Hello folks.

Here is the beginning of my next Diorama build log.
As you could see in the Title, this is the first part of a triptych work dealing with Pripyat and the Exclusion Zone.

This part is named "At the garden's gate."

Below, the basic layout of the diorama, the Entrance is made with heavy cardboard, styrene sheet and Artist's heavy gesso, a medium used to primed canvas.
Heavy gesso allows user to get a "concrete" texture, and as a primer, adds strength to the carboard.

The pics :









Next update tommorow, with pics of the groundwork.
Thanks for reading,

Alexandre.

Hi Alexandre,

Intersting project, I have always wanted to do something on the nuclear disaster! So I will be following this with interest. I hope these links are useful!

http://englishrussia.com/?p=2343
http://www.kiddofspeed.com/

Looks like another interesting piece, Alex

Strangely I also thought of Elena Filatova when you first mentioned your theme, I followed her earlier work. My next thought was of course Stalker, the game

Looking forward to you progress. I'd never thought of using gesso for plaster - although I've seen it used to add texture to trees

Rudi

This seems like a great projet, a kind off ghostly feeling seems to set in on this subject, and for some reason call of duty 4 comes to mind with the sniper mission in Pryiat

i'll be watching this one with entrest

Hello gents,

Martyn, thanks, these links were in my reference bookmark, but nice to see you're onboard.
Strangely, I was thinking that you'll be interrested in this dio.

Rudi friend, thanks a million for your kind words. Well, give a try at it, that's cheap (at least in France) and easy to use to replicate all kind of texture. Take care mate.

Shane, thanks for your feedback, and, yes, what a mission isn't it? Frightening. I've a lot of reference pics about the Ghost Town, and all I can say is that CoD developper did a extremely good job replicating Pripyat. Everything is there.

Today update : the groundwork (primed in dark grey) :









Thanks for reading gentlemen,
next update : small rectification and early paintstage.

Have a great day.

Hi Alexandre!
Nice to see an update on your work. Neat trick using gesso for texture; I have to remember that.

Primož

Hi Alexandre,

Great update. The tiles look great. Any thought for figures or wild animals?

Martyn

Well the balance if truly great at the moment, I will watch this space!

Salut Alexandre,
I really like the way you positionned the wall and tha angle chosen.
Yes it definitively make me think about CoD.
Keep on going
Julien

I visited Pripyat last summer and did the tour of the exclusion zone so I will be watching this closely. I'll try to find my USB stick that I have all my photos from my trip on to aid you in your build. Best of luck!!

An other master piece from Alex
Question the scale is 1/3 or 1/35 because the title is confusing ???

Hello Gentlemen,

Primoz, thanks, I bring another update! Indeed, I'm pretty happy with this gesso mixture.

Hello Martyn, I keep it under my hat, got to keep some surprises as it is a triptych work.

JB, thanks for kind words, see you soon my friend.

Julien, thanks, no comments about my skinny pants ? I'm a bit disapointed.

Steve, you're lucky, that's certainely a place I want to visit, if you could find your photographs, any help is greatly appreciated.

Hey Seb! Masterpiece uhh, well, "piece" is enough...there are real "masters" out there, so I'm not in the same game.
The scale is 1/35 of course, 1/3 means that there will be 3 parts on this diorama theme. "At the garden's gate" is the first one.

Today's udate :

Paintwork.

I've chosen to make painting, weathering and finnishing on each area on it's own, to avoïd the global "filter and washes" uniformity. That's somewhere a challenge as I must be careful when painting details, but...







Thanks for reading.
Alexandre.

Hey Alexandre, again a nive progress.
Do you plan to keep the exterior grey and the interior with colors ?
Will be figures in the scenette ?
Could you please explain us a little how you achieve such rendu with the natural groundwork, or is it a secret of yours ? Do you use natural leaves "broyées" ? I would be very grateful if you could show us with some in progress pictures your techniques.
And no comment on your slim pants this time...I promess...Rudi may but I won't
Best cher ami
Julien

Really nice study in light and color. Waiting anxiously to see more.

Yo Alexandre,

Very interesting...a good build up en setting.

Good start.

Following this one.

Grt Nico

Hello Friends.

Julien, thanks.
I'll plan a SBS about groundwork. My recipe is very simple as you'll see.

Scott and Nico , thanks for your kind words. Nice to have you onboard.

As I'll probably don't have much time tomorrow, I post an update this evening (well, at least in France).

Some paint on the stairs : fallen leaves and moss.







Nest update, puddles and water effects, some paint work and weathering.
Thanks for reading.
Alexandre.

Hi Alexandre,
I see with great attention your works, your subject this time is very original... and the start is promising another masterpiece form you...
abandoned places are very interesting places , and of course this city is in the top ten of abandoned sites.
congratulations for your work

Oh wow that's really cool! Very original! I am an unashamedly huge fan of all the fiction surrounding the zone (Roadside Picnic, Stalker the film and the S.T.A.L.K.E.R games.) There's just something thats grimly fascinating about it all. I am planning a S.T.A.L.K.E.R dio but I'm going to build a few others first so I can really do it justice. This is great inspiration, I look forward to the developments !

Hello there!

Thanks Carlos, I'm flattered. Hope everything is well for you, and that my little file helps. Just PM me if you need something else, we keep in touch maestro.

Hello Will, thanks, the better compliment is to inspire other, so I hope I will not disapoint you.

Today's update : I've changed my mind and done some moss and painting before working on puddles, so here is the pic. If you've got questions, dear readers, just ask.



Bye,
Alexandre.

I don;t think I;ve seen anything quite as inspiring. I really hope I can get to this level sometime soon. I subscribed to this one and hope to see more very soon.

Great work on the base Alexandre.Looking forward to yourt next update.

Superb! Love the moss and fallen leaves. What are the leaves made from- looks a bit like used tea leaves?

Hello gents.

Thanks Sean, Martyn and Ben.

Ben, the leaves are real leaves that I crush and grind. Then some of them are painted in another colors, to get a bit of variety in the color range.

Today's update, puddles and wet technics :







Alexandre.

Very nice. What did you use for the wetwork?

Great work Alexande