1:35 Pomník

A fixed point of a scene

The package is made up of two components; the main piece is cast in plaster and the second in resin. Together they make a memorial, that is an element that plays a special role on a diorama: it does not move, it goes nowhere, and yet it settles where the viewer's eye looks. A military scene around it gains its scale and a reason why it is taking place right here.

Plaster as a material

A plaster casting is porous and absorbent, which is ideal for imitating stone. Paint penetrates into it instead of lying on it, so the shade reads with depth. Thinned acrylic paint applied several times over will create a patina without the need for laborious dry brushing, and pigment rubbed into the pores stays exactly where dust would hold on real stone.

Assembly

Sand plaster wet with fine paper, as dry sanding raises dust and clogs the texture. Cracks or a chipped corner are not a fault; on an old memorial they belong. Anyone who does not want them can fill them with plaster slurry. The resin part is washed before joining and its edges cleaned of mold remains. Super glue will manage the joint between the two materials, and over a larger area a two-part adhesive is better, because plaster is porous and a fast glue soaks into it before it can bond.

Recommendations for setting it in

A memorial is always higher than the ground around it. Lay the base around its foot last, therefore, otherwise the object will look as though it is floating in the ground.

The surroundings of the object

Around the foot a worn footpath, laid flowers or, conversely, overgrown grass all work well, depending on whether the place is meant to be cared for or forgotten. It is precisely that difference which tells more about a scene than the casting itself.