The Two Grenadiers Completed
The diorama of the Spanish and French Grenadiers fighting “somewhere in the Peninsular Wars” is completed.
I made the base out of plaster and whilst the surface was still wet a knife was used to form ruts from a passing gun or ammunition wagon into the ground. The plaster was pushed around to leave a slightly uneaven and raised surface randomly on the base. These raised parts were to become rocks.
And, just as the diorama base was setting, I inserted some dyed sisal string to suggest grasses.
A minute amount of plaster was put on the boot of the Spanish Grenadier to suggest a clod of mud.
The diorama base was given a thin wash of PVA glue and then sawdust, which had been dyed a variety of greens and browns, was scattered onto the surface. Where rocks and stones were to protrude from the soil (the raised sections of the plaster mentioned earlier) I did not put any PVA. These areas were given a number of different dry brushes in tones of grey to suggest rocks.
Just past the end of the Spanish Grenadier’s sword scabbard you will see a spent cannon ball sunk into the earth.
To add further interest and variations to the diorama ground I added a number of scale leaves from oaks, maples, cherry trees etc to the ground.
In fact, if you look at the foot of the French Grenadier you can see an oak leaf stuck to the sole of his right boot!
The leaves, the rocks, wheel ruts, grasses and the cannon ball all add interest to the diorama and are well worth the small effort needed to produce them.
Both the Spanish Grenadier and the French Grenadier were drybrushed with ochre, green and brown to simulate dirt on their boots, trousers and the French Greatcoat.
