LAS VEGAS SHIPYARDS

This is the "Giant Behemoth" diorama by Lunar Models.

It is a solid resin kit built for a client with many challenges to overcome that were inherent to the production of the kit.  The first challenge to overcome was the fact the the neck and the head were too small for where they attach to the neck and shoulders.  Click the image to see a larger version.

This was a bit of dilemma but I solved it by building up layers of thin styrene sheets in between the two pieces and shaping them with sanding sticks and the sanding wheel on my Dremel.  I then used Bondo Spot Glazing putty and sanding sticks to fill the pits and gaps.  Click the images to see larger versions.

Here are the initial pics of the finished monster.  Click the images to see larger versions.

This is an example of salt weathering. Salt-weathering is a process used to make paint look like it's worn off and bare metal is underneath. In this case, I wanted the the paint to look like the wear was the result of being crushed by the jaws and the crushing of the massive foot. You start off by painting the areas of damage silver (or aluminum.. whatever you can do to get it to look like bare metal), then wet the area and apply salt to it. Then, wait for it to dry and paint your top coat over the whole piece. When it's done drying, chip off the salt and it will give you the desired effect.  Click the images to see larger versions.

Here is the finished diorama.  Notice the building.  Lunar provided a very thick sheet of styrene for the roof that which not only didn't work because its thickness, but had no detail on it whatsoever.  Fortunately I had a much thinner ridged piece of styrene that was a lot easier to work with  and looked far more realistic.

The other big problem with the building is that it only came with two walls so it wasn't much of a building.  Since the back of the diorama wan'ts important even when Lunar designed this kit, I simply improvised and used the thick piece of styrene they provided to simply provide support.

The bricks on the building were a combination of red, tan and black paint.  I used a black alcohol wash (which is basically a lot of rubbing alcohol and a tiny little bit of paint) for weathering to give the bricks an older, dirtied look.  Lunar provided a clear piece of plastic for the windows which made absolutely no sense at all unless you were going to build a diorama in the diorama.  My fix for this was to take flat pieces of styrene, cutting them to fit the windows and painting them black.  The weathering on the street was a powdered weathering medium that was dry-brushed.

One of the lampposts had so much flash on it that while trying to clean it off, the light broke off and was unrepairable.  This isn't a problem when your diorama revolves around the theme of a sixty-foot monster wrecking a neighborhood.  I simply attached the lamppost and had the broken light piece lie next to the monster's tail.  Click the images to see larger versions.