Getting some more progress on the diorama.
I realized I’m an idiot and glued down those cool stick spike things, when I was planning on lining the inner hole with plastic bits (to look cool and to hide the shitty job I did at carving it). Had to use tweezers to glue the damn things in there.
A few more plastic details. I chopped up a bottle to make the trough for the goo that’s going to be dripping out of my face pipes. Cut some plastcard to add detail to the lower tank. Still not 100% happy with it, but it’s getting there.
Adding dirt to the edges around the the cavern to make everything nice and cohesive. I don’t use sand or flocking or any of the typical hobby materials. Just go outside and get some regular dirt. Filter out the bigger rocks, and the remains work great as, well, dirt.
I piled it up into the places I want (this is going to take a couple instances because otherwise it’ll go everywhere when I start moving / tipping the diorama). Then wet it aggressively with a spray bottle. This breaks the surface tension and allows the glue to soak in instead of roll off. This is a very important step.
It’s also super messy, so be prepared for dirt / water / glue everywhere.
Mix up some glue and water in a cup. I like wood glue because it’s stronger. Then put in enough water to give it a nice thick milk / cream consistency. Use an eyedropper or load up a brush.
Now drip drops (that’s fun to say) all over the dirt. Make sure you get everywhere. Keep a paper towel handy in case it starts dripping off the diorama. If you use a brush, just touch it to the dirt and if it’s water-logged enough, it’ll pull the glue from the brush without disturbing the dirt.
Adding some more dirty in the cave area as well.
That’s it for this update! Once the dirt is dry, use a stiff brush to brush off any excess / anything that wasn’t glue down.
Next time I’ll be adding some more details like little lanterns all over the place!
