Custom PLAYSETS & DIORAMAS with your INDY TOYS!!

QuantumGirl, your diplay is fantastic! I love what detail I can see on the rope bridge!

I have some old wooden beer crates, old metal ammunition boxes, and wooden mortar crates I use for my music gear. But you've inspired me with your Nazi crate! I think I'll be making some of my own...maybe the American Version for gigs, the Nazi stuff might not be too well received, (but great for a home display!

Nice work!

Reminds me of playing with my oldest brother's architecture projects when I was younger.

Do you care about scale or do you set out to fit it inside of your display box?

It's very cool to see everyones custom work...you guys/ladies have some great stuff!
 

inky_skin

Active member
QuantumGirl...

...that display belongs in a museum !

Your work is seriously impressive. Not only is the execution of high quality, but it takes some extensive design skills to create a composition which combines all the elements of the Indy-verse so seamlessly. It's not often you find a customiser who is proficient in all aspects of a diorama build (design, construction, paint apps etc), but you seem to have mastered them. I tip my fedora to you...
 

Luke Sprywalker

New member
ROTLA Jungle Scene

I wanted a generic jungle backdrop that has the basic look of the opening jungle scene/walk to the temple and when Indy comes out with the idol. I started with spray painting the foamcore. While it dried I cut down some reeds and young trees and made sure they were all 12 1/2" tall with a 45 degree angle a the bottom. I hot glued the foamcore together then put hot glue on each tree and pushed it down into foamcore. I cut an old fake fern apart and glued leaves to the top and now they can be bent around different ways. The lt. green plants are just in there to test the color, I have more of them. The unpainted part will have moss covering it and I found the perfect low shrub leaf pattern at the Dollar Tree in a floral bundle. They are cut apart to make individual plants but not pictured here. The curved area will be a river bed with rock but no water. This is a WIP as I have a lot left to do. I cut my fingers at work so moving my fingers is on hold for about 4 more days. I decided to post pics since there wasn't much else I could do...


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This one came out pretty cool. I was trying to get a morning haze look...

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Now with a few figures for scale...

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Any ideas or comments are welcome.
 

lao che & sons

New member
Luke,

You are hands down THE best Indy customiser on this forum. Your ideas are great and i can't wait to see more custom playsets from you like a club obi wan ;) ;) or a raven bar.

I was really wondering when someone would post a new playset I want to see a golden idol temple from Raiders too.;) ;)
 

Lance Quazar

Well-known member
AMAZING!!!

Luke, this looks incredible so far! Holy crap!!! Wow, cannot WAIT to see this project unfold.

Astounding! Awesome!
 

Luke Sprywalker

New member
Lau Che - Thanks for the complements but I wish my stuff was up to Hemble's level.:hat: As for other dios I planned to do the Raven Bar before this one but I had most everything I needed so here it is.

Lance - Thanks buddy, just wait till you see the river bed with these perfect little tropical plants. I collected up a few rocks today and outlined the riverbed, left handed.
 

lao che & sons

New member
I can't wait for more pics. The reason I thought about the raven bar was because you have made most of the figures needed, just add some sherpas and your good to go!;)
 

hemble

Member
Hi All

Well I got to say this is a wonderful fiorum section there is so much amazing works of art here it's not funny and so much inpiration as well.

QuantumGirl one hell of a display you have there QG simply breathtaking especially with the crate and background. I actually thought it was a hasbro display at first then realized that they couldn't have done it has it to amazng a piece for them to do.

Luke Sprywalker thanks for the kind words bro but don't sell yourself short you do exceptional work and the jungle dio is coming along brillant. As you mentioned in my section any tips or help that you need just drop me a line and I'll be more then happy to help.

Ron
 

Luke Sprywalker

New member
I have been itching to work on this thing since I had collected the rocks and cut apart plants while I have 2 cut fingers and can't do much else. Today was 1 week since it happened so I decided to tape them up and do some work trying not to use those fingers. I added more depth with a few more trees and started twisting vines all around them. I have added a few lower plants and a statue on the left side. Next was the stream. I put down some kitty litter first then edged it with pea gravel of various sizes. Then a group of plants and a bit of moss.

