Following the Roman invasion, the Celtic peoples surrounded a Roman army encampment somewhere in northern France around 50 B.C. Where and how can you create a forest scene with realistic trees without breaking the bank...
THE BASICS
We start with the base of the set, made of cut pieces of extruded polystyrene...
... and joined together to form the elevation changes...
The contours of the terrain are created using a sander...
Glue the panels together using wood glue only. Weights are used to ensure proper alignment...
When applying the glue, insert toothpicks into the sheets to keep them from shifting. Let them sit for 24 hours...
Another view of the setup...
Supports for the future trees are attached in certain places and will not only hold them securely in place but also allow them to grow taller...
A view of the conifers after they were built and placed on their bases...
THE FORT
Construction of the Roman camp palisade. Wooden sticks gathered in the forest, bound together, and glued with cellulose-based adhesive from a cartridge...
The entire surface is coated with primer. You can use white acrylic spray paint...
More views...
THE TORRENT
The products used were purchased at a home improvement store...
Torrent Manufacturing, cellulose-based cartridge sealant for wall cracks...
The rocks are also made of polystyrene and Fimo modeling clay (which hardens in the air)...
Polystyrene blocks covered with modeling clay and then painted...
The stream bed is finished. A layer of cellulose-based coating is applied to the entire surface with a brush using water to seal it before applying the resin to simulate water...
The set is ready for painting. At the top, the plaster has been applied to the rocks. At the bottom, you can see the polystyrene covered with modeling clay...
View of the smoothing process using a brush. The same process is used to create a waterfall...
Next, pour in some Crystal Clear resin, which is sold at art supply stores...
GRASS
The lawn is made of looped carpet that has been trimmed with a clipper. It is then spray-painted with acrylic spray paint in yellow and medium green...
It is then glued with wood glue and secured with pins while it dries...
Another view...
VARIOUS TREES
The stage set, the tray on the far right...
The roots in the left container are ground in a coffee grinder before being dyed with decorative earth...
Middle bin: polystyrene dust that will also be dyed...
The soil and twigs are mixed together and glued to the backdrop using wood glue...
Construction of the dead tree. Bamboo root...
Once the root has been treated with decorative clay...
The dried bamboo root is then fitted onto a tree trunk (heather root)...
A few branches are added, and then the whole thing is primed...
The dead tree is placed in the set...
Making Christmas trees...
We collect asparagus (from flower shops). The stalks are cut, sprayed with white spray glue, and then airbrushed with basic green...
The trunks. Store-bought wooden rods are sanded down with a belt sander and drilled with small holes, into which asparagus stalks are glued one by one. Start gluing the stalks from the bottom (the longest ones)...
A view of the trees in place in the completed set. It is recommended that you document the trees...
THE FIGURINES
The Romans: Scale approximately 54 mm (1/32). Soft plastic toys from the Force of Valor brand.
All of them have been modified (only four models exist) and repainted with Rembrandt artists' oil paint; the shields have simply been aged...
The Gauls: Italeri brand, 1/32 scale—some are also modified and then painted with oil paints...
Camp props: various Andreas accessories and a surplus box...
Photos above: views showing the progress of the fort and the placement of the figures in the landscape after they have been painted...
The Scorpion, or ballista, is also from the Andreas brand. The stone wall is made of modeling clay covered with cellulose-based plaster and painted...
Backdrop
The background of the diorama is painted on three sides using trompe-l'oeil techniques with oil paint...
For this type of historical diorama, it is strongly recommended that you consult existing reference materials, which will help you better understand the subject and avoid major mistakes...
