my diorama (1:72) is starting to take shape as a very large battle scene (approx 2 feet x 4 feet). I am starting to create my buildings and the ruins. I was wondering does any one know any sites which have original pictures of mogadishu or samalia. I have all of the black hawk down pics which include the propoganda posters and writing.

How would i create a graffiti effect on a building of propoganda?
How would i make a burnt out car effect, e.g. Rust/black?

Thanks for your help in advance

CJ, for Rust use a variety of browns ans lightened and darkened orange,add a little talcum powder to the paint,this will give you a rust texture, for fire black I use a candle under a piece of tin like a biscuit tin lid hold it underneath then scrape off the soot and paint it on ( be careful with the flame though) another way would be black pastel chalk scape off a powder then paint on kit. cant help you with the pics or the graffitti mate sorry. all the best.

Ola CJballer

What you could do is doing a google search on Mogadishu or take scenes from Black hawk down I don`t think they have changed much on the vision of the city then what it actually happened.
And the best way to reproduce the painted propaganda will be by handpainting them on your walls maybe you could look to wallpaintings of the IRA or teh wallpaintings in Cuba for inspiration. Not that you can place an IRA wallpainting in Mogadishu but there are a couple of features that are always returning. In most of the paintings you will see the flag of the country. and if there is a figure standing in it then it`s mostly or a soldier with a gun or it`s a political figure

that would be my guess. I further have an article bout burned out vehicles but that is in dutch with not that much pictures

I GOT PICS OF THE PROPGANDA FROM MOGADISHU, AND CHEERS FOR THE TIPS FOR THE RUST THEY WILL WORK WELL. ONE MORE THING, HOW WOULD I CREATE THE SAMALIAN MILITIA FROM THE NORMAL SOLDIERS, SHOULD I JUST PAINT PLAIN CLOTHES ON THEM AND BANDANAS AND THINGS????
CHEERS FOR YOUR HELP

Here's a good rust tip. Take a large jam jar. Place a quantity of steel wool in the jar and cover it with water. Place the jar in a sunny window. As the steel wool rusts, keep adding water. Once enough steel wool has rusted, give the jar a good stir, and mush up the steel wool. Discard any left over wool. Allow the jar to sit in the sun again. After all the sediment has stettled, tip away the remaining water. Once the last bit of water has evaporated, you can scrape the bottom of the jar and recover the iron oxide. Crush to a fine powder. You can mix the powder with some rubbing alcohol or even solvent and paint it on your vehicle. Voila... real rust.

You could also go to a craft store and pay for a rust kit. Here in Canada I can get it for $17.00 or about 8 pounds.

For the propaganda, you can make your own decals and apply them to your buildings.

A long explanation, but I think you will get the idea. Conversly, if you have some rust about the yard, scrape it off and crush it down.

Hi CJ,
A useful tip for you, instead of buying pastels if you're on a tight budget is to buy ordinary coloured chalk. Use the colours as like pastels by rubbing some of the orange colours etc on a piece of sandpaper and brush them on where the rust should be, but be careful not to touch the areas you've done or it will leave fingerprints. As for the burnt areas you can also try drybrushing them with dark browns & oranges to simulate the burnt metal and then add black to the sooted areas. This is only my thoughts and not a hard and fast rule.
All the best anyway, I'm sure you'll find what suits you best. :-)
Kenny.