“The Arctic Front” Diorama
By Britt Rawcliffe of Studio Miscast
www.studiomiscast.com
The Arctic Front was entered in a yearly modeling competition that is held at New York Comic Con, where some of the best modelers from around the country go to compete. The competition is strictly for Gundam models, called gunpla, which are Japanese model robots.
My inspiration for this desolate, snowy scene came from the Russian Lake Baikal with its brilliant turquoise ice and vast glacier-esque mountains. The concept was a scene long after a battle had occurred, with one unit stumbling upon the broken remnants of the robots.
The glacier and smaller ice blocks were sculpted out of foam using the Crafter’s Sculpting Tool Kit, then coated, sanded smooth, and painted with a thick coat of acrylic white paint. I used an airbrush to then add the vibrant color shading (and accidentally gave myself a manicure in the process). To achieve the glossy ice-like appearance, I applied several coats of Heavy Gloss Gel to the surface as well.
