1:35 Letters Set Rauchen Verboten

Letters Set Rauchen Verboten 1:35: lettering for a German scene

Few details anchor a diorama in a place and a period as reliably as text on a wall. This set from the German brand RT-Diorama revolves around the lettering Rauchen verboten, that is, smoking prohibited, a warning that belonged to the obligatory fit-out of stores, barracks, workshops and railway stations. Placed above fuel drums or by a garage door it tells a story before the viewer has time to look at the equipment on display.

Use

• a warning sign at a fuel store or an ammunition depot
• marking a workshop, a garage or a station hall
• bringing the wall of a ruin to life with a convincing period detail
• combining with signs and posters from the manufacturer's other sets

Working with small lettering

Take hold of the elements with tweezers and mark the position with a pencil before fixing them; the lettering on real buildings followed a horizontal line, but a slight irregularity looks lively. Once the wall is painted, go lightly over the lettering with a thinned shade of the surface, so that it blends with the plaster and does not look freshly fitted.

Who the set is useful for

Builders of dioramas from the Second World War in 1:35 scale who care about the credibility of the setting, and creators of vignettes looking for a striking detail. The German text sits naturally into scenes from the Reich and from the occupied territories, but it will also serve in postwar civilian subjects. The lettering moreover works as a compositional element: light lettering on a dark wall draws the viewer's eye exactly where you need it.