After 5+ years, I am finally starting the Eastern African Diorama (Updated July 5 with chimp troop and desert/jungle worked)

So after collecting as many African Animals and Diorama scenery for the last 5+ years, I am finally starting to put it together. I would love to know how much I spent over the years on everything! Or maybe I don't!
I have two large 5 x 5 tables and one 2 x 4 table that will hold the diorama. I put all my scenery on top of them today to take inventory. I have a lot of stuff--probably too much. That is a start. As you will see in the photos below all my scenery products and my animal collection. I love herd animals but I know I cannot put a wildebeest migration in the diorama--take up too much space. I also know I cannot use all the animals at once but at least I can trade them out back and forth. There will be 4 part ecosystems of the diorama: plains/savannah, jungle, dry/semi desert and a small Maasai village w/ huts and boma. I have a safari truck as well as the Schleich plane that I hope can hang over the plains. I hope take photos as I go through steps to create this. Big undertaking but I am excited.

Animals
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]


Schleich River set (updated with painting and scenery)
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]


Scenery inventory (trees, rivers, bushes, grass, rocks, sand, hills, etc.)
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Ohhh wow this is going to look amazing!!!
Your collection is stunning- so big, soooo many models! And all the plants and scenery- I can't wait to see!

Bonnie wrote:

Ohhh wow this is going to look amazing!!!
Your collection is stunning- so big, soooo many models! And all the plants and scenery- I can't wait to see!

Thanks. My wife says the area looks like a part of Hobby-Lobby. I think I have too much stuff so I will cherry pick the best scenery to use.

Shawn, the huge project is starting! It is really exciting. It is a pity you won't make a wildebeest migration, if it is too big, you know which animals to use to help you reducing it a little. Oh, the MAsai village is a fantastic idea!

This is an amazing looking project, oh my goodness!! Such impressive scope for a personal project. I can't imagine how much time and energy and skill has already gone into it and will go into it. The talent and creativity of this hobby continues to impress me at every turn. Will you have it permanently on display in your home? What a fun room to be in!

Hurray!! I am so excited for you and cant wait to see the end result!

Roger wrote:

Shawn, the huge project is starting! It is really exciting. It is a pity you won't make a wildebeest migration, if it is too big, you know which animals to use to help you reducing it a little. Oh, the MAsai village is a fantastic idea!

I could probably make a big one across the plains as I can take animals on and off. And take photos for the great migration.

So exciting I love dioramas, though I don't have enough space to make my own at the moment. I'm really looking forward to seeing how yours is going to be build

SeanieP wrote:

Roger wrote:

Shawn, the huge project is starting! It is really exciting. It is a pity you won't make a wildebeest migration, if it is too big, you know which animals to use to help you reducing it a little. Oh, the MAsai village is a fantastic idea!

I could probably make a big one across the plains as I can take animals on and off. And take photos for the great migration.

Especially when they're crossing the Mara river. It is better that you focus now in your projects, they will require a lot of time and patience. :)

I have added on the green insulation to the tables today. I will put the grass mats on tomorrow as the base floor of the diorama. But I have a lot more scenery materials to act as the various floors of the diorama but this is grass matt is a good base and for the plains. It is after the wet season so not too dry yet.  I have also added the map (Eastern Africa) of where I am trying to replicate in a smaller area. So if you see no meerkats or springbok, it is because I am not including South African animals, for example. However, I may be stretching the boarders with some of my animals such as African Water Buffalo and Fennec Fox (though I do include Northern Sudan where he can be found).    [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]  

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Lots of hard work and I always wondered how these were made. Thanks for the update! Can't wait to see more.

Very exciting!

What a fantastic project, I am looking forward to seeing the finished diorama (and actually before it is finished too)! What are the trees that you have? I am never going to make a diorama like you, but even on a simple shelf it would be nice to have some trees.

Sooooo longing forward to this

rogerpgvg wrote:

What a fantastic project, I am looking forward to seeing the finished diorama (and actually before it is finished too)! What are the trees that you have? I am never going to make a diorama like you, but even on a simple shelf it would be nice to have some trees.

Thanks, The big trees under the table are Schleich Acacia and Baobab trees. Others are from railroad diorama hobby stores.

Here is the green grass matt as the base of the diorama.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

What a wonderful project! I am impatient to se the result! I have a similar one but at 1/32 scale because I miss place and because I already constitued my herds at this scale.

I am so very excited to see this diorama progress!!!

Lush green fodder for your figures.

Ah, the Schleich trees. Very beautiful but so expensive.

rogerpgvg wrote:

Ah, the Schleich trees. Very beautiful but so expensive.

I am finding what I have been collecting over the last 10 years is worth so much now because they do not make them anymore such as the trees adn river/waterfall.

I am using the Schleich River Set as my central part of the Diorama.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

It looks great! Excellent and realistic alterations.

A good start!

A beautiful set, this is definitely one of the best made by Schleich!