After a some time (and distraction), I have finally reached a point where my latest diorama is ready to be shown. So let us get into it.

I started off with a piece of hardwood roughly 35cm in length and 25 in width – just a bit bigger than A4. I am unsure of the exact type – I got it from my local wood yard (I managed to get two for a few pounds). I started by sketching the rough layout of the diorama. I decided on having a road (for the jeep) and a clearing (for the abandoned Panzer II). In between, I would have various bumps and rises to simulate natural desert ground. I used polystyrene to create the rough shape of the terrain.

Once the diorama was planned out, the next step involved gluing bits polystyrene in the rough areas that I wanted to be raised. I tried to break up the polystyrene to make it more varied (and make the edges less square). I used PVA glue (commonly referred to as white glue) in order to stick it to the base – and I gave it about an hour to dry fully. After that, I would apply terracotta clay to the surface (it does not really matter what kind, I got some from my local Hobbycraft).

Once the clay was down and dry, a number of issues with my application were revealed. The main one being the cracks. Cracks are caused by there being too much moisture present as the clay is drying – this happens if you add water to the clay in order to make it softer and easier to mould. I learned this the first time I ever used Terracotta, but the reason it cracked this time was because I attempted to solve a different problem: adhesion.

As Terracotta does not have any proper adhesives, I wanted to stop it coming away from the base by applying a thin layer of PVA before the clay. Because PVA is water-based, this meant moisture, and therefore, cracks. I fixed the cracks by adding more water (I have a little mini spray from Boots that is great for applying just the right amount) which allowed me to smoothen over some of the cracks. in this case, however, I was not too bothered – I was working on a desert scene, and so some cracks could simulate the parched ground you could find in a desert.

At this point, the diorama is ready to be painted. As I do not really have any access to sand, I had to use alternative means to simulate it. I do have some dirt (from another diorama) and so I mixed that with water and white glue in order to make a sort of ‘dirt texture paint’.

I applied this to the model, let it dry, and then painted it with a coat of both tamiya Desert Yellow and Dark Yellow (mixed together in a roughly equal ratio) along with a touch of white as well. The tones all blended together to make a nice and varied sandy shade. One thing I tried to do was make raised surfaces lighter as well.

To finish, I very lightly drybrushed flat white (Revell acrylic) on all raised surfaces. I had to be careful doing this, because of the risks of the white overpowering the rest of the shades. You may be able to notice that, while the majority of the cracked clay still shows through, it is not too excessive. It is believable as, in my opinion, the dry cracked ground of the desert.

There are a couple of other things I should mention that I have also added. The palm tree was made with a length of wire (I believe it was steel, but I am not certain, it is about 2 or 3mm thick and strong, yet flexible). I then covered this with putty in the rough shape of a tree. I will go over how I made the leaves shortly. The sign is from Tamiya’s 1/35 Road Sign set. I painted this with a varying mixture of Tamiya flat brown and dark yellow.

The grass is simply synthetic grass that you can get cheaply from a hobby shop. I covered the limited surfaces with PVA glue and sprinkled the grass on top.

Here is the rough layout for the models of the diorama. The idea is that the SAS jeep is passing an abandoned tank. As such, I will need to add more evidence of the tank being abandoned. I was thinking of adding a tent (but there may not be space for that) or some other evidence, like an abandoned campfire or some bits of equipment left on or around the Panzer II. I have decided to shelve works on this diorama for now, as I press on with a couple of other model projects I have going.

Finall, I will tell you the method I used to make the palm tree leaves. It was a rather simple process. All you need is paper (any), old wire (again, any as long as it has the width and give suitable for the size of leaf you want) along with some white glue.

Once the shape is cut out (I drew it, folded the paper underneath and cut so I had two identical pieces), I smeared one side with the PVA, placed the wire in roughly the middle (it does not have to be exact, in fact, a bit lopsided is better because it looks more natural) and sandwiched the second identical piece on top.

In terms of stalk length, it is best to leave a little bit (not too much like that middle leaf there). Once the glue was dry, I painted them with a mixture of green and yellow (about 75:25), and then drybrushed a little bit more greenish yellow on top. After that, I had to cut into the leaves to create the jagged edges you see above. Make sure you cut each one to a point. This can be tricky with small bits of paper, so be careful not to tear it.

In its current state, there is still work to be done on the diorama. Mainly in terms of adding layers of paint. Areas of the palm tree need another coat, and the sign needs to be acutally stuck down. So far, however, I am immensely pleased with it has turned out.