Building Dioramas

I've been building models since I was about 6 years old. So I wouldn't exactly call myself a beginner. Because of this, I am typically pretty hesitant to buy some of these modelling books that come out because they are often a rehash of Shepard Paine's "How to build dioramas" that came out about 40 years ago.That being said, knowing the author, his skill and talent as well as his passion, I figured I'd give this title a shot. I was not disappointed. Read it cover to cover in two days. Keeping in mind that for $20 it is 50-75% less expensive than many of the other books out there on the subject.Chris laid the book out really well. Instead of the typical "These are the tools you will need" first two chapters often found in these books that are geared strictly towards the beginner, he goes right into the entire subject of the book - dioramas- and the first step of creating one - inspiration. A chapter dedicated to airbrushes is the best I've seen in some time, especially in a book that isn't entirely devoted to the subject. The chapter on resin casting - something of a mystical art to even advanced modellers - is written clearly and concisely and even tells you what equipment to look for and where to get it. There are other chapters that again, simply haven't been written about, at least in one volume like this, before--like building "wedgies". Of course he covers painting, finishing, etc. in his own style, but that's the beauty of it. If you are advanced you can either pick up a few tidbits or ignore it, but because of the other subjects, you aren't wasting your money on another "how to paint faces on figures" book of which there are many. Incidentally he does include a "tools" section but as more of a reference towards the back of the book.His writing style is very much conversational in my opinion. As though he were instructing you in a classroom environment. It's easy to follow and keeps your interest.Overall I'd highly recommend this to both beginners and advanced modellers. For a beginner, it will set you on the road to good dioramas from the start. For the advanced modeller, the additional material not found in other books makes it a good (and reasonable) investment and addition to your reference library. I'm sure mine will be "dog eared" just like my 1978 copy of Shep Paine's book is.

a nice aid to model building

I would highly recommend this book, not only to advanced modeler's. But, also beginner's. Mrosko [a world class] modeler has produced an excellent book for the diorama modeling community (and modeler's in general). He has brought 'us' old-timers  , up into the 21st Century, with some of the newer paints and materials, he discusses in his book. Kalmbach has published some excellent books over the years, and this one will be another classic, right up there with Shep Paine, and Kessler & Winar's books.I am enjoying reading it and it joins many other 'well-thumbed-editions', on my over-crowded and cluttered work table.If Amazon allowed 'us', I'd give this a strong 4 and 1/2 Stars...If you are a modeler, you'll appreciate this book.

This was an excellent primer for those wanting to get into building dioramas. Includes tons of pictures (great for ideas) and foundational concepts for bringing your scenes to life. Highly recommend.

Excellent book containing tons of info for model builders. I really like how the author showed how to paint and weather a building which is often a surprisingly neglected area of diorama building. The step by step layouts are good and I hope to use these to improve my modeling. Loved the "wedgies" section, great concept of making a diorama that resembles a snapshot.

Very limited in scope. Was hoping for a lot more. Way more info on internet and that’s free. Money better spent elsewhere .

Chris has provided the modeller with an updated guide to Diorama Building and other techniques. The methods described are easy to follow and will prove beneficial to any level of modeller. The chapter on Resin Casting is worth the cost of the book by itself.

Needed by modelers, Great picture of done model which give you a lot of ideas.

Like it very much. Some excellent ideas contained in this book.

Great book of information on building dioramas, however the delivery was so slow considering from an Australian supplier.

Per chi non ha problemi con l'inglese, bellissimo manuale, scritto in modo piacevole e accattivante, che affronta quasi tutto quello che serve per iniziare a fare diorami seri. Con molti trucchetti del mestiere oltre alle regole generali da sapere.

Ce livre montre plusieurs idées de diorama et la façon dont ceux-ci ont été réalisés. Toutefois, je ne le conseille pas pour les premiers pas. D'autres livres sont plus intéressants pour ce faire.

author chris mrosko has put together an excellent book,ideal reading for novice beginner or experienced modeller he explains everything you need to know ,when putting a diorama togethor.from the basic idea to the final result ,with how to photos of projects in process,well explained ,with plenty of good quality illustrations. theres even a chapter devoted to airbrush skills which i found very informative . this is a book that every serious modeller should get.