LOTR diorama attempts - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Sauron the White · 06-25-2007, 07:19 AM

If anyone is interested, I build dioramas in my spare time and use the LOTR films as the subject. I use the Armies of Middle Earth figures which are between two and three inches high. I have eight of them including one from the SILMARILLION.
You can see them here

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gideonccz/page1/

the best one is on page four.

Any criticism or suggestions for improvement would be welcomed.

Fordim Hedgethistle · 06-25-2007, 08:55 AM

Those are mighty impressive. How in the world are you able to 'make' water??

Sauron the White · 06-25-2007, 09:12 AM

Thank you Fordim.
You make water using a resin. I buy a product from Unreal Details called Magic Water. Woodland Scenics sells a product that is useful in forming water effects like whitecaps and frothing water. It takes many small applications and lots of good timing to get it right. It is probably the most difficult part of making these.

alatar · 06-25-2007, 10:01 AM

Sauron the White - too cool! Are the figures commercially available, or do you make or alter them? Same questions for the environments as I have no clue as how it's all done. Next question is: why? Why do you make these dioramas? Do you 'play' with them (like trains) or is it just a hobby that you enjoy - to see if you can recreate a scene in miniature? And do you have to consult the Peter Jackson films to create the scene?

Sorry for all of the questions.

Bêthberry · 06-25-2007, 10:20 AM

This certainly isn't home made papier maché! Very professional-looking. I can imagine a Games Workshop game being played in these sets, although they do look more like "stills" to me.

Do you have a great deal of time on your hands? If so, can I have some please? Am willing to trade for other work, which may or may not be as aesthetically pleasing.

Sauron the White · 06-25-2007, 10:25 AM

Alatar
the figures are from the Armies of Middle Earth series by Play Along which is no longer in business. Some are standard figures and I use them as they were designed. Others are customized such as the Orcs in the Pelennor one. Morgoth was made from three different SPAWN figures and then customized some more. I do not play with them - just look at them. Once they are made, they are as solid as rock. I both consult the PJ films and read the books. For example, the one on page four - FORDS AT BRUNIEN - I tried to really capture the scene exactly as in the film but scaled down the river a bit. But in reading the book I noticed that it took place at the height of Fall and Frodo describes all the trees turning colors from his bed at Rivendell. So when I did the trees I added some fall foilage trees to capture that effect. In the film they are all green. And of course, there is no Morgoth and Fingolfin in the films so that is strictly by the book.

The fun part is the landscape. Some of which is created from scratch and some is cobbled together using other available parts like styrofoam rocks and trees. I use lots of molds and other things that railroad builders employ. A company called Woodland Scenics is a godsend for folks like me.

btw- are you the same Alatar from b77?

alatar · 06-25-2007, 10:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sauron the White

btw- are you the same Alatar from b77?

Don't understand your question.

Anyway, your dioramas are excellent. Do you enter them in contests?

Sauron the White · 06-25-2007, 10:42 AM

I do not know of any contests in which to enter them. But I just do them for myself - my own satisfaction and expression.

There was/is a person who uses the same screen name ALATAR on other Tolkien sites - board77 for one and Hall of Fire for another. I was just asking if you are that same individual.

Sauron the White · 06-25-2007, 10:50 AM

Bethberry ... thank you for the nice words. Yes, I do have a great deal of time on my hands these days - retirement does that for you. The Games Workshop figures are a bit smaller scale than the AOME that I use. GW also has the huge liability of having thick bases that are part of the figures while AOME can be removed so that the effect is much more realistic in that you do not have figures posed among landscape standing on bases made of other materials. Also GW figures are not articulated like the AOME ones are.

alatar · 06-25-2007, 10:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sauron the White

I do not know of any contests in which to enter them. But I just do them for myself - my own satisfaction and expression.

Just wondered. Sorry, but at my age I'm always looking for a reason to do anything ("Sorry, dear, can't help with the kids right now...gotta finish this SbS post or the world will be thrown into chaos.")

Quote:

There was/is a person who uses the same screen name ALATAR on other Tolkien sites - board77 for one and Hall of Fire for another. I was just asking if you are that same individual.

