1:72 Berlin street base

A Berlin street in 1:72 as the base of a diorama

A street section with paving and a front of houses is among the classic subjects of the small scale. This ground carries the motif of a Berlin street and serves as an area under a model or a figure. It is not a kit of a vehicle but a setting into which a finished miniature is placed.

What the display makes possible

A paved surface and the edge of a sidewalk give the viewer a sense of scale and reveal straight away that the action takes place in a city. A model placed along the front of the houses looks more convincing than the same piece on an empty baseplate. The edge of the area can be filled with a lamp, a railing or a figure. It works better still when movement is brought into the display: a pedestrian stepping over the curb will tell the viewer more than three symmetrically arranged accessories.

Tips on painting the paving

• tone the individual blocks in groups, not all of them the same
• deepen the joints with a dark shade applied with the tip of a brush
• lighten the worn tracks along the axis of the roadway slightly
• add fine dust in a gray-beige tone at the edges
• set the sidewalk apart from the roadway with a different base shade

Whom it suits

Above all builders of city displays in 1:72 who want a ground already prepared and do not want to engrave the paving block by block by hand. It is useful for photographing models too, because it gives a shot a background and depth and draws attention away from an empty table. It will also be reached for by those who want to grant one favorite piece of a collection a more dignified presentation than a bare clear baseplate.