Ship Dioramas. Bringing Your Models to Life

144 Pages·2013·148.43 MB·English

by  David Griffith

his book, by a master of small-scale power and how that impact is achieved.
ship modelling, is about the art of Individual chapters explore themes like
is devoted to producing the very best reference
displaying waterline models. By their having small craft in attendance on the main
books and narrative histories about ships and
the sea. very nature, ship models that do not subject, multiple-model scenarios, dockyards
Some of our titles of related interest: show the full hull and are not mounted and naval bases, and the difficulties of
on an artificial stand cry out for a replicating naval combat realistically. It also
SHIP MODELS FROM KITS
realistic setting. At its most basic this looks at both extremes of modelmaking
David Griffith B R I N G I N G Y O U R M O D E L S T O L I F E
can be just a representation of the sea itself, ambition: the small single-ship exposition
An authoritative manual on the latest techniques
but to give the model a context – even to tell and the largest, most ambitious projects of
for building both resin and injection-moulded
some sort of story – is far more challenging. the kind meant for museum display. The
kits of ships in the scales of 1/700 and 1/350.
D A V I D G R I F F I T H
This is the province of the diorama, which at book concludes with some of the more
246 x 186mm, 144 pages, 200 colour photographs,
paperback, ISBN 978-1-84832-091-8, £14.99 its most effective is a depiction of a scene or advanced concepts – how to create drama
an event in which the ship model takes and the illusion of movement, and how to
WATERLINE WARSHIPS The Author
centre stage. manipulate perspective.
Philip Reed One of the best small-scale ship model builders in
As with a painting, the composition is a Illustrated throughout with colour photos,
An illustrated masterclass in the art of the UK, David Griffith has won many prizes for his
vital element and this book devotes much of the more theoretical discussion is backed
scratchbuilding Second World War warships by work at model shows in his home country and also
one of the world’s best model shipwrights. its space to what works and what does not, with practical ‘how to’ sections, so anyone in the USA. He started modelling as a child and is
246 x 186mm, 128 pages, 200 colour photographs, and illustrates with photographic examples who builds waterline ship model will benefit proud never to have grown out of the habit. He
hardback, ISBN 978-1-84832-076-5, £25.00 why the best maritime dioramas have visual from reading this book. has ventured into a number of different areas of
the hobby, including soldiers, scratchbuilt farm
SHIPCRAFT SERIES carts and wooden sailing ships, but has finally
come back to this most challenging of genres. He
A series of monographs each devoted to a
loves to share his techniques with other
famous class or type of warship intended to
modelmakers, and produces a newsletter for that
provide modelmakers and enthusiasts with a D
new standard of primarily visual reference to purpose.
A
both the full-size ships and their models – plans,
V His first book, Ship Models from Kits, was
detail drawings, colour and camouflage
I published in 2009 and proved so popular that it
schemes, and many photos, including a gallery D
has been both reprinted and reissued as a
of fine models.

G paperback.
Over twenty titles have already been published.
R
Recent subjects range from Iowa class David lives in Glasgow with his wife and two cats.
battleships to wartime British destroyers. I
F
All volumes: 296 x 210mm, 64 pages, 130 illustrations F
approx. £14.99 RRP. I
T
Front cover: The author’s dioramas of USS Langley (top)
H
and ‘The Silver Darlings’ – the Pittenweem fishing fleet
around 1895.
For full details of these and other Seaforth Back cover: ‘The Hunting Party’ – the author’s trompe
publications please contact: l’oeil diorama of US Navy PT boats setting out on patrol.
