hi all ,
i am after a book to buy cheap about how to make a diorama for beginners
can anybody help please please?????

darren

Ola Darren

Best book for beginners should be Shep paines how to make diorama's
Shep Paines how to build diorama's

Quite a good book that shows in clear drawings and pictures techniques to make some nice diorama's

Another book... a bit more expensive is Richard Windrows Terrain modelling Masterclass.
Terrain modelling masterclass by Richard Windrow

I think these books come up regularly on E-bay and such so you might be able to score one here.

There is a guy ona dutch forum who is selling Shep Paines how to built diorama's from Shep Paine for 10 euro. he is also selling "Modeling Tanks and militairy vehicles" for 10 euro... great books for the beginning modeler. You might try to send him an E-mail you can find the list that this guy is selling here:
selling list of Nick Elias
scroll down untill you reack the line "Boeken:" and you will find the titles there.

I'll PM you with his E-mail if you are interested

with friendly greetz

Robert Blokker

I second the notion for How to Build Dioramas. It is the book that got me started, and is still valid after 26 years. There is a second edition available,but I still have my original copy, and I still read it!
Feel free to ask here with any other question, I have found this to be a very helpful site!

I third "How to Build Dioramas", and second Bob's opinion that it's still absolutely valid and the greatest way to begin with. Even more that Shep Paine's ways of building dioramas are the cheapests.
the Osprey Terrain modelling masterclass is also a useful ressource in that it makes one chapter by type of terrain and tells about modern brands and ways of doing the thing. But it relies too much on dubious and expensive Woodland Scenics products in my opinion.

Although this is absolutely true... no where in the book stands that you absolutely have to use these products otherwise you will fail without a doubt.
When somebody asks you to put on your smoking and jump in a muddy Ditch you are not going to do that either aren't you..

For every product you can find a cheaper alternative.

With friendly greetz

Robert Blokker

Quite right my friend, but then those cheaper alternatives are certainly more proeimentely featured in Paine's book -Osprey's book focuses more on ready made ways.

I have both of the above mentioned books. Each one brings something else to the table. Of course if you're looking for the most inexpensive way of learning to build dioramas... you've already found it have a look at some of the great features in the diorama section, and then ask questions IMHO that's the best way to learn - that and experimentation.

Rudi

To add to Rudi's comment:

Darren, books for beginners are good and the list above is both good and relevant, but have you looked through all the online resources?

On Armorama alone, there are:

Keith Magee’s Building a Diorama from Scratch and Digital Diamonds are a brilliant source for beginners.

Keith Forsyth’s A Simple Diorama

Plus under the features sub-section, Dioramas there is a wealth of information.

Also the thread started by JohnReid, How I Build Dioramas(step by step) is also very relevant.

I'm going to toss in that a bit of study at the library on Art Composition is worth an afternoon. You don't necessarily have to buy these books, but to get a good sense of visual representation, color paletes and things of this nature can only help you build and paint better projects.
Diorama are from the table up including the base, the kits, the composition, the story told, and the emotion.

I've also found that in addition to the books mentioned, looking at the dioramas in Verlinden's books also can be a learning experience..not much on technique, but on layout and the like.