Customer Reviews

The Scenery Manual

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have owned this book for years and it is a staple of the Model railroad community. But all the techniques and tips are perfectly suited for making dioramas for D&D or wargaming or just plain fantasy dioramas. Which is what I do. I have never made a model railraod but I have made many fantasy dioramas - knights, battles, castles etc.

If you are new to making dioramas this book is perfect. It has all the basics on how to do it.
Some nice things about the book:
1. Although most of the pictures are black and white there is a nice color section in the middle so you can see how color works in your landscapes.
2. There is a great product listing in the back of the book that shows you the different scenery building products that Woodland Scenics has.
3. Glossary of terms is a nice addition to the back of the book.
4. nice step by step illustrations on how to build landscapes.

Highly recommended if you want to build dioramas that look realistic. Especially relevant if you are a hobbyist with a few dollars to spend on the Woodland scenics materials. There are lots of tips and tricks for using these materials.

Purchased this book from Amazon.com, arrived 3 days later. The book is a bit of a disappointment as the photos are all in black and white, not real helpful when trying to determine what the scene should look like with color. It is informative if you've never attempted building model railroad scenes.

This book contains months and years of experience in its pages allowing the reader to avoid the months and years of trial and error we all potentially face when landscaping our layouts. Fully illustrated, it also includes subtle tips that assure a professional, museum quality result. I found out recently from a local hobby shop that only about a quarter of the model railroader enthusiasts in America actually attempt a working model railroad. Perhaps it is the anxiety over landscaping? If so this will help.