(All photos by the author)
The Marketing Department,
Seaforth Publishing,
an imprint of Pen and Sword Books Ltd,
47 Church Street,
Barnsley
S Yorkshire S70 2AS
Telephone [phone]
Fax [phone]
or visit our website
www.seaforthpublishing.com
Email [email protected] £25.00 RRP
Ship Dioramas Prelims_Layout 1 02/08/2013 10:09 Page 1
SHIP DIORAMAS
BRINGING YOUR MODELS TO LIFE
Ship Dioramas Prelims_Layout 1 02/08/2013 10:10 Page 2
Ship Dioramas Prelims_Layout 1 02/08/2013 10:10 Page 3
SHIP DIORAMAS
BRINGING YOUR MODELS TO LIFE
D AV I D G R I F F I T H
Ship Dioramas Prelims_Layout 1 02/08/2013 10:11 Page 4
Copyright © David Griffith 2013
First published in Great Britain in 2013 by
Seaforth Publishing
An imprint of Pen & Sword Books Ltd
47 Church Street, Barnsley
S Yorkshire S70 2AS
www.seaforthpublishing.com
Email [email protected]
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A CIP data record for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN 978-1-84832-168-7
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any
form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or
any information storage and retrieval system, without prior permission in writing of both
the copyright owner and the above publisher.
The right of David Griffith to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in
accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988
Typeset and designed by Neil Sayer
Printed and bound in China
Ship Dioramas Prelims_Layout 1 02/08/2013 10:11 Page 5
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION 6
1 MODELS IN CONTEXT 9
2 DANCING IN ATTENDANCE 21
3 TWO’S COMPANY, THREE’S A CROWD 35
4 SAFELY IN HARBOUR 49
5 ALL ON ITS OWNSOME 67
6 MAKING HEAVY WEATHER OF IT 75
7 COMBAT SITUATIONS 83
8 SMALL IS BEAUTIFUL 91
9 WRONG END OF THE TELESCOPE 95
10 BIG, BOLD AND … BLIMEY! 105
11 THE SILVER DARLINGS 129
APPENDIX: SUPPLIERS AND DEALERS 144
Ship Dioramas Introduction_Layout 1 02/08/2013 10:14 Page 7
INTRODUCTION
This book had its origins in my previous book, Ship Models from Kits – Basic and
Advanced Techniques for Small Scales published in 2009. At the time it came out I
thought that I did not have another book in me, and that I was more of a J D Salinger,
rather than a Clive Cussler. But the publishers, Seaforth, were pleased with the book
and I wondered if there might be another lurking somewhere. This little volume is the
result.
I am taking as my subject, the art of the ship diorama. These form a specific sub-
genre within ship modelling in general, and many people may be somewhat intimidated
by the idea. I know that I am not the greatest diorama-maker in history, but I think I
understand what makes a good one, and why others are not so good. I hope that I can
take some of the mystique out of the subject, and encourage you to give it a go if you
have not already done so.
So, let me now say what this book is not about. It is not primarily about how to make
model ships. If you are looking for a good ‘how to’ book on this subject, do not buy this
one. I would suggest instead that you get my previous book, which will give you
precisely what you want. You may well have bought it already. In that case I will say to
you, ‘Thank you very much, and treat yourself to this one as well, anyway!’ If you have
not already bought it, then go on, be a devil, buy both of them! After all, it’s no more
than 364 days till your next birthday, and it may even be Christmas before then, too!
There is perhaps rather more emphasis in this book on ideas and inspiration. I am
talking rather more about ‘what’ you are trying to do, ‘why’ you might do it in a particular
way, and maybe even ‘whether’ it is appropriate to do it at all. Nevertheless, you will still
find plenty of places where I tell you ‘how’ to go about it.
My previous book received a bit of justified criticism for the rather confusing layout
of the text and pictures. I take full responsibility for this, and believe that it was due to
my inexperience in writing and lack of knowledge of the publishing process. It was
certainly not the fault of the publishers or their layout artist, who took at least three
attempts to make something printable from the text and photos that I sent in.
Some readers were also a bit disappointed that I dealt almost exclusively with 1/700
scale models. I make no apology for this, as it is the scale in which I am most at home
working. In Europe 1/700 is a more popular scale than 1/350 or larger, which are more
favoured in the USA. I’m afraid that this book will be even more slanted towards 1/700,
as the smaller scale is much more practical for dioramas, and there are currently far more
accessories in this scale available on the market. Large scale dioramas have the potential
for taking up an enormous amount of storage space and are difficult to display.