Not me. Post here and no where else (Just how did the Downs get so lucky...

).

Rumil · 06-25-2007, 02:35 PM

Hi Sauron the White

Fantastic work !

These are really brilliant, I especially like the water at the Bruinen.

Quempel · 06-25-2007, 04:40 PM

Those are really nice. What a collection you have there maybe you could open up your own ME museum or store.

Lalwendë · 06-26-2007, 04:13 AM

I like these! I've a fair few of these AOME figures myself, the horseback ones I like in particular, but they're just in the cabinet with all the 6" action figures I've collected. Think I got almost a hundred of the big 'uns in the end - I'm now onto Doctor Who figures (after a brief affair with Pirates figures) which are displayed in a Tardis playset

. Of course, I get my action figures out and play with them now and then.

davem did a fair few of the GW figures, just for display, and ended up using cat litter (clean and unused, natch) for the bases to produce a very realistic effect of gravel. The range of those was quite impressive, including characters such as Lobelia with her umbrella!

I'd have no room in the house for big dioramas alas.

Sauron the White · 06-26-2007, 06:46 AM

Thanks to all for the kind words. I also have shrinking room to display these things. Off and on for a while now I have been working on Helms Deep. I began with the Play Along set which only has the upper half of the main building and a short causeway ramp. I now have the lower half to match, a three foot causeway, a four feet Deeping Wall with blown up opening and the tower that Gimli blows the horn on. I have over 550 figures for it including 300 Uruk hai. But all this stuff sits in various boxes since I will need a space at least six feet by eight feet to build it cokplete with mountains in the appropriate spots.

My goal was to do something that you would see in a museum as a centerpiece in a large room. Problems is I do not have the large room. I feel a bit like the Wright Brothers who built a plane in their small bicycle shop only to have to remove a wall to get it out.

Maybe those one foot square ones are the ticket. With or without the kitty litter

06-25-2007, 07:19 AM	#1
Sauron the White Ghost Prince of Cardolan Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 903	LOTR diorama attempts If anyone is interested, I build dioramas in my spare time and use the LOTR films as the subject. I use the Armies of Middle Earth figures which are between two and three inches high. I have eight of them including one from the SILMARILLION. You can see them here http://www.flickr.com/photos/gideonccz/page1/ the best one is on page four. Any criticism or suggestions for improvement would be welcomed.

06-25-2007, 08:55 AM	#2
Fordim Hedgethistle Gibbering Gibbet Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Beyond cloud nine Posts: 1,844	Those are mighty impressive. How in the world are you able to 'make' water?? __________________ Scribbling scrabbling.

06-25-2007, 09:12 AM	#3
Sauron the White Ghost Prince of Cardolan Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 903	Thank you Fordim. You make water using a resin. I buy a product from Unreal Details called Magic Water. Woodland Scenics sells a product that is useful in forming water effects like whitecaps and frothing water. It takes many small applications and lots of good timing to get it right. It is probably the most difficult part of making these. Last edited by Sauron the White; 06-25-2007 at 10:53 AM.

06-25-2007, 10:01 AM	#4
alatar Doubting Dwimmerlaik Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Heaven's basement Posts: 2,466	Sauron the White - too cool! Are the figures commercially available, or do you make or alter them? Same questions for the environments as I have no clue as how it's all done. Next question is: why? Why do you make these dioramas? Do you 'play' with them (like trains) or is it just a hobby that you enjoy - to see if you can recreate a scene in miniature? And do you have to consult the Peter Jackson films to create the scene? Sorry for all of the questions. __________________ There is naught that you can do, other than to resist, with hope or without it.

06-25-2007, 10:20 AM	#5
Bêthberry Cryptic Aura Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 5,996	This certainly isn't home made papier maché! Very professional-looking. I can imagine a Games Workshop game being played in these sets, although they do look more like "stills" to me. Do you have a great deal of time on your hands? If so, can I have some please? Am willing to trade for other work, which may or may not be as aesthetically pleasing. __________________ I’ll sing his roots off. I’ll sing a wind up and blow leaf and branch away.

