Hi All
This is my first post here so sorry if I stuff something up. Also fairly new to LOTR as a hobby. Been collecting and painting minis for about a year. I enjoy the modelling and painting most – although not very good at it!
Anyway, my aim is to create battle-scene dioramas loosely based on the film/book. I am not trying to recreate scenes exactly as they appear in the movie – I enjoy adding my own touches to things and using my own creativity.
My first project is a variation on the battle in Balin’s tomb.
I’ve added a pic below – hopefully – if I have sorted this photobucket thing. I’ll add more later.
I realise the terrain is almost done, but I think I have some work to do (eg add some cobwebs to the walls, bit more painting, maybe change the shields on the walls to dwarf shields etc. )
I appreciate any comments on how to improve things.
Once the terrain is finished I am going to add all the characters – the fellowship and a host of goblins. I have painted most of these and will add some pics hopefully.
Anyway, enough writing, here’s the first pic.

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"...that there's some good in this world Mr Frodo - and it's worth fighting for."

Well I have added some more pics. Sorry about the number, but I did say Pic heavy!
I've tried to show some of the detail in the terrain. Some pics are a bit blurry.

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"...that there's some good in this world Mr Frodo - and it's worth fighting for."

That's very nice! I can't wait to see it with the cobwebs.

Whaa??!! That can't be right. That's an awesome tomb there!

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http://bdhobbymadness.blogspot.co.nz/

May the wind under your wings bear you to where the sun sails and the moon walks!

Well done. That's a really tidy model you've made. Did you make the door?

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Painting again...

I'm guessing not, seeing as the well and tomb are from the MoM set

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http://bdhobbymadness.blogspot.co.nz/

May the wind under your wings bear you to where the sun sails and the moon walks!

That's really nicely done. Good job with the hirst arts blocks and floor tiles. Are those faces from a HA mould as well?

I really need to get my own moulds soon....

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That looks great Really looks awesome to play the moria scenes on that! Nice painting! And nice scenery! Keep it up!

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goblin: "people associate me with boogers because i am green"

I like the arches and the way you combined them with the crowned head. Is that from the field stone bridge mold? The rock cast are very effective. You did an out standing job with the casting and paint. For some more color I would suggest adding a book shelf and books to some of the arch ways. The tomb was originally a library.I think adding shields is a good idea.
Post in the Hirts Arts forum as well.

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"the same as a duck you must be made of wood"

Fantastic work

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Talaan-u rûk-ir tor Urûk
Nauru-ir agh kragoru nûrsu grishûrz
Nork-ulu furtun agh goð
Mordor-ob bot-tuk

savage! the attention to detail is very impressive. nice one.

Thanks for all the supportive comments – makes all the hard work worthwhile!
Just to give you a bit more info on how I made it – I used Hirst Arts moulds #’s 40, 203, 205, 44 and 201.
Oldman Willow and Elros of Numenor - you asked about the crowned heads/faces and arches – these came from mould #44 (one of the gothic moulds).
The door, well, tomb and some other bits are from the MoM box set and some of the skulls and skeletons are from a GW basing kit. The boulders are polystyrene (or something like that), bought from a hobby shop.
The casting took ages! Used up 5kg of hydrostone.
Whole lot was spray painted with a black undercoat and then dry brushed first with a mix of black and navy blue, and then again with a light grey.
I’ve added a couple more pics of some of the minis to go into the scene.

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"...that there's some good in this world Mr Frodo - and it's worth fighting for."

Those figures look great!

I have to get #44 the figures look good too!

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"the same as a duck you must be made of wood"

Coooooooooooooool. Gandalf could do with some more work, but otherwise very nice!

More....MORE!

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Thanks for the feedback.

Elros - what do you think I should do with Gandalf? Maybe some more highlighting on the cloak or the belts? Happy to take any advice as I am trying to improve my painting.

Will post some more photos asap.

cheers

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"...that there's some good in this world Mr Frodo - and it's worth fighting for."

Nice painting, Funny to see one come out of the well Maybe u should find some figures in a pose that crawl on the wall; ( maybe u gotta see that u can take them of and put them on again (magnetic?) ) It would be a nice addition, don't know in what way u can still manage something like that witouth destroying ur work (Do not take that risk )

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goblin: "people associate me with boogers because i am green"

No worries. The beard could use some more definition- instead of plain white basecoat grey and then a drybrush of a lighter grey/white.
The face could also do with a highlight or two, just to make the features stand out a bit more. I know it's hard to get the MoM miniatures looking good- I personally think the quality of the plastic fellowship is terrible- but give it a try anyway.

About the casting using up a lot of hydrostone- maybe you could try mixing the plaster with concrete. I saw someone talk about doing it on bruce's site, here: http://hirstarts.com/casting/us.html

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Thanks Elros
Beard was basecoat astronomical grey - I think (painted it a while ago) and drybrush white. Should have used a darker grey me thinks! Might add another wash of black and then drybrush or paint out the highlights. Thanks for the tip re the hydrostone.

I agree the MoM minis were hard to paint to a good quality. Big difference when you move to metal for the first time. I persisted with all of them except Gimli. Since Gimli is the centrepiece of the diaroma standing atop Balin's tomb I wanted a good model for this. I chose the one from the Heroes of the West box set that I picked up cheap. Its not even basecoated yet. Its the last one to go.

Below are some piccys of the foot soldiers and one prowler.

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"...that there's some good in this world Mr Frodo - and it's worth fighting for."

Good choice for the gimli model. That is a great sculpt and I wish GW still made it.
One small suggestion on the prowler: make some of the cloth areas a different colour, like the grey that you've used on the face 'kerchief.
Otherwise, good painting on those gobbos!

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