UMS "Agram" : Scratchbuilding a vignette with a medieval inn < Articles < Hobby

Scratchbuilding a vignette with a medieval inn

Ana Polanšćak, 4th August 2020

In May 2017, UMS Agram held a Diorama Building Workshop. The topic was how to scratchbuild a vignette with a medieval building on it. The tutor was Marko Paunović and this article follows the steps done during the workshop.

BALSA WOOD

First task was to draw the outlines of the walls on a piece of 4 or 5 mm thick balsa wood (you will notice a little later in the article, that there was a blueprint made for the workshop with all the dimensions), then using a scalpel blade cut out the wall pieces. Make sure the wood grain is in correct position relative to the position of the wall on the vignette. Using superglue, fix the walls together. Next up was carving the wood planks using a simple ice pick. Once done, carve the 1mm thick balsa wood into several 5mm wide planks and glue them in place using superglue. To finish the rough part of building the inn, add the texture of the façade using PVA glue and chinchilla sand (smallest grain sand you can find).

PLASTER

We then proceeded to make the base and stone parts of the building. For the base, we needed a mould that we made from clear plastic foil and some 1mm thick balsa wood leftovers glued with superglue (just to speed the process). When the mould was dry, we mixed some plaster and cast it into the mould. The stone wall was cast directly onto the balsa wood structure of the building and once the plaster was dry, it was carved again using a simple icepick. The building was then glued to the base using PVA glue.

DAS CLAY AND SAND

Using DAS air-drying clay we made stones for the cobble stone path. The blobs of clay were glued in place using PVA glue and sprinkled over using sand in two different sizes.

CARD AND PINS

Final, metal parts were done using ordinary card (or thicker paper) and some metal pins.

PAINTING

To paint the vignette we used PEBEO DECO colours: White, Antique White, Ash, Ocre, Brown, Grey and Black.

ROOF AND VEGETATION

Straw roof was made from 12mm long beige static grass. The vegetation used was: 2mm, 5mm and 6mm tufts; flower tufts and poison ivy on the walls.

Latest articles

Alps Diorama part 1

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	In the next two articles I will cover the making of the Alps diorama. The main “actor” of the diorama is a 1/87 scale oldtimer bus. In addition to it, the package also included a few figures (but more about them in another article).

	  

	The idea of the diorama is that the bus stopped at a rest stop somewhere in the Alpine serpentines and the crew of passengers got out to enjoy the view. To get the height, I used 5 cm thick polystyrene. In two layers (with the second layer just being the background).

	  

	After drawing the road, positioning the elements on the base, I cut the elements and got something close to the final relief look.

	  

	I rearranged the elements in the diorama to check if everything matched the idea.

	  

	  

	The next step was to imprint the stone texture into the Styrofoam rocks. I used pieces of tree bark to imprint them.

	  

	  

	Then I mixed in a thick mixture of modeling plaster to add to the embossed texture and to protect the soft Styrofoam a bit.

	  

	  

	  

	Once the plaster had dried, I started painting. First I painted everything in a gray base color. Then I added darker shades of gray, black, and brown. The colors I used were very diluted so that they would blend more easily on the surface. When I was done with the darker layers and they were dry, I repeated the same with the lighter tones (gray and beige). This time, the color was not as diluted.

	  

	The last step was to add asphalt to the road. I used the effect from Ammo.

	  
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	Kroz naredna dva članka obradit ću izradu diorame Alpi. Glavni “akter” diorame je oldtimer autobus u mjerilu 1/87. Pored njega u paketu došla je i nekolicina figura (ali o njima više u drugom članku).

	  

	Ideja diorame jest da je autobus stao na ugibalištu negdje u serpentinama Alpi i da je ekipa putnika izašla van uživati u pogledu. Kako bih dobio visinu, koristio sam stirodur debljine 5 cm. U dva sloja (s tim da je drugi sloj samo pozadina).

	  

	Nakon iscrtavanja ceste, pozicioniranja elemenata na podlogu, izrezao sam elemente i dobio nešto što je blizu konačnog izgleda reljefa.

	  

	Ponovno sam posložio elemente po diorami da provjerim da li sve odgovara zamišljenom.

	  

	  

	Sljedeći korak bio je utisnuti teksturu kamena u stirodurne stjene. Za utiskivanje sam koristio komadiće kore drveta.

	  

	  

	Zatim sam umješao gustu smjestu modelarskog gipsa da dodam na utisnutu teksturu i da pomalo zaštitim mekani stirodur.

