1:35 Traffic sign holder No.1

1:35 Traffic sign holder No.1 - a traffic sign holder in 1:35 scale

This is a diorama accessory in 1:35 scale, not a model of a vehicle. It stands for the supporting part of traffic signage - the post or stand on which a sign stands in a scene. It is a small thing that is easily overlooked in a finished diorama, but its absence shows at once: a sign without a believable holder looks as though it were floating in the scene.

Why a holder pays off in a scene

Traffic signage is among the strongest means of telling a viewer the place and the time of the action without having to explain anything. For a sign to work, though, it has to be set convincingly - at the right height, at the right distance from the roadway and with a supporting element that matches the period. The holder also determines exactly where the sign stands in the composition, and so it indirectly guides the viewer's eye across the scene. In dioramas with vehicles it also serves as a guide to scale: from the known height of a post the viewer subconsciously judges the size of everything around it.

Tips for placing it in the scene

• Stand the post upright and at a distance from the edge of the roadway that matches reality.
• Sink the foot of the holder into the terrain or into a curb so that it does not look merely set on the surface.
• Match the height of the sign above the ground with the figures that will stand beside it.
• Choose the look of the sign to match the country and the period the scene shows.

Who the accessory is for

• Builders of road and city dioramas in 1:35 scale.
• Modelers who are finishing a scene and looking for small but noticeable details.
• Anyone interested in setting traffic signage believably in a view.