Decay Road

José Brito builds a simple scenic base.

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Adding a scenic base to any military model always enhances its final appearance, giving a sense of scale and context. Even if you don’t add figures or attempt to tell a story through the composition of groundwork and vehicle – the essence of a diorama – I believe a scenic base will take your model to a new level. In this article, and ina number of other similar ones I have prepared, I want to take you, step-by-step, through the process of creating such a base, using some commercially available products.

1 The focal point for this diorama was a pair of ‘Jersey High Barriers’ (ref. MAC35146) from the Spanish company, Macone Models.

2 Superbly cast in resin, these would be ideally suited to the setting I had in mind.

3 The starting point was a simple picture frame.

4 A piece of insulation foam would form the basis of the groundwork, with the barriers adding height to the scene. Having applied a layer

5-6 of Deluxe Materials’ Tacky Glue, I carefully attached the foam, and left it for several hours to fully dry.

7 A piece of cork tile would be used to replicate the tarmac road surface. I had already prepared this before attaching the foam to the base.

8 Arranged diagonally to add interest to the composition, I marked and cut the shape, and checked it for size.

9 The road surface was damaged using the tip of a hobby knife. Once satisfied with the appearance, I attached it to the foam (again using the Tacky Glue).