Build A Civil War Diorama

There are five basic steps to building a civil war diorama - the plan, the base, the frame, the contour materials, and the finishing materials. All of these should be thought out before hand, and the necessary materials assembled before construction begins.

The planning stage is the most important step, but it is one most often skipped or ignored. Before beginning the plan it's necessary to understand exactly what you want the diorama to include and the story you want to tell. Draw a list of the items needed on the diorama. The plan can be as simple as a pencil sketch on paper. It should show all the major features of the finished diorama. Miniature Worlds - All Your Diorama Building Needs

The best material to use for the diorama base is styrofoam. It is lightweight and easy to cut or carve. Styrofoam is available in a variety of different thicknesses, available here The frame's purpose is to provide an attractive edging material for the sides of the diorama. It should be at least 1/4" wider than the base material is thick. It is glued on before the contour material is applied. This is so you have something to butt the contour material against to provide a nice, finished edge. The frame can be wood, metal, or any other suitable material. Balsa works well, as it cuts easily, and adheres to Styrofoam with glue well. The photo at right shows a 1/4 inch styrofoam sheet and our framing kit. Use white tacky glue - we recommend 170421 Quick Tack Glue to glue the frame to the styrofoam base. The bottom photo shows the frame being installed on the frame with glue. Click on the photo for a larger veiw.
The next step is to draw the plan on the base. Using a pencil or marker, roughly draw in the desired features - hills, water ways, etc. If a pond or stream is to be part of the scene, and you are using Styrofoam, the depression can be cut out with a hobby knife. Since this is to be a civil war diorama, the soldiers and cannon are laid out approximately as they are to be in the diorama, a marker is used to draw in the major features. The pieces are then withdrawn and the features labeled. If you have a large project, using lots of styrofoam you may find the 070885 Hot Wire Cutter useful.
Now you are ready to form the contour of the diorama. You will need newspaper and duct or masking tape. Wad the newspaper up in balls and place in the spots on the base where you want hills. The newspaper can be twisted and roughly formed into shapes to form long, curved hills or embankments. Secure the paper with the tape, using it to form and hold the paper wads in place.

Plaster cloth is then laid over the formed paper, and misted with water using the 070102 Scenic Sprayer. Smooth and shape the wet plaster cloth with the fingers, working quickly, because the cloth sets up fast. Hydrocal or Mold-A-Scene may be used to smooth the terrain, and fill in low spots.
You are now ready to paint the terrain. Using the Earth Undercoat color from the Earth Color Kit, or you may use any acrylic earth colored craft paint diluting 50% with water, paint the entire terrain of the developing diorama. The paint color doesn't need to be consistent over the whole surface, variations in color intensity will add to the realism.
The next step is using The next step is to paint the terrain. Using the Earth Undercoat color from the ground foam turf products to add realism to the diorama. Many colors and types are available. You may use a single type, if desired, on your diorama. Several different colors and textures will add more realism to your diorama. Soil colored ones in trenches and other earth works, green types for field areas, burnt grass colors add realism to hillsides and waste areas. The process is like this - first spray the area you want to cover with 070101 Scenic Cement using the 070102 Scenic Sprayer. Then, using the 070103 Scenic Sifter, sift the different types of ground foam on selected areas. When finished, overspray the entire project again with Scenic Cement. Aim high at first allowing the spray to "rain" down. After the foam is dampened, spray directly soaking the foam well to make sure it adheres well.
Now for the finishing touches. Lichen moss and trees strategically placed add realism to a diorama. Use lichen to cover flaws, holes, hide cannon, sharpshooters. Add a generous glob of glue where ever you want some lichen. Tear off a hunk and place it in the glue. Continue until the diorama looks the way you want it. The lichen is available in various colors to suit your needs. You may want to overspray the entire model terrain with Scenic Cement again to make sure everything is secure.
Now you can add the civil war soldiers and cannon back in, placing them as desired. as you can see a pretty realistic model of a civil war battle scene can be constructed in a couple of hours time. The process can be duplicated for Revolutionary War or any other scene you wish to recreate.

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