Lanthanotus' dioramas [updated: Bases for Seismosaurus and Edaphosaurus]

[Lanthanotus]

I brought no dino models to Australia and just bought one (as all expect one shop I found sold knockoffs, though some looked even better than their originals, cough, Schleich, cough), CollectA's Muttaburrasaurus. I also customized that figure because of its weirdly positioned hands and its right angled neck, however, the Australian heat rendered my efforts useless, so the shots are taken in an "uncustomized" stance. Unfortunatly I did not bring the right lense to the place in Tarra Bulga NP, so there was no way to bring dino and plants into a fitting scale to each other. Nevertheless, the place made a great stage for diorama.

[Lanthanotus]

more a base than a diorama, made this several months ago to have a small environment for that very nice, but seriously emaciated Seismosaurus. So I deceided for a dried out lake in a devastated clay pan. The broken and flattened spires are supposed to be dead horsetails that grew on the shore of the somewhat salty lake.

[Lanthanotus]

I bought this Shapeways edaphosaurus by GN Models quite some time ago but after applying some base color I did not dare go any further until a few days ago. Tried different paint schemes and ended with that. Need to make some better photos, the camera has some blur and washes out the colors.
I quite like the result, especially as I managed to get it with some shades and such despite the small size of the figure. The whole setup is just 11 cm at its greatest lenght and 4.5 cm high. The diorama base is made completely from Sculpey, just the water is made from clear varnish. Since I destroyed my last year's dirorama entry for not finding a solution for the "water problem" (thanks I found one just a few days after I threw the diorama away :/) I wanted to create a somewhat similar setup for that nice Edaphosaurus model.

[Halichoeres]

Those are great!

[Fenestra]

Great looking bases.
I like the little details, especially the frog.

[Lanthanotus]

Thanks for your kind comments

[Derek.McManus]

Very impressive work! Thanks for sharing!

[Georassic]

Great work! That little frog is amazing!

[Megalosaurus]

I love the purple sail.

[ceratopsian]

Both are excellent work.  I love the imagination in providing the dried lake for the poor Seismosaurus!

[Lanthanotus]

Deceided to use my remains of Sculpey to enrich my prehistoric flora - after all, there's not too much the toy companies have to offer in that regard. So this is what I came up with....

Some random broad leaf cycad or fern.... I am honestly not sure if such existed somewhen, ferns can have lobed or broad or whatever leaves, cycads I dunno. Leaves are made from colored Tyvek.



A Cladoxylopsidae tree,... not sure if the "seed head" is in any way right, but it looks better that way. Branches and leaves made from wire, colored glue and modelling grass.



A Sigillaria. Yes, it looks a bit like a yucca, but after all they weren't that different when looking from afar. I wanted to have it more straightened and higher, but this was the first try and I creating it I found there's better methods than having a cylinder with two branched arms wrapped around a wire and then press in the stamp for the bark from every direction. However, it looks nice next to my figures. Leaves made from a cut roll of paper.



Just for scale comparison...

[PhilSauria]

Great work! - like 3D illustrated Paleo art. The Edaph reminds me of one of the classic Knight or Burian paintings. And it is fitting that the underfed Seismosaurus should be an equally dried up landscape. I am currently working on a base for the Safari feathered rex which has decided that it won't stand for standing any more, and though not anywhere near as scientifically correct as your plants, I have dressed it up with cheap Cycad style plastic flora from one of the Chinese sites. (Aquarium decos?)

[Halichoeres]

Yes, can't have too many plants! Nice work

[Lambeoraptor]

Nice, very nice! Wonderful job!

[Lanthanotus]

This thread has seen no update for a damn looooooong while, so here`s something old (see first post of this thread if you like), just sligthly modified since then and some pieces new. I dragged them up from my desk in the cellar as it is not very well lit there. But the figures and theri bases and the single plants are aligned like this on my desk in eye height and I am very happy that PNSO's Stegosaurus scales so well with the Papo Brontosaurus. Due to its pose the adult Stegosaurus is notoriously hard to display in a way, one can appreciate its full potential, especially in my dark cellar. While the paint job is well executed, the figure is much darker than in the promo pictures. I highlighted the plates along their outlines and brightened the spikes a bit to tune the darkness down. Bases are made from plaster of Paris and chickenwire, the surface sculpted with PVA and a variety of sifted sands and dirts. Some plants are fully artificial, some partly, incorporating paper, wire, paint and Sculpey. "Lizards" are cast from Mantis Miniatures original figures I own.

[Kapitaenosavrvs]

Absolutely great work. I love custom Bases and your approach is similar to the way i love it. It is really nice to see your fast improvements in your work. Creating prehistoric Flora can be a pain in the A.^^ I admire your work and it encourages me to do some work again.

Thank you for sharing. Especially in the times we have right now.

[BrontoScorpio]

... Bases are made from plaster of Paris and chickenwire, the surface sculpted with PVA and a variety of sifted sands and dirts. Some plants are fully artificial, some partly, incorporating paper, wire, paint and Sculpey...

wow,  I didn't understand a word - but I think you should turn professional .

[Lanthanotus]

@Kapitaenosavrvs & @BrontoScorpio Thanks for your kind comments....

... Bases are made from plaster of Paris and chickenwire, the surface sculpted with PVA and a variety of sifted sands and dirts. Some plants are fully artificial, some partly, incorporating paper, wire, paint and Sculpey...

wow,  I didn't understand a word - [...].

Just customized a  Schleich Majungasaurus, once I build a base for it, I gonna do a short image by image 'instruction'

[Shonisaurus]

Magnificent diorama Lanthanotus has been phenomenal, those personalized bases together with those artificial plants make the set of the stegosaurus and diplodocus a beautiful set.

I would like to see what look you give to the majungasaurus and what artistic base you add to it, I really like your craft work. Honestly, the paint color of Schleich's majungasaurus doesn't really convince me, even though it's going to be a future purchase this month.

[Halichoeres]

A bit late to this, but great work on those plants!