06-25-2007, 10:25 AM	#6
Sauron the White Ghost Prince of Cardolan Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 903	Alatar the figures are from the Armies of Middle Earth series by Play Along which is no longer in business. Some are standard figures and I use them as they were designed. Others are customized such as the Orcs in the Pelennor one. Morgoth was made from three different SPAWN figures and then customized some more. I do not play with them - just look at them. Once they are made, they are as solid as rock. I both consult the PJ films and read the books. For example, the one on page four - FORDS AT BRUNIEN - I tried to really capture the scene exactly as in the film but scaled down the river a bit. But in reading the book I noticed that it took place at the height of Fall and Frodo describes all the trees turning colors from his bed at Rivendell. So when I did the trees I added some fall foilage trees to capture that effect. In the film they are all green. And of course, there is no Morgoth and Fingolfin in the films so that is strictly by the book. The fun part is the landscape. Some of which is created from scratch and some is cobbled together using other available parts like styrofoam rocks and trees. I use lots of molds and other things that railroad builders employ. A company called Woodland Scenics is a godsend for folks like me. btw- are you the same Alatar from b77?

06-25-2007, 10:42 AM	#8
Sauron the White Ghost Prince of Cardolan Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 903	I do not know of any contests in which to enter them. But I just do them for myself - my own satisfaction and expression. There was/is a person who uses the same screen name ALATAR on other Tolkien sites - board77 for one and Hall of Fire for another. I was just asking if you are that same individual.

06-25-2007, 10:50 AM	#9
Sauron the White Ghost Prince of Cardolan Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 903	Bethberry ... thank you for the nice words. Yes, I do have a great deal of time on my hands these days - retirement does that for you. The Games Workshop figures are a bit smaller scale than the AOME that I use. GW also has the huge liability of having thick bases that are part of the figures while AOME can be removed so that the effect is much more realistic in that you do not have figures posed among landscape standing on bases made of other materials. Also GW figures are not articulated like the AOME ones are.

06-25-2007, 02:35 PM	#11
Rumil Sage & Onions Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Britain Posts: 894	Hi Sauron the White Fantastic work ! These are really brilliant, I especially like the water at the Bruinen. __________________ Rumil of Coedhirion

06-25-2007, 04:40 PM	#12
Quempel Haunting Spirit Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: In a flower Posts: 97	Those are really nice. What a collection you have there maybe you could open up your own ME museum or store. __________________ Lurking behind Uncle Fester

06-26-2007, 04:13 AM	#13
Lalwendë A Mere Boggart Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: under the bed Posts: 4,737	I like these! I've a fair few of these AOME figures myself, the horseback ones I like in particular, but they're just in the cabinet with all the 6" action figures I've collected. Think I got almost a hundred of the big 'uns in the end - I'm now onto Doctor Who figures (after a brief affair with Pirates figures) which are displayed in a Tardis playset . Of course, I get my action figures out and play with them now and then. davem did a fair few of the GW figures, just for display, and ended up using cat litter (clean and unused, natch) for the bases to produce a very realistic effect of gravel. The range of those was quite impressive, including characters such as Lobelia with her umbrella! I'd have no room in the house for big dioramas alas. __________________ Gordon's alive!

06-26-2007, 06:46 AM	#14
Sauron the White Ghost Prince of Cardolan Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 903	Thanks to all for the kind words. I also have shrinking room to display these things. Off and on for a while now I have been working on Helms Deep. I began with the Play Along set which only has the upper half of the main building and a short causeway ramp. I now have the lower half to match, a three foot causeway, a four feet Deeping Wall with blown up opening and the tower that Gimli blows the horn on. I have over 550 figures for it including 300 Uruk hai. But all this stuff sits in various boxes since I will need a space at least six feet by eight feet to build it cokplete with mountains in the appropriate spots. My goal was to do something that you would see in a museum as a centerpiece in a large room. Problems is I do not have the large room. I feel a bit like the Wright Brothers who built a plane in their small bicycle shop only to have to remove a wall to get it out. Maybe those one foot square ones are the ticket. With or without the kitty litter