I'm planning on creating a Caen dio and I need some help/resources for making some ruins, the pre-made kits don't really fit in with what I want to do. Anybody have any ideas?

Use Styro foam for your ruins light weight and witha little plaster look good just cut them in any shape you want I use it all the time for my Bunkers and it works great


Matt :-)

I use a combination of drywall and plaster. The drywall is basically a slate of plaster enclosed in paper/carboard on both sides.

If you moisten the paper you can peel/scrape it of leaving only the plaster, witch is easy to scrible etc.

Take look im my gallery under "medics"

Cheers

You can also use drywall (gypsum wallboard) pieces. Strip the paper off one side and you get a surface you can carve details onto. You can join the parts with white (PVA) glue and then hide them with some joint compound.

Here's a link to an article on using drywall:

Drywall for modeling

Ola Pat

You could try out this technique I have described in this article I wrote a couple of years ago.

https://armorama.kitmaker.net//features/142

It works quite well, it is easy to do and you can combine it perfectly with styrene, Cork and the like

FAUSTs article is a great place to go for soup to nuts help.

My Got'cha Covered goes into detail about cork construction.
https://armorama.kitmaker.net//features/751

Thanks for all the ideas guys, looks like I'm set!

Forgot one thing: Anyone have any good links to making some rubble? I saw one on here a while ago that was fantastic, but I can't seem to find it. I vaguely remember oil washes being used if it helps. Also, I'm picking up Sheperd Paines book, is there any rubble making guide in there?

I usually just use spread a scoop of dry wall plaster onto a piece of foil and let dry. Then I take the whole thing, put it in a bag and break it up. Using white glue you fasten down the larger chunks. Then you take the tiny pieces and powder, pour it over the larger pieces and into the gaps and spray it down with diluted white glue mixture to "solidify" the rubble

Basic Ruins Construction

Check out this aritcle I wrote and check all the other resources here... Get tutorial...
Good Luck,
Neill

Neil, those look fantastic! I may give that one a try. So far the progress has been nil. I tried drywall, but it was crumbly and too hard to work with. I'm hoping to pick up some foam tomorrow and fiddle around with that. I think I might have some of the wood you're talking about in your tutorial Neil, I'll do some rummaging. BTW, does anyone know some good weathering techniques? I saw some pictures of washing rubble with some acrylic Raw Umber, but can it be done on buildings?

Absolutely. I tend to mix my Durham Water Putty with a few drops of black acrylic paint to darken it and cover any areas I might miss while painting later on.

Depending on the effect I am seeking I will also over spray the entire "ruins" with flat black, flat midnight blue or flat umber, then begin the painting processes. Once I have painted the “ruins” - bricks, concrete, rubble, miscellaneous debris, I will begin the washes of black, umber and blue washes and highlight by dry brushing.

The washes depend on what impact I am trying to get… example… snow scene or illusion of cold I will tend to wash in midnight blue or ultramarine blue. Then as I dry brush the blues will come out and give a cool (as in cold) effect visually.

Home that helps,

Neill

Drywall is good and also foamcore or foamboard,you can pull the paper backing off in spots to expose brick.Any wood supports in damaged areas use a lighter and actually burn them for about 2 seconds and spray water on them,nothing will show burnt areas better than the real thing.Also will work on drywall or foamcore.For large pieces of rubble,buy some small clay flowering pots,put them in a bag that won't break and go to town with a hammer on it.For small rubble,ther will never be anything better than a diluted mix of white glue and "kitty litter".

Thanks for all the advice guys, I'll have this ball rolling in no time!