Diorama In Progress: Battle of Staffarda, 1690

Here is one of the last tests of the diorama I am making on the Battle of Staffarda.

Every single soldier present is a real reenactor who was present at the last battle in 2023.

Given the complexity of the diorama due in the first instance to the weather conditions, i.e. waiting to be able to take the photos on a clear day with little wind, and in the second instance to the number of paper soldiers present, I decided to take four different shots with one of the regiments in the foreground in turn. 

This is because it is impossible to get a single shot with the whole line in focus. In this first shot, in fact, you can see in the foreground the Piedmontese infantrymen (grey uniform) and then the Spanish michelettes (blue uniforms) and the Piedmontese navy infantrymen of whom only the standard can be glimpsed. I could also take the photo by putting the soldiers in a sort of diagonal but even here I would not be able to frame them all.

Paper Knights by Kes Draw Fights

 

Playmobil Knights - Custom Shield and Flags

 

Making Paper Soldiers without being an Artist

Among the thousands of projects running through my head, I thought of turning historical reenactors into paper soldiers.

The opportunity presented itself at the re-enactment of the Battle of Staffarda in the Piedmont region.

All the reenactors I met were very kind and lent themselves to the photo session.

At the moment I have managed to make paper soldiers of these different regiments all belonging to the same line or brigade if you like.

Piedmontese Dragoons

Micheletti of Catalonia

Piedmontese Marines

Piedmont Regiment

While for the opposing line I am working on the Red Dragoons.

What did I learn from this experiment?

1 Make sure that all reenactors are posed at the same distance from the lens.

2 One line must pose facing left while the other line must pose facing right.

3 A backdrop that is as neutral as possible helps enormously in the graphic editing work

I have made every effort to give them all the same size so that once cut there are no obvious different sizes

The print format is A4, I recommend sticking the soldiers on a black cardboard not too thick.

The scale is slightly larger than 1:24

Here you can find the regiments

Miniature Cannons Siege Battery

 

River Battery

Back to test miniature cannons

Here are the weekend's tests.

I made a cannon with polymer clay, the core of the cannon is composed of cast iron plumbing pipe that I covered with clay and then fired in the kiln.

I used wire to attach the cannon trunnions, which are also covered with polymer clay.

I made the ignition hole at the back where it is most convenient to light the firecracker.

However, I also have some ideas on how to make an alternative that equally allows for convenient loading and firing by unscrewing the cast iron tube cap.

Coming soon...

In addition to the polymer clay cannon I also modified yet another desk cannon from my rambling desk cannon collection.

In this case it is two models, the cannon of one model and the carriage of another that turn out to be compatible!!!

I am also practicing woodworking to make a wagon up to the standard of being called a "miniature reproduction"

I recommend you try it too but make sure you have the proper protections.

In the heat of boring the cannon the drill got stuck and the whole work table flew at me. Fortunately I came out unharmed except for my little finger, which was slightly broken.

Freshly Baked Polymer Clay Cannon

the closest thing to an artillery carriage I've made

Miniature Desk Cannon with a not made by me gun carriage