When Doom Came To Minas Tirith

Hi everyone,

This project in now finished. I managed to get a day off work and I took the opportunity to try and get some decent photos in.  The results are mixed – and yes I suck at photography!

One thing I noticed, with all my photos, is the muting of the highlights.  If anyone knows how to correct this let me know.

Another thing I noticed with my photography are the defects and mistakes that come out. The most glaring mistake was the black spot under the eye of the commander on the black armoured wolf on the right promontory.  I swear I did not see it when painting.  Luckily, it is not immediately apparent on casual viewing of the diorama – but I know it is there and it ruins the satisfaction for me.

There are other things, but I can sweep them under the mental rug so to speak.

DELIBERATIONS WITH HINDSIGHT

Would I do things differently if I could go back and start all over?  Maybe. Before I start any diorama, I spend a lot of time thinking on how I can tell the story in the most compact way possible, without detracting from the visuals.

One way I thought of, while building the scene, is by removing the right promontory (the one with the wolf rider commander) and moving Minas Tirith to the right corner. At the same time, reducing the width of the diorama by a third.

This approach would still keep the illusion of the forced perspective and reduce the size of the diorama, as well as the amount of miniatures. It would also change the angle of the viewer – maybe for the better?

Nonetheless, the angle I went for was the image that came to mind when I decided to build it. Also, I do like this angle, but I think the economics of space would have been better served if I went with the second route.

That is the price you pay for trying something new – you learn new things and you harbour fresh regrets.

In the end, the viewer will be the judge. To my next project!

Until next time, stay safe and have fun.

NR