The logistics behind professional diorama building is extensive. A variety of glues, files, paints, brushes, and an ample amount of patience, are necessary to reach the desired results. The average time span to build one diorama is about three months. Building, painting and weathering tanks and figures is months of work, for an experienced model builder. In an art with this much detail, there is no room for compromise., but months of effort and hard work produces years of enjoyment.
Ara Piranian
As a boy, Ara “Lukas” Piranian was fascinated by the professional work of world class Belgian model-builder, Francois Verlinden. From the age of nine he was building and painting model kits, but eventually gave up, because his work lacked the realism he was shooting for. After about 20 years of not touching a modeling knife or a paint brush, he became motivated to continue the art after an encounter with his mentor, Dario Del Core, in the year 2015. Dario’s friendship and lessons became the catalyst for prolific building and painting, resulting in over 50 diorama pieces, with many more in the making, some of which have won awards at a variety of IPMS Competitions. In the aerospace industry by trade, Ara finds time after work and on weekends to work on the numerous dioramas showcased in the album and at the gallery.
Fredrick Haritoonian
Every diorama starts off with opening the box of a model kit, and few people are as devoted and patient as Fredrick. Fredrick Haritoonian has grown up in the machining and mold making business. With a constant attention to close tolerances, working in the aerospace industry made Fredrick an excellent candidate for building the extremely detailed model pieces, particularly made by the Dragon and Lion Roar companies. Some of the pieces, such as a Stug III, require the assembly of over 800 pieces. These are kits that most model builders give-up because of the amount of labor involved. Fredrick says the more complicated a kit is the more enjoyable. He builds all of the vehicles, figures, buildings and trees that are depicted in the numerous Eastern Front pieces.
THE STUDIO
As a boy, Ara “Lukas” Piranian was fascinated by the professional work of world class Belgian model-builder, Francois Verlinden. From the age of nine he was building and painting model kits, but eventually gave up, because his work lacked the realism he was shooting for. After about 20 years of not touching a modeling knife or a paint brush, he became motivated to continue the art after an encounter with his mentor, Dario Del Core, in the year 2015. Dario’s friendship and lessons became the catalyst for prolific building and painting, resulting in over 50 diorama pieces, with many more in the making, some of which have won awards at a variety of IPMS Competitions. In the aerospace industry by trade, Ara finds time after work and on weekends to work on the numerous dioramas showcased in the album and at the gallery.