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Hemble thanks so much man, that means a lot to me coming from someone with as great an eye or perspective for detail as you. First question is how do you solidify the kitty litter to things. I put down elmers glue then sprinkled it on then sprayed the top with spray glue. It doesn't seem to be working and it it still tacky 4 hrs later...help?
 

hemble

Member
Hi All

Luke Sprywalker wrote
Hemble thanks so much man, that means a lot to me coming from someone with as great an eye or perspective for detail as you. First question is how do you solidify the kitty litter to things. I put down elmers glue then sprinkled it on then sprayed the top with spray glue. It doesn't seem to be working and it it still tacky 4 hrs later...help?

Mate always appreciate the kind words thanks buddy,

1:For the river bed try using plaster of paris with some woodglue mixed in then use water till you get a thickness like pancake mix. Once mixed pour some dark brown paint and stir that in this will make the mixture goe a light brown colour.

2:Spread the mixture into the the river base and while the mixture is still wet sprinkle the kitty litter over it.

3: Let this dry for about 2 hrs and you should have a great looking river bed, Then get some woodland scenics realistic water and pour all over the river bed. You might have to do this about 2-3 times to get the depth of the water and it settles and dries you should have a perfect running river.

Ron
 

Luke Sprywalker

New member
Jungle Diorama

Thanks for the info Ron. I'll be putting it to use for sure. It has been a great weekend for me. I got up early this morning and completed 2 commissions that needed minor details and sealing. Then I finished the second Peruvian Guide and a bit of work on the statues/idols for the dio. I also put a few more fern leaves in and added the low tropical foliage. Here are a few pics...

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And now Guido and Juakeen...


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Lance Quazar

Well-known member
Spry, this is absolutely extraordinary! This is the best Indiana Jones dio I have ever seen!

I am in awe!!!

Wow!!!

My only teensy comment would be that the colors of the backdrop don't quite match the colors of the dio. The backdrop is darker and "bluer", contrasting with the bright greens of the dio. Don't know if it's possible to change that at all....

Are you going to be filling in the river bed? If so, can't wait to see even more pics of this exemplary effort!

Wow and wow again!
 

inky_skin

Active member
Ok, not strictly related to Indy, but the following Hasbro press release just arrived in my inbox...

HASBRO ANNOUNCES LAUNCH OF INSIGHT: A SPECIAL EDITION BOOK FEATURING THE IMAGES OF ARTIST AND ACTION FIGURE PHOTOGRAPHER GIANNI LOPERGOLO

Sales Of Book Featuring Images Of G.I. JOE, MARVEL and STAR WARS Action Figures To Benefit ALS Foundations And Family Of Innovative Artist And Hasbro Employee Battling Lou Gehrig’s Disease

Pawtucket, RI – July 15, 2009 – Hasbro, Inc. and friends of Gianni Lopergolo, a Hasbro employee living with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, are introducing Insight:, a book of Mr. Lopergolo’s stunning and unique photography of Hasbro’s G.I. JOE, MARVEL and STAR WARS action figures.

Spanning Mr. Lopergolo’s eight year career at Hasbro, the book features over 90 images of action figures posed and photographed at Hasbro’s internal creative studios. Using simple props and a creative use of lighting and imagination, Mr. Lopergolo revolutionized how the toy maker photographs its beloved action figures. He captures in his photography a tangible world of fantasy and adventure, portraying scenes evocative of childhood imagination where action figures become real characters. His images reach deep into the human psyche, extracting the wonderment and imagination inherent to children lost in a world of play. His ability to portray the essence of this wonderment transcends simple product images and elevated the photography of action figures featured on packaging to a true art form. This one of a kind collection includes such well known characters as DUKE, BARONESS and COBRA COMMANDER from Hasbro’s G.I. JOE brand as well as CAPTAIN AMERICA and SPIDER-MAN from its MARVEL line and LUKE SKYWALKER and DARTH VADER action figures from its STAR WARS line.

“Hasbro is extremely proud to offer this book of Gianni’s remarkable photography in support of his family and ALS charities,” said John Frascotti, Hasbro’s Chief Global Marketing Officer. “Hasbro has a long history of giving back to the local communities in which it operates as well as to charities around the globe. We’re honored to be able to bring this book to market via Hasbro Toy Shop so the world can see the unique art Gianni brought to our company and fans as well as to be able to support a member of the Hasbro family.”

