The dungeon - scale 1/30

Model of a medieval keep with a crenellated tower, a drawbridge, and figures of horsemen"Ouille !"

The Dungeon. An "Heroic Fantasy" diorama created entirely from various materials and modified miniatures...

Model of a keep under construction, featuring an arched doorway and plaster-coated walls

The basic structure is roughly shaped from extruded polystyrene (also known as Roofmat—used for roof underlayment)...

Model of a keep under construction, made of blue polystyrene blocks and gray plasterThe tower is made up of rectangular strips glued together with masonry filler...

Model of a circular keep made of cardboard and plaster, with white battlements on a round wallThe notches are cut with a jigsaw and smoothed with a wood file...

Model of a medieval keep with a cylindrical tower covered in white plaster and battlements under construction

The tower's walls are covered with a Polyfilla-type filler, which is left to dry for at least 24 hours...

Model of a cylindrical keep coated with gray putty near an arched doorway

Sand it down to achieve a uniform shape, then smooth it out with a brush dampened with water...

Model of a crenellated medieval keep with a figurine and an arched doorway on a baseWe begin by applying modeling clay (Fimo—a commercially available air-drying clay) to mimic the shape of the tower’s stones. Lower paving: a 1-centimeter-thick strip all the way around, followed by another 3-millimeter-thick strip using the same process, all secured with wood glue. Then, use a toothpick or various tools to carve each stone...

Model of a medieval keep with a crenellated tower and a statue of a knight in a niche

Larger plates are used for the surface of the tower, which are also engraved.

Larger plates are used for the surface of the tower, which are also engraved.

The Roof

Two notched strips of cardboard forming the merlons of a miniature keep's rampart

The roof: Made using 3mm foam board. Strips of paper are layered and glued on top to simulate slate. The whole thing is painted with black acrylic paint and dry-brushed with dark gray...

The pyramid-shaped tiled roof of the model's keep, set atop the stone walls

The roof is then "stained" with decorative earth...

 Painting

Model of a medieval stone keep with a crenellated round tower and roof

Decorative earth (used to tint paints) is used here as the color for the castle tower. Dilute it in 70% water, then apply it with a wide brush to work the product into all the grooves. Apply a first coat of black, followed by a coat of Burnt Umber. Let it dry for 24 hours. Then use a damp sponge to apply it to the raised areas to lighten the stone (with a light touch!)...

Model of a medieval stone keep with a wooden door and a statue of a knightAnother view...

Model of a medieval keep with a crenellated tower, a wooden gate, and a guard figurine

The shutters and the door are mixed with less water and contain more decorative earth (acrylic paints can also be used instead). The ground of the forecourt and the statue are painted with Sienna...

Green is added to the ditches. The moss is made of very fine sawdust...

Model of a crenellated stone keep standing on a rocky outcrop

We create shading by applying a darker shade in the corners and in the recesses, and a lighter shade on the surface of the illuminated areas...

Model of a medieval stone keep with a wooden drawbridge and a door studded with nails

The drawbridge is made of balsa wood...

Model of a medieval stone keep with a wooden drawbridge and rusty chains...and glazed with decorative earthenware glaze...

Model of the top of a medieval keep with battlements, a tiled roof, and an armed guardThe tower's floor is made of lightweight cardboard carved into strips...

Model of a medieval keep with stone battlements, a slate roof, and armed figurines on topThe tower's equipment: The mast consists of a balsa wood beam with a banner sculpted from Milliput (an air-drying modeling compound) attached to it...

Top of a model of a medieval keep with a roof, a gallows, and a tortured skeleton on crenellated rampartsThe banner on the left is made from recycled Warhammer parts...

The figurines

Model of the top of a crenellated keep with a catapult and a hooded figurine on a wooden floor

The catapult started out as a toy modified with Evergreen plastic card and balsa wood. The head ornament is also from Warhammer...

Top of a stone keep tower with red and black banners, a beacon, and skullsBoth photos show the pieces in place and the painting completed...

Please note:

Please note:

Figurine of a rider on a rearing horse, currently being assembled and held in place by rubber bands on a wooden base

The figurine on horseback in the forecourt—also from *The Lord of the Rings*—has been reworked; the riding position has been adjusted, and a head has been added inside the hood, The scale is approximately 1/30th; manufacturers of figurines sold at newsstands do not always adhere to the scale, sometimes even varying from one figurine to another within the same collection…

Unpainted figurine of a rider carrying a skull banner, mounted on a rearing horse

The modification of the part is complete. It is being sprayed with a coat of primer...

Rembrandt oil paint. The tower's accessories—chains, skulls, banners—are also painted with oil paint from tubes...

Stone base of a model of a water-surrounded keep with a drawbridge and a skeleton

Resin

The Crystal resin used for the Catalina diorama is used here to create the water in the ditch. A plastic skeleton is placed at the bottom.

The shrubs are made of dried seechyium to which train flocking is added, and then they are secured with wood glue and spray adhesive...

Model of a medieval stone keep with a horseman, a drawbridge, red banners, and a catapult on the roof

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