1:48 ANIMAL SKULLS & SKELETONS

Animal skulls and skeletons, 1:48 - diorama accessories (MIG Productions)

This item is a set of small accessories for a diorama in 1:48 scale, not a kit. Animal skulls and skeletal remains are among the details that give a scene character and mood; they appear most often in dry, desert or long abandoned views, where they hint at time and conditions. The number of pieces, the make-up of the package, the dimensions and the material of the castings are stated on the box of the set, and it pays to look at it before ordering.

How to use small accessories

Small things of this kind work best in small numbers. One skull partly sunk into the sand at the edge of the scene does more than a handful of bones scattered across the whole area, because the viewer is meant to notice the detail, not to trip over it. Place them where the natural movement of the eye leads, that is near the main model but not directly in front of it. It proves worthwhile to set the accessories partly into the base and to mask the join with sand, dust or dry vegetation, so that they do not look laid on the surface.

Building and painting tips

Wash the castings in lukewarm water with a drop of dish soap and let them dry, so that the paint holds. Cut the casting remnants off with a fine knife and sand the surfaces with respiratory protection. Choose the glue to match the material: super glue based on cyanoacrylate for resin, thin modeling cement for plastic. Bone is not white: choose a base in a shade of ivory or light beige, draw a dark brown or gray wash into the hollows and bring out the edges and raised areas with a dry brush in a lighter tone. At the end add pigments in the same color as the base of the scene, so that the accessory fits its surroundings in color.

Who the set is for

• Builders of dioramas in 1:48 scale
• Modelers who want to give a scene mood with small details
• Those interested in desert and abandoned views
• Those practicing the painting of bone, dust and transitions to the base

The accessory is supplied unassembled and unpainted. Glue, paints and the base model are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.