The Appointed Hour
This article was originally written for and published on the website: Digital Dioramas.
The inspiration for building this vignette came from a couple of different ideas that had been in the back of my mind for some time. Looking at photos of German motorcycle riders, the image catching my attention, showed a rider on his bike next to a building, posing for the camera, as sort of a portrait. I thought I wanted to create a scene with a rider sitting on his bike but my idea developed as time went by. I had also wanted for some time, to create a building façade that could be used as a “canvas” for painting a faded advertising image. The final scene came into focus when I purchased the Artisan Mori SS Major figure from Mission Models. The sculpting is superb and the figure seemed to be waiting for someone to meet him. This figure was the impetus I needed
to get started sculpting the master pattern for the wall and street. The result is the latest offering from our company and I felt it might make an informative article to describe
the various aspects of its assembly and finishing.
To start, a brief inventory of the kits components. There are two cast parts: the street and the wall. The street measures 4” x 6” and the size allows for several figures and/or small vehicles like a Jeep or Kubelwagen or of course, a motorcycle-sidecar combination. The base also will fit nicely onto a wooden ready made plaque or just inside a 5” x 7” photo frame. The wall has two recessed window openings and the thickness of the panel will allow for opening up the window openings all the way
through, if you are a little ambitious. If you like it as is, you have the option of painting
the recess a dark color and gloss coating it to represent glass, placing fabric in the opening to show curtains, inserting either the clear or frosted “glass” panel, or closing
the shutters and leaving well enough alone. The laser cut mullions and shutters, together with their hardware, allow for a variety of looks to suit whatever mood you’re trying to create. Also included are laser cut components to create a street lamp and wall
bracket and finally, orders of the day, written in French, to cut from the instruction
sheet and paste on the wall.
The final look for the piece was decided when I thought about adding light and trying
to depict a certain atmosphere. The lamp played a big part in determining the final look of my scene. Because the lamp is not cast and is therefore hollow, I decided to see if I could somehow light it. I also decided that the officer’s cigarette should have a glow to it as well. I am fairly ignorant when it comes to electricity and I cautiously went forward with my idea, ready to abandon it as soon as it got too complicated.
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