When discussing miniatures, military modeling, and especially dioramas, Sheperd Paine’s name always rises to the top of any list. (The other big name on that list is Francois Verlinden, who deserves his own story, so I’ll save it for another time!) Shep Paine literally wrote the book on it. (Actually, he wrote SEVERAL books on it.) He worked with Monogram, then Tamiya, and eventually Dragon models, increasing kit sales, promoting the hobby, and demonstrating the potential to tell complete, engaging stories with static plastic scenes.
I was first introduced to him through the series of “Tips on Building Dioramas” booklets included with various Monogram plastic tank kits in the 1970s. In those 4 pages were beautiful color photos of the completed kit, displayed in an engaging scene, and brief, but concise text that provided both actual techniques with historical background; in addition to his talent as a modeler and craftsman, Shep was also a learned military historian. He paid close attention to the uniforms, camo patterns, etc.
I still have a few of those mid-70s guides. I’ve heard that they can fetch a nice price on Ebay, but never fear – they can also be found online in PDF form. I came across this amazing resource – I’ll share a link to it at the bottom of the page. Along with ideas about putting together a scene, he gave examples of scratchbuilding techniques for additional detailing, and advice on painting figures. It was a game changer for a young, inexperienced modeler, though, I still find the booklets valuable, 50+ years later.
As inspiring as those free booklets were, even they can’t compare with the wealth of information presented in his books, “How to Build Dioramas,” “Modeling Tanks and Military Vehicles,” and “Building and Painting Scale Figures.” While his “tips sheets” focused entirely on table top style dioramas, his books also feature the use of forced perspective, shadow boxes, mirrors, and lighting effects.
If you have ever thought about creating a dynamic scene to display your hard work, look into Sheperd Paine’s dioramas. They are truly inspirational. Although Shepard Paine died of a stroke in 2015, at the age of 69, he will be remembered as the All-Time Master of military dioramas.
-Toph
http://sheperdpaine.atspace.com/index.htm