As well as dioramas that I have made, and which I shall take you through the process
of planning and building, I am also going to showcase the work of other modellers that
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8 SHIPDIORAMAS
I admire. Sometimes this will be because they are excellent or inspiring examples of the
art; others will illustrate a particular point that I wish to make. The work of some of these
people is far better than anything I can do myself. I should like to thank all of them for
sending me photographs, and letting me share them with you. The modellers that I
feature, starting at the west and working east, are: Mike McCabe, Jim Baumann, Don
McKeand, Peter Fulgoney, Bruno Gire, Jean Mahieux, Werner De Keersmaecker, the
model makers on the island of Texel, Guido Hopp, Christian Bruer, Torben Keitel, Frank
Spahr, György Pék and Katarzyna Manikowska.
I should also like to express my gratitude to Ellen, my wife, who has been patient and
encouraging in equal measure, and put up with being ignored for many weekends and
evenings.
This book has been a long time in its gestation. That is because I built eight dioramas
specifically for the book. Compare that with the two ships that I built for the previous
one, and take into account being side-tracked by wanting to paint some metal figures at
times, and it is not surprising that it has taken so long. My wife did not think it would
ever happen.
But it has.
David Griffith
Glasgow, March 2013
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CHAPTER 1
MODELS IN CONTEXT
AsI said in the Introduction, this book is not about how to build kits of model
ships. This book is much more about taking those model ships, and putting
them into context. By this I mean such ideas as: setting them in a realistic
environment, be that sea, harbour or dockside, showing the relationships between
different ships or boats, illustrating the various activities that may happen on or around
ships, telling a story or suggesting an emotion.
I’m sure all model makers put their work into a the achievement of an apparent reality that is
form of context all the time. If you think about it, important to me.
every time a child picks up a toy aeroplane and runs On the other hand, I used to have good natured
with it, making buzzing noises, he is putting it into arguments with a friend of mine who ran the
context. It is the same thing when he pushes a little competitions at the Scottish IPMS Nationals. I
tank along the carpet, saying, ‘Pow, pow, pow!’ and would place my models in the category for single
flicking the Airfix soldiers over. We do the same ships, only to find them moved into that for ship
thing as adults. Admit it, how many times have you dioramas. When pressed, Geoff would say, ‘It’s got
picked up a model ship and held it in front of your crew figures on it. That makes it a diorama.’
face, moving it in a sort of corkscrew fashion, as I would then point out that using the same
though it is pushing through a heavy ocean swell? logic, every tank that had its commander’s head
I do it all the time, and you do too, don’t you? That poking out of the turret ought also to be regarded
feels better already, doesn’t it? Recognising your as a diorama. As they say, the judge’s decision is
inner child. End of psychology lesson! final, and my models would usually stay in the
Before I go any further, I should like to try and diorama class, which would be smaller than the one
explain what I am meaning in this book when I for single ships, and the competition
talk about dioramas, because I am thinking in proportionately less intense. After all, winning a
rather broader and less distinct terms than the silver medal in a class of two means precisely
people who define competition classes. These need nothing. The boxer who is knocked out by the first
precise and careful definitions so that similar punch still comes second.
models are judged against one another. The rules I am speaking of this simply in order to illustrate
may include such matters as: comprising more that the arbitrary nature of the definitions that are used
one model, being on other than a plain base, to decide what a diorama is. In the course of this
inclusion of figures that are not on the model itself, book, I shall be using the term very loosely. Please
telling a story or illustrating a theme. I really could do not get hot under the collar about it. What I am
not care less about these rulebook classifications. going to try to show you is not how to win a
For me it is all about doing something with, or competition, but how to have an artistic approach
to, a model to improve the sense of reality. Some of to your modelling, and impart an air of reality to
the models that I shall show you, if entered in a your work.