	  

	  

	  

	Kad se gips osušio, krenuo sam sa bojanjem. Prvo sam sve obojao u sivu temeljnu boju. A zatim dodavao tamnije tonove sive, crne i smeđe. Boje koje sam koristio su bile jako razvodnjene da bi se lakše miješale na samoj podlozi. Kad sam završio sa tamnijim slojevima te kad su se oni osušili, isto sam ponovio sa svijetlijim tonovima (sive i bež). Ovaj puta, boja nije bila toliko razvodnjena.

	  

	Zadnji korak bilo je dodavanje asfalta na cestu. Koristio sam efekt od Ammoa.

	  
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Marko Paunović, 16th December 2024

TOP TIP – Wooden Beam Flooring

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	Construction:

	I used 1 mm thick balsa. I used a balsa cutter to cut the beams to 4 mm thick and cut them to 68 mm long (dimensions of the floorboards in M 1:35). I sanded the edges and placed them on a 2 mm thick balsa base. I glued everything together on a wooden base from swood.si .

	

	Painting:

	First I applied Sephia Wash, then sanded a little. Then I filled the cracks with Agrax Earthshade and stained the spots a little. Sanded a little harder and then repeated the Sephia Wash. When it was dry, I used a fine sanding sponge in a few places to simulate wear.
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	Izrada:

	Koristio sam balzu 1 mm debljine. Balsa cutterom izvukao grede na 4 mm debljine i narezao na 68 mm duljine (dimenzije dasaka za pod u M 1:35). Pošmirglao rubove i posložio na podlogu balze od 2 mm debljine. Sve zajedno zaljepio na drvenu bazu od swood.si .

	

	Bojanje:

	Prvo sam stavio Sephia Wash, pa malo pošmirglao. Zatim Agrax Earthshade-om ispunio pukotine i malo umrljao fleke. Pošmirglao malo jače i onda ponovio Sephia Wash. Kad se posušilo fina brusna spuzvica na nekoliko mjesta da simulira izlizanost.
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Krunoslav Belinić, 10th December 2024

Back to Basics workshops at Zagreb City Libraries 2024

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	In 2024, we started a new program called Back to Basics miniature painting workshops for the youngest in collaboration with the Zagreb City Libraries. We held a total of four workshops during October and November with 29 participants, our youngest fellow citizens.

	

	We held the first workshop at the Children's Department of the Medveščak Library on Saturday, October 12, 2024.

	

	The second workshop, also at the Children's Department of the Medveščak Library at Zvonimirova 17, was held on October 26, 2024.

	

	We held the third workshop in the VN Reading Room and Gallery (Vladimir Nazor Library) at Ilica 163-a on Saturday, November 9, 2024.

	

	The fourth workshop was also held at the VN Gallery on Saturday, November 23, 2024.

	

	During the workshop, the participants assembled a model of the castle, then painted it, and finally painted the dragon that guards the tower.

	

	Easily available materials are used, as well as those obtained through the upcycle method (upcycling - creative reuse, is the process of converting by-products, waste materials, useless or unwanted products into new materials or products that are considered higher quality, such as artistic value), which makes the entire project environmentally friendly and innovative.

	

	

	

	

	

	

	

	

	

	After the workshops were completed, the children received diplomas for completing the workshop and, of course, took their work home.

	

	As a token of gratitude, we awarded Certificates of Appreciation to the Medveščak Library, the VN Gallery, and the City of Zagreb Libraries. We presented and presented all of our publications and manuals written so far to our colleagues from the Libraries.

	

	For larger photos, visit our social networks.
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	2024. smo započeli novi program pod nazivom Back to Basics radionice bojanja minijatura za najmlađe u suradnji sa Knjižnicama Grada Zagreba. Ukupno smo održali četiri radionice tijekom listopada i studenog sa 29 polaznika, naših najmlađih sugrađana.

	

	Prvu radionicu održali smo na Dječjem odjelu Knjižnice Medveščak u subotu 12.10.2024. 

	

	Druga radionica, također na Dječjem odjelu Knjižnice Medveščak u Zvonimirovoj 17, održana je 26.10.2024.

	

	Treću radionicu održali smo u Čitaonici i Galeriji VN (Knjižnica Vladimira Nazora) u Ilici 163-a u subotu 09.11.2024.

	

	Četvrta radionica održana također u Galeriji VN u subotu 23.11.2024.

