1:35 Berlin ruin base

Black Dog 1:35 Berlin ruin base, a scene for a display case

1:35 Berlin ruin base is a diorama base for models in 1:35 scale. The ruin of a big-city house forms the background in front of which a vehicle, a gun or a group of figures is placed. Around the ground itself you then have nothing further to deal with.

What the scene evokes

The buildings of European cities at the close of the Second World War have a different face than country or industrial structures: taller floors, stucco facades, shops at street level and above all plaster that has fallen away in irregular patches. The modeler gains twice over from that, as he gets a tall focal point and at the same time a surface with a rich texture on which work with color can be shown off.

How to paint the scene

It has proved itself to work from the darkest tone in the joints toward the lightest on the exposed edges. Leave the exposed masonry under the plaster warmer and the plaster itself cooler by contrast; the contrast will then deepen the scene visually. Unify the concrete and the stone items with a thin glaze. At the close add small dirt at the foot of the walls, where in reality the most of it gathers.

Whom it will serve

• modelers who want to show a vehicle off in a city setting
• painters of figures looking for a more pronounced background than a bare board
• builders of dioramas with limited room in a display case
• anyone who wants to try patina techniques over a large area

Paints, pigments and the model itself do not belong to the ground; add them according to the subject you have chosen.