1:35 Church portal

1:35 Church portal - a church portal for a diorama

1:35 Church portal from RT-Diorama is a building element for dioramas in 1:35 scale. It is not a kit of equipment and not a figure but an architectural part in its own right, which represents the entrance portal of a church. The 1:35 scale is at the same time the most widespread scale of military equipment and figures, so the element will meet in size what you already have in a scene.

What a portal does in a scene

A church portal is among the most readable elements of European buildings. A molded reveal, an arched head and a massive double-leaf door give a scene a clear place and period at once - from a quiet village green to a shot-up little town. Because a portal is tall and broken up, it works at the same time as a dominant feature in view and as a natural frame for figures walking past it or seeking cover in its shadow. A single element like that will carry a whole composition, so the rest of the scene can stay sparing.

Tips for placing it in the scene

Try the element out dry in the place intended first and only then deal with the ground. The portal should stand square, and it is a good idea to sink its threshold slightly into the paving or the terrain, so that it does not come across as merely laid on the surface. Fill the transition between the portal and the surrounding wall with filler and carry the texture of the masonry right up to the reveal. Play out the division of color between stone, wood and ironwork by lightening the edges and with a darker tone in the hollows; concentrate settled dust and marks left by rain into the horizontal cornices and at the foot of the portal.

Who the element is for

• Builders of dioramas in 1:35 with European city or village buildings
• Modelers who want to give a scene one strong dominant feature
• Anyone interested in sacred architecture as a set piece for figures
• Those who put a larger whole together out of individual architectural parts