Diorama Design and Composition

I'm not a professional artist with training or any formal education in the subject, but I know what I like.  That is to say, I have an idea of what a scene could be or might be before I begin building it, and I learn whether or not I like that idea as I build the scene.  As various elements like buildings or major land forms or trees are brought to the space the idea might shift and change.  That was certainly the case with my Walthers National Model Railroad Build Off 2022 diorama.

Click on the image above then open in a new tab to see a really BIG version.

At first I wasn't even going to enter the contest simply because I was already building a railroad and had a good head of steam and didn't want to lose momentum on that project.  But when I figured I could build a diorama using elements that would find a home on the railroad, and potentially win a little cash to fund the hobby, well, it wasn't hard to commit to the endeavor.  So I set about I making a few sketches of a scene that might easily incorporate models I knew I'd want on the railroad that I already had on hand.  I chose the structures based on how long it might take to build them the way I like them considering the four month time frame of the contest.

Once the structures were selected I could consider their arrangement.  I've always liked intersections and streets, especially the way they relate to the structures alongside them and the way they fit into or shape the natural setting.  Add a railroad to the mix and it gets really interesting.  In this case I decided to keep the freight railroad element to a minimum - a spur for the mill - while giving more emphasis to the horse-drawn street railway, a unique element less commonly modeled.  I considered running streets and tracks parallel to the diorama edges at first, but migrated toward an offset angled configuration to allow more room to develop the grounds of each structure and set it in its context.

The "quadrants" of the scene, defined by the major streets, are not evenly balanced yet the structures and scenic elements give them appropriate weight.  The large Purina building occupies a smaller area than the two smaller structures diagonally opposite.  Think of a beam scale, how the smaller weight slides along a long bar to balance the heavy weight on the other side.

Elements like the farm field, the orange grove, the family garden behind the cottage or the Florida scrub habitat could all be modeled in part along the diorama edge and the angled orientation would give the impression they continued on beyond the edge of the diorama.  A parallel orientation might give the idea that the field or grove ended at the edge.  We assume the streets continue even when perpendicular or parallel to the edge because that's a more commonly seen trope on many model railroads.  Still, I believe even they benefit from the angled treatment.   

Structure roof-lines were also considered in the composition of the scene.  Strong parallel lines like rails running down the brick street give the eye a path to follow.  Other elements interrupt that flow while some reinforce it.  Roof lines can do either or both.  Natural elements like the orange grove can be parallel to the street and reinforce the motion while creating rhythm.  The dirt road breaks the rhythm and lets the eye jump across the street to a different area.  The billboard is set at an angle to the road and is the only man-made element oriented that way; the rest are parallel or perpendicular to each other.

 

Note the color, texture, and the way the elements interact with the edge.  We know that driveway keeps going and turns toward the back porch.  So too the lawn and garden continue.  The strong roof lines direct the eye through the scene and the colors of the house both reflect the tans and reds of the scenery.

Color was a major element considered in the composition.  The bold patterns and patriotic colors of the Purina Mill really stand out against the greens and browns of the landscape.  So too the white billboard.  Across the street, however, the colors are more subdued.  Yes, the fruit stand is garish, but the yellow, orange and green are echoes of the orange grove.  The colors for the Queen Anne style cottage were chosen from actual home colors used in the period.  The maroon and tan on the cottage echo the brick street and sandy soil.

Perhaps the most important color on the diorama was the street itself.  I chose a dark brick color with blue tones to simulate the over-fired bricks used on streets in Florida from that period.  The tan earth of the sandy dirt roads and driveways contrasts with the brick, as does the bright green grass.  I found several photos showing the sand blown onto the road and wanted to highlight this effect.  The other major color consideration was the foliage, from the faded lime green of the palm fronds to the deep dark green of the orange trees and every shade in between.  Florida is a green, lush place, and the foliage needed to reflect that vibrancy.

 

From the muted dark green of the Oak behind the cottage to the vibrant bright spring green of the lawn, I hoped to capture some of Florida's lush and diverse foliage, both in color and texture.  Look closely and you'll spot the Azalea in bloom.  Liriope lines the front path.

  

The final element I considered in the composition was the placement of figures and mini-scenes.  That topic will get a post of its own.  Thanks for reading and feel free to comment or ask questions.  I hope these ideas help you create interesting scene compositions on your dioramas or model railroads.