diorama class, might find themselves moved So, what sort of things ought we to be building?
because a judge said, ‘That’s not a diorama, it’s What should our creations consist of?
only a single ship’. And, do you know what? I I built dioramas as a child, during my AFV
really couldn’t be bothered, one way or t’other; I period. Like many of us, I am now embarrassed
build models to satisfy myself, not the judges. It is when I recall them, not so much because of the lack
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10 SHIPDIORAMAS
of modelling skills, but mainly because it was together on a base of reasonable size. Land combat
obvious that I had no idea of what I was conveying can take place at close quarters and is therefore a
or how I was arranging the various components. I suitable subject for a diorama for the same reason.
particularly remember one that had a base about If the human body is represented at a scale of 1/35,
eighteen inches square. A ditch went straight across or even 1/76, it is possible to show posture, gesture
with a knocked out 1/72 Airfix assault gun nose and even facial expression. Such subtleties are
down in it. There was also a makeshift bridge from denied to ship modellers working in small scales,
unpainted balsa wood, and a few Airfix figures and we have to express ourselves with metaphorical
running around, but precious little else. It was, I broad strokes. That, and we have to regard the ships
suppose, trying to tell a story of sorts, but it broke as the personalities in our creations.
every rule of composition or proportion. In addition, I think that there are certain basic
I mention this childhood effort because it characteristics that good dioramas ought to show,
illustrates the point that it is not enough simply to and I should like to discuss these, before moving
have a variety of components in a diorama; it on to give examples of ideas for good dioramas,
requires that thought and imagination are and bad ideas that are best avoided.
employed to use them appropriately, melding them
into a cohesive and satisfying whole. A diorama should be visually pleasing and
Although the description ‘diorama’ is a useful mentally satisfying
shorthand word, and I continue to use it, I prefer to This is a very vague statement, and almost
think in terms of models in a realistic context, and impossible to define. It is easier to give examples of
what they are trying to show or tell. I would what would make it unpleasing or unsatisfying. If
suggest that there are a number of features, which, you look at a painting that you think is perfect, it is
if incorporated into a model, will transform it into very hard to say why that is so. In a painting that
a diorama. There is no need to have all of them, just you thoroughly dislike, the bad points are usually
one of them might suffice, but having two or three pretty obvious.
would result in a much stronger composition. But The construction and finishing should be as
trying to put all of them into a single model will good as we are capable of. We all have different skill
risk producing something that is too busy and loses levels, and that is quite OK, just as long as we are
any focus on its central theme. trying to do the best we can. But don’t look at work
that is substandard for you and say, ‘That’s alright,
Such features include (but there will be others): I’ll just put it into a diorama and no one will
•More than one ship, or extra smaller vessels notice.’ It will still be seen, perhaps even more so,
•Shoreline or dockside as the eye is drawn in, to give close attention,
•Depiction of a relationship between vessels especially in regard to the central subject.
•Human activity It should be an appropriate size for the subject.
•Industrial, military or naval activity We often see situations where the base has been
•Combat (but with major reservations regarding chosen first of all, and the model forced to fit it. On
naval subjects) the other hand, bases that are too big are equally
•Depiction of a dramatic incident, either bad. A large empty area of water lacks interest.
historical or imaginary Look at my model of HMSHood, towards the end of
•Reproduction of some famous photograph or this chapter, which I have included as an example of
painting how NOT to make a diorama.
•Depiction of an emotion Try to avoid subjects that are illogical,
impossible or ludicrous. Hood and Bismarck
Similar features would apply to the dioramas slogging it out on the same base, and only a few
produced by our colleagues in the armour inches apart. Or two ships close together, in line
modelling fraternity, and they have certain abreast and going at flank speed. Both captains
advantages over us ship modellers. Vehicles can pass would be facing courts martial for endangering
very close to each other and can therefore be shown their ships. Far better to make two nice single ships