	

	Tijekom radionice, polaznici su sastavljali maketu dvorca, potom ju bojali, a na kraju obojali i zmaja koji čuva kulu.

	

	Koriste se lako nabavljivi materijali, ali i oni dobiveni upcycle metodom  (upcycling – eng. kreativna ponovna uporaba, proces je pretvaranja nusproizvoda, otpadnih materijala, beskorisnih ili neželjenih proizvoda u nove materijale ili proizvode koji se smatraju kvalitetnijima, poput umjetničke vrijednosti) što čini cijeli projekt ekološki prihvatljivim i inovativnim.

	

	

	

	

	

	

	

	

	

	Po završetku radionica mališani su dobili diplome za završenu radionicu i naravno, svoje radove su odnijeli kući.

	

	U znak zahvale, dodijelili smo Zahvalnice Knjižnici Medveščak, Galeriji VN kao i Knjižnicama Grada Zagreba. Kolegicama iz Knjižnica prezentirali smo i poklonili sve naše publikacije i priručnike do sada napisane.

	

	Za veće fotografije posjetite naše socijalne mreže.
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Krunoslav Belinić, 26th November 2024

Big Panda and Tiny Dragon drawing workshop

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During this year's Interliber, the author of the books about the Big Panda and the Tiny Dragon, James Norbury, held several different events and meetings with readers. On Friday, November 15, I had the opportunity to participate in a workshop on drawing characters from his books. Since James is an illustrator and his works include abstract landscapes, fantasy art, SF and cyberpunk comics, drawings and graphics, it was interesting for me to see how the panda and dragon characters are created in the technique of Japanese Zen painters.

James drew with a felt-tip pen and explained the structure of the characters and their characteristics. For example, the dragon has no eyebrows, so the expression of emotions is partially limited to a couple of eye shapes and hand gestures. While the panda rarely has a mouth in his drawings, so his expression of emotions is also sparse. However, it is precisely through the position of the body, the relationship between the characters, and the text below the picture that James's books convey the story and thoughts of a Buddhist view of life.

One of the messages is that not everything needs to be perfect, both in drawing and in life. He is not satisfied with some of the drawings that James made and published in the book, but as he himself says, if he had waited to make them perfect, he would never have published the book. You start with what you have and improve along the way. A philosophy that we often apply with our figures, dioramas and models.

I enjoyed copying and learning to draw the characters and tried my hand at making a few frames. At first the panda looked more like a Teddy bear, but with practice it took on a panda-like appearance and body position.

I recommend that anyone who has not yet read James Norbury's books find them and read them. They are quick to read, but can leave a long-lasting impression on your mind.

Izvorni tekst

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Rezultati prijevoda

Rezultat prijevoda

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Tijekom ovogodnišnjeg Interlibera autor knjiga o Velikom pandi i sićušnom zmaju James Norbury, održao je nekoliko različitih događanja i susreta s čitateljima. U petak 15. studenog imao sam priliku sudjelovati na radionici crtanja likova iz njegovih knjiga. S obzirom da je James ilustrator i njegova djela uključuju apstraktne pejzaže, fantasy art, SF i cyberpunk stripove, crteže i grafike, bilo mi je zanimljivo vidjeti kako nastaju likovi pande i zmaja u tehnici japanskih zen slikara.

James je crtao flomasterom i objašnjavao strukturu likova i njihove osobine. Npr. zmaj nema obrve pa je prikazivanje emocija djelomično ograničeno na par oblika očiju i gestikulacije rukama. Dok panda rijetko kad ima usta na crtežima, pa je i njegovo prikazivanje emocija oskudno. No upravo položajem tijela, međuodnosom likova i tekstom ispod slike Jamesove knjige prenose priču i misli budističkog pogleda na život.

Jedna od poruka je i da ne treba sve biti savršeno, kako na crtežu, tako i u životu. S nekim crtežima koje je James napravio i objavio u knjizi nije zadovoljan, no kako i sam kaže da je čekao da ih napravi savršeno ne bi nikada objavio knjigu. Kreneš s onim što imaš i putem se usavršavaš. Filozofija koju često primjenjujemo i mi sa svojim figurama, dioramama i modelima.

Uživao sam kopirajući i učeći crtati likove i okušao se u izradi par okvira. U početku je panda više sličila na Teddy beara, no s vježbom je dobila pandasti izgled i položaj tijela.