The development of Insight: is led by Hayes McCarthy and Stephanie T. Baxendale. Mr. McCarthy, a fellow Hasbro employee and good friend of Mr. Lopergolo’s is a producer within Hasbro’s internal creative studios and has worked side by side with Gianni for several years. With the support of Hasbro, Mr. McCarthy and Ms. Baxendale, a writer at Hasbro, began to compile the very best of his unique imagery and tell the tale of his work and challenges he now faces with ALS.

“This is an ideal opportunity for us to compile this collection of his work while raising funds for his family and to benefit others suffering from this horrible disease,” said Mr. McCarthy. “Gianni has done so much for Hasbro creatively and it is an opportunity to give back. We’re excited for fans of the G.I. JOE, MARVEL and STAR WARS line to be able to enjoy his amazing images in a new context.”

Insight: will be available for sale nationwide on www.HasbroToyShop.com for the approximate retail price of $29.95 beginning today. The high quality book features over 120 pages of images, some previously unreleased, for readers to explore and appreciate and will also be available for immediate purchase at the Hasbro Toy Shop booth at San Diego Comic-Con July 23-26. To learn more about Insight: visit www.hasbro.com/giannisbook.


If you've ever seen Hasbro action figure print ads, you'll know and love Gianni's work - and I'm pretty sure he's been responsible for at least a couple involving the recent Indy line.
 

Luke Sprywalker

New member
Very cool info about the book Inky and I am a big fan of his photography.

Thanks Lance and the blue background is supposed to be the sky. In most of the jungle screen shots this is what it looks like. I found more small foliage plants on sale at Michaels and plan to use it to break the blue up a bit more. Yes, I want to get some of the woodland water or whatever it is called.I also plan to use this for various scenes not just this one. I'll show my other idea with the next pics.
 

Stoo

Well-known member
inky_skin said:
Ok, not strictly related to Indy, but the following Hasbro press release just arrived in my inbox...

HASBRO ANNOUNCES LAUNCH OF INSIGHT: A SPECIAL EDITION BOOK FEATURING THE IMAGES OF ARTIST AND ACTION FIGURE PHOTOGRAPHER GIANNI LOPERGOLO
I've had an idea on the grille for awhile.:D Oh, man, don't get me started...

Luke Sprywalker said:
Thanks Lance and the blue background is supposed to be the sky. In most of the jungle screen shots this is what it looks like. I found more small foliage plants on sale at Michaels and plan to use it to break the blue up a bit more. Yes, I want to get some of the woodland water or whatever it is called.I also plan to use this for various scenes not just this one. I'll show my other idea with the next pics.
Lookin' good, Spry! I have to agree with Lance about the blue background. The horizon needs to be higher so using a jungle backdrop (painted or photo) would be really effective in beefing up the scenery and matching the atmosphere. If you're feeling extra ambitious, some "3-D" decoupage of trees & whatnot in front of the background would create even more depth while conserving space at the same time. Just some suggestions...;)

Nice job on the creek and I can't wait to see it filled in. "Woodland Water"? In the early '80s, clear resin for water was almost impossible to find at hobby stores!
 

lao che & sons

New member
Spry, Maybe you could use tissue paper in a black or dark grey fro mountains. but only do a few and leave space at the bottom of the backdrop. Then us colored paper and foliage to make a fuller backdrop. Then add some trees and use them really close to the backdrop. So it represents the opening mountain and other mountains.;)
 

Ska

New member
OK so I'm about 2.5 months late in replying (I unfortunatly don't check this thread all the time...might have to start!)...

The reason I'm so late in replying about QuantumGirl's diorama (calling it that seems to not give it enough credit) is that I've been speechless until then, and I just now managed to pick my draw up off the floor! I've seen a lot of amazing work here and on other sites, but yours takes the cake and eats it too. The level of detail...the seemless transition from scene to scene, movie to movie...etc. is just perfect. I kept clicking on the image thumbnails above...at first I was like, "Wow...this is good!" Then I clicked the next..."OK this is amazing." Then, "You've got to be kidding me!" Then, "GET THE **** OUT OF HERE! I WANT THAT SO BAD!"

I now understand Belloq's statement about doing anything to get what he wants...

...by the way, need a roomate?
 
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