to spur on the squigs, and is at least as insane as the squigs. The git is allowed to present itself as an evil boss and smart guy. To underline the madness of the Squig Herder, I have deliberately chosen a different color to emphasise this.
Little by little the whole madness of the squig herd became clear! The last squig almost jumps out of the picture, a conscious decision!
It's amazing how many miniatures can fit into such a small frame and how changing just a few details can change the whole picture, rewrite the story. Now it's no longer an ambush in the moonlight, but a massive attack by a squig herd with no regard for noise. Nobody sneaks anymore, the Herder whips the squigs at the top of his voice! And who actually says that the story is finished? That this frame is finished? Why should squigs actually stick to a frame? I mean, Squigs are so chaotic, they won't even stop at a frame in a small work of art! Maybe soon...
And maybe one day I'll dare to try the big idea, which Roman has been kind enough to boil down to afeasible size.
Lovely Greetings to all you out there, to the best hobby community in the world
Your Olf
A massive thanks are due to Florian for his wonderful words and processes behind the making of his framed diorama and the ever changing nature of taking on ambitious projects. With such an in depth look at the work behind creating framed dioramas, there's now no excuse to get started on your own one, if you've been mulling it over! It somehow doesn't seem so daunting and complicated now does it? And that inspirational motivation to get out of your comfort zone and pull of something like this, is all because of Florian and the effort and time he has devoted to share this with you all. Don't waste the opportunity!
So thanks again to Florian for all of his work, and thank ou all for reading and checking this article out. Make sure you go and have a look at Florians page over at @olfawok to see all of the other beautiful work he creates, and get some inspirational in your life!
If you have anything you'd like to contribute towards this frame series, please get in touch via plasticpreacher@gmail.com or @plasticpreacher on Instagram. See you soon!
Really impressive work! Florian made great use of the frame in presenting the story, they look like they are about to leap out of it.