Svima koji se još nisu upoznali s knjigama Jamesa Norbury preporučam da ih pronađu i pročitaju. Brzo se čitaju, no mogu ostaviti dugi trag u promišljanjima.

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Krunoslav Belinić, 26th November 2024

We visited: Slovenian State Championship in plastic modelling, Ljubljana 16.11.2024.

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	On Saturday, 16.11.2024. in Ljubljana, the Slovenian Nationals in plastic modeling was held. Our delegation performed in several categories.

	  

	After arriving, registering and placing works in the appropriate categories, the most important thing was to meet again and talk with colleagues from other cities and countries such as Slovenia and Italy.

	  

	  

	  

	  

	  

	  

	It was a special pleasure for us to present and present several copies of our latest edition to our partners and friends from Back to Basics!

	  

	Also a real refreshment is the discovery of the (so far the only) manufacturer of real wooden bases and plinths in these areas - swood.si!

	  

	A little after 11:00, it was time to open the even officially and inspect the exhibits.

	  

	  

	  

	  

	  

	  

	  

	  

	  

	  

	  

	  

	  

	  

	  

	  

	  

	  

	  

	  

	  

	  

	Given that, after several years of ugly weather, this weekend was sunny, we decided to use that time for a walk in beautiful Ljubljana.

	  

	  

	  

	Kruno: "This year, Slovenian Nationals were also an opportunity to see new and interesting works by colleagues from Slovenia, Croatia, Italy, Austria and other countries. An opportunity to encourage your own creativity and ideas, to admire the craftsmanship, effort and skill of people with whom you share similar interests. The day was beautiful, so the walk in Ljubljana was quite legal and filled the impression of this year's Championship. Marko and Vanja made sure that some "precious" metal was attached to Agram's name, so I was carefree and enjoyed the nice trip."

	  

	  

	After sightseeing the city, we returned to the competition just in time for the awarding of medals. Our members won a total of 4 medals - 2 gold, silver and bronze!

	  

	  

	  

	On the way back, our team refreshed itself traditionally at the Reset brewery in Brežice!

	  
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	U subotu, 16.11.2024. u Ljubljani održavalo se Državno prvenstvo Slovenije u plastičnom maketarstvu. Naša delegacija je nastupila u nekoliko kategorija.

	  

	Nakon dolaska, registracije i postavljanja radova u odgovarajuće kategorije, najbitnije je bilo ponovno se susresti i popričati sa kolegama iz drugih gradova i država poput Slovenije te Italije.

	  

	  

	  

	  

	  

	  

	Posebno zadovoljstvo nam je bilo predstaviti i pokloniti nekoliko primjeraka našeg zadnjeg izdanja našim partnerima i prijateljima iz Back to Basics!

	  

	Također pravo osvježenje jest pronalazak (za sada jedinog) proizvođača pravih drvenih baza i plinthova na ovim prostorima – swood.si !

	  

	Nešto iza 11h došlo je vrijeme za otvorenje susreta i pregled radova.

	  

	  

	  

	  

	  

	  

	  

	  

	  

	  

	  

	  

	  

	  

	  

	  

	  

	  

	  

	  

	  

	  

	S obzirom da je, nakon nekoliko godina ružnog vremena, ovaj vikend bio obasjan suncem, odlučili smo iskoristiti to vrijeme za šetnju predivnom Ljubljanom.

	  

	  

	  

	Kruno: “I ove godine je DPS bio prilika za pogledati nove i zanimljive radove kolege iz Slovenije, Hrvatske, Italije, Austrije i drugih zemalja. Prilika za potaknuti vlastitu kreativnost i ideje, diviti se umješnosti, uloženom trudu i vještini ljudi s kojim dijeliš slične interese. Dan je bio lijep, pa je i šetnja Ljubljanom sasvim dobro legala i popunila dojam ovogodišnjeg Prvenstva. Marko i Vanja su se pobrinuli da se i nešto "plemenitog" metala zakači uz Agramovo ime, pa sam ja bezbrižno uživao u lijepom izletu.“

	  

	  

	Nakon razgleda grada, vratili smo se na natjecanje taman na dodjelu medalja. Članovi su ukupno osvojili 4 medalje – 2 zlata, srebro i broncu!

	  

	  

	  

	Na povratku naša ekipa se okrijepila već tradicionalno u Reset pivovari u Brežicama!

	  
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    ["created"]=>
    string(19) "2009-06-02 20:37:03"
  }
}